jelane

A few weeks ago I posted a thread requesting help with trip we are taking in June to Provence. We will take train back to Paris after one week in Provence and my DH and I want to take another ten days somewhere. I had thought about Switzerland on the way to Lake Como and then to Milan for trip back to London.....Last night I saw a program and I thought that it may too boring for us to take a train through Switzerland. Thinking of doing Rome. Do you have an itenirary that would be suitable for this time frame and is Switzerland too beautiful to pass up.....I have been to Rome, Tuscany and Florence, husband has not.....do not want to do Venice again. Thanks

wanderful

jelane:

You”ll get more help if you re-post and ask a more targeted question about your information needs.

suze

As a die-hard fan of Switzerland I couldn't imagine why someone would find it "boring". Wow. I spend two weeks at a time in the Lac Leman area outside Geneva. Love it!

Hagan

"Boring" is one word I'd never use to describe Switzerland. We actually did something similar to your itinerary several years ago, starting our trip in Paris. We then took the train to Switzerland, via Geneva and Interlaken on to Lauterbrunnen, where we stayed. The train rides through Switzerland were a highlight of the trip - just magnificent!
We then trained to Milan and on up to Varenna on Lake Como for a 3-night stay, another drop-dead gorgeous place that's not to be missed. We flew from Milan back to Paris for one last night and then our return flight home.
It was a fabulous trip, and I wish we could have the opportunity to repeat it. I don't think you'd be disappointed.

Jean

What in the Rick Steves program made you think riding the trains through Switzerland would be boring? Perhaps we can dispell your perception if we know what sounded boring.

lovisa

Why are you returning to Paris and then taking another trip? Why not just continue on from Provence?

jelane

Thanks Hagan for your trip information. I suppose I should not have said boring when I have not been there. It just seemed so on this segament of program. Hagan were you on a fast train? Do you have a hotel that you enjoyed on this trip? Are there any suggestions for continuing on to Northern Italy/Switzerland from Avignon, that is where we will return the rental car.

swandav2000

Hi jelane,

Well for one thing, I agree with you that spending your vacation in Switzerland sitting on a train would indeed be boring!

The best thing, of course, is to get out ON the mountains and not to just passively watch them swish by.

With that in mind, you could take the TGV to Bern and then onward to the mountain villages of the Berner Oberland -- head to Muerren, Wengen, or Grindelwald. Then spend your few days ambling around the mountains, ascending to the peaks of Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch, or cruising around Lake Thun and/or Lake Brienz. Nothing boring about it!!

You can get all the train schedules and connections between Provence, Switzerland, & Italy at www.rail.ch.

Have fun!

s

kleeblatt

Swandav is right, as usual.

The train is fine for a day, but the beauty of walking in the alps, breathing in the fresh crisp alpine air, hearing the melody of bells on grazing brown Swiss and sitting in fascination on a wooden bench while eating Swiss cheese and delicious bread is what makes Switzerland special.