June trip to the European Alps - recommended villages?

Major airports, train links directly into airport, efficient & clean public transport system, beautiful vistas and alpine villages...sounds like Switzerland to me!

Head to the Bernese Oberland toward the Interlaken "region"...don't stop in Interlaken just head to that region and on up into the Lauterbrunnen Valley. From there you will have easy access to the perfect high Alpine Villages of Muerren, Gimmelwald, and Wengen. The valley itself which lies between these villages shouldn't be missed either. 72 waterfalls make the valley closely resemble a fairy tale destination.

Don't forget your Swiss Saver Pass (since there will be at least two of you).

LOVED Gimmelwald but Murren or Wengen would be nice too if you want something a little larger than a small village.

And be sure to ride the train up to the Jungfraujoch. Some of the most beautiful scenery you'll find anywhere. There's a good chapter on the area in Rick's Switzerland guidebook, and also in his 'Best of Europe' book.

My family (2 adults and 2 children) loved spending time in Chamonix, France. The scenery was beautiful and there were lots of hiking opportunities. We enjoyed the village of Chamonix quite a bit as well as some of the other villages nearby. We also enjoyed spending some time in Annecy before going to Chamonix.

Hi Ted,

Another who suggests the Berner Oberland in Switzerland. We loved our stay in Wengen. Hard to find more beautiful scenery.

Paul

Ted, I second the suggestion made by others to head to the Berner-Oberland area south of Interlaken in Switzerland. If you want quaint villages, you can't do better than Gimmelwald (recommended by Rick Steves). Stay at the Hotel Mittaghorn, and you'll be overnighting in quaintness. Walter, the owner, speaks English, so you can phone for reservations which will be necessary in June. Murren is semi-quaint; more lodging choices; also a bit touristy. Wengen, across the valley from Murren is definitely touristy, not what I'd call quaint. But accessible to all the hiking trails toward the east. Grindelwald, in the eastern valley, is hyper-touristy. You might consider staying in a mountain inn. Alpiglen, above Grindelwald is nice and also easily accessible by cog train. Very easy to get elsewhere from there--Jungfraujoch, Kleine Scheidegg

Take a look at Lonely Planet's book, Walking in Switzerland. Also, The Bernese Alps: a Walker's Guide, by Kev Reynolds.

The Chamonix area of France has great hiking. Best to hike on the opposite side of the valley from Mont Blanc and Aguille du Midi. Cable cars get you up to altitude. The Tyrolean Alps near Insbruck, Austria also have superb hiking, I'm told. I've been through there but not hiked; incredible scenery.

All things considered, I'd opt for Switzerland's Berner-Oberland above the others. Infinite hiking possibilities. Lifts quickly get you up high. Although the altitude is much higher, the hiking is easier than in the Smokies (less rugged trails, more open views). As for biking, you can take a bike high above Grindelwald via gondola then ride down to the village via asphalt route. Note that folks do not mountain bike on hiking trails. There's also beautiful biking in the valleys.

Thanks to all for the great and detailed suggestions! Sounds like the Swiss alps may be the right spot. And thanks also for the logistics, lodging, hiking, and village suggestions. This is a great "traveler board"!

We stayed in Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland on our Best of Europe tour with Rick Steves' in 2004. It was incredibly beautiful. Very quaint and quiet. I can't remember the name of our hotel, but there was a waterfall across the street, literally. Everything in the hotel was wood and the floors creaked delightfully. Can't wait to go back!

In Austria we stayed in St. Johann im Pongau. Very cute and quaint. Beautiful river to take bike rides down. Not far by train from a giant ice cave. You can also bike ride (or take a bus or taxi) to the Lichtensteinklamm Gorge - it's beautiful.

All this sounds so great I want to do the same thing, but if my starting point is Amsterdam, what is the ideal train or plane destination to begin? Robin

My husband and I went to the French, Swiss and Austrian Alps in 2007. I highly recommend Lauterbrunnen, Murren and the surrounding towns. The scenery and hiking is spectacular. I also loved Chamonix, and I would recommend the Hotel de l'Arve. At the end of our trip we decided to go Austria, and we stayed in the tiny town of Unterpinswang (outside of Reutte)at a lovely farm called Gutshof zum Schluxen. They have a restaurant with wonderful food. It snowed while we were there, and I just stood on our balcony and felt as if I had died and gone to Heaven.

I agree with everything Cindy said above...I've stayed at Hotel L'Arve in Chamonix and Gasthof Schluxen and they both were wonderful. If you go to Lauterbrunnen area, my favorite hikes are both listed in the RS Switzerland book....The hike to Obersteinberg and the Hike where you take the train up to the Schyngie Platte and hike to First. Both of these hikes are absolutely awesome and both have huts to stop and eat lunch or get a snack at. We have also hiked in the Dolomites and Chamonix. For hiking, I would probably list my favorites as: 1. Berner Oberland/Lauterbrunnen 2. Dolomites, 3. Chamonix (but they are all good) I really haven't biked in any of these areas (my favorite biking areas are Melk/ Danube and through the vineyards of Tuscany) but I know there are bikes for rent and lots of paved and dirt roads you can ride on in the Lauterbrunnen area. One thing you may want to look into before choosing is how much snow they got this winter and when they expect the trails to be hikable. If it has been a very snowy year, the Dolomites may be in better shape than the Berner Oberland. (further south and dryer climate) Have a great trip. (btw, my husband and I are in our 50's and we did both the Berner Oberland hikes last September...however, we do a lot of hiking here at home as well.)