planning a trip with mom. advise on picking destination

I would go with just Copenhagen, or Berlin and Copenhagen (5-6 days in each, plus the travel time linking the two). I think Amsterdam is wonderful but it can be a bit intimidating dealing with the bike riders and crowds.

Berlin and Copenhagen are both great cities, easy to travel to and around, and there is so much to see and do there. I loved my stays in both cities. You can take a high-speed train between the two (usually there is a transfer in Hamburg) that will take around 7-8 hours total (make sure you make reservations ahead of time and reserve a seat). Plus it will be a bit nicer weather up in Copenhagen in July, which is definitely a good time to visit the more northern destinations. :-)

If you have both wanted to go to Switzerland, then go to Switzerland. You can have a terrific time without hiking or walking long distances. An amazing system of mountain railways make almost every place accessible. Is your mom mobility impaired or just not used to walking? Either way there could be a fabulous Swiss vacation out there. As my son says, “If not now, when?”

I also think there’s no reason you can’t go to Switzerland. It’s a gorgeous place and, as Carol now retired says, you don’t have to hike to see it. You can visit places like Lucern, the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Zermatt, Spietz, Bern, and more with simple walking - no more than many other European locations.

I think you re right about it being a bit last minute, though. I like the idea of having 2 plans and seeing where you find affordable flights and lodging. If you find that first in Switzerland, go for it. There are a lot of options!

You don't have to do hiking in Switzerland.

If your Mom has always wanted to go to Switzerland, then go! She's not getting any younger.

My husband and I went a couple of years ago and we are in our late 70s. We stayed in Lauterbrunnen and took the trains and cable cars and buses and had a wonderful time. You can easily take the bus to go to waterfalls along the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Go to the end and ride the cable car up to Gimmelwald and Murren and take the train and the cable car back down to Lauterbrunnen. Another day take the small old cog train to Schynige Platte and spend a little time enjoying the magnificent views. Another day take the train to Wengen, get out and do a little exploring, then continue the ride to Grindelwald. We skipped Jungfraujoch because I was concerned about the altitude. If you want, another day you could go down to Interlaken and take the Lake Thun boat tour.

Edit: no large hikes involved. Just walk as far as you feel like. We did some walking along the flat Lauterbrunnen Valley, but when we got tired we just walked over to the road and hopped on a bus.

In July Switzerland will host Euro2025 - women soccer championship which will be well visited. So, expect well booked or booked out places.

Depending on your and your mom's interests Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Berlin are very good alternatives. All three have great culture and history aspects to explore. Berlin is very flat - for that reason very well visited by runners for Berlin Marathon in September. Copenhagen is a coastal capital and Danes like being outdoors during summer months.

If you've always wanted to go to Switzerland, it seems to me that the obvious answer is to go to Switzerland. You don't have to hike if you don't want to.