Kah Huat, Koh

Hi All, <BR> I love natural scenery and plan to visit Switzerland for 10D/9N, starting 1 July 1999. This is my first visit. I do not wish to spread myself too thin and would intend to visit 2 or 3 places, probably Luzern, Montreux and Murren. <BR> Would appreciate if you could give me your comments and recommendations on the following, please : <BR> <BR>(1) Are these 3 places a good choice? What about your recommendations? <BR>(2) How many nights should I stay in each of this place? <BR> <BR>Thank you and best regards. <BR>Kah Huat, Koh

victoria

We will also be visiting Switzerland this summer...We decided to rent an apt in a village near the Alps for a week, then do day trips from there. That way we won't be stuck spending too many days in a place or too few if there turns out to be lots to do. Renting an apt also lets us spread out a bit since we are a family traveling together.

Mary Ann

In Murren, alot depends on the weather. We were there in July 1997 and stayed at the Alpenruh which was wonderful. You can exchange your breakfast there with the restaurant Piz Gloria at the top of the Schlithorn and eat revolving (they own both). We were there two nights but wish we had three. The fog rolls in and out so quickly which determined visibility. With Wengen, hiking and all in that area, weather can determine the need to stay longer.

Cheryl Z.

<BR>Hello - if you love natural scenery, you certainly have picked one of the most beautiful countries in Europe to do this. Try to stay at least two nights in each place, but be flexible too, because you will come across other villages that will entice you to stay there also. You can take day trips from these locations to other scenic areas. In the Montreux area, try to see the village of Guyrere, and from Luzern, be sure you take the Mt. Pilatus trip. Other favorite scenic trips for me - the villages of Zermatt and St. Moritz.

richard j. vicek

Good morning, Kah Huat I would think <BR>that three days in each place would be <BR>very sufficent for your first trip to CH. <BR>Luzern is a good choice for it is a base <BR>for trips to Pilatus, Engelberg, the <BR>Lake Lucerne (steamers are great for <BR>taking up time on a rainy day)also Titlis and Rigi, interesting towns around are Vitznau, Weggis and of course <BR>Luzern with its old town, itself.Casinos are located at Weggis and Luzern. <BR> <BR>Montreaux, this is a good extension from <BR>Interlaken to Montreaux on the Panoramic <BR>Express thru Zweisimmen and over the Brunig Pass from Luzern to Interlaken is <BR>also senic. Montreux is a smaller lake town, however lake steamers can be taken <BR>as far as Geneva if you have the time, <BR>Vevey and Lausanne, are stops along with <BR>the Chillon Castle for a visit. On weekends there is an operating steam railway operating out of Bloney. Also Montreux has some small interesting old <BR>hotels such as the Helvetia, they bring <BR>you back to the era of the 20's in decor and service. Murren is a car free <BR>town located on the west side of the Lauterbrunnen valley, it is reached by <BR>a cable car from valleyu or by incline <BR>railway and tram from Lauterbrunnen. <BR>However I would suggest Wengen instead <BR>of Murren as to visit Grindelwald, Kleine Scheidegg, the Jungfrau, Grindelwald First, and Wengen, you will <BR>have to come down to Lauterbrunnen and <BR>go out from there. This is only my <BR>opinion, however I must say we have <BR>always stayed in Grindelwald, due to <BR>the proximity of the hotel to the rr <BR>station and the Mannlichenbahn and the <BR>Bob railways.... <BR>If you should want some url's to surf, <BR>drop me an e mail and will return. <BR>Richard of Hickory Hills, IL....

