Ascona to Vevey-13 nights in Switzerland
 

Airline passengers should rise up in revolt against too tight coach conditions. We were squished on our AA flight from JFK to Zurich- so uncomfortable that sleeping was difficult. On the return we had a few more inches of leg room.

Flying into Switzerland was exciting- so beautiful from the air- green and lush, rolling hills dotted with lakes. Zurich was also beautiful from above- I’ve never flown into a city that looked so clean and fresh with little or no industrial sections. Thank you to all the Fodorites who gave so much helpful advice- we felt well prepared for our Swiss adventure.

Zurich Airport was new and very attractive but sweltering- there was no a/c!! Can this be?

What Swiss People Look Like and How They Dress: our first encounter was at the Zurich airport- they looked like white Midwestern Americans and clothing styles were similar to Omaha.
I had imagined the Swiss to be blonde, blue eyed Heidis or Scandinavian types but we saw relatively few blondes in Switzerland. And as you would expect in the Italian and French parts they looked more like Italians or French. There were very few minorities- occasionally we saw some Swiss of Asian or African descent.

Attire: I can see why LLindaC feels comfortable bringing only hiking clothes on vacation. You really can relax in Switzerland and not worry about dressing up. The country seems to be full of avid hikers and in the summer heat, dress was very comfortable and casual.

Our first stop was the Ticino region near the Italian border on Lake Maggiore.

I’ve posted a review on tripadvisor of the four hotels we stayed at. Because of the heat and humidity in mid June, we cut our stay in Ascona at Hotel Castello Seeschloss to three nights from four. My attempts at booking hotels with airconditioning didn’t really pan out since standards for air conditioning are apparently very different in Switzerland.
Someone told us that in Zurich there is a limit on the number of bldgs that can be air-conditioned- is that true?

I just saw the documentary on Al Gore and his environmental crusade, "An Inconvenient Truth." The US needs to enact similar restrictions but then we'd have to move to San Francisco since we live in the hot and steamy South-couldn't stand it without a/c.

How we'd rank our Ticino favorites:
#1 The tiny village of Rasa in the Centovalli. Thank you Catbert, Ingo and Grasshopper for recommending it-we had a magical afternoon here.
The train ride into the valley was spectacular and refreshingly cool. We got off at the village of Verdasio and took a gondola across the gorge to Rasa.
A helicopter was collecting buckets of water from a lake and dumping it onto a fire on a steep slope across the valley from Rasa. This was entertaining to watch and we met some nice German tourists.
Afterward we had lunch in the only café in Rasa- a little shack/lean-to (is this what you call a grotto?)- the food was simple but so delicious.
We encountered few Americans or British tourists anywhere in the Ticino.
The Swiss and German tourists eating at the Rasa café tried to assist us in our comical attempts at interpreting the menu. We ended up making friends with the other customers and were given a great send-off by a harmonica playing Swiss tourist.

My husband wanted to change careers, become a stone-cutter and make those Ticino roofs!

Unfortunately the wood-fired bakery in Rasa was closed the day of our visit but we admired their perfect stacks of firewood.
We were in awe of the perfection of Switzerland- even the weeds are aesthetically pleasing. Where do people put their garbage? You walk around the houses/gardens and they are perfect from all angles- no junk in back yards or corners.
We wanted to buy a house in Rasa and live there every summer or forever.

Catbert, we were advised by our hotel not to consider the bike trip you suggested- two people told us it was dangerous and hair raising. From the train we could see the road at times and had to agree with their assessment but if you are a very fit and experienced rider, it could be done. Perhaps if you had inquired at our hotel, instead of us, the answer would've been different :)

#2 Flying into the Lugano airport on a prop plane. Spectacular and not scary but thank God the pilot had clear weather conditions. He set down hard- almost like landing on a naval carrier because the runway is ringed with mtns.

# 3 Ferry ride on the lake with stops at little villages- nice breezes and beautiful views. The Brissago botanical gardens were nice.

# 4 Drive into the Verzasca valley

Scenic drive along Lake Lugano with stops in Gandria and Lake Como- thanks Ingo and Schuler!

