Switzerland in March
Feb 24th, 2016, 09:16 AM
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Switzerland in March
I am going to ask a question here that I also asked on the Rick Steeves forum and hopefully won't get the same comments about renting a car that I did there and actually get answers and advice on the questions that I'm actually asking. Addressing the car rental discussion first, we have built in the cost of returning the car in Paris. We have a limited amount of time on this trip and when planning it, I wanted to have the flexibility of a car so I budgeted for it. Sometimes it's worth the extra cost for flexibility on the overall trip. If I had more time I would consider the trains but not on this trip. I've got a hotel booked in Zurich that includes parking and we will use it to see some of old Zurich and catch up on sleep after an overnight flight and the time change before heading to Brienz the next day. We also have parking at no cost arranged where we are staying in Brienz as well as in Geneva. We are using Air BnB in Switzerland and there is parking available. And again, I understand all the positives about using trains, and we might still use trains for day trips while staying in Brienz but it's to the overall benefit of the entire trip that we booked a car which is why I did.
It's not that I don't appreciate everyone's advice about the train versus car as renting a car seems so frowned upon by everyone but it's what we chose to do for both our comfort level and logistics for the whole trip which includes more than just Switzerland.
So that being said - can anyone help with my questions below, specifically ideas about a good place for absinthe tasting and which cable car/mountain to go up during the March season? Or things in Bern, Neuchatel or Fribourg? Thanks in advance.
My husband and I arrive in Zurich on March 12th and will spend one day/night in Zurich before driving (rental car) to Brienz where we are staying for 4 nights. Brienz will be our base for day trips. Following that, we will be in Geneva overnight with family before heading into France for the next week.
We are trying to finalize some of the day trips. We definitely want to do a cable car. We've contemplated skiing but neither of us has skied in many years and we'd have to rent everything. Here are some random towns, places and/things to see that I've come up with but would love some advice.
Luzern: Chapel Bridge - oldest wooden bridge
Near Luzern: Mt. Pilatus or Mt. Titlus
Fribourg - medieval town
- home of gruyere cheese - has a dairy trail
- sentier du fromage
- gruyere tourism site
- fondue restaurants:
- Cafe du midi
- cafe de la gare
- cafe Tivoli
Gruyeres: Chateau de Gruyeres
Neuchatel
Drink absinthe!
Estavayer le Lac: Frog Museum
Bern: - Einstein's House - Clock Tower
Other thoughts and shouldn't miss places in and around the area?
It's not that I don't appreciate everyone's advice about the train versus car as renting a car seems so frowned upon by everyone but it's what we chose to do for both our comfort level and logistics for the whole trip which includes more than just Switzerland.
So that being said - can anyone help with my questions below, specifically ideas about a good place for absinthe tasting and which cable car/mountain to go up during the March season? Or things in Bern, Neuchatel or Fribourg? Thanks in advance.
My husband and I arrive in Zurich on March 12th and will spend one day/night in Zurich before driving (rental car) to Brienz where we are staying for 4 nights. Brienz will be our base for day trips. Following that, we will be in Geneva overnight with family before heading into France for the next week.
We are trying to finalize some of the day trips. We definitely want to do a cable car. We've contemplated skiing but neither of us has skied in many years and we'd have to rent everything. Here are some random towns, places and/things to see that I've come up with but would love some advice.
Luzern: Chapel Bridge - oldest wooden bridge
Near Luzern: Mt. Pilatus or Mt. Titlus
Fribourg - medieval town
- home of gruyere cheese - has a dairy trail
- sentier du fromage
- gruyere tourism site
- fondue restaurants:
- Cafe du midi
- cafe de la gare
- cafe Tivoli
Gruyeres: Chateau de Gruyeres
Neuchatel
Drink absinthe!
Estavayer le Lac: Frog Museum
Bern: - Einstein's House - Clock Tower
Other thoughts and shouldn't miss places in and around the area?
Feb 25th, 2016, 01:45 AM
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May be it would be better to give back the car at Geneva and to go on by train: 10 trains daily; 3 hrs journey.
