ShariG

We are just beginning to plan our first trip to Switzerland sometime in 2007. We would greatly appreciate some feedback from those of you that have been there!

We don't have children, so we like to travel when the kids are in school, and it's less crowded. We were thinking of September, is that a good time to visit, how's the weather usually?

We will probably spend 3-4 weeks in Switzerland, what are the must sees for cities, and what do they have to offer??

When we travel we usually take public transportation in the big cities. Then we usually rent a car to drive the countryside and to the smaller towns. Do you recommend driving or taking the trains through the country??

Any ideas will be appreciated.
Thanks.

gabrieltraian

My wife and I went on two day-trips to Switzerland this summer, and visited Lucerne and Basel.

You may want to read my trip report, maybe you get some ideas.

Here it is (Swiss Topping on my German Ice Cream)

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34861658

altamiro

>When we travel we usually take public transportation in the big cities. Then we usually rent a car to drive the countryside and to the smaller towns. Do you recommend driving or taking the trains through the country??

While there are a few trips where a car would be beneficial, such as the high passes, most of the Swiss territory is covered by a train and bus network similar in density and frequency to the suburban transport in most European big cities. For 99% of the trips a car is not necessary.

Dukey

I've been in all areas in mid-September; sometimes cool mornings but things soon became very pleasant. Not nearly as crowded/busy as in the summer season. A good time to visit IMO.

With three to four weeks and with a LOT of rail travel you might want to consider some sort of rail pass.

swandav2000

Hi ShariG,

Congratulations on your plan to spend so much time in Switzerland -- you'll surely have a great time!!

You mention "cities" in your post but don't mention where in the country & countryside you may be going. If you can give us some idea of your draft itinerary, we can give you more specific help. Just to get you started, most first-timers enjoy the villages of the Berner Oberland (Grindelwald, Wengen, & Muerren); there is beautiful and largely undiscovered beauty in the Engadin (Scuol, Sils, Zuoz, Guarda); I'm personally in love with the villages of the Saanenland (Gstaad, Chateau d'Oex, Saanen); and of course there's Lake Geneva (Lausanne, Montreux, Vevey) and the Italian portion (Lugano, Locarno, Ascona).

So, let us know which parts attract you, and we can help you put it all together.

Have fun!

s

suze

I'm a big fan of the french-speaking part of the country and the area outside Geneva along the lake... Morges, Lausanne, Vevey, Montreux, etc. also Gruyeres is nearby.

What it offers? Drop-dead gorgeous scenery, good food, friendly people, Chateux de Chillon, Rochers de Naye, weekly outdoor farmers markets, boat rides on the lake...

I'd use the train to get around. As suggested already with a month's time some kind of pass might serve you well.

bob_brown

Switzerland presents many aspects of economy and culture to the visitor.
The regions are as distinctive as the languages are different.

I have been to Switzerland several times in the last 8 years, 7 in fact. My favorite area so far is the Berner Oberland although I believe that the mountains around Zermatt are grander and more spectacular in the aggregate.

I prefer the Berner Oberland because of easier access to the trails and the inner mountain world of glaciers and valleys.

My preferred approach is to find a good village for a base and rent an apartment. So far, I have found that Saas Grund and Lauterbrunnen are good for that region, but there are apartments for rent all over the vacation areas of Switzerland.

Certainly the lake regions between Montreux and Geneva and west of Bern are beautiful. The Engadine area is another region of great beauty, and charm.

One thing about the Engadine, it is very popular with people from Italy, and renting an apartment in areas like Samedan requires an early start.

The Swiss public transportation system is second to none in my somewhat limited experience. It is well organized and timely.

I have rented a car some of the time I was in Switzerland, but this move was mainly for convenience rather than necessity. A car does provide more mobility on your schedule, but the rental cost is not cheap. By the time you buy gas, pay for parking, and pay the rental fee, you can figure on close to $50.00 a day.

We used our car this summer to visit some of the very remote valleys like the Lotschental and the Turtmantal and the Kiental. Yes, buses go there, but with a car I could do more.

Another example of bus versus car is the trip from Interlaken to Luzern. The distance is less than 50 miles, yet the train takes 2 hours. I can drive it in about half that time.

The dramatic passes of Switzerland can be accessed by bus, but with a car I have the freedom to stop where I wish and spend time there at my preference.

Of course some towns like Zermatt, Saas Fee, Wengen, Mürren, and a few others are off limits to private vehicles.
Wengen for example can be reached either on foot or by mountain train.
Mürren can be reached (soon) by either cable lift or a combination of cable lift and rail.

We can argue the train versus car option at length. I think it boils down to where you are going, your personal preferences, and your visiting objectives.

ShariG

Thank-you all so much for your suggestions, I really appreciate it. I will now go to my guide books and check out the different cities you mentioned and see what sounds appealing to us.

Swandav2000 I didn't mention where in the country we are going because we haven't made any decisions yet. We just returned home from a trip to Russia and are just beginning to plan our next trip. We want to use frequent flier miles for our airfare, so we have to plan at least 11 months in advance. I thought I would get ideas from this forum as to people's favorite cities and towns and research them to see what is appealing to us and go from there. Once we begin to narrow down some cities that we want to visit, I will make another post and would love your input, thank-you for your suggestions so far.

ShariG

Thank-you Gabrieltraian so much for the link to your trip report, great report and great pix! Just seeing your pictures is wetting my appetite and getting me excited.