St Gallen / Appenzell / Winterthur
 

I’m looking for some advice please for a one night stopover.

We are travelling through Liechenstein and then into the Black Forest in Germany. We only have 1 night for a stopover in Switzerland, and would like to stay in a typically Swiss country small town or village not too far out of the route.
Somewhere that is easy to get in and out of by car, and one which has a nice hotel preferably with balcony rooms.

After researching this forum, a good location for us would seem to be one of the three St. Gallen, Appenzell, or Winterthur.
They have all been recommended by various posters, but no-one really specified what was good about the town so I don’t know which would be the best for us.

Can anyone help us narrow our choices down?

Thanks very much in advance

St. Gallen and Winterthur are smaller cities. Appenzell is very quaint and would fit your bill. Rapperswil is also very nice and right on the lake of Zürich.

Another vote for Appenzell. Or Stein am Rhein.

Hi A,

You do know that you have to buy a 35E road sticker for Switzerland?

You could go by way of Lindau in Germany, which I think is much nicer than the places you have mentioned.

Stein am Rhein has been described as particularly pretty.

((I))

The road sticker (Vignette) is only 40 Sfr. = 25 Euro and only required for the freeways. While I think the German shore of Lake Constance is more beautiful I would highly recommend driving from Liechtenstein through the Swiss Pre-Alps (Appenzell/Toggenburg) to Stein am Rhein and cross the border to Germany there. Pretty scenery.

Well, unless you want to see the museums, I wouldn't choose Winterthur as there are many more charming spots including those mentioned above.

I'd have to say Stein am Rhein. Gorgeous town.

See for yourself:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/554...yxotU?start=72

Combine Ingo's route suggestion and betty's photo vote for Stein am Rhein and you've got a winner. J.

I've stayed in Appenzell...and I'm not sure you would find any hotel there with a balcony room (we stayed right on the town square in the Romantik Santis).

As to St. Gallen...which is very close to Appenzell as you know..IMO one of the meain reasons to visit is to see the abbey church (the interior has been called 'the most beautiful in Switzerland') and the even more famous library (which has limited hours but the inside is definitely over the top to include that mummy).

BOTH of these places are within EASY driving distance of Lake Constance (Bodensee).


If you want to be in a SWISS village you obviously wwon't find it in Germany or Austria..but other than the atmosphere there isn't a lot to see and do in Appenzell IMO.

Thanks everyone - we booked into the Hotel Chlosterhof in Stein am Rhein.
It looks lovely.