Zurich - Brienz - Berne - Neuchatel - Murten - Avenches - Estavayer - Payerne - Fribourg - Gruyeres - Vevey - Geneva is perfectly feasible by car.
Most absint factories and museums are not at Neuchatel but in the Val de Travers (Motiers, Couvet, Fleurier) however.
http://www.maison-absinthe.ch/page.p...en3&label=home
http://www.absinth.com/absinthe_museum.html
From there you can easily drive to Estavayer - Fribourg via Ste. Croix (viewpoint, historic music box museums) - Yverdon/Grandson (medeval castles, medieval weapens and oldtimer car museums, menhirs)
http://www.reuge.com/home
http://www.museebaud.ch/bienvenue.php?langue=en
Cableways to viewpointsw in the mountains are omnipresent. Jus choose a day with neither fog nor rain.
Zurich - Brienz - Berne - Neuchatel - Murten - Avenches - Estavayer - Payerne - Fribourg - Gruyeres - Vevey - Geneva is perfectly feasible by car.
Most absint factories and museums are not at Neuchatel but in the Val de Travers (Motiers, Couvet, Fleurier) however.
http://www.maison-absinthe.ch/page.p...en3&label=home
http://www.absinth.com/absinthe_museum.html
From there you can easily drive to Estavayer - Fribourg via Ste. Croix (viewpoint, historic music box museums) - Yverdon/Grandson (medeval castles, medieval weapens and oldtimer car museums, menhirs)
http://www.reuge.com/home
http://www.museebaud.ch/bienvenue.php?langue=en
Cableways to viewpointsw in the mountains are omnipresent. Jus choose a day with neither fog nor rain.
Feb 25th, 2016, 06:41 AM
#3
This is what was on my itinerary for Lucerne:
* Self-guided Walk - (see Rick Steve's guidebook)
- Ruess River Stroll ("Royce")
- Start at the Bahnhofplatz in front of the big stone arch
- Culture and Conference Center (Kultur und Kongress zentrum)
- Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke)
- Water Tower (Wsserturm)
- Jesuit Church (Jesuitenkirche)
- Ruess River Weir System (river dam)
- Mill Bridge (Spreuerbrucke)
- Muhlenplatz (the entrance to Old Town)
- Weinmarkt
- Hirschenplatz
- Sterenplatz
* Old Town
* Lion Monument (Lowendenkmal) Memorial to Swiss mercenaries who were killed or executed defending the French king in the French Revolution- this was very moving!
* Glacier Garden/Alpine Garden Fun and quirky per one review - doesn't sound worth it to me. Don't remember doing this.
* Manora Dept Store in Old Town - go to café on top floor then go up steps to outside terrace for views of lake and Mr. Pilatus
* Hofkirche
* Take a walk along the ramparts of the Old City wall (Museggmauer) Great views, clock tower (the Zytrum or Time Tower) that chimes 1 minute before all other clocks in the city, and 8 other towers. Accessible from the street Lowengraben (just off the River Reuss wier) in the Altstadt
* Day trip to Appenzell - Most folkloric town in northeastern Switzerland
Just a suggestion on the rental car... to avoid the out of country drop off fee, you may want to drop your Swiss rental car at GVA on the Swiss side and pick up a new rental car on the French side of GVA when you are leaving.
* Self-guided Walk - (see Rick Steve's guidebook)
- Ruess River Stroll ("Royce")
- Start at the Bahnhofplatz in front of the big stone arch
- Culture and Conference Center (Kultur und Kongress zentrum)
- Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke)
- Water Tower (Wsserturm)
- Jesuit Church (Jesuitenkirche)
- Ruess River Weir System (river dam)
- Mill Bridge (Spreuerbrucke)
- Muhlenplatz (the entrance to Old Town)
- Weinmarkt
- Hirschenplatz
- Sterenplatz
* Old Town
* Lion Monument (Lowendenkmal) Memorial to Swiss mercenaries who were killed or executed defending the French king in the French Revolution- this was very moving!