#5 The food- all of our meals in the Ticino were delicious- even at casual road side cafes- no gourmet restaurant research needed.

Ascona is a beautiful, semi tropical (?) city with palm trees and would be great in the off season but it was a little too busy and warm for our taste in the summer.
The lake promenade where our hotel was located was very crowded with tourists- Locarno was even busier with very dense development- we were glad not to be staying there. Ascona was an ideal base, however, for our day trips.
If we were to go again in the summer we would try to stay at a cooler, higher elevation even if inconveniently located. The Ticino countryside was beautiful and definitely one of the highlights of our entire trip.

Madonna del Sasso in Locarno didn’t do a thing for us perhaps because we visited it at the end of a long and sweaty day.
I liked the little church in the Verzasca valley much better. LOL Fodorites who love it- don’t hate me. We got to see the same lake views on a drive up into the hills. One of my peak European experiences ever was the Strasburg, France cathedral at night so it’s not that I dislike big churches…

Lake Maggiore, Lugano and Como were all beautiful and a little hazy during our visit-hard to say which is the prettiest. The gorgeous blue lake colors and lush greenery reminded me of Caribbean volcanic peaks.
Gandria was particularly spectacular- the lake views were ravishing. I’d like to see Morcote on a future visit. Parts of the town of Lugano were lovely- the Hotel Villa Castagnola, located across the street from the lake, looked very appealing.

I’ve made lots of references to the heat-yes, we were HOT! But we were also fortunate to have sunny weather every day of our trip and we met many warm and friendly people in the Ticino. Next, scenic drive to the Engadine and Sils-Maria.

Hi calville,

Thanks so much for posting your report! I can't wait to hear the rest, esp. Lac Leman!

s

Thanks for your report, I'm sure it will be a great help for our September trip (B/O, Locarno, Clarmont and Vevey). Unfortuntately, for us, we're flying AA, JFK to Zurich too.

Thank you Swandav- I've been looking for your report- apparently you didn't write one after your latest trip?
I thought about you on ours- we want to get to Gstaad and Chateau-D Oex the next time.

Mvor-we tried to upgrade with $ and FF miles but alas no availability. I've been reading other Fodor postings- when it comes to coach seating on transcontinental flights, all airlines sound bad. If you aren't squished, you'll be delayed or both. That's why I say the customers need to stage a revolt.

Hi Calville, we fly Delta a couple of times a year to Europe so we're used to revolting! I'm looking forward to your next installment. I really need to post our itinerary for the Swiss gurus to review~

Hi calville,

Nah, I didn't do one after Sep 05. It was so much the same: today I went to the lake and gazed; today I went to the lake and gazed; today I . . . !!! I stayed in Villeneuve, though, and fell in love with it. I'm going to try to find a little apartment there to stay in next summer.

I may have posted something on a blog for friends to look at -- if you're super interested, I can try to find it -- ??

Hey! Get back to writing!!

(thanks!)

s

cmon cmon cmon...btw we used Holiday Inn points for 3 free nights in Lugano. Maybe nothing charming about it but it had A/C!!!! AND a pool and after 93 degree weather, what a delight. Now hurry up and post the rest!

Another addict waiting. Surely it must have been cooler in the Engadine? J.

I'm amazed that you were warned against the bike ride. It's completely downhill and very easy. It wasn't so steep or curvy to ever be frightening. I've done a lot of cycling, but I wouldn't hesitate to take a beginner on the ride.

Mvor-I thought Air France and Delta was the way to go after reading a recent Wendy Perrin article in Conde Nast Traveler mag on foreign airlines being more comfortable on transcontinental flights. Then I started reading bad experiences on fodors...
British Air had lots of delays and caused problems for us on the return...AA gave out wrong info..
Flying these days sure is an uncomfortable hassle.

Linda- I'm very impressed about your a/c at the Holiday Inn in Lugano. Was it a typical US motel type unit and was it really effective? Just like the US -you could get the room really cool? What were the bed linens like? European all cotton or typical American poly/cotton sheets?

