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Austria alps versus switzerland or italy

Hi
Just planning our honeymoon and looking for advice on somewhere to go before headinh down to italy - stayed in bergun along the bernina express in Switzerland last year and loved it. We just want somewhere with dramatic mountain views and a lake would be a plus but not required. We dont like crowds and prefer quite idylic settings- does anyone have any recommendations?
Thanks
Deirdre

Posted by
11302 posts

July in all mountain areas is likely to be pretty busy, but we find if we have the right lodging and plan our days right, we manage to find tranquility. (As long as you don't go to the beach in Italy!)

My experience in Austria is limited, but I know parts of the Italian Dolomites and the Berner Oberland of Switzerland well having visited each multiple times. We cannot decide which we like better: The Val Gardena in Italy, or the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Each has amazing beauty and we can easily spend a week or more in either. (We are on a trip now that includes both!)

The Val Gardena is less expensive than Lauterbrunnen area and the food is better in Italy, no question. Once you get there, public trans (bus passes provided by your hotel) and lifts are amazing, but you have to take a bus (1H15M) from Bolzano to arrive in Ortisei, or a cab will cost you Euro 85.

OTOH, you can arrive in Lauterbrunnen by train and from there you are on an amazing network of lifts and mountain railways.

Posted by
1288 posts

July is obviously high season. It will be difficult to find a place without crowds. The Wildkaiser Kufstein, Austria region will be packed, but you could check out the Hintersteinersee. Many newlywed couples take photos here. It would be quiet in the morning and evening.
https://www.wilderkaiser.info/de/sommer-tirol/hintersteiner-see.html
http://www.seespitz.info/de/ueber-uns.html

Check out Sexten im Hochpustertal, Italy too (no large lake, Drei Zinnen). https://www.sexten.org/

And of course Lake Como - Varenna, Italy...

Posted by
2303 posts

Consider Slovenia. Lake Bled is stunning. The Soca River valley is breathtaking. Ljubljana is charming. You’ll want a car.

Posted by
703 posts

if you are looking for something quaint and yet lots to offer, consider the area around ramsau am dachstein
https://www.ramsau.com/en
we stayed there last year, the small towns in the area are small, beautiful, yet close to attractions like
https://www.derdachstein.at/en
https://www.zipline.at/en
we did both on the same day
absolute highlight of the trip. and much less expensive than similar switzerland options.
hope this helps.

Posted by
12 posts

We loved Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland area when we went during May. Beautiful weather but we flipped trip around at last minute to make sure we would have good weather while there. I would have to say there were numerous very large Chinese and Indian tour groups in that area. We tried to stay out of the middle of these groups to have a more intimate trip. I don't know if I would want to go there during busy season when there is one large tour group after another. I wouldn't want to go to mountains to wait in lines for everything.