High altitude in Switzerland

I live in the low lands, sometimes below sea lands of the Netherlands. I took the tour last year and had no issues. I'm 74. Tour was great, btw.

Advice here in Colorado is to acclimatize by sleeping a night or two at an altitude that’s higher than you’re used to, then reaching your higher destination after that. Zurich is about 1,300 feet above sea level, and Luzern is at about 1,400 feet. If you live lower than that, and fly to Zurich, arrive at least a couple days early, and stick around there, or head to Luzern for a day or two before the tour starts.

If you were going directly from a lower elevation to a much higher destination (which happens a lot here in Colorado, with people flying in and going straight to ski areas), it’s best to take it easy the first day - don’t push yourself too much physically. Stay well hydrated, before you leave home and at elevation. Maybe don’t eat too much that first day or two, either - no super-heavy meals, but still nutritious.

If you have any doubts whatsoever please consult your physician and make sure your medical insurance cover also cover evacuation to the nearest hospital.

As a Swiss, I can say it is not unusual to hear of tourists being air evacuated out of the Alps from time to time.

The good news is that all Swiss villages are below 2,000 metres in elevation, which is lower than aircraft cabin pressure, and the vast majority are below 1,500 m. Very different from, say, the Rocky Mountains.
So, the only times when you risk to suffer from the effects of high altitude is when you do brief excursions to high mountains, especially Jungfraujoch above Grindelwald and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise in Zermatt. Feeling out of breath is normal, but if you start to feel significantly unwell, it is very straightforward to take the first train/cable car down and thus quickly solve the problem.
The tour will not make you hike for extended periods of time at high elevations.

One of my favorite Rick Steves tours, no one had any issues out of our group of 24 people with the altitude. The entire tour is flat amazing!

Ask your doctor, there are various prescription pills.

My friend had to leave the Schilthorn early because of issues with the altitude, which according to the Wiki is 2,970 metres (9,744 ft).

knight,

To begin with, have either of you experienced altitude-related problems in the past? If so, you may want to have a chat with your doctor for suggestions on how to deal with that. The usual way to acclimatize to altitude is to spend a few nights at increasingly higher elevations to allow your body time to adjust to it. However that's usually not possible on a guided tour where the Itinerary is set by the tour. The usual medication for dealing with altitude is Acetazolamide (Diamox), but IMO it would be better to avoid that if at all possible as it may be contraindicated in some people or may interact with other med's.

I believe the only high altitude location visited on RS Switzerland tour is the Schilthorn, which is at about 10,000 feet. I've never had any issues there after numerous visits of varying duration. However if you take optional trips to high altitude locations during the tour, such as the Jungfraujoch (about 12,000 feet), you may have a few issues (I did).

Your best source of information will be to contact the RS tour office as they will be able to answer your questions.