Thanks everyone for your interest in my report- I'll try to get the next installment done in the next few days.

calville...honestly I don't remember the linens- I guess it was basic hotel and just okay.The hotel was in a great location and very nice. We did have a thermostat on the wall. It wasn't cold like we can manage in the US- ya know 68, but about 72, which felt amazing at that point. We were in major altitude the next 3 days, but when we got to Montreux and Geneva, it was suffering. My question is, why can't they at least provide a room fan?

Linda- I wondered about fans myself- why don't they have ceiling fans in all the hotels if they don't have a/c?
The heat and humidity levels at both Lake Maggiore and Lake Geneva were shocking. Maggiore of course was a little worse.
In Wengen at the end of June, we met a couple from Phoenix who had been traveling throughout Switzerland for a month. They claimed their hottest city was Chur and they got so desperate they went to a Co-op grocery store (unairconditioned of course) and opened up freezers! By the way, their favorite town was Appenzell which we'd like to see someday.
Next time we go to Europe it will be in the very off season- possibly even winter where we can be guaranteed of cool temps. Of course for the higher elevations like the Engadine the weather was perfect.
Re: sheets- I am so impressed with the quality of European bed sheets-even modest hotels have sheets that in the US you'd only find in a few 5 star hotels!
I can't stand polyester sheets- thread count doesn't concern me as much.
Euopean cotton lingerie is also superior to American.

Catbert-I only caught quick glimpses of the road from the Centovalli train but it did look intimidating to me with no margin for error- there were no shoulders that I could see and I'd hate to lose brakes on a bike on that road.
We thought the Swiss drivers were maniacs- they barrel ahead on the twisty, narrow mountain roads with utter disregard for lanes- we narrowly missed several head on collisions in the Engadine.
We joked with our friends that perhaps the Ascona hotel clerk thought we were too old (mid 50s) and out of shape to do the bike trip so they asked a second clerk the next morning and he was also very negative about the idea. I wonder if there have been some accidents that the locals are aware of- I don't know.
But seriously, a younger, athletic looking person might have gotten an entirely different response.

The lack of a/c or ceiling fans is due to the lack of necessity in the past fifty years. Now, the climate is either in a temporary or permanent change-hot!

Two years ago, I was staying in Vevey and read that it was the hottest day in 500 years! Part of the Matterhorn fell off, that is, some ice melted unusually and some stone did fall...I made the mistake of visiting Lac Annecy in France the next day, and everyone within thirty miles was around or in the Lake.

We were going to stay at Annecy in a quaint, quiet place. Thank God we did not on that particular day...yes I will visit anytime now but summer due to the temperature rise...

Orval- wow - do you recall what the temp was in Vevey two yrs ago? I hope you were in a comfortable hotel.
We walked past Hotel Negociants several times during our June 2006 Vevey heat wave and I shuddered to think we had considered it. I can imagine it could be very cozy on a brisk fall day- snuggling under a down duvet at night etc. but in the heat and humidity of summer it might be like staying in an unventilated attic. The Negociants is located in a very tight cluster of bldgs.

The portable a/c at Trois Couronnes worked pretty well if you removed most of your clothes and positioned the blower directly on your recumbent body :)

calville, thanks for posting this trip report. I enjoyed it very much. But now ... waiting anxiously for the Engadine part!

Thank you Ingo- I'll start working on it. I'd like to hear about your weekend in S Germany. We still think Eisenberg/Zell outside of Fussen was one of the most beautiful places ever (even after seeing Switzerland). We didn't like Fussen or the castle but I was surprised when someone on fodors dismissed Eisenberg as "inexpensive farms." It was stunning in May with the wildflowers in bloom. Have you been there?
I forgot to report on male exhibitionists in Ascona and Munich (from my teenage daughter). An old geezer at our hotel in Ascona kept prancing around opening and closing his towel by the outdoor pool.
My daughter spent many afternoons sunbathing in Munich's clothing optional English Gardens. She wore her bikini but saw quite an array of male metal hardware/piercings. She was also surprised by the full frontal male nudity on billboards in downtown Munich. My husband noted the co-ed changing area at the Hotel Waldhaus pool- felt he was sneered at for keeping his swim trunks on. LOL- I think he might've kept them on in the sauna. Pretty wild stuff for Americans.

