jeromepineau

Lyon: eat and visit the Traboules AND the silk factories. Did I mention eat? It's probably one of the best gastronomy towns in the world. Try the Bouchons for sure.

Sue81

OK Vermont, I did the same cruise ending in Basel with one week before we flew out of Zurich and home to the US. I love Switzerland and the mountains, so spent one night in Zurich, and then down to Zermatt for 2 nights and then to Wengen for several nights and back to Zurich and home. Wengen is awesome with mountains over the village, Jungfrau, Monch/ bit of the Eiger. The train is the only way to do this, and it is pretty easy from Basel to Zurich one hr, Zurich to Zermatt about 3 hrs, Zermatt to Wengen about 3 1/2 hrs and the same back to Zurich. The Swiss Rail pass pays for all the train, some of part of the mtn lifts. We got the flex pass for the number of days that we planned to travel on the train, 4 day pass as I recall, got it over the Internet, but you can get there. It was a lovely week and you can do it for less expense by asking folks here how to do it. Sue

PalenQ

It's a long way to Lyon compared to other Swiss places if going to Lucerne also - Switzerland may not be known for its culinary tastes but I'd tend to stay in Switzerland if Lucerne is a must. If not spend all 6 days in Lyon or places en route to it like Burgundy (Dijon also culinary delight though for mustard!).

I spent a week in Lyon once because I had a girlfriend there and she was working days so I roamed around and was never bored so it is a city with multi-faceted things of interest. And Paul Baucluse's famous ***Michelin restaurant is in the Lyon burbs.

Yes the area around the traboules is great - Old Lyon as it is called- one section is called Mouches - maybe after flies that came there for meat packers or something but whatever the boats manufactured there were called Bateaux Mouches: Interesting tidbit - a company in Paris later trademarked the name for sightsseing boats on the Seine.

<The term is a registered trademark of the Compagnie des Bateaux Mouches, the most widely known operator of the boats in Paris, founded by Jean Bruel (1917–2003);[2] however, the phrase, because of the success of the company, is used generically to refer to all such boats operating on the river within the city. Bateaux Mouches translates literally as "fly boats" ("fly" meaning the insect); however, the name arose because they were originally manufactured in boatyards situated in the Mouche area of Lyon.>

PalenQ

Anyway meant to say Lyon could be a good base and take day trips to places like Avignon or even go there for a few days before returning to Basel.

Thus all Switzerland or all Lyon area would be my suggestion.

HikeVermont

Thank you. Sounds like a wonderful time!

HikeVermont

Of course our plans have now changed. Our children will be in Paris for a few days after our river cruise so we will go from Basel to Paris for a few days. We'd like to rent a car and make our way back to Basel but the drop off fee is huge. Not sure why given the Basel airport is actually in France.

HikeVermont

So actually put in the airport address in the car rental criteria. No drop off fee! Gives the site as Aeroport De Bale-Mulhouse, Saint-Louis, FRA
0.06 mile to Saint-Louis, France Airport0.06 mi from Basel Airport. Anyone had experience with this? Don't want to be surprised with a drop off fee when I get there!

Thanks, forum, for all your help!

PalenQ

best ask car rental company about any fees - sometimes airports have extra fees - just ask ahead of time to prevent any surprises.

Sue81

Hi a word of caution about rental cars. We did rent one some years back in Switzerland and dropped off in Amsterdam. Unfortunately we did not have a huge amount of time when we dropped it off, but we did inspect the car very carefully and it had NO mark on it, as it did when we first picked it up. the car rental person said that it looked like we had an accident, and we asked him why he said that. He was vague. We wrote on the paper that there was no accident and no scratch on the car. It clearly was a scam. Our AM EX card did pay some smaller amount which was nutty, as the car was in no way damaged or even scratched. Be careful. Sue I love the Swiss trains.

neckervd

" Of course our plans have now changed. Our children will be in Paris for a few days after our river cruise so we will go from Basel to Paris for a few days. We'd like to rent a car and make our way back to Basel but the drop off fee is huge. Not sure why given the Basel airport is actually in France"

If you drive from Basel airport to Paris and back (700 miles), it shouldn't matter whether your rent your car in the Swiss or in the French terminal of Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg airport.
Prices in the French terminal are lower, however. Last year, my daughter rent a car in the French terminal just for some visits in Switzerland. If she would have done the same in the Swiss terminal, she would have paid more.

JulieVikmanis

agree completely. Lyon is for food. Be sure to go to the Paul Bocuse market and eat at good Buchons.