Advice for 2 itineraries
 

Hello,
I will have a meeting in Bern and would like your help with 2 itineraries:
- We get in Zurich on Sunday and shall be in Bern on Thursday: what would you do in this interval? Car or train?
- After Bern we can travel from Sunday to next Saturday/Sunday: is Tuscany too far to be done in this interval? Would you recommend any other itineraries?
Thank you,
gpm

You might be able to get a cheap flight into Florence or Pisa, making Tuscany quite doable. www.whichbudget.com.

Hi gpm,

You haven't said when this trip will be -- are we talking summertime? Fall? This winter?

On your other threads, folks have suggested the Jungfrau area, and I would strongly agree with that. From Zürich, jump on a train to one of the car-free towns and spend your three days there, exploring mountain villages and mountaintops and gentle mountain trails. Three days is a good start to see this area. You can get lots of information at

www.myjungfrau.ch

Then it's a short hop to Bern for your meetings on Thursday.

A car is really not practical for stays in this region, as the nicest places do not allow cars -- some villages and all of the mountaintops. You may also want to do some round-trips using different transportation: trains one way then cable car or lake ferry returning.

Having a car in a city like Bern is also no fun. You'll be dodging pedestrians, trams, and busses while navigating narrow and winding medieval streets. Parking is expensive and may be tough to find. In contrast, trains will take you from city center to city center in comfort.

You can find train schedules at

www.rail.ch

Have fun!

s

Excellent! Thanks. The trip will be in the end of May, so I hope to have good weather..
What about the second part of the trip? What would you recommend?

Hi again,

Well, May isn't the very best time to see the mountains, so that's why I asked. Some of the cable cars will be closed for maintenace, and many of the Alpine trails may be muddy.

So you may want to stay in a larger city to increase your options. Staying in Bern itself is a good option. On nice days you can take a trip to the mountaintops, mountain villages, and the lakes; on bad-weather days you can stay under the arcades of the town or visit Bern and/or Luzern.

Another option would be to stay in Luzern, a city, but one with incredible scenery. It sits nearby some peaks and at the base of a system of lakes, so you can also spend your days ascending mountains or cruising the lakes. More information at

www.luzern.ch

As for the second part of the trip, I'm afraid I'll be no help. I spend all my vacation time in Switzerland (with a bit in France). I don't like to vacation in Italy.

Have fun!

s

Where do you depart Europe? That will dictate what is feasible. If Zurich, I would stay in CH or parts of south Germany--or Salzbug. Tuscany is too far.

Not sure yet, but probably from Zurich.
I can also rent a car, go to Tuscany and depart Europe from Florence, but one way fees for rental cars are ridiculous..

Hi again,

Take a train to Milan and rent from there.

s