France to Switzerland to Austria...
 

We intend to drive from Paris through Loire Valley and over to Burgundy. What are some great towns, sights to see? What is the best place and way to get to Interlaken from Burgundy area and then from Interlaken down to the Lake District. Still deciding on Stresa vs. Lugano (where to stay) and how to get there. We know the boats and walking will be our primary means of seeing the lake, but what about the other lakes? Is renting a car feasible in the area? Any suggestions on where to stay in Austria and Vienna and activities there? All help is appreciated for we seniors who have waited 35 years for this trip!!

Why not buy yourselves a guidebook and try to narrow down your interests before asking more specific questions on the forum here?

Harzer

Are you planning on driving the car in Switzerland, or will you use the train and boats?

May I suggest that you get a good map of that area, maybe the RV Verlag map Alpen (Schweiz, Oesterreich, Oberitalien) scale 1:800.000 or some other excellent map, and also input the routes on www.viamichelin.com or www.mappy.com, and read a guidebook or two. You need to get a sense of what's there before any recommendations make sense.

Your sentence "What is the best place and way to get to Interlaken from Burgundy" can't be answered - what do you mean by "best place"? and what do you consider "best way" - cheapest, fastest, slow but scenic, going through interesting places or bypassing towns, or a mix of all of them?

From Interlaken to the Ticino you can load the car onto the train in Kandersteg to go through the Loetschberg and Simplon tunnels, or take the St. Gotthard route if the road opens up soon (recent rockslides), but again, a map will show you what's possible.

WK

I like using mappy in the planning of my driving trips, first finding the most direct route, then using "vias" for detours along the way. I try to keep driving times between hotels under three hours.

Are you planning to drive from the Loire to Interlaken? If so, over how many days?

Or are you intending to turn in the car in France and take a train?