We are driving as a family of four (two children aged 4 and 7) from the Netherlands to Southern Tuscany in July. We'd like to find a small, charming hotel (along the lines of Logis de France where we've had many enjoyable stays) at about the halfway point, which is approx. Lucerne. I've already checked a number of Swiss pages (including www.bnb.ch and swiss-historic-hotels.ch) but the prices in general are much higher than we'd hoped to pay.

Any advice?

Many thanks in advance.

I don't know if this meets your needs, but we stayed at a nice small hotel in Lucerne last summer - Hotel Goldener Stern. It's right in the center of Lucern but on a quiet side street. www.goldener-stern.ch/kontakt_e.htm

Hi. Try bnb.ch again, because I find those rates to be the least expensive of Swiss options. If you are able to stay for more than three nights, you might be given a bit of a break on the per night rate. Alternatively, with your driving route map in hand, pick out some very small towns. Then search at Google to see if they've got websites or are represented in another town's website. Communicate with the nearest tourist office to see if they've got a list of rooms in private homes.

My friends were very pleased with the hotel Roggerli (hotel-roggerli.ch), which is in Hergiswil just outside Lucerne.

If all else fails, it might just be that Switzerland is so much more expensive than comparable rooms in Italy or France. Can you adjust your half-way point somehow? Sounds like a grand adventure for you and the children. J.

Thank you both for responding. I've already checked out the hotel Roggerli and it looks very good. And I'm afraid the comment on the typical expense of Switzerland is right on target.

We have also stayed at Hotel Goldener Stern and would go back. It isn't 'charming' really but is clean and inexpensive, and you can walk to the 'old town', Lion Monument, boat dock, train station, etc. I don't know where you would park, but there should be a lot somewhere.