Planning an October trip for Switzerland. Starting in Zurich but are open to any other scenario. Full 5 days to visit. Good B&B's or must-see places we should put on our list?
Delilah,
One area that's a big favourite with many here is the Lauterbrunnen Valley, outside of Interlaken. There are some great sights in that area and some scenic small towns where you could stay, such as Mürren, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen or Gimmelwald. Have a look at the Switzerland Guidebook for attractions in that area. You could perhaps spend a few days in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the remaining time in Lucerne, which is also a beautiful city (or spend the entire five days in one place or the other).
Be sure to allow a slightly larger budget for Switzerland, as it can be expensive.
Happy travels!
"Expensive" seems to be the common word for Switzerland. We are also stopping in Belgium then to Provence. Should we bypass Switzerland and spend more time in Belgium/Provence? Want to make the most of this trip, spend monies wisely, yet see as much as we can.
Hi...Switzerland is such a great country to visit; mountains/scenery, trains,architecture, cities, people, just terrific. The Lauterbrunnen area is a must and don't short change yourself in this area; give yourself at least two full days to explore....and if you do go to Belgium do consider Brugge as a place to visit...canals, character can't be beat!!!You won't regret it if you do.
I would not skip Switzerland because of cost. It is expensive, but it is a wonderful country to visit. My favorites are Luzern, Lauterbrunnen, Zermatt and Montreux. All these areas have stunning scenery, good food and very friendly people.
A hotel you might consider for Zurich is The Hotel Adler. It's located in the Old Town. It was a lovely hotel.
My husband and I stayed there for 3 nights about 6 years ago. There is a delicious fondue restaurant attached to the lobby -- The Swiss Chuchi. We dined there 2 nights in a row.
We loved The Adler's location; you can walk everywhere. There is a great, old department store called The Manor (have lunch on the 3rd - 4th? - floor's incredible cafeteria).
We spent a sunny, Oct afternoon aboard the boat that departs from Lake Zurich's harbor. It cruises to several little ports that are linked to residential neighborhoods. It was great fun and an opportunity to see some beautiful lakefront homes ( and a nude guy sunbathing on a big rock).
Consider Bern and Luzern.