IMO, mid to late October will work...I've been there three different times in October and had great weather (some chilly mornings up above) and the crowds of visitors are gone.

Lucern...worth it to see the old section and the bridges. You might be interested in a half-day trip via rail up to Engleberg and the ascent of Mt. Titlis.

In the northeast, Appenzell and surrounds might interest you. The abbey church interior in nearby St. Gallen has been described, by some, as having the most beautiful church interior in the entire country. Then there's the famous library with its' over-the-top interior and the famous mummy! Arcane stuff I know but you asked. Also just some time along the shores of Lake Constance might interest you.

Ok, so you don't like cities but a trip along the north shore of Lac Leman might interest you or at least take one of the lake steamers on one of the lakes.

Zermatt and "the" peak. Problem is that viewing can be hit or miss depending on weather.

Near Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen, consider the Trummelbach falls. There is a fee for admission (they are privately owned) but worth the time and money IMO.

Enjoy.

Lucerne is a beautiful city, but from your post, I don't think you would feel you missed all that much if you didn't see it. We spent one day there and loved it, but it was enough time for us. The highlight of our trip was definitely Wengen and Lauterbrunnen. Two incredibly beautiful places!! The former for the majestic mountain views and the latter for the valleys. We spent 4 days in this area and could have stayed longer.
I would not worry about the weather so much. We were actually there in the summer, but it was rainy and cold and yet didn't diminish the natural beauty of the area at all! Just make sure you pack appropriately - some of the train rides up the mountains can get very, very cold!! We were freezing on the way up the Jungfrau!

Thank you for your replies. So far I think I'll definitely skip Zermatt and Geneva and spend most of the trip in the area surrounding Interlaken, including Lauterbrunnen. Any advice on the Appenzell area. Also any thoughts on Zurich or Bern? It would be easy to visit Zurich for a couple of days when I fly in. Don't know much about Bern.

I have some questions before I proceed with my planning. I will be traveling solo with public transportation and have heard the trains and buses are great. If anyone can give me advice on an itinerary I would appreciate>
well some great sources to help answer that Q - http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html; www.ricksteves.com (lots on Gimmelwald which though fantastic is way too remote to use as a base - you can find just as cheap hotels in Interlaken and Grindelwald than the ONE hotel I believe Gimmelwald offers) and www.swisstravelsystem.com. Strongly consider a Swiss Pass that lets you just hop on practically any train, bus, tram and boat in Switzerland.

I also read that a lot of tourist sites and some hotels close down for the season by October 15th.>

Well yes but only because this if off season and it is not worthwhile to remain open with a paucity of patrons - but this does not mean that all accommodations shut down - there still will be many open and best of all offering low-season rates much cheaper perhaps than in summer!

I would not however IME be so optimistic about the weather at that time of year!

Hi nomadder
I went solo to Switzerland October 30-Nov 7, 2010 and lucked out with ideal weather. You can click on my nme and scroll down to read my trip reports from then.
I agree that Zermatt and french Switzerland (Geneve) should be saved for another trip.
I have been to Appenzell/Urnaesch/Mt Saentis as well and found it beautiful(in a different way from the typical mountains-lush rolling hills and beautifully painted houses). Worth a visit IMO.
Just be sure that you investigate the specific lifts up into whatever mountain(s) that you choose as several do close for the season by mid-October.
I also like both Bern AND Zurich very much for a small dose of 'big city' with museums, shops, cafes, etc. I would choose whichever is most compatible with your other geographic travel plans (sounds like maybe Zurich would fit the bill). Two full days would do justice to the terrific cathedrals and museums there. Not sure if the lake boats will still be running, but if so, a short trip to Rapperswil (my fall home base) would be a pleasant half-day excursion.
You will get PLENTY of input on your Berner Oberland questions from other posters!

Thank you for the advice.
Palen Q - I'll look into the Swiss Pass. As someone who seems to have hiked a lot in the Interlaken and surroundings, how many days do you think would be good for a leisurely stay in this area to get through the best hikes? Again, I can probably arrange to have 10-14 days for my entire trip. Also, can I make my base in one area, whether it be Interlaken or Grindelwald and travel daily to the hiking areas in this region instead of hotel hopping? I realize I would have to change hotels to go to the Appenzell area.

mokka4 - how many days do you recommend in the Appenzell/Urnaesch/Mt. Saentis area? I would love to see the rolling hills and more pastoral places.

