Lake Geneva vs. Interlaken
 

We have 4 days to see Switzerland before leaving on a tour & plan on getting a Swiss Rail Pass. Want 2 make reservations at a resort on the lake with magificent views, ambiance & charm...Should we look at Geneva or Interlaken? Also want 2 see Zermatt. Any suggestions????
PART 2: I want 2 take my digital camera with rechargable battery...what else will I need besides an adaptor to prevent a blow out of this valued, yet overused possession, unlike my videocamera in Rome, which smoked after I plugged it in (I think the power surged).

I would choose Interlaken or something in that area.

I hope you have a converter as well as an adapter or surely you will continue to have problems recharging your batteries. You can get both in an all-in-one unit at Radio Shcak for about $24 I believe.

Are you sure it was a surge? Not sure of your camcorder, but Europe power is twice the voltage of that in the US. On many devices, you're going to need an adapter (to fit into the outlet) and a power convertor (aka transformer) to give you the correct voltage.

Check your battery recharger (or camera if it's internal) to see if it says 120volts or 120/240 volts. If it's both voltages, you're fine. Otherwise, check Radio Shack for the converter. Nothing on Switzerland from me.

Hello luv2wander!

Though I really love Lake Geneva and return to Montreux as often as I can, I don't think it'll satisfy your Swiss fix. The architecture is mainly Edwardian or modern, and interiors are either Belle Epoque/Victorian or modern. The Lake is in the French part of Switzerland, and it's a major resort area (nickname is the Swiss Riviera!).

But Interlaken won't give you that fix either, I think. Interlaken is best known as a transportation hub for access to the mountain towns of the Berner Oberland. It's pretty big, with lots of traffic, lots of hotels, lots of shops, lots of energy.

If you want to go to the Lakes Brienz/Thun area, consider staying in one of the smaller towns, like Brienz or Thun or Spiez. Sorry, I haven't stayed in these myself, but I have passed through them. Do a text search here to see what other travellers have said about them.

Another idea would be to go to Lake Luzern, which has a charming old town, spectacular views, some typical Swiss scenes, and lots of Swiss history. Is there a reason why you aren't considering it?

I don't know how you'll fit in the visit to Zermatt. It's about 2.30 hours from Montreux, so it's possible to combine it with a visit there. However, I'd save Zermatt for its own trip!

Let me know if you have further questions!

s

Hi, I think I'll second S' suggestion about Lucerne and its lake. If you've got only 4 days, that's a central location from which you can access the mountains as well as cruise from lake village to lake village. Lucerne was one of my first Swiss experiences, and I remember being enchanted by the town, the bridges, the lion, the lake. You'll love it. If it's too big, search for comments about Weggis or Vitznau or Gersau. J.