Hiking, Biking, Relaxing
May 7th, 2016, 01:25 PM
#1
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Hiking, Biking, Relaxing
Would love your feedback on my draft schedule. We'll be picking up our Volvo in Hamburg and returning it to Zurich. We love to hike, bike and enjoy nature. Would also like to break things up every so often with a day in the city.
Hamburg 2 nights
Prague 3 nights
Hallstatt 3 nights (visit Salzburg)
Venice 3 nights
Florence 3 nights
Cinque Terre 2 nights
Zermatt 4 nights
Murren/Launterbrunnen 5 nights (day trip to Bern)
Lacerne 3 nights
Zurich 1 night (fly out from here)
Should we add Black Forest?
Should we increase or decrease number of nights anywhere?
Should we skip an area or add one?
Since we'll have a car, should we drop some of the cities?
Should we turn in the car once we get to Switerzland and just use trains?
THANK YOU!
Hamburg 2 nights
Prague 3 nights
Hallstatt 3 nights (visit Salzburg)
Venice 3 nights
Florence 3 nights
Cinque Terre 2 nights
Zermatt 4 nights
Murren/Launterbrunnen 5 nights (day trip to Bern)
Lacerne 3 nights
Zurich 1 night (fly out from here)
Should we add Black Forest?
Should we increase or decrease number of nights anywhere?
Should we skip an area or add one?
Since we'll have a car, should we drop some of the cities?
Should we turn in the car once we get to Switerzland and just use trains?
THANK YOU!
May 7th, 2016, 01:42 PM
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No need to stay in Zurich on your last night unless there is something you want to see/do there. Luzern has direct train connections to the Zurich airport. They leave every half hour and take about 70 minutes. So just stay in Luzern on your last night. Now you have an extra day to allocate!
You definitely don't need a car in Switzerland since the places you list are all well served by their rail system. But if you want the option of doing some exploring, then keep the wheels.
I'd probably cut Zermatt to 2 nights, and even then only if the weather is slated to be good. The general consensus is that there's little to do or see if the Matterhorn is shrouded. But maybe you know of great hiking/biking trails in such a case.
Actually, I'd cut Zermatt entirely and detour to the Lake Geneva area: Vevey, Montreux, etc., to get a taste of French Switzerland.
You definitely don't need a car in Switzerland since the places you list are all well served by their rail system. But if you want the option of doing some exploring, then keep the wheels.
I'd probably cut Zermatt to 2 nights, and even then only if the weather is slated to be good. The general consensus is that there's little to do or see if the Matterhorn is shrouded. But maybe you know of great hiking/biking trails in such a case.
Actually, I'd cut Zermatt entirely and detour to the Lake Geneva area: Vevey, Montreux, etc., to get a taste of French Switzerland.
May 7th, 2016, 03:37 PM
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Having a car in Venice, Florence and Cinque Terre is also pointless. Cinque Terre are pedestrian villages accessed by a train. Venice - you would have to leave the car in the expensive parking lot at Piazzale Roma. Florence has ZTL zones which restrict driving in its centre.
May 8th, 2016, 03:51 AM
#6
Hamburg, I've stayed there a few times and prefer staying out of town along the Elbe and catching a bus, or hire a bike to ride in, you might fin that interesting, you might also like the ride to Lubeck or Lunaburg (I just know there is a spelling mistake in their somewhere).
Big drive to Prague, consider Dresden or Leipzig or even Magdeburg along the way.
Hallstatt.... why?
Good advice above
Big drive to Prague, consider Dresden or Leipzig or even Magdeburg along the way.
Hallstatt.... why?
Good advice above
May 8th, 2016, 08:03 AM
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I am wondering how you are going to fit in the hiking biking and relaxing in with so much travel.Car is totally useless in Prague and very expensive to park whilst you are not using it.
I take walking groups to Prague every year and do some great walks (though not heavy duty hikes) just using local trains and buses.
I take walking groups to Prague every year and do some great walks (though not heavy duty hikes) just using local trains and buses.