I would bag Zurich and stay in Lucern if you want to visit one of the larger towns (it has a lot to see and do, lake steamers and good access to enarcy small villages and several mountain peaks (but lower ones - only about 8,000 feet).

I found Geneva prettier than Zuricn but IMHO you don;t need to do that either if you don't want and Berm/Basel are boring.

Better to stay in one of the smal towns in the Berner Oberland that has direct train access - then you can hike in a variety of areas as well as se smaller charming towns like Briens, Thun etc.

Can comment on trains since we always drive in Switz but I understand trains are conveninet,. I believe November is when most places are closed in prep for the ski season - but do check eraly on places you would like to stay.

And in your planning remember that Swtiz is probably the most expensive country in europe - for anything. (On the McDonalds meter a meal costs about $18 versus $8 or so for the same thing in the US - other costs are similar).

nomad:
If you have the time, 3 days in that area would provide a nice leisurely pace--say one day up to Mt. Saentis, one day to hike (I highly reco the Barfussweg-barefoot path hike to Gontenbad, through beautiful farmland with streams and pungent manure!) and a final day to really explore Appenzell itself/its shps and painted houses, and nearby Urnaesch, with its wonderful Heimatmuseum of history/culture for that area. If pressed, two days would do....

You can find more info about Mt. Saentis at
www.saentisbahn.ch/en.html

It runs until October 21st every half hour from 7:30 am-6:00pm
and from October 22 on from 8:30 am till 5:00 pm.
Adult price RT 45 CHF.
We stayed for two nights at a small hotel in Appenzell proper (cannot recall the name).
More info about the Barefoot hike----http://wanderland.myswitzerland.com/en/routen_detail.cfm?id=344320&tour=route&art=lokal
Also a youtube clip is available!

Thank you all. I will do more research and look into all of your advice. I can probably do 3 days in your recommended area, mokka4. I have the luxury of planning most of my vacations so I have a good amount of time to do things leisurely. I'm sure I'll have more questions over the next few months . . .

Palen Q - I'll look into the Swiss Pass. As someone who seems to have hiked a lot in the Interlaken and surroundings, how many days do you think would be good for a leisurely stay in this area to get through the best hikes? Again, I can probably arrange to have 10-14 days for my entire trip. Also, can I make my base in one area, whether it be Interlaken or Grindelwald and travel daily to the hiking areas in this region instead of hotel hopping?>

I think about 4 days would be great for the average traveler who wants to do some of the better and more popular hikes and other things - and yes I would definitely base in one town - Interlaken is my favorite though many prefer hill towns over it - Interlaken has a wide range of accommodations with surprisingly low prices compared to other Swiss towns IMO and great transporation links - boats and trains going everywhere. Yes no to hotel hopping! And the Swiss pass is fully valid up to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, Gimmelwald, etc.

Your trip sounds very nice. We were in Switzerland last Oct. at exactly the same time,,,,weather was great (except for 2 rainy days in Lauterbrunnen),,,though that is our favorite area. You might want a full day to get an overview of Zurich, and the same with Lucerne. Then on down to the Interlachen area and perhaps stay in Lauterbrunnen. That Bernese Oberland area is so beautiful and wonderful and there is so much to see~~~it's just magical. (lots of hiking, though my husband and I are too old to hike now, and we STILL LOVE that area.
I have friends who spent almost a week in the Lauterbrunnen area,, and still took a 2 or 3 day "side trip" down to Lugano on the train (or 2 or 3, and it worked out. They enjoyed the Italian flavor of the Lugano area.....
You might want to do some extensive research on the Bernina Express, and I know it would be beautiful. We always have a car, but I KNOW the Swiss trains are clean, punctual, and very comfortable.

If you have a Swiss Pass then the fantastic IMO loop from Lauterbrunnen up to Grutschalp via awesome aerial cable car and the cliff-side train to Murren overlooking the deep Lauterbrunnen Valley far below and the cable way from Murren to Gimmelwald and stunning aerial gondola plunge back to the valley floor at Stechleberg and postal bus back to Lauterbrunnen - all of that would be 100% covered by a Swiss Pass - so if doing that totally awesome loop (IMO) use one of your 100% covered days if you have a flexipass.