bellagio or interlaken
Jan 30th, 2006, 06:46 PM
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bellagio or interlaken
Sorry if this is the second post, I tried to post and can't seem to find it now!!
We're going to be in Geneva for a wedding in July and would like to make a trip of it. We're coming from Toronto and most of the flights connect in Milan. So we're deciding whether to do one of the following:
1. Before going to geneva, heading to Como/bellagio for 3 nights; or
2. going to Geneva and from there, head to Interlaken region.
Which one? We would like to relax, see beautiful scenery, love to walk, eat great food and drink good wine. We love cities with lots of activities, museums etc, but think this time we'd like to take it easy for 3 days.
Whichever you suggest, can you tell me whether we'd need a car? If we go Bellagio, it would be from the Milan airport. If to Interlaken area, it would be from Geneva airport.
Thanks.
We're going to be in Geneva for a wedding in July and would like to make a trip of it. We're coming from Toronto and most of the flights connect in Milan. So we're deciding whether to do one of the following:
1. Before going to geneva, heading to Como/bellagio for 3 nights; or
2. going to Geneva and from there, head to Interlaken region.
Which one? We would like to relax, see beautiful scenery, love to walk, eat great food and drink good wine. We love cities with lots of activities, museums etc, but think this time we'd like to take it easy for 3 days.
Whichever you suggest, can you tell me whether we'd need a car? If we go Bellagio, it would be from the Milan airport. If to Interlaken area, it would be from Geneva airport.
Thanks.
Jan 31st, 2006, 03:40 AM
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Both areas have beautiful scenery. I think you've got to decide between the beauty of a mountain landscape (the villages above Interlaken or the lakeside villages at the foot of the Oberland with views up to the mountains) OR the lush southern beauty of the Swiss/Italian lakes. Perhaps I should contrast the flora, because there are mountain views in the south, too, just different. Oops, I can see that I'm not being much help at all. The ambience of the two areas is different, different plants, landscape, architecture, food, language, and the temperament of the folks who live there. Good luck with a tough decision. J.
Jan 31st, 2006, 05:33 PM
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To find your other post, all you have to do is click on your name at the very top of this page, and all your posts and replies to posts will be brought up. I like your second message better any way as it gives much more information about what you like to do.
Firstly, as you will be in the beautiful Lake Geneva region anyway at such a great tine of year AND you like to walk and drink wine, my first recco is that you stay in this region for the 3 days and head down to the western end of Lake Geneva, in particular the Vevey/Lausane/Montreaux area. You don't say where the wedding is, it may even be in one of these towns. All have gorgeous views of the lake and Alps, all offer the ability to get up into the vineyards for walks, wine tastings (there is even a wine tasting train), as well as taking ferry rides on the lake, walks/biking along the lake, touring the castle at Chillon and the old towns in Vevey and Lausanne, and taking advantage of the great hotels and wonderful restaurants, including several Michelin starred restaurants. (Montreux may offer you more of the night life that your first post seems to indicate you want, you may find Como and the Bernese Oberland too quite for your tastes. The Montreux Jass Festival is June 30 to July 165 2006 if this is an interest of yours.) You can also spend a day in the beautiful Gruyere cheese region or go up into the mountains to the Chateau d'Oux area. This end of Lake Geneva is one of my favourite areas of Switzerland. This area is very easily accessibly by train from Geneva airport, an hour or less depending on what town you pick. You could easily get around by train, a car would not be necessary at all, it might be nice to have to take to Gruyere or Chateau d'Oux, although both have train service. I can recco hotels if you want to consider these towns. My favourite town is Vevey, followed by Lausanne, although Montreux has its fans on this board as well.
The Bernese Oberland is another good choice, from Geneva you could take the Golden Pass train out or back. This is one of the better "scenic trains", go to goldenpass.ch for info. The train trip is about 4 hours each way from Geneva (even the "regular" train has pretty good views). I would not stay in Interlaken, but would suggest you actually get up into the mountains, I would recco Wengen or Murren, search both towns on this site for suggestions. Days are long as it is light early and stays light until quite late, so you can fit in quite a lot in 3 days. I would not recco you try to get to this area from Milan, as it is not convenient by train or car.
