PalenQ

Base cities are great - no need to stay right in Lucerne for say 4 days but do neat day trips to surrounding places like by boat or train - if rain sets in you can day trip to Bern - a city with covered walkways in its shopping district!

Packing and unpacking takes a lot of time IME - the fewer bases the better - that said 4 days is a bit much for some areas with few reasonable day trips.

swandav2000

Pal, I've been doing that for decades, and I've never run out of day-trips. Sometimes my excursions are for sight-seeing in a city (from Brig I visited Sion, for instance) or for hiking or walking in the countryside (walking between Bettmeralp & Riederalp from Brig). From Lindau, I visited Friedrichshafen and walked between some of the towns on the lake. I really can't think of a place that doesn't have sufficient of either for a 3-day/4 night trip.

But then again, I do love to sit over a glass of wine and watch the life of the community flow by.

Can you think of any?

s

PalenQ

I really can't think of a place that doesn't have sufficient of either for a 3-day/4 night trip>

Not in Switzerland a tiny tiny country with superb transportation and if like me you like riding trains or boats it makes a neat day - a little scenic train or bus or boat ride - spend the day in a new place or two and come back to a place that feels like home after a day or to and one which you know well.

All for base cities and yes in Switzerland there are always places of interest within easy reach - maybe the Engadine in foul weather could be an exception with few cities to flee to if rain sets in - except St Moritz, a city that seems to excigte no one.

swandav2000

hahaha, Pal, I know we disagree about the Engadin! But if it rains, one can really easily and quickly hop on the train over the Bernina Pass and spend the day in Poschiavo or at La Prese on Lake Poschiavo; or one could move west to see Soglio or go north to see Guarda or Ardez. Sometimes you only have to move about 2h by train to get out of the rain (when it's raining in Garmisch, often it's dry in Munich or in Augsburg). For "big" cities maybe see Scuol or Chur.

I think it's also possible to keep someone occupied for 4 nights anywhere in Bavaria, possibly also in the whole of Germany.

s

flpab

Have you ever thought of Lake Bled in Slovenia? My cousin who is 25 and her husband just spent three month backpacking through Europe and they love all sports and adventure but this was by far their fav spot. The people they said were wonderful to them and the beauty in the pictures was amazing. They paddle boarded on the lake.

Garmisch has great hiking and so much better than that dang castle. I know everyone wants to see it but it really is not as spectacular as going to the top of the http://www.zugspitze.at/zugspitzbahn...zugspitze.html