Travel_To_Eat

Hi There... my first post and really would appreciate as much help as possible. I am redeeming some Aeroplan tickets next year for a 3 week trip to Europe. I also have enough points with Marriott/SPG to basically cover all hotel stays. I will be there the last 2 weeks of April and 1st week of May. Unfortunately, I can't go later than that.

My plan so far is the following:
1 night in Copenhagen - necessary to avoid airline surcharges & hopefully helps with jet lag.
3 nights in Prague
5 nights in Vienna
2 nights in Salzburg
9 nights in Switzerland (around April 27-May 5)

I can do Prague to Vienna by train or airplane. Which one would you recommend as fastest? Is the train ride scenic?

Other than the above, the first 4 destinations are basically firm and I am clear on what I need to do. So that leaves Switzerland to figure out. My first question is this: is going to Switzerland last week of April and first week of May worth it? Will I be able to see its best parts or should I delay it to another trip? My plan is this:

5 nights in Lucerne & day trips from there (5th night free on points is reason length)
4 nights in the Wengen area and do day trips from there. I would like to get high enough to see all the great scenery, picture perfect villages and do some hiking. I don't need to get all the way to the top. I am a huge ski fan and going all the way in April and not being able to ski will just ruin it for me.

So, is the Wengen area good in April? Can I still get to see all the greenery and villages I like? What's the temperature up there during that time of year?

Thank you,

Ingo

Train from Prague to Vienna. Flying makes no sense, takes longer with all the hassle around it.

5 nights in Lucerne sound like a good idea. There's enough to see and do there, day trips could be Mt. Rigi, Engelberg with Mt. Titlis, a few boats should be running on Lake Lucerne although the summer schedule is not in operation yet then. Benedictine monastery Engelberg is worth an excursion, ditto the cute town Zug. And Lucerne itself has a lot to offer as well.

Wengen is a different story. It will basically be shut down in regards to tourist activities. Most hotels will be closed, ditto restaurants. The cog-trains to Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch run all year round, but the cable cars/gondolas will not. No skiing. It's inbetween winter and summer seasons. It's a bad time for the mountains in general. You might want to consider staying down by Lake Thun and decide on trips to the mountains with regards to the weather, otherwise visit the towns/cities (Bern, Thun, Fribourg). Or go to Lake Geneva area or Ticino.

Skiing would be possible in glacier ski resors: Zermatt, Saas Fee are recommended.

neckervd

There is absolutely no need to go from Salzburg up to Switzerland if you want to see snow mountains, glaciers and scenic hiking trails. The much closer areas of Grossglockner, Zillertal, Stubaital, Oetztal, Pitztal and Kaunertal offer the same as well.
For skiing in Switzerland in April, you will have to go to Zermatt, a village in the middle of the highest mountains of Switzerland.
It can be reached from Salzburg by day train via Zurich, by overnight train via Milan or - if you like a scenic train ride through the Alps - via Salzburg - train - Landeck - Postbus - Scuol - train/Glacier Express - Zermatt

Travel_To_Eat

Thank you both. While I love skiing, this trip will not involve it. So my question was whether I can get high up enough to visit villages like Murren/Wengen in end of April.

Ingo answered that for me and so I will skip Switzerland this time and leave it for another trip.

PalenQ

I can do Prague to Vienna by train or airplane.>

Train is just as quick all in all - there are also cheap buses - not especially scenic but you do see the Czech Republic as you travel - airplanes let you see nothing much but clouds.

Anyway for lots of train info check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. For Switzerland also www.sbb.ch - Swiss Railways site and www.swisstravelsystem.com. Swiss Passes can be good deals even for a short visit.

fourfortravel

"Is the train ride scenic?" Not particularly, I'm afraid, but it is the most efficient way to travel between Prague and Vienna.

You would do well to spend the extra couple of Koruna to reserve a seat and bring along food and beverage of choice, as well. The "dining" options are not all that great.

PalenQ

You could also spend a bit more and go first class- for a long journey much more relaxed -more room for luggage, etc.

PalenQ

"Is the train ride scenic?">

no but to me interesting -going by a lot of rust-belt industries extant from communist days and gritty towns around them.