My almost 80 year old mother has always wanted to see Switzerland, so my husband and I are surprising her with a trip for her birthday. While she is active and in good health, I think a tour will be the way to go, since husband isn't going and I don't want to drive there. Does anyone have any experience with a particular tour company and any recommendations? I would also be amenable to taking the train to Vienna post or pre tour and maybe getting to northern Italy. Is there good public transportation around Stresa in Italy. Any help would be most appreciated.

Thnx,
Susan

Regarding Stresa, there are regular train stopping in Stresa that come down from Switzerland (passing through Brig and Domodossala) on their way to Milano.

If you are going in the warm months, you can also explore the possibility of taking a train to Locarno on Lago Maggiore and then a ferry to Stresa.

Is there a special reason you want to go to Stresa? There are more interesting Italian places to be in northern Italy with good public transportation links to either Switzerland or Vienna. Some of the train rides are scenic.

Hi tx,

> I think a tour will be the way to go,...<

Do you and Mom prefer not to have your luggage outside the door at 07:00 so that you can be on the bus at 08:00?

Would you prefer to visit what interests you, at your own pace?

Would you like to save money?

If your answers are "No", you have come to the right place.

Switzerland has an excellent train system. See www.sbb.ch/en/index.htm

How long do you have?
What are you interested in?
What's your budget?

You can look up the schedules for trains to and from Stresa at
www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html

Thanks for your responses, first Stresa, just because a friend told me it was one of her favorite towns in that area, and about the tour, ira, I just think that it will be easier to get around and that the guides will make it more interesting for her. I had given some thought to the trains having been on the Swiss and Italian trains. Handling baggage and finding local transportation could be difficult, I was just trying to make it as stress free as possible. I took her to London and Paris a few years ago and we did fine, however the tube, metro and trains made it much easier. I'm afraid we would have more trouble in smaller places with public transportation and I would like to have everything paid upfront as well. This so far has been my reasoning for the tour, if I was with my husband we would rent a car and go on our own schedule. If you have other thoughts, let me know, am open to all suggestions.

Regards,
Susan

Hi Susan
I agree with you. There are times when a tour just makes it easier and it sounds like this is one of them. I am a dedicated independent traveller but just returned from an Elderhostel tour of Patagonia Argentina. We were lucky that there were only 16 on our tour and it was excellent. They do take very good care of you. And we did not have to have the bags out at 7a.m. On the other hand that might not be such a bad thing if your mother tires and goes to bed early. All things are relative. I really do not have a tour company to recommend but google tours to Switzerland, read them carefully and then call and ask specific questions. I'm sure you will find one. Elderhostel might be a possibility. They certainly are reliable and have been around a long time.
This sounds like it could be a great trip. Have fun. I know your mother will love it. CJ

Sounds to me like it could be a great trip, too, but here are my further thoughts:

Surprising her trip is a great idea, but I wouldn't surprise her with a paid-for, set-in-stone trip. She might prefer some ways of doing it over others -- but I would be prepared to explain the choices in detail.

Having a car can be a real expensive nuisance in Switzerland, so I don't think you're losing anything there. The train systems are so good, and are so well connected to the sights and the airport, and with the right "discount cards" can be so affordable, you can free yourself of some worry about hauling about luggage, etc.

I would look into the possibility of having just one base for a week, like Interlaken, and choosing your sightseeing on a daily basis, with the option to sit home for a morning or longer if rest is need or its rainy. My concern about a tour is that it's a forced march. Or that if "Today, we're going to see the Matterhorn," you'll go even if the Matterhorn is socked in with fog, despite it being clear the next day.

You can find some beautiful hotels with beautiful views, where it is a real pleasure to sit on the balcony or terrace or the lobby for hours. You don't have to be out hiking or driving to love being in Switzerland.

I can imagine a trip where you fly to Switzerland, are met by a car service to a local hotel for 24 hours of rest, then taking a fast train to Interlaken for one whole week. As mood and weather prompt you, you can sightsee. In a place like Interlaken, you'll have no trouble picking from a variety of guided tours offered by the hotel and others in town. At the end of the week, a taxi will take you back to the train, and the train will take you right back to an airport hotel.

And your mom can do as much or as little as she likes. I'll bet the two of you can live out of one suitcase on wheels for a week.

One more tip: Talk your mother into using wheelchair assistance in the airports. Airports are massive these days, and wheelchair passengers get whisked through security and customs. Most people resist, but try hard to get her to accept the amenity.

Have a great trip.

Globus has an 11 day tour called Switzerland at Leisure. Globus is a very good company..my first trip to Europe was a Globus tour. Their main headquarters are in Lugano so they are very familiar with Switzerland.

You might check it out..it goes Zurich to Zurich.

zeppole's suggestion sounds very wise to me.

You cannot see the whole country in one week. Impossible - no matter what tour companies tell you. On the other hand, there are so many options around a base like Interlaken (or, for example, Luzern) that can be reached by train within one hour, everything from historical cities to mountain scenery is within reach. Having one base means day trips without luggage, big advantage. You can adjust your plans to weather, current "form" of the participants, momentary wishes. You can insert one-day tours if you want to see places that are less easy to reach. Your hotel or the local tourist office will help you to find them.

My thanks to all of you, you have me rethinking this trip. I may very well do a base out of Interlaken. My husband and I tried several years ago to get to Interlaken, but were thwarted in our efforts, so it is a place I was counting on seeing on this trip. Do any of you have any mid-range priced hotels to recommend. I think I will just have a look at this. Thanks so much to all of you for your ideas and suggestions.

Regards,
Susan

I totally understand your rationale for a tour, and I would do the same. My mother has enjoyed several Globus tours and recommends them highly.

Tauk has an excellent reputation, too, although pricer than Globus.

txroadrunner,

check out Hotel Rossli on TripAdvisor

My elderly parents recently took a globus tour and it was great....

As a "compromise", try checking out Untours: www.untours.com . They are experts on Switzerland and the assisted-but-not-regimented system is great. I was to Switzerland on a tour many many years ago, and with Untours later, and the Untour was much more enjoyable for me.

Happy planning!

>Date: 11/18/2008, 12:39 pm<

Ditto, zep.

If you're still considering tours.... check out Tauck.
More expensive than most, but everyone I've known who's dealt with them very much enjoyed the tours.