LOLOL....you can always spot the Americans!!

We followed Ingo’s advice and took the scenic route from Ascona, along Lake Lugano, across to Lake Como, along the W shore of Lake Como up to Sils-Maria.
Most sections of the drive were beautiful- thank you so much for recommending it Ingo! Although we spent less than an hour in Gandria, the views of the lake from the town are etched in my mind. An amazing maze of stairs and ancient bldgs with ravishing lake views. The peace and quiet and relative lack of development were also refreshing-only a few tourists when we visited on a Tuesday. Thank you for suggesting it Schuler! I wish we had had time for a Lake Lugano boat/ferry ride.

Because we got a late start, we had lunch in Menaggio, Italy rather than Soglio, Switzerland. Menaggio’s setting on Lake Como was very beautiful. It’s smaller than Locarno/Ascona and seemed less densely developed which made it appealing to us. Lunch was inexpensive compared to Switzerland. We wondered how the average Swiss can afford to live since even groceries are very expensive.
Menaggio’s lakeside promenade was wonderful with many large pots of flowers-overall effect very clean and perfect like Switzerland. I don’t think you could go wrong here especially in the off-season. It was too warm for us in mid June 2006.

As we continued N along Lake Como the scenery gradually became less dramatic and less impressive until we reached higher elevations and the village of Soglio.

Soglio, like Guarda, is a tiny preserved village perched on a very steep hill. Compared to Guarda, it seemed rougher and more primitive with very old, uneven cobblestone streets and irregular bldgs. The elderly villagers and a younger man cutting hay by hand gave Soglio an authentic feel. Guarda, which is larger, has attracted residents from other parts of Switzerland- young artisans and farmers etc. and is at a higher elevation (?) and has more snow capped peaks surrounding it.
I had imagined Palazzo Sallis, the Soglio hotel built in 1630, to be elegant since it’s called a palazzo. For me, the public areas seemed a little depressing and odd- almost institutional in feel, however, we didn’t check out the guest rooms which could be very nice. The ambiance would certainly be unique but I don’t think I would want to base out of tiny Soglio, at least not at the Palazzo Sallis. It’s an excellent choice for a day trip though.

Sils-Maria is a short distance from Soglio and the higher we got in elevation, the more beautiful the scenery became- more evergreens (larches?) and fewer deciduous trees.

We stayed at the Hotel Waldhaus in Sils-Maria which I’ve reviewed on tripadvisor. The Engadine was our favorite part of Switzerland and the Waldhaus our favorite hotel. Thank you again Ingo!!

Our favorite sights and activities in the Engadine:

#1 Gazing at the Silsersee (lake with Maloja on one end and the Sils villages on the other) from the balcony of our room. Breathtaking.

#2 Walk along the Silsersee to the small village of Maloja (4 mi one way) with a stop in Isola- a tiny village at the midway point- utterly charming- we saw a little lakeside café with rooms which would be perfect for the budget traveler. I’m sorry I don’t recall the name.

A highlight in Isola was going into the home of one of the villagers who raised goats and sold yogurt, goat salami and drinks and proudly showed off the apricot streusel baking in her oven.
Along the wooded lakeside path (which had quite a few ups and downs) we saw many elderly Swiss hiking or biking- truly amazing and a little embarassing when they sometimes passed us!!
We were very tired when we reached Maloja and relieved to be able to return to Sils-Maria via boat.

#3 Fex Valley- actually tied with the lake walk as a favorite. What exquisite scenery. If you don’t want to walk there are horse drawn carriages which leave from the village of Sils-Maria and go part way up the valley stopping at Fex-Crasta and Hotel Sonne.

We felt the unspoiled Fex valley and Silsersee surpassed the Bernese Oberland in beauty and charm. There were mtn goats and lots of cows with bells. In fact one morning, a cow got lost and came wandering down the road and tried to enter the lobby of the Waldhaus!

