An October Train+Car trip in Europe
 

We plan an October 21-day (10th to 30th) trip to Europe. Our wish list includes a 12-day train in 3 countries and rest by car across Alps Mountains - Swiss, Austria, France & Italy. Seek your experiences, which will add much value in:
1. Choosing the three train ride countries (one of us will be a first timer)
2. Car pick-up city/country (automatic)
3. Love to be in country side along Alps - scenic, lake and mountains
Hope October will be ok to take Alps large passes by car?
Appreciate……………….

Here's a link to Alps passes and the months they're open:
http://www.alpineroads.com/passes.php

Even though many passes show open all year, closings depend on the weather and mid-late October starts the transition from rain to snow.

Have a great trip

Choosing the three train ride countries (one of us will be a first timer)>

Switzerland IMO is best done by train as many of its gems are even off-limits to cars - like primo Alpine resorts like Zermatt and the Jungfrau Region south of Switzerland - you can drive to say Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen but above that you must go by train or gondola or footpath

And even in October Alpine passes can be blocked - i was going to take the fabled '3 Pass Bus Loop' from Interlaken one mid-Sept and it had to be cancelled because all three passes it went over were blocked - this is one reason they have tunnels on the main routes.

I would look at Swiss Pass too - good for mountain trains, all regular trains, lake boats - still running then but on a limited schedule and gives 50% off aerial cableways, etc.

Then when done Switzerlanding yes pick up a car and head south to warmer weather - Italy or southern France

Or consider the Eurail Select Pass, good in any 3 countries you wish and look at the Eurail Select-Drive pass which mixes rail days and car days over a 2-month period - a flexipass if you have it. And this allows you to pick up a car at dozens of airports or train stations in one country and return to other stations in that country - ditto for the next country - so you could mix a few days cars in say Germany to go along the fabled Mosel or Rhine valleys and then again in Italy to go thru rural Tuscany, etc but take the train to large cities where cars are really a liability - many city centres are now off-limits to private vehicles - parking can be problematic and expensive, etc.
Anyway for loads of great tips on planning a European train trip i always spotlight these info-laden sources - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free and superb IMO European Planning & Rail Guide which has suggested rail itineraries for each country, rail maps, etc.

PalenQ thanks a lot an dyour detailed response for sure will of great assistance.

thanks yildy - about the weather - i would always arrange a north and south trip starting in the north as IME the weather deteriotes into a cool, wet (not really bitter cold ever) so start there and end up in the south where the weather will be much warmer.

A nice Alpine area to drive in IMO is in France - around Annecy - no rugged Alpine passes but lots of nice Alpine roads leading up to world-famous winter resorts.

From Switzerland a scenic drive (or train ride) goes from Martigny, in the Rhone Valley not far from Lake Geneva, up and over a steep pass to Chamonix, France- with glaciers practically tumbling to the road - a awesomely scenic train goes the same route - the Martigny to Chamonix train - IMO one of the very most scenic rail rides in Europe - (those having a Swiss Pass will find that it covers the whole journey - even the French part to Chamonix, where you can pick up a rental car to go on into France, avoiding steep dropoff charges for picking up in one country and dropping in another.