Flying into Bordeaux, renting car.......staying for month in Spain but taking road trip up to Switzerland first! This is happening this weekend, the 18th/Nov. Any "must see" or "avoid" advice? Do not want touristy, just wanting to see and appreciate the natural beauty of the land, people. Which is the most scenic route between the two cities?
Thank you

http://wikitravel.org/en/Switzerland

You ask about this now? Route planning on viamichelin depending entirely on how many days you have, and how many hours of driving you can tolerate in a day. Also you need to return the car in the same country where rented or pay a high drop off fee. If that is France after Spain, I would fly from Bordeaux to Geneva [on Easy jet, 1:20] and rent a car from the French side of the airport.

Bordeaux-Berne, that’s a nine-hour drive, hammer down nonstop.

As far as desirable countryside along the way - there is so much that it takes most folks a week just to cover the highlights of the region just east of Bordeaux - Périgueux, Bergerac, Brive-la-Gaillarde, and all the castles and villages ending in -ac, and Sarlat-la-Canéda and Rocamadour and on and on.

Then come the high plateau and national parks of Clermont-Ferrand - again a vacation spot for a week or two... Not to mention Lyon, city of elegance and gourmandise.

You can fly from Bordeaux to three Swiss destinations: Geneva (GVA), to Basel (-Mulhouse, BSL), Zürich (ZRH).

I don't see a nonstop to ZRH...what am I missing?

If you have the time, go via Bergerac, Sarlat, Aurillac, Le Puy-en-Velay, Lyon, Geneva, and you are in Switzerland.

I don't understand this plan at all. Why are you flying into Bordeaux if you're going to zoom right off to Switzerland? How much time do you have for Switzerland? How will you get from Switzerland to Spain? Where will you leave from when your time in Europe is up?

RonZ, I found Zürich listed as one of three Swiss destinations on the list and on the destinations map at

http://www.bordeaux.aeroport.fr/en/i...rting-bordeaux

I didn't look for specific dates or specific airlines, but it's there.

Helvetic Airlines, no flights until 5/17. That;s why skyscanner.com came up empty.

The plan doesn't make much sense, but then neither does the idea of renting a car for more then a month when a lease/buy-back program would be better.

<i> a lease/buy-back program would be better</i>

Not necessarily, unless pricing has changed. If one takes the "basic" rate offered by Autoeurope or Kemwel, where the CDW is carried by the credit card, it takes two full months of lease to match the rates of a rental, at least for compacts and sub-compact manual transmission cars.

The "basic" rate, with the CDW covered by your credit card, only works if you have the automatic zero deductable coverage offered with the Amex Platinum Card (at no cost to the card holder). One simple little ding on one of the new rental cars most companies are using can set you back €750 or more, depending on the car, unless you have the right coverage.

The sheet metal on some of the newer compacts and sub-compact cars is so thin that it will dent if you breath too hard.

We don't know how long the OP is going to be in the EU, so he/she/it would have to check, besides, the insurange included in the lease/buy-back program is typically zero deductable, full coverage.

WOw, thank you all SO much! There is a method to my madness.... it involves spending time with my son who has rented a place in Spain to surf....but the weather is going to be crappy for the first week, so we decided to head right off to Switzerland. I am flying back out of Bordeaux, keeping the car the entire time....Got a GREAT rate!
I do appreciate all of the concern and the ideas of air travel. We just want to see the sights along the way by car.
The areas mentioned are confirming what I had in mind. So, once again.....THANKS FODORS

<i>The "basic" rate, with the CDW covered by your credit card, only works if you have the automatic zero deductable coverage offered with the Amex Platinum Card (at no cost to the card holder).</i>

My Visa card carries the CDW with no deductible. I know because I have damaged a car and was reimbursed. Of course, policies change constantly, so if that is a worry, one should check with the CC issuing company.

tbpalmtree, in case you go by Bergerac, note that Cyrano was never there, not even his nose, but his statues are all over.