If you've taken the Rick Steves' Group Tour of Switzerland.........

Margaret, we have done Switzerland independently and found it easy. Transportation is efficient even it it sounds complicated. For example: We stayed in Murren. Ahead of time we had some stress about the combination of train/gondola/train. It turned out to be seamless; get off one thing and right onto the next.
I have looked at the RS itinerary. There are two things that strike me:
1. Switzerland is an expensive place, and it follows that this is an expensive tour. The biggest concern I have is that the RS tour does NOT include many of the things you would want to do. For example, transport up to Mt. PIlatus in Lucerne and up to the Jungfraujoch are NOT included in the tour cost, and are expensive to add on. Ditto for extra meals not included in the tour. I am sure that you will get a depth of information on the tour that you can't get on your own, but the financials have to be considered carefully. Tours are almost always more expensive than independent travel,but the "extras" not included in tours don't add up as quickly in other locations as they would in Switzerland.
2. The weather flexibility you mention is a critical downside to doing a tour of Switzerland.. Our stay in Murren was wonderful, but we were completely fogged in for most of our stay. Because we had the freedom to adjust our schedule we were still able to have some clear view days. For many places this is not as crucial to your experience, but in the Swiss Alps it could potentially "make or break" your trip.
We were in Switzerland the first two weeks of June and thought the timing was good. Not too crowded and mild temperatures. Some rain, some fog, lots of sun and spectacular scenery. And we were only on
trains and local public transportation. I highly recommend Murren as one place to stay. We stayed at the
http://www.edelweiss-muerren.ch/. Our room was on the "back" of the hotel, and we had a great balcony with views that made us feel like we could touch the mountains. It was spectacular. We did half-board, which provided us breakfast and dinner. Dinner wasn't anything special, but since we knew we would be out and about all day long it was nice just to come back and know where we were going to eat. We also were lucky enough to attend a local music performance at the community hall in Murren. Very memorable evening for sure.
No matter what you choose you are going to love Switzerland!

Travelingmom,
Thank you. Exactly the kind of experienced thoughts I'm seeking!! Appreciate your taking the time to write your post.

My husband, daughter, and I returned three weeks ago from an amazing independent trip to Switzerland. I had read repeatedly that Switzerland is VERY expensive. I underestimated just what that meant since we travel to Europe twice a year. We were in Monaco and the French riviera in March, and in retrospect, that seemed like a bargain in comparison to Switzerland. The biggest mistake we made was not purchasing a Swiss Rail pass before we left for our trip. It would have been less time consuming and cheaper than purchasing individual train and bus tickets, even at the online super saver rate. I was leary about spending over $350 per person upfront, but we ended up taking so many day trips by rail, using the local bus, going on boat excursions and to museums, and traveling between cities, that it would have been well worth it to purchase the pass.

We stayed three nights each in Zurich, Luzern, and Geneva as our bases. Besides touring each city, we took day trips to Basel, Bern, Lausanne, and Montreaux (Chillon) and also went to Mt. Pilatus. We loved it all. We stayed at hotels near the train stations so we could wheel our luggage to the hotel and have quick access to the station. We always use RS's very thorough books, but thanks to his advice, also went to the very helpful Tourist Information (i) offices at every major train station. We were able to get maps, brochures and great advice from personnel. Everyone spoke english and was extremely friendly and helpful. I am also a big fan of Trip Advisor for getting information.

Getting around Switzerland was so easy and safe, I would not think twice about traveling without a group and on your own. We are a couple in our mid 50's, and I was glad to have the independence to see and do what I wanted on my time frame. For example, we loved Luzern so much we took two different boat tours! We had such a great time in this breathtakingly beautiful country, that I am already planning a return trip for next summer. Good luck. Feel free to private message me if you have any further questions.

Margaret,

"And for those of you who have not taken the group tour:"

1. Yes! Switzerland is one of the easiest places for travel by train, especially as the trains are punctual and they usually list the platform numbers.
2. That depends - if you choose a hotel close to the station, then it's easy to walk. If you choose a hotel that's some distance from the station, then it won't be easy to walk.
3. I believe there are local guides listed in the Switzerland guidebook. However, with the guidebook and good planning, I'm not sure a guide is necessary.
4. I've never felt that I missed anything in travelling by train, since I saw everything I had planned to see. Whether travelling by train or tour bus, it's not much different.
5. September

I prefer to base on one or two places, and then take day trips. Changing hotels every night or two is such a darn nuisance!

