Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy

Hi Kathy. Even parts of four countries seem to me like a lot of ground to cover in 21 days.

You say one week at an agriturismo which sounds great, and I agree would be a good ending. Other than the Bernina Express will you want to spend time in Switzerland? You would need at least the night before in the town you start from (Chur or Davos) and to decide if you can get to your agriturismo from Tirano on arrival.

Also to consider is renting a car in one country and returning it in another. I understand that is cost-prohibitive.

What in Germany interests you? Are you thinking maybe to fly into Munich and travel on through Austria and Switzerland, ending in Tuscany? What in Austria interests you. City or country?

One possible path, which is a wild shot, is to fly into Munich and spend a couple of nights, then take a train to Innsbruck for a few nights. Maybe you'd want to rent a car for day trips there. You can take another train to Chur or Davos for your trip on the Bernina Express to Tirano. At Tirano you might then rent a car to go to Tuscany.

Personally I love the Swiss Alps and the Dolomites, but April is not a great time for hiking in either. It is past ski season and before summer season. Can be wet. But maybe you'd like some time in the Berner Oberland of Switzerland just to see the mountains and take some valley walks.

Are you locked into April? If you are going around Easter, bear in mind that much of Europe is also vacationing then. April is shoulder season for the Alps - though it depends on March weather. If there are late snows, skiing facilities may still be open, but it's possible that much will be closed - too late for ski season, too early for hiking season. Trails may be either snow-covered or too muddy. Late May and June are much better for the Alps, with mostly clear hiking trails and a plethora of spring flowers.

In addition to weather issues in the Swiss Alps in April, that's also when the lifts are closed a week or so for maintenance. Of course, they don't all close simultaneously, but you'd have to be careful to check closing days and work around them. And, that's when they fertilize the fields with liquefied manure - so you get a lovely "aroma" while walking around in the mud.

Remember that the higher mountains have snow on the top year-round, so you if you can go later in the year, you'll get still get to see that, as well as a better alpine experience.

Thanks for your responses, Laurel, Chani and Harold! You all bring up great points to consider. I haven't booked any flights or rooms, so there is flexibility in our schedule. I think that we will limit this trip to Italy and the Swiss Alps. I do want to avoid the summer crowds.

"I think that we will limit this trip to Italy and the Swiss Alps."

Really?? So with 3 weeks, except for one week and in a Tuscan agriturismo, you'll not be revisiting Italy - which means 2 weeks in the Swiss Alps??

Unlike the others, I would not suggest that you allow spring weather to deter you from a few days in the Alps. You aren't big hikers - so I cannot see why muddy trails would be an issue. But certainly a few days are enough to enjoy the Alpine scenery. Even if you spend a week in Switzerland, you will still have a week for Germany, at least.

Frankfurt should be easy to reach. Fly in there and you'll be only 5 train hours from Interlaken, gateway to the Bernese Oberland (Jungfrau, Schilthorn.) But before you head there, and on the way there, since you "love beautiful scenery, castles, architecture, history, etc.," you really should have a good look around for several days.

Rhine Valley scenery:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Maeuseturm_Burg_Ehrenfels_Bingen_Rhein.jpg

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/16/a8/83/more-bacharach.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxFF80wORNQ

Other places:
Ladenburg
Ludwigsburg
Gengenbach
Schiltach
Black Forest
Black Forest Railway
Freiburg

Russ, thanks for your comments and encouragement! I am just starting the reading/planning stage for this trip.

"Unlike the others, I would not suggest that you allow spring weather to deter you from a few days in the Alps. You aren't big hikers - so I cannot see why muddy trails would be an issue. But certainly a few days are enough to enjoy the Alpine scenery." Very true!! And that is my goal! I have degenerative disk disease and arthritis in my feet, so more than 2 - 3 hours of walking causes serious pain. Extreme walking day after day makes it difficult to enjoy. I won't let this stop me, but I want to stay as comfortable as possible.

Thanks for the suggestions and the links!

Kathy

The Rhine Valley towns which most folks visit are as easy as it gets for those with walking difficulties. Boppard, St. Goar, Bacharach and Oberwesel (west bank towns) as well as Braubach and Ruedesheim (east bank towns) are all relatively small towns built on flat terrain. The castles you can tour there in St. Goar and Braubach may be problem - I don't know how you do on hills - but in April I imagine you can arrange a taxi for these more demanding stretches, which take 10-20 minutes on foot. Boppard and Ruedesheim each have chairlifts from town that sweep you up to the heights for commanding views of the river.

Gedoenseck terrace, a short easy walk from the top of the Boppard chairlift.

Train service in this area is very good too - every town has a station connected to the others by hourly service, and station locations make it easy to reach the town centers in short order.