Banff

Looking to fly into Zurich next summer for 10 days and really just prefer quaint, picturesque little towns/villages.

Would these 3 options fit the bill or are there better suggestions?

Also considering Cinque Terra and just flying out of Milan?

Would driving be our best mode of transportation?

Thanks

kja

Lucerne is picturesque, but hardly a village, and it is often unpleasantly packed with tourists in summer.

The Cinque Terre are picturesque, but are so overrun by daytrippers in high season that many people are now skipping them.

Driving would not necessarily be your best option even if you stay with these options -- once you get a handle on where you are going, consult rome2rio.com -- just be sure to follow the links it provides, as the main site is not sensitive to seasonal variation.

If you haven't already done so, I strongly encourage you to consult a few good guidebooks.

Good luck!

swandav2000

Hi Banff,

The quaint, quiet villages and small towns in Switzerland usually lie in/near the mountains. Luzern, as kja notes, is neither a village nor a town; it has a population of 81,000, along with crowds and traffic. Also note that July is the high tourist season, so if you want quiet, you'll need to get away from the crowds.

Some villages/towns to consider:

In the Jungfrau region -- Mürren (car-free village), Wengen (car-free village), Thun (town right on the lake).

In the Saanenland -- Gstaad (very popular town but very picturesque), Saanen (village).

In the Upper Engadin -- Silvaplana (town) Sils (village), Samedan, Pontresina (town), Zuoz (town).

In the Lower Engadin -- Scuol (town), Guarda (village).

Some places to consider around Luzern -- Weggis (village on the lake), Brunnen (town on the lake), Vitznau (village on the lake), Zug (town on Lake Zug).

The upper and lower Engadin valleys have far fewer English-speaking tourists than some other areas of the country; the Jungfrau probably has the greatest density of English-speaking tourists (but that could work in your favor).

Have fun as you plan!

s

joannyc

I loved Lucerne and didn't find it too big at all for my tastes. But, I did spend my time around the lake area/tourist sites so if it is a big town/city, I didn't see that.

If Lucerne, doesn't fit the bill, how about flying into Geneva then taking the bus to Annecy? Rent a car upon leaving Annecy then head up to Beaune or Riquewhir areas for a few days before going to Colmar. Drive to Strasbourg to return the car and catch the Lufthansa bus to Frankfurt for you flight home.

bilboburgler

It depends on what you mean by little, none of the above is little to me

Certainly the villages along the wine route in Alsace are worth staying in, nearly all are pretty and tightly packed with the Vosges above and the Rhine below. Going north you could also look at the similar villages that have the same basic mountain chain behind the in the Pfalz region of Germany. The the Mosel villages are lovely too.

Going south the villages of the Doubs river reaching into the Jura mountains are not bad but due to their height a bit more inward facing, though the hiking is lovely.

neckervd

If you must fly into and out of Zurich and want to visit just the 3 towns you mentioned (counting between 50.00 and 90.000 inhabitants each) and nothing else, the easiest way is to rent a car.

By public transport, you might go from Zurich airport to Colmar (6 hrs, 2 changes), from Colmar to Annecy (5 1/2 - 6 1/2 hrs, 1-3 changes), from Annecy to Lucerne (5 hrs, 1 change)and from Lucerne to Zurich airport (1 hr, direct)

Banff

Thank you all for the wonderful information to start with. Perhaps I did not properly explain my interests:
1) I am looking for picture postcard places but do not want to go to big cities like Munich, etc.
2) Do you all feel Annecy, Colmar and Lucerne and worthy anchors for a 10 day trip? Or would be suggest other options?
3) How about Eze?
thanks again

PalenQ

Trains are great and renting car in France and dropping it in Switzerland or Italy could mean steep drop-off charges - for lots on trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Annecy and Colmar are quite a ways from Zurich and IMO nice but not that nice in light of many other just as nice places more on a route Zurich-Milan -like Lucerne and towns in the Jungfrau Region. For Swiss trains check www.sbb.ch - investigate Swiss Travel Pass.

PalenQ

From Switzerland to Milan if coming from Jungfraujoch the main line goes right by Lake Maggiore - Stresa is a nice small but not untouristed town on the lake with nice boat excursions around the lake.

giro

Can only speak to Annecy. Not sure how tranquil it would be in the summer. We were there for 2 nights in early October this year. The weather was perfect and although there were tourists it did not feel overrun.
IMHO it fits your desire for post card scenery. The canals, lake and park areas were beautiful. There was a Saturday market that added to the charm.
I thought it lived up to all the images one sees online.

Banff

ok, i'll check out the train schedules PalenQ and thanks for the opinion on Annecy giro.

PalenQ

Again the problem I see with Annecy, Colmar and Lucerne is travel time between them - about a day each with relocating time considered. And you only have 10 days. 2 nights in each required. Leaves 4 days for Wengen/Jungfrau Region and Italy.

Annecy especially is scenic town - like Lucerne - Colmar is pretty town in parts but not a scenic setting and not that much to see. Plenty of Swiss towns prettier and easier to get to. Swandav has given many neat Swiss options.

In Italy I'd do one of the lakes like Lake Maggiore for a few days and end in Milan. Or from Lucerne it is easy to train to Lake Como and Bellagio, etc and end in Milan.

massimop

Eze can be jampacked with tourists (especially from cruise ships) in the nice-weather days.

More than 90 percent of the Italian Riviera does not get crowded. The tourists pack into le Cinque Terre and/or Portofino. That leaves you with some dozen or more very picturesque towns and villages on the sea, all of which are easily and best reached using public transportation.

Look up pictures of Camogli, Lerici, Chiavari, Bonassole, Bogliasco, Tellaro, Framura, Moneglia, Finale Ligure, Noli, Albenga, Bordighera and there are others as well.

It is not difficult to combine parts of fhe French Riviera with parts of the Italian Riviera using public transportation, although it can be nice to have a car along that part of the coast in order to visit inland towns.

In between Milan and the Italian Riviera there a also dozens of beautiful towns and villages, many of which are easily reached by train, like Pontremoli or Lodi or Pavia -- but again, it can be nice to have a car part of the time.

But it is quite easy to avoid the towns filled with tourists. The crowded towns are not more beautiful. It is only that tourists haven't heard of the other beautiful towns. But don't skip the Italian Riviera if you enjoy pastel villages and a blue seas and seafood just because people forgot to tell you about the other towns after you mentioned le Cinque Terre.

PalenQ

Eze and French Riviera a long long train ride from Zurich or other towns - and totally crazy everywhere with tourists July and August - Italian Riviera not nearly as interesting or varied in things to see and do besides beaching it IMO

But Cinque Terre is unique but also super crowded (as Annecy can be too in summer when it is a popular resort.)

As for driving well renting car in one country and dropping in another can be very very costly! But if you circle from Zurich OK but in 10 days hard to do much either. In Swiss Alpine areas cars are Verboten many places and you must take trains or gondolas or postal buses.

Car would be great however IMO for doing Lucerne, Colmar and Annecy, ending in Zurich. Colmar especially as a base for the vaunted Alsace Wine Road that goes north and south of town and has many quaint wine villages and wineries, etc. Strasbourg would be a natural component on that area.