May 8th, 2016, 10:36 AM
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Hi TeamEB,
I hope this doesn’t sound too negative, but your itinerary really seems to go out of its way to include places that are either inaccessible to cars (Venice, Zermatt, Mürren and parts of Cinque Terre), or where a car is a liability (pretty much everywhere else you mention)…
Since you love nature as well as hiking / biking, and will have a brand new car to enjoy, why not go for scenic drives through the Eastern Alps instead?
I assume that you have good reasons for picking up your car in Hamburg, so will not comment on your itinerary until the Salzburg area. From there, I would proceed as follows:
1) Take the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, and proceed to Cortina D’Ampezzo, in the Italian Dolomites. Cortina is a great base with excellent hiking; you should also take the very scenic "Tre Cime" road while staying there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grossg...gh_Alpine_Road
2) From Cortina, proceed along the Great Dolomite Road, but branch off to Val Gardena via the Sella Pass. Within Val Gardena, Selva / Wolkenstein or Ortisei / St. Ulrich make for excellent bases, with superb hiking opportunities.
http://www.thegreatdolomiteroad.co.u...-39/index.html
3) Proceed to the pretty town of Bolzano for a night or two of "urbanity".
4) Head for the Stelvio Pass (highest pass in the Eastern Alps at 2'757 meters!), continuing on the Umbrail Pass (highest pass in Switzerland) and ending up in Val Mustair, at the entrance to the Swiss National Park. This is another great place to be based, about as remote as you can get in Switzerland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelvio_Pass
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrail_Pass
5) Proceed through the Swiss National Park and head to either the Upper Engadine (St. Moritz, Pontresina etc.) or to the less developed Lower Engadine (Ftan, Scuol etc.). Lots of hiking / biking etc. in superb scenery in any of those places.
6) Either head back to Zurich via the Julier Pass, or proceed via the Flüela Pass to Davos or Klosters, for a final stop in the mountains.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%BCela_Pass
All of these drives are absolutely spectacular, and inconvenient or even impossible to undertake with public transportation. Hope I've whetted your appetite...
I hope this doesn’t sound too negative, but your itinerary really seems to go out of its way to include places that are either inaccessible to cars (Venice, Zermatt, Mürren and parts of Cinque Terre), or where a car is a liability (pretty much everywhere else you mention)…
Since you love nature as well as hiking / biking, and will have a brand new car to enjoy, why not go for scenic drives through the Eastern Alps instead?
I assume that you have good reasons for picking up your car in Hamburg, so will not comment on your itinerary until the Salzburg area. From there, I would proceed as follows:
1) Take the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, and proceed to Cortina D’Ampezzo, in the Italian Dolomites. Cortina is a great base with excellent hiking; you should also take the very scenic "Tre Cime" road while staying there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grossg...gh_Alpine_Road
2) From Cortina, proceed along the Great Dolomite Road, but branch off to Val Gardena via the Sella Pass. Within Val Gardena, Selva / Wolkenstein or Ortisei / St. Ulrich make for excellent bases, with superb hiking opportunities.
http://www.thegreatdolomiteroad.co.u...-39/index.html
3) Proceed to the pretty town of Bolzano for a night or two of "urbanity".
4) Head for the Stelvio Pass (highest pass in the Eastern Alps at 2'757 meters!), continuing on the Umbrail Pass (highest pass in Switzerland) and ending up in Val Mustair, at the entrance to the Swiss National Park. This is another great place to be based, about as remote as you can get in Switzerland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelvio_Pass
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrail_Pass
5) Proceed through the Swiss National Park and head to either the Upper Engadine (St. Moritz, Pontresina etc.) or to the less developed Lower Engadine (Ftan, Scuol etc.). Lots of hiking / biking etc. in superb scenery in any of those places.
6) Either head back to Zurich via the Julier Pass, or proceed via the Flüela Pass to Davos or Klosters, for a final stop in the mountains.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%BCela_Pass
All of these drives are absolutely spectacular, and inconvenient or even impossible to undertake with public transportation. Hope I've whetted your appetite...