Como/Bellagio are another option, I agree that this makes most sense if you fly to Milan and go from there. You can get to Como by bus or train in about an hour, I believe you can take a bus directly from the airport, which would be a big plus because otherwise you have to get to the train station (about an hour by bus or taxi), which adds to the time and hassle (esp with luggage). Frankly, for three days on top on an overnight flight and with an onward journey to the Geneva area, however, the overall travel time may be more travelling than you want. I think the Como area may be better for getting to Switzerland than Bellagio as the train connections are more direct; but even the fastest train to Geneva will take you 5.50 hours and most take more than 6.5 hours. I would not stay in Como itself which is not really that charming, but areas nearby, maybe Varenna or of course the wonderful Vila D'este. (From Bellagio, trains to Geneva will take 6.5 hours, NOT including the ferry to Varenna, and with luggage IMO the ferries are kind of a hassle.) I don't know that I would drive it, I think the drive would be maybe 4-5 hours without traffic, but given summer traffic, traffic around Milan, and the potential for traffic at the Mt Blanc tunnel into Switzerland (even on weekdays) this could take even longer; and with drop off charges and gas at US$7 a gallon this may be more hassle than it is worth.
Take a look at rail.ch for train schedules.
Firstly, as you will be in the beautiful Lake Geneva region anyway at such a great tine of year AND you like to walk and drink wine, my first recco is that you stay in this region for the 3 days and head down to the western end of Lake Geneva, in particular the Vevey/Lausane/Montreaux area. You don't say where the wedding is, it may even be in one of these towns. All have gorgeous views of the lake and Alps, all offer the ability to get up into the vineyards for walks, wine tastings (there is even a wine tasting train), as well as taking ferry rides on the lake, walks/biking along the lake, touring the castle at Chillon and the old towns in Vevey and Lausanne, and taking advantage of the great hotels and wonderful restaurants, including several Michelin starred restaurants. (Montreux may offer you more of the night life that your first post seems to indicate you want, you may find Como and the Bernese Oberland too quite for your tastes. The Montreux Jass Festival is June 30 to July 165 2006 if this is an interest of yours.) You can also spend a day in the beautiful Gruyere cheese region or go up into the mountains to the Chateau d'Oux area. This end of Lake Geneva is one of my favourite areas of Switzerland. This area is very easily accessibly by train from Geneva airport, an hour or less depending on what town you pick. You could easily get around by train, a car would not be necessary at all, it might be nice to have to take to Gruyere or Chateau d'Oux, although both have train service. I can recco hotels if you want to consider these towns. My favourite town is Vevey, followed by Lausanne, although Montreux has its fans on this board as well.
The Bernese Oberland is another good choice, from Geneva you could take the Golden Pass train out or back. This is one of the better "scenic trains", go to goldenpass.ch for info. The train trip is about 4 hours each way from Geneva (even the "regular" train has pretty good views). I would not stay in Interlaken, but would suggest you actually get up into the mountains, I would recco Wengen or Murren, search both towns on this site for suggestions. Days are long as it is light early and stays light until quite late, so you can fit in quite a lot in 3 days. I would not recco you try to get to this area from Milan, as it is not convenient by train or car.
Como/Bellagio are another option, I agree that this makes most sense if you fly to Milan and go from there. You can get to Como by bus or train in about an hour, I believe you can take a bus directly from the airport, which would be a big plus because otherwise you have to get to the train station (about an hour by bus or taxi), which adds to the time and hassle (esp with luggage). Frankly, for three days on top on an overnight flight and with an onward journey to the Geneva area, however, the overall travel time may be more travelling than you want. I think the Como area may be better for getting to Switzerland than Bellagio as the train connections are more direct; but even the fastest train to Geneva will take you 5.50 hours and most take more than 6.5 hours. I would not stay in Como itself which is not really that charming, but areas nearby, maybe Varenna or of course the wonderful Vila D'este. (From Bellagio, trains to Geneva will take 6.5 hours, NOT including the ferry to Varenna, and with luggage IMO the ferries are kind of a hassle.) I don't know that I would drive it, I think the drive would be maybe 4-5 hours without traffic, but given summer traffic, traffic around Milan, and the potential for traffic at the Mt Blanc tunnel into Switzerland (even on weekdays) this could take even longer; and with drop off charges and gas at US$7 a gallon this may be more hassle than it is worth.
