Switzerland
 

What is the best way to get to Zurich from Paris? Is it also the cheapest? Where would you recommend a family of 5 to stay in that area and should we get a car?

You might get a better response if you are more specific in the title of your post; "Switzerland" is a pretty broad topic.

Wow, a lot of questions here. Have you ever been to Switzerland before? How long do you have? What do you all like to do? What are the ages of your children? Are you returning to Paris? My immediate response would normally be that staying in Grindelwald or Wengen would be the best bet with the most to do -- if you are into scenery and hiking. Or possible Lucerne. I'm usually a big fan of train travel in Zurich, but with 5 of you renting a car in Paris and driving for the trip might make the most sense. You simply have to tell us more to get an effective answer.

Hi, you might want to compare the price of rail connections from Paris to Zurich with the cost of making your plane ticket to Zurich from the U.S. (if that's where you are). I know that some flights to Zurich stop in Paris, in which case you could stay there awhile and then pick up your connection to Zurich. But I have no idea about the cost comparison with the train. I do know that if you go from Paris to Zurich by train, you'll see a lot of good scenery. As for planning an economy-minded visit to Switzerland, perhaps you might want to look at two accommodation sites: rooms.ch (E&G hotels) and bnb.ch (bed and breakfasts). They might help you choose your base. Have fun planning. J.

Thank you for info. We will be coming to Switzerland from a week in Normandy. I had to book airfare last night so I choose for us to travel by plane from Paris to Geneva. The kids ages are 12, 11, 8. We will be flying home out of Zurich so what do you recommend for 4 days. Should we rent a car or just do trains. Have you heard of the Regina in Wengen or do you have another suggestion. What about a hotel in Geneva for 1 night. What excursions should I book ahead? Thank you!

Hello Danaedward,<BR><BR>I wonder why you plan to stop in Geneva one night -- I assume you mean the arrival night? Why not simply continue on to Wengen? The Geneva airport has a train station, so you’ll be able to go directly from the plane to the train. The Swiss rail website at www.rail.ch shows the ride is about four hours long with three connections. So for instance, if you catch the 10.21 at the Geneva airport, you’ll be in Wengen at 14.24. Considering that you’re coming from France and won’t be fighting jet lag, this may be the easier option.<BR><BR>I’ve never stayed at the Regina, but I’ve liked the looks of it as I‘ve walked by. I’d like to stay there sometime in the future, but I usually end up staying in Grindelwald. I think you’ll enjoy it.<BR><BR>Because Wengen doesn’t allow automobiles, the car/train question may be moot. If you're worried about luggage on the train, you can check bags through from the airport to Wengen for about 13 chf/bag.<BR><BR>You don’t need to book excursions ahead of time; you can buy your train tickets or ferry tickets when you arrive. You should consider a trip to one or both of the peaks of Schilthorn and the Jungfraujoch, and you should spend a day on one of the lakes at Interlaken. Be sure to reserve some time just to wander through the woods!<BR><BR>What time is your flight out of Zurich? If it’s early in the am, you may want to consider staying in Zurich or Luzern the night before you leave. Wengen is about 3 ½ hours from the airport by train, so it’s too far to go for an early-morning flight.<BR><BR>Have fun!<BR><BR>s<BR>

For Wengen, I recommend the Hotel Alpenrose.

We often stay the night in Zurich before our return flight to the US. We use the Hotel Limathof, which is just over the bridge from the train station. From there, it is a 10 minute train ride to the airport. They now have airline check-in at the top of the escalator in the train station, so you don't have to take your bags into the main terminal.

We've stayed in Lucerne, too, and gone from there to the Zurich airport. I can't remember the name of the hotel, though...

Geneva is a wonderful city, and if you want to stay there one night, I recommend the Hotel Carlton on Rue Amat