#4 Guarda- very interesting old bldgs, very steep, tiny mtn village-unique and charming. We had lunch outdoors at Hotel Meisser- what a magnificent outdoor setting- the views were phenomenal. Some of the dishes were good and others were mediocre. I highly recommend Guarda for a day trip but because of its remoteness and steep topography not sure if I would want to base out of it. Hotel Piz Bruin received a good review on tripadvisor and we saw another little restaurant in town which might have better food than the Meisser. The windows, doors and door hardware in Switzerland are amazing- wish we could recreate them at home in the US.
I can picture outdoorsy types (like LLinda) who enjoy vertical trails staying in Guarda or travelers who just want to relax and soak up the special atmosphere. Families with young kids might be bored after a few hrs.

Ingo, we wanted to go up to Grevasalvas above the Silsersee but the climb looked too tiring. How did they make the Heidi movie if you can’t drive there? We had a delicious meal in Plaun da Lej at Restaurant Muratarol- freshly caught lake fish.

I was surprised to read that Sils-Maria has a public underground parking garage which we hadn’t even noticed at first. On Saturday, the tourist traffic seemed to really pick up. Hotel Waldhaus is just a 10 minute walk up the hill above Sils-Maria and felt nicely removed from the hustle and bustle. If we lived in Europe the Engadine is a spot we’d return to frequently.

The book Walks in the Engadine by Kev Reynolds was an excellent resource- good maps and photos and trail descriptions. Four nights felt like the perfect length of time in Sils-Maria. Someday we'd like to return to the Waldhaus and explore more areas of the Engadine.
Next stop Wengen.

calville, I totally agree with you. Guarda is charming and magical, but there's hardly a thing to do. For us, it was a great base because we wanted total quiet and privacy and we had a pass to take train trips to the east (Scuol) and west (Sils/St Moritz) We met a couple on the bus who had stayed at Waldhaus and loved it.

Linda- I was nervous about the trains but am now a convert to train travel while in Switzerland. We discovered that the train stations will print out a list of all the stops for you so you can be sure you are going in the right direction. With so many trains, even if you make an error, there's always another one on the way!
Since our friends' flight into Lugano was delayed, we let them pick up the rental car and we took trains to Locarno and then a taxi to Ascona. We brought may too many clothes for casual Switzerland and lifting our luggage up and down the train steps was a pain. Next time we would take half the clothes even if traveling by car.
The train from Lugano to Locarno was unairconditioned and uncomfortably hot. I was surprised at how non existent air conditioning was in Switerland! As you know, the breezes and temps were much better in higher elevations.

I forgot to mention that the wildflowers during the last two wks of June were glorious in the Engadine and all of Switzerland :)

Hi Calville,

I'm truly sorry that it was so hot in Ascona. We've had unseasonally high temperatures this year and you would have been boiling in Zürich as well. Air conditioning is almost non-existant because we need our heaters much more.

Last year at this time, it was cool in Zürich. I'm sure that hotels will eventually be adding air conditioning to their rooms if we keep getting these temperatures.

October has been warm to cool in Ascona. Winter is cold and very different than summer. Next time, come in October where the temperatures are cooler and there are less tourists. I certainly hope there will be a next time!

By the way, I just came back from Devon, England, where it was so hot that we had too sleep almost naked above the covers.

There's a heatwave in Europe which is unusual, especially because of its duration.

Thanks for your trip report.

Schuler- I hope the weather breaks for you soon. No need to apologize for the temps-as an American, I should be apologizing to you since we're causing more than our share of the global warming. For any "global warming deny-ers" out there,
I recommend seeing An Inconvenient Truth. Gore made several references to Switzerland and showed a photo of the Brienz floods.
Some friends recently spent several miserable wks in Glasgow in an apt with a big picture window which couldn't be opened and all the fans in the city were sold out. Even Scotland is no longer a sure thing when it comes to mild summers.

PS -Schuler- are you still an American? Or have dual citizenship? If so, I'l let you shoulder some of the blame :)

Hi Calville,

Can't just blame the Americans though I think they should have signed the Kyoto treaty.

Our glaciers are receding at a hairraising pace. For us, that is one of the most definite signs that something is happening.

Yup, I've got dual citzenship and a car. But I do try to save on electricity and water.

oops...clicked the wrong button.

