How to make this adventure work?

Old Jul 29th, 2014, 10:49 PM
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How to make this adventure work?

I am doing some pretrip planning and need your advice please.

We are going to Paris, Switzerland -Berner Oberland, Tuscany & Rome. With Paris & Rome being the bookends.

The problem seems to be when to go and which destination to give priority to between Tuscany & B.O.

We have two time frames. Late August or late Oct 2015.

We will spend 7 days in Tuscany on a walking tour. Our luggage will be taken from town to town for us and most days the walks are 3-4 hrs.

We will spend 3 or 4 nights in B.O just soaking in the beauty & taking in the "Heidi-ness of the alpine villages (no big hikes just day strolls).

Late October seems perfect for Tuscany but not so good for B.O.

Late August seems perfect for B.O, but too hot for a walking tour of Tuscany.

How would you arrange this trip and why?

Thank you for any suggestions
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Old Jul 30th, 2014, 03:27 AM
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Personally, I hate hiking in the heat so if the main focus of your trip is the walk in Tuscany then I'd go for October. If it's any comfort, we were in the Bernese Oberland in the second week of October a few years ago and the weather was mild and sunny every day - but it won't always be like that and obviously can vary from year to year. Check www.wunderground.com for historical weather. If the weather turns out to be dodgy you could always head for Bern or Lucerne. Check www.sbb.ch/en to check train timetables.

So perhaps start in Paris and end in Rome. But you have some very long journeys and will lose the best part of a day for most of your journeys. I would be tempted to reduce the scale of your plans and visit adjacent regions (e.g. Zurich-south-east Switzerland-Tuscany-Rome might be easier). You don't say how much time you have altogether so hard to say what would be best - even that might be too much. Sounds like a fun trip.
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Old Jul 30th, 2014, 03:31 AM
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Are you starting in the south or north?

In Oct. in either location, you might run into a lot of rain. It will also get dark much earlier (6 or so).
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Old Jul 30th, 2014, 03:55 AM
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I would never go hiking anywhere in august - esp not Italy - so I would go for Oct. But then start early Oct in the north and head south to get the best of the weather.

As for rain - you have to be prepared for it anywhere, anytime of year - unless you are going to a dessert.
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Old Jul 30th, 2014, 05:18 AM
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Where in Tuscany is the walking tour?
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Old Jul 30th, 2014, 05:25 AM
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Also, how many days are you spending in Paris and Rome, and must those 2 cities be the "bookends"?

For instance, if you could start in Switzerland in late August, move from there to Paris, then fly to Rome, then do your Tuscan walking tour as the finale -- exactly when would you be walking in Tuscany? Third week of September? Second week? Might be ideal.

From most locations in Tuscany it is quite easy to find a departure airport, including Rome.
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Old Jul 30th, 2014, 05:30 AM
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(Also, even if you have to start in Paris, followed by Switzerland, fly to Rome, ending Tuscany, I would think starting in late August would give you a reasonably good shot at nice weather in every location.)
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Old Jul 30th, 2014, 09:06 AM
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Thanks for your replies.
To give you some more detail-the entire trip will be about 3 weeks on the ground & we could add a few days.
Due to work deadlines I can not leave until after Oct 17th.
Or if we went in aug would need to be back for work by Sept 12th.

I am leaning towards an Oct trip because then I have no set time I would need to be back at work.

Last night I started formulating this plan:
Fly into Milan, train to Florrence, do the 7 day walking tour which is in the Val d'Orcia area.,train to Geneva where a friend has an apt.,
Explore Gineva & Lusanne for a few days, take the Golden Pass train thru the B.O., then somehow get to Paris.

This would mean switching Rome for Florence-which I actually like as I have already been to Rome but not Florence.
It would get us to Paris in Nov when the crowds are less and if rain still plenty to do.

What do u all think of this plan or can you suggest a better/different one knowing the hike is priority but we need to fit in Switzerland for 3 or 4 days to see a friend & prefer small towns to cities except Paris, which is my most favorite city in the world and every trip to Europe for me has to include a stay in Paris.
Excuse the typos I am using a smart phone & sometimes it's difficult to be smart on them.
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Old Jul 30th, 2014, 09:26 AM
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I like the new plan, but I would fly into Florence or Pisa.
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Old Jul 30th, 2014, 09:47 AM
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That late in October is definitely no option for hiking in the Swiss mountains.
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Old Sep 2nd, 2014, 06:43 PM
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FabulousFrance I was just wondering which tour you are doing? It sounds interesting and I'd like to bookmark for a future trip.
Thanks.
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Old Sep 2nd, 2014, 09:26 PM
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Ozgirl07-
here's the info on the walking tours

I found the company from a travel article and it looks like a really cool thing to do.
I have since read the reviews on this company-which are excellent- and they do these tours in several areas of Italy.

GIROSOLE Walking Tours in Italy
http://www.girosole.com

We are still trying to firm up these plans-
sorta jealous, and very impressed you already have your next trip booked.
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Old Sep 5th, 2014, 12:12 AM
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Thanks for sharing FabulousFrance. The tours look great!
I'm jealous you're going to Italy! Oh the food, the shopping!
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