Take a look at rail.ch for train schedules.
Feb 1st, 2006, 08:16 AM
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Thank you!! We were in Geneva 2 years ago visiting my brother who lives there and is the person getting married. We actually did a trip around lake geneva and saw Vevey. Beautiful! We also happend to have gone to Gruyere! Also loved that. Thanks for the travelling tips bc time is important. I have to think all about this now. The jass festival sounds like it may be a great idea...
Feb 2nd, 2006, 05:20 PM
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I agree that a budget would be helpful, but my standard reccos for those two areas are below, I include a range of 4/5 stars and a few 3 stars.
If you decide on the Lake Geneva area, I would not stay in Montreux, first because it is too large, noisy and crowded for my taste, and secondly during the Jazz Festival it is even more so. I would stay in one of the towns along the lake and ferry or train into Montreux for events, do NOT drive, as parking is well nigh impossible to find. (One exception about not staying in Montreux would be to stay at the wonderful Hermitage Hotel which is in Clarens basically a few yards away from the border with Montreux and which has parking, and you could walk to some of the venues.)
-----Lake Geneva Area
Hotel des Trois Couronnes
49, rue d'Italie
Vevey, Switzerland
http://www.hoteltroiscouronnes.ch
Tel: 41 -21 923 32 00
Fax: 41 -21 923 33 99
4/5 star, right on the waterfront in Vevey, great views, great rooms, great service, very good spa and indoor pool. Lovely restaurant, outdoor terrace. Excellent location near the old town and a ferry pier. Perfect if you want to be right in town. A little bit of a walk to the train station, but doable, taxi ride would be quick and not too expensive even for Switzerland.
Hotel Les Negociants
27, rue du Conseil
Vevey
http://www.hotelnegociants.ch/francais/index.htm
3 stars in Vevey right in the old town, good location. I have not stayed here, but have eaten in their restaurant which is very good. This hotel gets good reccos here, you might search here and on tripadvisor for comments.
L'ermitage
Rue du Lac 75 - CP 345
Clarens- Montreux
Tel: 21 964 44 11
http://www.ermitage-montreux.com/
Very charming hotel right on the lake front in Clarens, known also for its restaurant which is excellent. Some people on this site have commented on noise from the restaurant when staying in the rooms which I could see happening on warm evenings when doors and windows are open (there is no air-conditioning that I am aware of). Would be a bit difficult to get to from a train station.
Lausanne Palace & Spa
Grand-Chêne 7-9
1002 Lausanne
Tel: (+41-21) 331-3131
Fax: (+41-21) 323-2571
http://www.lausanne-palace.com/
4/5 stars, in Lausanne. Great views, service, rooms, excellent spa (one of the very best I have been to ever), indoor pool, good food. Good location near the old town but further away from the waterfront, but there is a cute little underground funicular to take you down to the waterfront. Lausanne is a large town with a very interesting old town. With the funicular, this is very easy to get to from the train station.
Le Mirador Kempinski, Lake Geneva
CH-1801 Mont-Pèlerin (Vevey)
Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: (41-21) 925-1111
Fax: (41-21) 925-1112
http://www.kempinski.com/en/index.htm
4/5 stars, sits high above Vevey in the vineyards with absolutely stunning views. Lovely rooms (some are quite small), great indoor and outdoor pool, a gym with those endless views, nice spa, a Michelin 1-star restaurant, great service, good walking in the vineyards right from here. A little bit out of things if you want to be in town, but perfect if you want to do walking and get to vineyards and the views really are quite unbelievable. You can take a funicular (outdoor) down from the hotel to town, and then a bus to the train station, so access by public transport to town is easy, albeit a bit time consuming. The hotel also has parking and can arrange taxis into town and the train station.
