Need advice planning our 2-3 week trip in mid-July in Switzerland!!
Jan 8th, 2014, 04:27 PM
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Need advice planning our 2-3 week trip in mid-July in Switzerland!!
Hi there! My boyfriend and I have a few specific places we want to visit and I did find a good B&B site for finding and reserving rooms in each of these towns but I don't know the best driving plan for these destinations. I need to know which should come first and want to visit them without having to back track. So, here are the towns we want to visit and please let me know if there's anything worth visiting; especially castles, secluded villages, or hot springs on the way to each town! *We do NOT like crowds or hot touristy areas and prefer more remote and secluded towns and villages that are forever stuck in the past!
**Also, since we will be driving or taking a train, any recommended rental car service and train stations in the areas of interest is greatly appreciated!
- Sils Maria (staying at the Nietzsche Haus - my boyfriend's a scholar of philosophy) Hiking spots?
- Wengen (no cars allowed - very quaint village)
- Tarasp (Tarasp castle and its little town)
- Gruyeres (small and quaint and not overly crowded)
**Also, since we will be driving or taking a train, any recommended rental car service and train stations in the areas of interest is greatly appreciated!
- Sils Maria (staying at the Nietzsche Haus - my boyfriend's a scholar of philosophy) Hiking spots?
- Wengen (no cars allowed - very quaint village)
- Tarasp (Tarasp castle and its little town)
- Gruyeres (small and quaint and not overly crowded)
Jan 8th, 2014, 05:21 PM
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I am sure you will get a lot of information from Swiss specialists on this board. My two cents: As far as Wengen and crowds go - I believe that town in itself it is not very crowded. But I'm sure you're staying there to be in the Berner Oberland region and do lots of mountain stuff, and in July you will see lots of people in that region. But it's because it's beautiful.
Jan 8th, 2014, 08:05 PM
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I visited each of these places in my trip last June. You might find some useful information in my planning threads - just click on my name to find them.
Are you fully committed to driving? Swiss trains and buses provide a very easy and efficient alternative. Everything you could possibly want to know about Swiss public transportation options is available at http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html You'll find schedules, maps, station information, even the number, size, and cost of all lockers at any station that has them, etc.
IME, many guidebooks don't cover Graubunden (which includes Sils Maria and Tarasp) very thoroughly. The one that I found most useful was the Michelin Green Guide, which I heartily recommend. (Of course, it covers other areas very well, too.)
I reserved almost all my rooms -- a combination of hotels and B&Bs -- through booking.com
You'll see some amazing places - enjoy!
Are you fully committed to driving? Swiss trains and buses provide a very easy and efficient alternative. Everything you could possibly want to know about Swiss public transportation options is available at http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html You'll find schedules, maps, station information, even the number, size, and cost of all lockers at any station that has them, etc.
IME, many guidebooks don't cover Graubunden (which includes Sils Maria and Tarasp) very thoroughly. The one that I found most useful was the Michelin Green Guide, which I heartily recommend. (Of course, it covers other areas very well, too.)
I reserved almost all my rooms -- a combination of hotels and B&Bs -- through booking.com
You'll see some amazing places - enjoy!
Jan 9th, 2014, 04:57 AM
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You can easily do all this without a car - public transportation is the way to go in Switzerland.
There are plenty of hikes around Sils - I'd start with taking the cable car up to Furtschellas, then hike via Marmore along the slopes, slowly descending, into Fex Valley. Enjoy lunch at Hotel Fex, walk back to Sils, do not miss the cute Gothic chapel in the hamlet Fex-Cresta. After the church turn right, take the trail through the little gorge at the end, not the asphalt trail.
Take the funicular up to Muottas Muragl and hike via Segantini hut to Alp Languard, chair lift down to Pontresina.
From neighbouring village Maloja hike into the valley to Lake Cavloc - beautiful.
Take the cable car up to P. Corvatsch, then back to the middle station and hike via Fuorcla Surlej (hut) to Roseg valley and Pontresina (several shorter or longer options).
A must is the visit of Bregaglia valley with Soglio, the most picturesque village (bus, panoramic hiking trail from Casaccia).
Btw, how much time will you have in these places? I could go on and on ...
There are plenty of hikes around Sils - I'd start with taking the cable car up to Furtschellas, then hike via Marmore along the slopes, slowly descending, into Fex Valley. Enjoy lunch at Hotel Fex, walk back to Sils, do not miss the cute Gothic chapel in the hamlet Fex-Cresta. After the church turn right, take the trail through the little gorge at the end, not the asphalt trail.
Take the funicular up to Muottas Muragl and hike via Segantini hut to Alp Languard, chair lift down to Pontresina.
From neighbouring village Maloja hike into the valley to Lake Cavloc - beautiful.
Take the cable car up to P. Corvatsch, then back to the middle station and hike via Fuorcla Surlej (hut) to Roseg valley and Pontresina (several shorter or longer options).
A must is the visit of Bregaglia valley with Soglio, the most picturesque village (bus, panoramic hiking trail from Casaccia).
Btw, how much time will you have in these places? I could go on and on ...
Jan 10th, 2014, 12:29 PM
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Every place in Switzerland can easily be reached by public transport (train, bus or cableway).
You may have a look at
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en
There are tons of scenic alpine railway/bus itineraries between Tarasp/Sils-Maria and Wengen - Gruyeres, like:
Glacier Express up to Andermatt - post bus either via Furka-Grimsel or via Susten Pass to Meiringen - Golden Pass to Interlaken (Wengen) - Montbovon (Gruyeres) - Montreux
or
Bus to Maloja Pass - Lake Como - Lugano, train to Bellinzona (castles!) - Locarno - scenic Centovalli train to Domodossola, Scenic Loetschberger to Spiez (Wengen) - Montbovon (Gruyeres) - Montreux,
etc. etc.
Some intermediate (overnight) stops along these itineraries are higly recommended
You may have a look at
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en
There are tons of scenic alpine railway/bus itineraries between Tarasp/Sils-Maria and Wengen - Gruyeres, like:
Glacier Express up to Andermatt - post bus either via Furka-Grimsel or via Susten Pass to Meiringen - Golden Pass to Interlaken (Wengen) - Montbovon (Gruyeres) - Montreux
or
Bus to Maloja Pass - Lake Como - Lugano, train to Bellinzona (castles!) - Locarno - scenic Centovalli train to Domodossola, Scenic Loetschberger to Spiez (Wengen) - Montbovon (Gruyeres) - Montreux,
etc. etc.
Some intermediate (overnight) stops along these itineraries are higly recommended
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