My husband and I will be returning to Europe in the fall for a three week stay. We have been the last two falls and have traveled in France, Germany and Austria. My husband likes the German speaking countries more because he can keep up his German speaking skills. We are thinking about traveling in Switzerland this fall. Can you give me some hints as to where to go in Switzerland?

I love the Jungfrau region in Switzerland. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is beautiful. It is known as the Valley of Waterfalls, there are about 70 I think. From there you can up the Jungfrau or up the Schilthorn for spectacular views. There are a lot of little villages up on the sides of the valley where you can stat. Catch the cable car up to Murren. Visit the Trummelbach Falls. It's close to Interlarken which is lovely to visit too. Enjoy your trip!

In the Jungfrau region, I visited Grindlewald -- a small town in the Alps that looked like a winter wonderland while I was there during Christmas quite a few years ago. My favorite town in Switzerland is Zermatt, also a small, charming Alpine town under the Matterhorn. I've been there twice and still plan on going back. My most recent trip was last summer and we put together a travelogue of the trip with descriptions and pictures if you're interested (www.lunadesigns.com/travels/). I've also been to some larger towns, and would recommend Lucerne in that category -- we enjoyed the town very much and the Lake is beautiful. But for the most part, I like sticking with smaller towns in the Alps to get that small Swiss village experience. I've also travelled in Italy, France, Germany, & Great Britain and love them all, but Switzerland is always on my top list of places to travel -- the views are beautiful, the people I've encountered (especially in Zermatt) are so friendly, and everything is kept so clean! Have fun and email me if you have more questions.

You have tickled a tender nerve. If you want the best that German-speaking Switzerland has to offer, go to Interlaken and find yourself a little family-run hotel in a neighboring hamlet. However, your husband's German will only cut so much ice with the Swiss-German dialect. It's almost impossible to understand, und ich bin ein Deutscher spracher -- ist su schwer. I don't particularly like the Swiss. I remember that they held Hitler's coat while he raped the rest of Europe. A standoffish bunch, the Swiss let you know that you are an outsider and jolly well hope that you just spend your money and be gone. Even the Germans don't holiday much there; it's too darn expensive. Better go over the Dolomite Alps and get the best of all possible worlds in Italy. Other than rosti potatoes, Swiss cuisine holds few charms. But Italy? Yummmmmmm.

O.K., how about the best of both worlds, Swiss efficiency and Italian food. Visit the Ticino region of Schweiz. Visit Giornico, a lovely town, and by all means take the funky train from Locarno to Domodossola, views you'll not forget on a little narrow gauge line that screeches around every bend (out and back in about 6 hours). Continue on to the Sud Tirol, to Castelrotto (in German Kastleruth), wonderful walks through the forest This area was ceded by the Austrians after the Italians WON A WAR!!! Beautiful countryside, we covered some by car and some by bike.

I would have to agree with two of your response about the Lauterbruen valley and Jungfrau Region in Switzerland. The Schlitzhorn peak is a great view. Grindelwald was great but Gimmelwald it's lesser known neighbor near Murren was even better. These spots aren't major cities but rather smaller Swiss Mountain towns. In short these spots and Switzerland are a must.

I also agree with some of the comments about the Jungfrau region. The two of us had our younger children with us and still enjoyed the town of Wengen. Grindelwald was too touristy. We loved the atmosphere at the Silberhorn Hotel. The views of the Jungfrau are magnificant. We also enjoyed Murren.

I agree with everyone about the Jungfrau region -- and September is the perfect time to go. You didn't say whether you are driving or traveling by train, but I recommend a wonderful little hotel in Spietz, on the shores of the Thunersee, the Strandhotel Belvedere. It's in a quiet residential neighborhood, and there is a gorgeous view of the lake and the harbor, with the castle and the yacht club.

I also love the Lakes District in Switzerland. Of course, Lugano is the most beautiful, also the most expensive, but Locarno runs a close second on Lago Maggiore. Here you have all the efficiency and cleanliness of Switzerland, but it looks a lot like Italy.

Lucerne gets my vote for a big city. Be sure to take a lake steamer at least as far as Vitznau. The view of the mountains from the boat is magnificent. Lucky you!

Going to Switzerland in May. Need to stay within a
verrrrrry limited budget. Airfare, hotel, breakfast and dinner included for 10 days. Need money for lunch and beer, a few trinkets, and a couple of clocks. What can you get by on a day for lunch and beer?

Where in the whole world do you have the possibility
to go up the Jungfrau? Have fun going up!

Looking at all of the posts, I agree with Sandy. Grindlewald is wonderful! but so is the southern area on the border with Italy. In my opinion, most scenic area in Europe.

My husband and I spent a week in Switzerland and found it to be the best place on earth. We loved every minute of it! We started near Zermatt and were fortunate to see the Matterhorn on a clear day without any cloud cover (doesn't happen too often I guess). Zermatt is very expensive though so we stayed in Grachen (a small village high up in the mountains) at a place called Hotel Walliserhof. It had spacious rooms with all down bedding and sparkling bathrooms. The staff was friendly enough although they spoke limited English and we speak no German, not that it would help as previously mentioned. In the off season (no skiing), the prices were reasonable. We then drove around the country, which is surprisingly easy unless roads are closed because of snow. It also is a good way to see the different regions, all of which are beautiful. I agree with seeing the Jungfrau region. Berne is nice, but the cities in Switzerland don't really compare to the other European cities. The thing to see is the countryside. We also went to the Swiss National Park in the Graubunden region and were able to hike and see wildlife. I would recommend contacting the Swiss National Tourist Office: 608 5th Ave., New York, NY 10020, 212-757-5944 or 150 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2930, Chicago, IL 60601, 312-630-5840. They are very helpful and will gladly send you information with beautiful color pictures so you can see what you're getting into. Switzerland is definitely a must-see. I've never heard of anyone who didn't enjoy it (until Arizona).

We really enjoyed Appenzell and Hotel Kaubad. Lots of beautiful scenery and good hiking trails. The family that owned Hotel Kaubad were great and the food was fantastic. We are definately planning a return trip.