* Glacier Garden/Alpine Garden Fun and quirky per one review - doesn't sound worth it to me. Don't remember doing this.
* Manora Dept Store in Old Town - go to café on top floor then go up steps to outside terrace for views of lake and Mr. Pilatus
* Hofkirche
* Take a walk along the ramparts of the Old City wall (Museggmauer) Great views, clock tower (the Zytrum or Time Tower) that chimes 1 minute before all other clocks in the city, and 8 other towers. Accessible from the street Lowengraben (just off the River Reuss wier) in the Altstadt
* Day trip to Appenzell - Most folkloric town in northeastern Switzerland
Just a suggestion on the rental car... to avoid the out of country drop off fee, you may want to drop your Swiss rental car at GVA on the Swiss side and pick up a new rental car on the French side of GVA when you are leaving.
Feb 25th, 2016, 10:40 AM
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Near Luzern: Mt. Pilatus or Mt. Titlus>
Pilatus is a single mountain it seems and not really the Alpine Wonderland Mt Titlis is with the unique revolving cable car taking you to the summit area.
If I had to chose I'd do Titlis for its much more dramatic setting once at the summit.
Take a train to Engelberg from Lucerne and then the cable way to the top.
Pilatus is a single mountain it seems and not really the Alpine Wonderland Mt Titlis is with the unique revolving cable car taking you to the summit area.
If I had to chose I'd do Titlis for its much more dramatic setting once at the summit.
Take a train to Engelberg from Lucerne and then the cable way to the top.
Feb 25th, 2016, 12:18 PM
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Near Gruyeres is the Broc Nestle (Callier) chocolate factory where you can take Willy Wonka-esque tours:
https://www.google.com/search?q=broc...HZPbB3MQsAQIHQ
In Bern be sure to check out the Bear Pits by the Aare River with some of the city's namesakes always playing around.
https://www.google.com/search?q=broc...HZPbB3MQsAQIHQ
In Bern be sure to check out the Bear Pits by the Aare River with some of the city's namesakes always playing around.
Feb 25th, 2016, 01:07 PM
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For absinthe, try the lovely town of Solothurn, cafe is called Der Gruene Fee (the green fairy). I believe it is only open Thursday through Sunday. After seeing the elaborate serving ritual, and reading its mysterious history, I, too, was keen on trying it on the Fall 2014. I was vastly underwhelmed but the burnt rubber taste (couldn't even finish!)-but I don't regret trying it!
Much better was the town-brewed beer "Oufi" (for "11", a number that recurs in Solothurn...I highly encourage a visit there). Don't miss the flatbread "pizza"-like staple of this area called Flammkuchen.
I loved Gruyeres, Neuchatel and Fribourg (in that order from most to least).
Click on my name in blue to read my trip report to these areas (fall 2014).
I also rented an apartment for ten days in Brienz several years ago--LOVED it, though I wonder if some of the sights will not yet be open in March? (ex: Ballenberg, Rothornbahn)
You've chosen lovely places-just don't try to pack in too much each day!
Much better was the town-brewed beer "Oufi" (for "11", a number that recurs in Solothurn...I highly encourage a visit there). Don't miss the flatbread "pizza"-like staple of this area called Flammkuchen.
I loved Gruyeres, Neuchatel and Fribourg (in that order from most to least).
Click on my name in blue to read my trip report to these areas (fall 2014).
I also rented an apartment for ten days in Brienz several years ago--LOVED it, though I wonder if some of the sights will not yet be open in March? (ex: Ballenberg, Rothornbahn)
You've chosen lovely places-just don't try to pack in too much each day!
Feb 25th, 2016, 02:08 PM
#8
Loved the tasting room at Callier... there was no one else in there when I arrived and it stayed that way, the attendant even left when I came in! All the lovely chocolate that you can eat!
Had a very good fondue in Gruyeres after a visit to the castle. But, my best fondue was in Geneva.
Ballenberg doesn't open until mid-April unfortunately. It was worth a half-day or so.