---Bernese Oberland
My favourite town is Wengen, followed by Murren. Others on this board have their own favourites, they are all nice in their own way, and it is hard to go wrong. I just like these two towns because they are up IN the mountains rather than being on the valley floors looking up at the mountains. You get great views of the mountains and the valleys from these towns, esp from Wengen where you can see the waterfalls in the valley below.
Caprice Hotel
Wengen
Tel 41-33 856 0606
Fax: 41-33 856 0607
http://www.caprice-wengen.ch
4-5 stars. Lovely views, good restaurant, nice rooms, excellent hotel staff. This is one of my favorite hotels in Europe. It is not luxurious, but extremely comfortable and welcoming, small and charming.
Hotel Silberhorn
Wengen
Tel 41-33 856 51 31
Fax 41-33 856 51 32
http://www.silberhorn.ch
3 star. This would be my second choice after the Caprice, which is quite a bit more expensive. This is a nice 3 star hotel, a few steps from the train station. Great views. If you are considering this hotel, let me know, as I can recco specific rooms/wings in the hotel, some are better than others.
Beausite Park Hotel
Wengen
Tel: 41-33-856-5161
Fax: 41-33-855-3010
http://www.parkwengen.ch
4 stars. This hotel is midway in price and quality between the Silberhorn and the Caprice. It is set back from the town area which is nice (but the whole town is quiet so noise is not an issue). I also included it because it has an indoor pool, which is I think it is the only hotel with a pool in Wengen.
Alpenrose Wengen
3823 Wengen
Tel. 033 855 32 16
Fax. 033 855 15 18
http://www.alpenrose.ch
3 star. I don’t know this hotel at all, but it gets good reviews on this site and tripadvisor.com
Hotel Eiger
Murren
Te: 41-33-856-5454
Fax: 41-33-856-5456
Hoteleiger.com
Nice hotel with great Eiger views. This also has an indoor pool.
Chalet Fontanna
Tel. 33 855 26 86
No website
2-3 star, B&B type hotel. I don’t know this hotel at all, but it gets good reviews on tripadvisor.com. The bathrooms are shared.
I would not recommend the Anfi Palace in Murren, it is quite old and I don't think the rooms are nice at all.
Also try the following sites:
Slh.com
Lhw.com
karenbrowns.com
alpineclassics.ch
relaischateaux.com
romantikhotels.ch
www.swisshotels.ch (I think this is in German and French only)
Look at the "hotels" link above and also look at frommers.com. Finally, also look at tripadvisor.com which ranks hotels based on reviews by people who have stayed there.
If you decide on the Lake Geneva area, I would not stay in Montreux, first because it is too large, noisy and crowded for my taste, and secondly during the Jazz Festival it is even more so. I would stay in one of the towns along the lake and ferry or train into Montreux for events, do NOT drive, as parking is well nigh impossible to find. (One exception about not staying in Montreux would be to stay at the wonderful Hermitage Hotel which is in Clarens basically a few yards away from the border with Montreux and which has parking, and you could walk to some of the venues.)
-----Lake Geneva Area
Hotel des Trois Couronnes
49, rue d'Italie
Vevey, Switzerland
http://www.hoteltroiscouronnes.ch
Tel: 41 -21 923 32 00
Fax: 41 -21 923 33 99
4/5 star, right on the waterfront in Vevey, great views, great rooms, great service, very good spa and indoor pool. Lovely restaurant, outdoor terrace. Excellent location near the old town and a ferry pier. Perfect if you want to be right in town. A little bit of a walk to the train station, but doable, taxi ride would be quick and not too expensive even for Switzerland.
Hotel Les Negociants
27, rue du Conseil
Vevey
http://www.hotelnegociants.ch/francais/index.htm
3 stars in Vevey right in the old town, good location. I have not stayed here, but have eaten in their restaurant which is very good. This hotel gets good reccos here, you might search here and on tripadvisor for comments.
L'ermitage
Rue du Lac 75 - CP 345
Clarens- Montreux
Tel: 21 964 44 11
http://www.ermitage-montreux.com/
Very charming hotel right on the lake front in Clarens, known also for its restaurant which is excellent. Some people on this site have commented on noise from the restaurant when staying in the rooms which I could see happening on warm evenings when doors and windows are open (there is no air-conditioning that I am aware of). Would be a bit difficult to get to from a train station.
