Just returned from our 2-½ week trip to Switzerland and Italy. We enjoyed Switzerland with its natural beauty, the cleanliness, and the level of safety we felt. I will post the Italian portion under the Italy boards. We arrived in Zurich and went downstairs to the trains. We bought our tickets and headed to Lucerne. An hour or so later we arrived in Lucerne. We came out of the train station and were easily able to find the way across the bridge to where our hotel, Hotel Des Alpes, was located. It was an easy walk, even with luggage. We were pleased with the Hotel. It was clean and our room was adequate size with a nice view of the river and a balcony. <BR> <BR>Lucerne is beautiful and easy to negotiate. It is a walkable city. The Swiss were very friendly and spoke English very well. We did the Mt. Pilatus trip, starting from the ferry. It was very easy to do and very worthwhile. The weather was relatively clear and we enjoyed the entire trip. One tip, when you dock from the ferry, and if you don’t want to wait, be sure to get a fast start to the rail station. We didn’t realize that the train would fill and we had to wait about 30 – 40 minutes, just missing it by about 5 people. The gondola ride down was beautiful. I will always remember the sound of the cowbells in Switzerland, so clear and loud because the setting is so purely quiet. We spent a good deal of time shopping for watches. My husband loves watches and found the prices to be very good for what he was looking for. We ate at the Old Swiss House, which was very good. <BR> <BR>After 3 nights, we were off Grindelwald. We stopped in Interlaken, put our luggage in a locker, and walked around. Interlaken was larger that I thought, with lots of restaurants and shops. We had a nice lunch and then caught the train to Grindelwald. Our hotel was The Gletchergarten. We didn’t realize quite how far it was and walked with our luggage. It was a bit far and we would have taken a taxi or bus if we had known. We loved the hotel. It is over 100 years old and family run. They were very friendly. The common rooms were gorgeous, beautiful wood work and fixtures. Our room was large and fairly standard. It had a nice deck running across the back with beautiful view of the mountains. We took the gondola to First and hiked about 1 ½ hours to Gr. Scheidegg (I think that is right). It was a gorgeous view, always changing, with rivers and bridges, cows, and extraordinary beauty. We took a bus back down. We had two good meals, one at Alte Poste and also a 4 course meal at our hotel. I would recommend both highly. We enjoyed the street fair one evening. They close down the main street and had performers in traditional costumes, food and drink. We watched them yodel and other musicians performed. <BR> <BR>Grindelwald is touristy but I didn’t mind it. Although, when they drop off the tour buses, the stores become flooded and they buy, buy, buy. After they leave, it is much quieter. There are lots of good choices for restaurants and shopping. There is a little church towards the end of town that is quite nice. The cemetary behind it is interesting, they each get a little plot of land so they can plant a nice flower garden for their loved one. <BR> <BR>We could have probably used a little more time in Switzerland, but we enjoyed our time there. We next took the train to Stresa, Italy on Lake Maggoire. I will post that part later, including our ROBBERY at the Naples Train Station. If I can help anyone with questions, I will be happy to try. I have learned so much from these boards each time I plan a trip to Europe. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Thanks Sonia. Been a long time since I was in switzerland. BTW there is no Italian board. It is just a European board. You could continue this thread as responses. I look forward to your next installment. <BR>Regards, <BR>Art <BR>

Tell us what you did for 3 days at Lucerne. What are the sights that you visited and where did you dine?

We had two full days and jet lag was getting the better of us on the first day. We just walked around and looked at the bridges and the Lion Monument. We ate at a restaurant along the water, near the Hotel Des Alpes but that wasn't anything special. The only meal worth mentioning was at the Old Swiss House. Take a look at the pictures in the stairway of the people that have been there and be sure to read the history they give you (very interesting). We actually arrived there early and we were able to choose from the lunch or dinner menu. I wasn't sure if we needed reservations for later. Sorry I don't have more info for you.