Do go see the bears in Bern! And, check out the Kornhauskeller, it is beautiful. Lots of great fountains in Bern, too.
Had a very good fondue in Gruyeres after a visit to the castle. But, my best fondue was in Geneva.
Ballenberg doesn't open until mid-April unfortunately. It was worth a half-day or so.
Do go see the bears in Bern! And, check out the Kornhauskeller, it is beautiful. Lots of great fountains in Bern, too.
Feb 25th, 2016, 02:27 PM
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It's not that I don't appreciate everyone's advice about the train versus car as renting a car seems so frowned upon by everyone but it's what we chose to do for both our comfort level and logistics for the whole trip which includes more than just Switzerland.>
For your type of trip a car is fine though unless I took the autobahn I found driving tediously slow on alternate roads that one would want to take - we also found that when stopped at rail crossings or even long red lights it is protocol to turn off your engine!
The advice to take trains is good for folks staying up in Alpine areas where cars are banned - like above Grindlewald and Lauterbrunnen in the Jungfrau Region and trains and gondolas are the only public transit besides your feet or skis - but you are not going there or may only take an excursion by train from Brienz and even from there you may want to do a boat ride on lovely Lake Brienz - like to Geissbach Falls where from the dock an antique funicular hoists you up to the famous old hotel there.
But you are going mainly to cities and cars are great - no real driving issues like in Italy or other countries.
From Brienz I would consider going to Meiringen (home of meringue I hear) and then up to Reichenbach Falls where Sherlock Holmes the the evil Prof Moriarity tangled with the prof seemingly falling to his death in the swirling waters fall below a balcony viewing spot overlooking the falls and to the Glacier Shute or whatever they call it - a narrow gorge that has walkways along it in Innerkirchen - some places hotels give out free passes for local trains and if so you may want to take the train to the these places - a funicular takes you up the falls.
For lots on trains and boats and things to do in this area check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.
and many people diss Interlaken but to me and a few others it can be a surprisingly nice town if you get off the main drag - a Lucerne type wooden bridge right in the town center and a neat walking path along the northern flank of the river connecting the two lakes Interlaken is wedged between.
A wonderful area - of course you know about the steam train going up the mountain from Brienz - I walked down on zigzagging paths and if into hiking take the train from Brienz to Brunig Pass and walk down to Lake Brienz.
For your type of trip a car is fine though unless I took the autobahn I found driving tediously slow on alternate roads that one would want to take - we also found that when stopped at rail crossings or even long red lights it is protocol to turn off your engine!
The advice to take trains is good for folks staying up in Alpine areas where cars are banned - like above Grindlewald and Lauterbrunnen in the Jungfrau Region and trains and gondolas are the only public transit besides your feet or skis - but you are not going there or may only take an excursion by train from Brienz and even from there you may want to do a boat ride on lovely Lake Brienz - like to Geissbach Falls where from the dock an antique funicular hoists you up to the famous old hotel there.
But you are going mainly to cities and cars are great - no real driving issues like in Italy or other countries.
From Brienz I would consider going to Meiringen (home of meringue I hear) and then up to Reichenbach Falls where Sherlock Holmes the the evil Prof Moriarity tangled with the prof seemingly falling to his death in the swirling waters fall below a balcony viewing spot overlooking the falls and to the Glacier Shute or whatever they call it - a narrow gorge that has walkways along it in Innerkirchen - some places hotels give out free passes for local trains and if so you may want to take the train to the these places - a funicular takes you up the falls.
For lots on trains and boats and things to do in this area check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.
and many people diss Interlaken but to me and a few others it can be a surprisingly nice town if you get off the main drag - a Lucerne type wooden bridge right in the town center and a neat walking path along the northern flank of the river connecting the two lakes Interlaken is wedged between.
A wonderful area - of course you know about the steam train going up the mountain from Brienz - I walked down on zigzagging paths and if into hiking take the train from Brienz to Brunig Pass and walk down to Lake Brienz.