Lausanne Palace & Spa
Grand-Chêne 7-9
1002 Lausanne
Tel: (+41-21) 331-3131
Fax: (+41-21) 323-2571
http://www.lausanne-palace.com/
4/5 stars, in Lausanne. Great views, service, rooms, excellent spa (one of the very best I have been to ever), indoor pool, good food. Good location near the old town but further away from the waterfront, but there is a cute little underground funicular to take you down to the waterfront. Lausanne is a large town with a very interesting old town. With the funicular, this is very easy to get to from the train station.
Le Mirador Kempinski, Lake Geneva
CH-1801 Mont-Pèlerin (Vevey)
Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: (41-21) 925-1111
Fax: (41-21) 925-1112
http://www.kempinski.com/en/index.htm
4/5 stars, sits high above Vevey in the vineyards with absolutely stunning views. Lovely rooms (some are quite small), great indoor and outdoor pool, a gym with those endless views, nice spa, a Michelin 1-star restaurant, great service, good walking in the vineyards right from here. A little bit out of things if you want to be in town, but perfect if you want to do walking and get to vineyards and the views really are quite unbelievable. You can take a funicular (outdoor) down from the hotel to town, and then a bus to the train station, so access by public transport to town is easy, albeit a bit time consuming. The hotel also has parking and can arrange taxis into town and the train station.
---Bernese Oberland
My favourite town is Wengen, followed by Murren. Others on this board have their own favourites, they are all nice in their own way, and it is hard to go wrong. I just like these two towns because they are up IN the mountains rather than being on the valley floors looking up at the mountains. You get great views of the mountains and the valleys from these towns, esp from Wengen where you can see the waterfalls in the valley below.
Caprice Hotel
Wengen
Tel 41-33 856 0606
Fax: 41-33 856 0607
http://www.caprice-wengen.ch
4-5 stars. Lovely views, good restaurant, nice rooms, excellent hotel staff. This is one of my favorite hotels in Europe. It is not luxurious, but extremely comfortable and welcoming, small and charming.
Hotel Silberhorn
Wengen
Tel 41-33 856 51 31
Fax 41-33 856 51 32
http://www.silberhorn.ch
3 star. This would be my second choice after the Caprice, which is quite a bit more expensive. This is a nice 3 star hotel, a few steps from the train station. Great views. If you are considering this hotel, let me know, as I can recco specific rooms/wings in the hotel, some are better than others.
Beausite Park Hotel
Wengen
Tel: 41-33-856-5161
Fax: 41-33-855-3010
http://www.parkwengen.ch
4 stars. This hotel is midway in price and quality between the Silberhorn and the Caprice. It is set back from the town area which is nice (but the whole town is quiet so noise is not an issue). I also included it because it has an indoor pool, which is I think it is the only hotel with a pool in Wengen.
Alpenrose Wengen
3823 Wengen
Tel. 033 855 32 16
Fax. 033 855 15 18
http://www.alpenrose.ch
3 star. I don’t know this hotel at all, but it gets good reviews on this site and tripadvisor.com
Hotel Eiger
Murren
Te: 41-33-856-5454
Fax: 41-33-856-5456
Hoteleiger.com
Nice hotel with great Eiger views. This also has an indoor pool.
Chalet Fontanna
Tel. 33 855 26 86
No website
2-3 star, B&B type hotel. I don’t know this hotel at all, but it gets good reviews on tripadvisor.com. The bathrooms are shared.
I would not recommend the Anfi Palace in Murren, it is quite old and I don't think the rooms are nice at all.
Also try the following sites:
Slh.com
Lhw.com
karenbrowns.com
alpineclassics.ch
relaischateaux.com
romantikhotels.ch
www.swisshotels.ch (I think this is in German and French only)
Look at the "hotels" link above and also look at frommers.com. Finally, also look at tripadvisor.com which ranks hotels based on reviews by people who have stayed there.