I do try to save on electricity and water but I'm sure there's a lot more I can do.

After last year's rain and floods, we have gone this year to completely different weather. However, it could change anytime.

Ingo, I wanted to take the long, scenic route that you suggested from Sils-Maria to Wengen but couldn’t talk the others into it.
In Wengen we stayed at Hotel Caprice which I’ve reviewed on tripadvisor.
Lauterbrunnen at first reminded me of the hills of West Virginia with a nice little rushing river along the road. As you approach Wengen you can see the snow covered Alps and the scenery becomes more dramatic.
Wengen is a cute little mountain village heavily visited by tourists. We were surprised at the numbers of British and American tourists which we hadn’t encountered in the Ticino or the Engadine. It seems to be a good base for avid hikers and I wondered if nice apartments or homes are available for rent. I had read rapturous reviews of Wengen in the NY Times and had seen Fodorites list the Bernese Oberland as one of the most beautiful places in the world so we were all disappointed not to feel the magic. Both Wengen and Grindelwald reminded me a little of Estes Park, Colo.- very touristy and busy- fine for a day trip but not where we would want to base. I saw Murren perched on the hillside but didn’t get a chance to visit- it might have more charm. Our hotel was the least favorite of our trip and may have also contributed to the disappointment.
“Top of Europe” and the exorbitantly expensive train ride up to the Jungfraujoch was a further let down. Much of the ride is in a dark tunnel inside the mtn with tvs showing the history and creation of the train. The “Sphinx” outdoor viewing platform at the top was obscured with clouds part of the time and then cleared. Many, many tourists at the top- a huge, concrete and glass, maze like structure with trinket booths, ice sculptures etc.
I think the dog sled trip could be fun if you are bundled up for the weather and have clear views-is it available still? We saw the ads for it.
My husband thought Top of Europe was hideous and like going to an American amusement park.

Wengen favorites:
#1 Expensive train ride from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg in the afternoon and therefore almost empty.
#2 cable car from Wengen to Mannlichen late in the afternoon –uncrowded. Wonderful views on top.

The trail from KS to Wengen looked easy (all downhill) but our friends got lost and ended up on a trail way down in the valley. They fell several times too because of the steepness and it took them almost 4 hrs to get back to Wengen. Make sure you bring a trail map with you and stay close to the train tracks- at some points the trail is above the train and other times just below it. The signs were confusing. Everyone was too sore to do the Mannlichen-KS trail the next day- but it looked wonderful and busy (definitely not a secret).
The scenery surrounding Wengen was truly spectacular.
Forgive me if I sound negative in describing Wengen; most people we met were enthusiastic about it. But it was so much busier and more commercial than the peaceful and unspoiled experience we had in the Engadine.
Next Vevey.

Calville, I agree that the town of Wengen is not that special, but I do think the surrounding area is. We stayed at the Alpenrose, which was perfect, because it was below the town in a quiet, private location with stunning views and sheep with tinkling bells next door in the meadows. We were also surprised that the clientele was all English speaking. We had just come from two nights at Vitznau, which seemed to have a more international crowd, with my husband hearing a lot of Russian spoken. I agree with you about the Jungfrau. I was sorry we spent the time and money, but I guess if we hadn't, I would have always wondered. The best part, for me and my kids, was the ice palace, which we loved. I"m sorry you didn't hike from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, because it's the perfect introduction to the area. We found a great way down -- train from KS to Wegneralp, then hike to Mettneralp and Almeden, then cheat again with the train back to Wengen. not a straight downhill, and a different take on the scenery than you get coming across the ridge to KS.

Wonderful TR! We have been to so many of the same places!

Thankfully we are used to heat as we live in Puerto Rico and the temperatures in some places in Switzerland (Lugano and even Zermatt come to mind...) we found hot but not unbearable.

I also liked the charming little church in the Verzasca valley and found Soglio to be the not-as-pretty sister of Guarda. I still liked Soglio.

