My husband and I are wanting to plan a trip to Switzerland...have never been and would like to see the "smaller, quaint and charming side of the country...we have been told that the "romantic road" scenic drive that goes into Switzerland, Germany and Austria would be great...I would love to see these countries as well...would driving a car be better that getting around by train...I hear that the trains are fantastic...does anyone have any experiences or advice for this trip...do we need to make reservations ahead or from day to day while there...we like staying at B&B's...what is the very best time of the year to go...I have skymiles to use so I need to make plans as soon as possible....we also want to avoid any unsafe places...thanks

There's an enormous amount of info on this topic to be found in the Text Search box here and I suggest that you browse there while you await specific responses from Swiss-expert Fodorites.

Meanwhile, my contribution would be to suggest that you, a) get good maps, b) go by car for maximum flexibility, c) stay in family-run B&B's to enjoy meeting the people there - try to stay multiple nights, using it as a home-base, d) do not need reservations unless you're in a highly touristed area - go armed with names and numbers researched beforehand at home and a cell phone, e) go in June or Sept - they're the best seasons, f) don't try to do too much or rush from place to place just for the sake of "seeing" it - pause to enjoy it.

I am very familiar but only with a small area, because I have friends I visit in Lausanne, Vevey, and Montreux (outside Geneva) - an absolutely gorgeous region along Lac Leman. I don't have specifics but here's a few things you might consider for your planning.

Various parts of the country are quite different (especially French-speaking from German-speaking, to Italian-speaking). The trains are incredibly organized and easy to use and gas is very expensive. But obviously a car gives greater flexibility.

Is there an unsafe place? This is a question to others, as I'm curious. The Swiss generally seem pretty darn buttoned up. Maybe drug-influenced areas in the major cities? I don't know, truly I'm asking.

I have been three trips in summer time and one in the fall. It is gorgeous whenever you go! An amazing place. Happy planning... then happy traveling!

"gas is very expensive" - Suze, this makes me smile I am just back from Switzerland and got my gas in Basel, right before crossing the border into Germany, because it is much more expensive there!

Back to the request. gingersnap, you did not tell us when and how long you will go, what your budget for accommodation is etc. So it is difficult to give detailed recommendations.

BTW, I did not know the Romantic Road goes into Austria and Switzerland!?

In general I recommend to travel by train in Switzerland.

I agree w/Ingo re the train. But please do tell us how much time you have for your trip. If you are serious about combining Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, then you'll need a couple of weeks. It would also make sense, in that case, to land in Frankfurt and depart from Zurich, if you can manage it. Actually, Switzerland has enough variety among its various cantons to fill a month. As TuckerH suggested, you might want to do a search here for Switzerland, and read some of the past threads. J.

I had the good fortune to work in Switzerland for a year (20 years ago!) and lived in a lovely town called Schaffhausen. It it approximatly 30 miles north of Zurich; in fact, the only canton (the canton and town have the same name) that is north of the Rhein River. It was an old walled city and that part is mostly pedestrian. The train station is very convenient--just cross the street and you're in the old town. Lots of the old style painted buildings, statues, and fountains. You can walk all the way down to the Rhein (not far)and there are walkways along the river. Great food shops (and other kinds) along the way. Schaffhausen is also home to the Rheinfall waterfall. It's actually in a very small town about 1/2 mile outside of Schaffhausen, but we claimed it! Anyway, the waterfall is on the train line. Not tall, but lots of water and spectacular. Schaffhausen is not in the Alps, but rather in the very tip end of what becomes the Black Forest in Germany, so very hilly. Lovely, lovely town and I highly recommend seeing it. Going east along the river there are also many other quaint villages you would enjoy. As for Alpine villages, Zermatt, Murren and Lauterbrunen are some of my favorites. You will fall in love with this country! Train and bus travel is very reliable. October, particularly the first few weeks (or even late September) is my favorite time of year--lots of festivals going on. Be advised that the Eurail train pass (if you go that route) is not good on many of the Swiss run trains.