PalenQ

What about the Dordogne?>

Dordogne is great for plopping down in one of the lesser touristed villages - check out Gites de France - usually country houses in small villages - would need a car for Dordogne to get around and its' a long way from Basel.

SLifestyle

I think I just want to go to Italy, the more I read the more that is true. This would be my 5th time and I always come away loving it, hands down my favorite. I'm now looking at the Puglia area, including Lecce, Ostuni and Matera. The vibe interests me, there would be things to do in small towns with great architecture and food. Can someone tell me if this is crazy? Is this place you would go for a week coming from Basel Switzerland? We would be there the first week in August. I'm not sure of the best way to get there and we only have a week?

kja

Puglia will be HOT HOT HOT in August.
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/@3174953/climate

For ways to get there, see rome2rio.com -- just be sure to follow through on the links it provides, as rome2rio is not sensitive to seasonal variation.

If you can put up with the heat, a week would give you time to see some of Puglia's highlights. Be prepared for very, very, very long siestas.

SLifestyle

Ok, maybe we will hold off on Italy, we are not interested in hiking so that is why I passed on Switzerland. Any other suggestions? Thank you

kja

There's more to Switzerland than hiking!

PalenQ

awesomely scenic Swiss mountain trains require lifting nary a foot!

SLifestyle

At this point I am considering either two areas. Please let me know what surrounding towns we should see in either of these two options or anything else I should think about. It will be August, we expect heat. Can we avoid a car?
1. Bologna, Verona, Genoa

2. Puglia - Lecce, Ostuni, Matera

SLifestyle

PalenQ now that I'm reading your encouraging awesome words about Switzerland, can you please spark my appetite? I do like the idea of mountain trains.

PalenQ

Well OK - Alpine Switzerland is where to head and my favorite area and one of many is the Interlaken area - cute Alpine villages like Wengen and Grindelwald - nose to nose with glacier-girdled soaring Alps - toylike trains and thrilling aerial gondolas go off in all directions - yup nary need to lift a foot except getting to the station! (Isolated Wengen is a perpetual favorite of many here.

https://www.google.com/search?q=jung...w=1745&bih=863

Wengen: (views from your hotel balcony!)

https://www.google.com/search?q=imag...w=1745&bih=863

Mix this with perhaps a stay in lovely Lucerne where lake boats and again mountain trains effortlessly take you everywhere (and an iconic Swiss scenic train, the Golden Pass takes you between Interlaken and Lucerne with spiffy glass-domed observation cars:

https://www.google.com/search?q=lake...w=1745&bih=863

Do a day trip to nearby Bern for its marvelous architecture and lovely city.

Lots on Swiss trains: www.sbb.ch; www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

PalenQ

Milan is not that far by train from Interlaken - maybe 4 hours or so - combine mountains and a city like you wish says. Or Bologna just another hour or so farther on.