We're planning a trip to Switzerland and Northern Italy for the first two weeks in September, and we'd like to know how important it is to reserve hotels in advance. We'd like the freedom to change plans, but not if it will take hours to find a place to stay each time we arrive somewhere new. We'd also like to keep it relatively inexpensive, in the two star range. Here are the places we're considering: <BR> <BR>- Berner Oberland area of Switzerland (Interlaken or Wengen) <BR>- Lake Como area of Italy (maybe Como or Bellagio) <BR>- Italian Riviera (Cinque Terre area) <BR>- Tuscany (Sienna area) <BR> <BR>Most of the advice I've seen is that you need reservations in July and August, but what about early September? <BR> <BR>Thanks very much for your help. <BR> <BR>--Ellen

I cannot answer your question directly because I had reservations in mid to late September. The only place I went where I know reservations were not needed was Saas Fee and the surrounding area. <BR> <BR>Every day that we were in Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald hoardes of tourists poured off of the trains and buses. The weather is liable to be great then and people are out in force. <BR> <BR>We went to Luzern and there were still many people around. The same was true of Zermatt. You might be able to find places, but why chance it. <BR> <BR>

Several years ago we went to Europe in Mid September (Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland). The travel agent (the very last time we used one) indicated that hotel reservations were not necessary because the tourists are gone. Wrong!!! Big time. Many people try to take advantage of the fall with kids back in school, seniors travel, conventions are in full bloom in Europe. We are now going back, leaving in mid September, we started booking reservations in Major cities in February. Even then, we could not get the hotel we wanted (booked) in Venice. Smaller cites do not seem to be as significant a problem but if you're planning to go to the Interlaken area, it is very popular. A lot may depend on your choice of accomodations. We prefer doubles in the $80 to $100 price range, with bath and location is important. Since we were going with another couple, we had to consider two rooms or a quad. <BR>

I hit the wrong key and forgot to mention, that if you really do not want to make reservations, at least consider making your first and last night locations, to minimize any hassle. We found on previous trips that with good front end planning, making reservations eliminated the waste of time trying to find a hotel. On that previous trip, we wasted up to 4 hours in some locations trying to find rooms in Lucerne, Florence, Rome and even Bologne. Whereas two years ago we had most of our reservations and requested maps from the hotel to ensure ease of arrival with minimal if any waste of precious trip time. Have a great time!!

I make reservations, even if I'm traveling in February; sometimes, it's not just the tourists who take up hotel space, but conventions and special events also fill up hotel rooms. Only ONCE, and only once, did I travel without a hotel reservation, and wasted a whole day in Paris going from hotel to hotel, looking for a room. Yuck.

I just wanted to thank you for your responses, they're very helpful. We definitely will make first and last night's reservations, and now we're thinking we'd better try for all the nights. Any idea what the cancellation policies are like, if you decide to leave a day early or arrive a day late? (It's just so hard to know how much you're going to like each place and how the weather will turn out.) <BR> <BR>Thanks again. <BR>Ellen

September is high season strongly suggest reservations first, <BR>www.hotelfasce.it

Cancellation policies are case-by-case; many of the hotels require a credit card to hold the room, and will charge you for the room if you don't cancel - sometimes it's by a certain time (i.e. 6pm) or within a certain number of hours (i.e. 24). Your best bet is to ASK when you make the reservations; also, ask about late check-in. Make sure the room will be held even if you arrive at 2:00am - and that someone will be there to let you in!

Stayed in Interlaken at the Alp Lodge, a 1 star place in late August a couple of years ago. We had reservations, but we met a couple from Australia on the train, and they decided to stay at our hotel. They got a room, but they had little choice of room, and they almost didn't get one in the hotel at all. I think you can likely find a room without too much problem, but as you said you could end up spending time trying to get one. If you don't care too much about price or quality of course then you will have more options when you get there. Still, if it was my decision, and I didn't know how long I wanted to stay in any given location, I would either wait or check when I arrived to see how difficult it would be to extend the stay. You could always reserve for a night or two and then extend or leave.

Ellen: I would recommend you to make reservation at least for Florence. A huge International meeting will be held in Florence during the entire first week of September, with thousands of professionals from all over the world. If you check the following web site, http://www.centrocongressi.it/, you will find that the Florence's convention center (Congressi) is almost booked out for entire September. So be prepare for a crowded September. Betty

Betty, your posting worried me, with visions of an even more crowded Florence than I had been prepared for in September. So I checked the web site you mention. The Centro Congresso professes to hold meetings for up to 1000 people. And from its schedule, its booked mostly every weekend in '99. There was no notation as to how many participants were expected for the early September meeting, although some of the earlier meetings mentioned numbers of participants ranging from 50 to 1000. So do you know something more about this than the website? Seems to me that this is pretty much business as usual. Am I missing something? <BR> <BR>

Beth: I will be attending the meeting during the first week of September. This meeting is held every 3 years in different countries and usually attracts thousands of people including family members. I am not sure exactly how many people will be there this year, but I know that there will be 320 oral presentations and 585 poster presentations, totaling 905. Plus many people who just attend the meeting and do not have presentations. In a fabulous city like Florence, I think this is not something unusual. I hope you are not worried too much by my post. Betty