Eileen

Hi, Kah Huat. I went to school in Switzerland and I must say that this country is the place to go to if you are after seeing lots of beautiful scenery. Fresh, clean air, nice weather, snow-capped Swiss Alps. <BR> <BR>If you are planning to stay for 9N/10D, I think that you should go to the following major cities: <BR>Zurich <BR>Luzern <BR>Geneva <BR> <BR>Based on your e-mail address, I presume that you are from Singapore. From Singapore, you can take an SQ flight direct to Zurich. That's what I always do. For me, SQ is the best airline. <BR> <BR>Explore Zurich. It's one of the most modern cities in Switzerland. Still, it has a lot of nice views and a lot of places to go to. Stroll along the Limmat river, see the numerous churches, museums and guildhalls. Go to the Zurich zoo, take a boat trip on Lake Zurich. See the old town. Stroll around Bahnhofstrasse and take a look at the numerous shops. Once you reach Paradeplatz, you'll notice a cafe called Confiserie Sprungli. You must make it a point to go there and taste their chocolate truffles, Luxemburgerli, pastries and cakes. Go up to the second floor and relax in their cafe. And make sure to bring some truffles back home. <BR> <BR>From Zurich, you can take the train to Luzern. It's approximately a 45 minute train ride. Luzern is a beautiful city; but it's mostly for tourists. Still, you can walk around and enjoy the scenery. There's the Kapellbrucke(ChapelBridge), you can also go up to Mt. Pilatus or Mt. Rigi, see the Jesuit Church, some museums, go up and see Chateau Gutsch (a hotel built like a castle), take a boat trip on the Vierwaldstattersee. <BR> <BR>Geneva is my favorite city in the whole of Switzerland for many reasons. First, it's a French-speaking city and since I'm more fluent in French than in German, I feel more at ease in Geneva. Second, Geneva is beautiful! Coming from the train station, walk until you reach rue du Mont Blanc. Walk along the bridge and you'll see how breathtaking the view is from there. You will also get to see the Jet d'Eau. Straight ahead is the famous flower clock; make sure you have your photo taken there. Cross the street until you reach rue du Rhone. There are a lot of nice shops there. Please take note that sales in Switzerland begin around the end of June so by the time you're there, you'll find a lot of nice stuff with their price slashed down 50% or more. As with Zurich and Luzern, there are some nice museums in Geneva. Visit the Palais des Nations or the Red Cross Museum. You can also take a boat trip on the lake. If you're not too sure on what to do, you can go to the Office de Tourisme and see what sort of guided tour you can join. <BR> <BR>If you take the train from Geneva, you can go to Lausanne which is also a nice city. From Lausanne, you can take the train to go to Montreux. Day trips are enough to explore these cities. <BR> <BR>I would also recommed Lugano in the Italian side. When you go there, you will feel as if you are in Italy and no longer in Switzerland. It's nice to be able to see the difference between the Swiss-French, Swiss-German and Swiss-Italian people. <BR> <BR>You have so many options but I think 10 days will not be enough to see everything. My suggestion is: do Geneva first. Stay there and do day-trips. There's a reasonably-priced hotel in Geneva called Touring Balance. It's in the center; very near rue du Rhone. Another hotel which is in the old town but kinda far-off is a hotel called Churchill. Very clean & affordable. In Zurich, I recommend Zum Storchen. If you're on a budget, you can stay in the old town; I find Hotel Helmhaus and Hotel Rossli comfortable enough. <BR> <BR>After Geneva, perhaps you can go and see the Matterhorn in Zermatt. Take the train to Brig, then go up to Zermatt. <BR> <BR>From Zermatt, go to Lugano. <BR> <BR>From Lugano, go to Luzern. <BR> <BR>From Luzern, go to Zurich. I think Zurich should be your last stop since you will be flying from there going back to Singapore. (I'm just presuming) <BR> <BR>Please don't forget to try out the Swiss dishes in every city. If you'll be travelling by train, buy a Swiss Pass. <BR> <BR>To answer your question: <BR>Geneva - 3 Nights <BR>Zermatt- 1 Night <BR>Lugano - 2 Nights <BR>Luzern - 1 Night <BR>Zurich - 2 Nights <BR> <BR>I hope this helps. Bon Voyage! For more info, I suggest you go to this web-site: <BR>www.switzerlandtourism.com <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Kah Huat, Koh

Hi All, <BR> Thank you for all your suggestions and great help. I do really appreciate them. <BR> Once again, thank you and best regards. <BR> <BR>Kah Huat, Koh.

cth98

For ME, Singapore Airlines is the best airline in my eyes, because I am a Singaporean! SQ346 Direct flight to Zurich Airport. You may go to Luzern and peaceful city.
0115am from SIN to ZRH 0730AM.So pitful, I stayed there 1 night only, and there no time to explore Luzern But, I did'nt Missed Mt. Pilatus and Lion Monument. I for exploring the Whole Luzern Not rushing, I think 5-7 days will be better.