The Mannlichen - KS walk is very easy and scenic so it is too bad that you didnt get a chance to do it :(

I am suprised at your comments regarding Swiss drivers. I had the opposite impression! There are rules for every situation so I considered them 'precision' drivers. I did have the benefit of my Swiss DH explaining the obscure rules of mountain driving at all times...I might have been scared otherwise as we did tackle quite a few mountain passes.

Ditto on the clothes - I had compared the feel of most towns to Moab, Utah (where everyone is into some extreme sport or another...) but Estes Park is a better comparison.

Skatedancer- yes, I think you are right that if we'd been a little removed from the hustle and bustle of Wengen we'd probably have liked it more. At the time I made reservations, Alpenrose came in second on tripadvisor, however, it was the only Wengen hotel listed in the Good Hotel Guide.

I also agree that if we hadn't taken the train up to the Jungfraujoch I would've always wondered about it. In addition to disliking it, my husband was horrified at the expense which didn't concern me as much :)

I'm looking forward to seeing Kandersteg and Gstaad someday.

Marigross-we were bracing ourselves when we arrived in Italy but didn't encounter any bad drivers the few hrs we were there. In towns, the Swiss drivers were generally good- the problem we encountered was in the mtns or on very narrow streets- they zoom by you.
I just read your report and had to laugh about the little old Swiss ladies- they really will pass you on trails and being plump doesn't slow them down.

Calville....CALVILLE!!!!....hello.... write some more....

Marigross- thanks for your interest in my report- sorry I've been so slow. I've been enjoying your report and was amazed about the bungee jumping- what if they mismeasured the length of the bungee cord or it malfunctioned? Terrifying! I did let my son go parasailing in Hawaii when he was about 12 y/o...
OK here's my Vevey report:
I wanted to take the scenic route that Ingo suggested from Wengen to Vevey but couldn't persuade the others...
The non-mtn. drive was very pleasant and we loved the few hrs we spent in Gruyeres even though it was full of tourists. The raspberries and cream were wonderful- thank you Swandav. The landscape surrounding Gruyeres was stunning and peaceful.
Vevey was a darling town on the banks of Lake Geneva. We thought it was much more attractive than Montreux- thanks for recommending it Cicerone. I would definitely not want to stay in Montreux- the waterfront is undergoing some renovation but we didn't find it very attractive and the hilly topography was a turn off for walking. The hotel that Swandav likes, Palace Eden Au Lac is on a separate little promontory, and looked attractive from the boat.
I think Vevey would be a wonderful 3/4 night destination for Europeans who can travel to it inexpensively.
For Americans touring Switzerland, I'm not sure that I would recommend it as a destination.
My husband really loved our hotel, the Trois Couronnes, but he hasn't seen the credit card bill. Hotel Negociants did not look very appealing to me. Our room at the Trois Couronnes was exorbitantly expensive and we didn't even have a lake view!
For that kind of money, I think I would rather stay in a nice hotel in Paris.
The boat rides on the lake were very pleasant and relaxing and we enjoyed a few hrs driving around the grape growing villages between Vevey and Lausanne.
The real highlight for me was our last night, sitting out on a public bench on the lakefront as the sky slowly darkened. The lake turned to liquid silver and there were misty clouds hovering over the water- mesmerizingly beautiful and unique.
Overall we loved Switzerland and are eager to return. Next time I would look for off the beaten path locations, probably in the off season. Because of the high prices, I might combine just one Swiss location with some other European destinations e.g. Appenzell with Bavaria. I still want to see Gstaad and Chateau-d Oex some day. We really liked the Swiss people and thought the country was beautiful and very safe and easy for travel if you can afford it. I liked JMW's suggestions to head to "Schuler land"- so many bucolic and lovely spots are often not near popular tourist destinations.
Thanks so much to all the Fodorites who were so generous with their time and gave me so much helpful info and advice!

Great report! We love the Ticino and I personally prefer it to the Italian side of the lake district.
Re ceiling fans: they don't help that much. In the heat wave of 2003, we stayed in Lugano at the Albergo Pestalozzi. Our spacious room did have a ceiling fan. But it didn't make the room much cooler. I managed to borrow the "regular" fan from their conference room, which helped more than the ceiling fan.
Anyway, glad you had such a wonderful time!