Alps 11 days
 

We have been to the Engadine, Berner Oberland, Lake Thun, Appenzell region of Switzerland in the past.
This visit we would like to include les Diablerets/Glacier 300, Zermatt. Castle Chillon, Chamonix/Aiguille du Midi/New Gondola down to Aosta, andalso Annecy.
How many days should we spend in each region? We will have 11 days of touring not including arrival/departure days. Thanks

Just reading about Kandersteg, should I add it in?

We like Kandersteg. We visited several years ago and have just booked for another five nights in June. Lots of nice hikes, but otherwise pretty quiet, so depends on your interests.

We prefer fewer places for a longer period of time, 10 nights this time divided evenly between two bases.

Do be aware that Zermatt is an absolute zoo during high season.

Melnq8-I say your photos on one of your trip reports thru tripadvisor. We spent a week in Thun and did day trips and I did not know about Kandersteg.
So Zermatt would be mobbed first week in July probably?

Hi deladeb,

I spend a lot of time in Montreux, so I know it well, and I've spent several weeks in the Gstaad area, so I'm beginning to get to know it too.

I agree with Melnq8 that your experience will be nicer/more rewarding with fewer stops, so I think it would be a good idea to prioritize your wish list down to two or three destinations.

Also, quite a lot of Switzerland will be mobbed in July and August; that's just the nature of tourism there. However, there is a world-famous Jazz Fest (of "smoke on the water" fame) that takes place in Montreux in July, so it will be beyond crowded. It is usually elbow-to-elbow in the summer, but in July it will be really unpleasant (unless you are a jazz fan).

Also, there is a very popular classical music fest that takes place in Gstaad (where you might base to see Les Diablerets and Glacier 3000), and this year it will be from 13 July - 2 September. That might affect your visit there, as well.

So if you'd like to avoid crowding, you may want to base yourself somewhere quiet like Chateau d'Oex or Rougemont, which is convenient to LD & G3000, and Montreux is only about 1h from these places.

Have fun as you plan!

s

There is nothing wrong if you want to go to Berner Oberland for a second time: Kandersteg and Gstaad/Glacier3000.

Zermatt will be full of tourists in July, that's right. But nobody gets there in order to admire the village, but because it's a good base in the middle of a spectacular network of hiking trails up to altitudes of 3600 metres. The highest mountains and glaciers of Switzerland are around Zermatt.
If you like it less touristy, you may check Graechen, Saas Grund, St. Luc, Grimentz, Blatten ob Naters: all places with good gondola access to viewpoints and glaciers and with good panoramic hiking trails.

Chamonix will have at least as many tourists as Zermatt. If your main target is the Pointe Hellbronner gondola, Courmayeur might be a better choice, as high season in Italy starts towards August only. Otherwise check Argentiere, Montroc and Le Tour.

If you want to go to Glacier3000 too (will not bring you much more after the glaciers of Chamonix/Courmayeur resp Zermatt/Saas Grund), the village of Les Diablerets (train to Aigle/Montreux) might be a very calm base.

Annecy is best reached by bus from Geneva or by train from Chamonix, but you may not have enough time for this detour, if you stay at 4 other places before:
Montreux/Chillon, Les Diablerets, Chamonix/Courmayeur, Upper Valais.

For hiking in the Zermatt area I prefer staying in Tasch.

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ca/taesch.html

You can enter or leave the 'zoo' of Zermatt at will.

I too would cut down the number of stops for best use of time.

Thanks everyone, I just checked and the Montreux Jazz festival will be going on while we're there, so I will skip our re-visit to Chillon Castle

Will we be able to go from Aguille du Midi to the NEW Mont Blanc/Monte Bianco skyway?http://www.lovevda.it/en/experiences...blanc-cableway

Above post, I meant, can you make a connection. Also if you can, are there things within walking distance to see in Courmayer?

There is a gondola service between the Punta Helbronner where the Skyway takes you to, and the Aiguille du midi, open only during the summer. The system broke down this summer and some people had to spend the night in the cabins, the ones that couldn't be rescued before darkness I think.

I prefer Courmayeur to Chamonix, it's quieter. A nice ride is to do Courmayeur-Verbier via the tunnel and back via the San Bernardino pass. There is a great classic music festival in Verbier starting July 21 I think. Also the ride from Courmayeur to Annecy is very nice, it's actually nicer. Nothing beats having a car in the mountains!