One of my favorite countires in the world is Switzerland. I have been there a few times but always in the summer. I am planning to go to switzerland this January. We still have not decided where in Switzerland to go but I like the idea of lucerne and Interlaken. It will be my husbands first time so shall i wait and let him see switzerland in the summer and go somewhere else this January? I would love to hear of your travel experiences in switzerland in winter.

Debbie,<BR><BR>I left MN in Jan. one year when it was 32 degrees below zero and when I arrived in Switzerland it was 32 degrees above zero, light snow and very pleasant. As I understand that is fairly normal for the Eastern pert of Switzerland. I was there a week and found the weather to be relatively moderate. Of course, I am from MN where 32 degrees above zero is almost a summer day. Have a good trip.<BR><BR>Greg<BR>

I spent three weeks in November a few years ago staying with friends in Vevey (also Lausanne and Montreux). The weather was as you'd expect but still very beautiful. One nice perk was there are certain specialty dishes (sausage, venison, etc.) that are only offered in the fall.

debbie,<BR>here is the advice from a european...sorry it will be not be in Fahrenheit grades...and ofcourse do not know what you are used to as you didnt say where you are from..if you do not go directly into the Alps it will be around O degrees, maybe from 0 to max.-5, which might get pretty bad if its windy, so definitely get yourself gloves, warm jackets and hats, the positive thing is that its mainly sunny there and with the snow everywhere it is just georgeous, but still january is the coldest month, if you go into the mountains which is worth it, i.e. Davos, you better get ready for real winter in january, which means -10 at least. But the most important think i would recomend is to watch how the weather develops during december, as what we get around central europe is sometimes pretty warm winters in general which means that it comes to 0 but stays around it all the winter, you will be able to see it already in December. Good luck and enjoy your trip

Switzerland is GREAT in the winter. If you absolutely want the whole snow-and-Alps show, then just beware of two things:<BR><BR>- to be "sure" of being in a snow covered environment, you need to go to a high altitude, since we don't always have perfect, idyllic winters snow-wise. So book at a place like Zermatt, Saas Fee, Murren, Pontresina. <BR><BR>- if you have to come in January, beware, the mountains at "higher altitudes" can be COLD, so take all the adequate warm-weather gear. Or get it here. If you can wait until February, all the better. It won't be so frigid.<BR><BR>- to be honest, I wouldn't bother with Interlaken - it's on every tourist agenda but it's like going to Niagara Falls because everyone else has. Head up to Murren, Grindelwald or Wengen instead, they are nearby villages and surrounded by some of the most imposing, spectacular Swiss Alps.<BR><BR>- if you aren't so keen on being in snow, you can also try staying in one of the cities - like Zurich, Basel, or Bern. There's lots to see in each and they have their own charm. Or, BEST BET: spend a few days in one of the cities, then head up to the mountains. <BR><BR>Best times to be in Switzerland for the mountains: I'd say February-March; July-Aug.; and then, late-Sept to mid October, to get some of the Fall flavor, colors, etc...<BR><BR><BR><BR>