There are pros & cons to either touring or travelling on your own. With a tour you'll have less flexibility and will have to follow the group schedule, but you'll learn more and have a more interesting experience. With independent travel, you'll be able to follow your own schedule, but more work and planning will be required. Your choice.....

I have not taken the RS tour but maybe my comments can help. Switzerland is a small country which is very well organized. It's public transportation is excellent. The old and the young, the rich and the poor travel this way. The passes can be a bit confusing but if you want to throw up your hands, at least buy the 1/2 fare card at the beginning so you get 1/2 half of the fare off most of your transport. At the train stations and in the city centers, the tourist offices are very helpful and will speak in your language, provide you with information in your language. As far as taking the wrong train, that is never a fun experience. If you ask the ticket attendant when you purchase your ticket, they will print an itinerary which will show you which train to take to your destination, the platform to depart from, which platform you arrive and where you will depart again. The signs are well marked. The busses have maps at the stops so you can find your way. Depending on how long you will be here, you may want to choose more than one location. Switzerland is more expensive than some places. When you have found your lodging, you can save money on food by avoiding restaurants where there is service at the table. Most of the coop, migros and manor supermarkets have a food service area where you can find a lower priced meal. If those are not available, ask the people who work in the shops where they like to eat. There are many places in the world where it can be challenging to travel independently, but to me, Switzerland is not one of them.

When you arrive by train with all your luggage sometimes it just easier to grab a taxi. And there are ALWAYS taxis at the taxi rank at major train stations. Now, if you arrive into someplace like Murren you can just easily walk to your hotel. In Murren and other alpine villages some of the hotels have luggage porters who can meet you at the station and transport your luggage for you.

Yes, trains are easy...but you do need to understand HOW to read the arrival/departure board which tells you, among other things, what track your train will arrive to or depart from. If you have a reserved seat then you need to understand how to find your reserved carriage and your reserved seat. You also need to be able to hoist your luggage up into the train...don't expect strangers to load it for you. I used to be one of those friendly strangers until I hurt my back loading someone else's bags. I don't do that anymore :-)

Hi Margaret:

I took the group tour and I loved it!! I take group tours because I am a single traveler and like the company of others. Unlike the majority of the people who post on this board, I really dislike planning a trip. I don't enjoy researching hotels, lining up trains etc. But that is just me. I like getting there and then having everything planned. However, I have not had problems getting to the first stop on the tour. Most times via train. It is really very easy.

On a rick steves tour the guides are excellent and I have found that we see a lot of things I might not get to see if I went independently. I like having a guide who can explain what I am seeing and the history. I like the local guides at most stops. I really liked the WWII bunker and the day the tour bus was driven on a train with us on it and taken thorough a tunnel was really very interesting. We took trains, cable cars, boats. metros and, of course, the bus. So lots of methods of travel.

I will always take a tour over going independently. But again that is me. One way is not better than the other, it is just what you prefer.

The day we went to Mt. Titlis it was very clear. I did not walk the sky bridge but others did. The view was spectacular and the Bollywood connection is interesting.

I travel in the spring, mainly because it is less crowded. The tradeoff is that you often get clouds and rain. But the waterfalls you see are, to me, worth it.

Knowing what I know now I would take the trip. I am even thinking of taking it again. But again as other posters have said, travel by train is easy. Trains are timed and connections easy. There is a train stating in the Zurich airport and trains go pretty much everywhere. However you go you will love Switzerland.

Gosh...thank you all for sharing your knowledge, experience, and advice. How very nice to sign on to my computer this morning and find such great thoughts.

Thanks to each of your for taking the time to reply....sincere thanks.

I see lots of comments about money. I get it, but not a lot of comments about the dynamics of a tour group versus going it on your own. I have been to Switzerland 3 of the past 4 years. Twice with a Cosmos group, and last year with a Steve's group. Going again this year on a "My Way" Steve's tour.

A very big part of the enjoyment of all 3 tour groups were the friendships that just developed during the tour.

Please do not ignore that dynamic. Yes money is important towards the enjoyment of a tour, no one wants to be taken advantage of, but a tour in most cases saves you money.

You mention Mount Titlas. Please be aware that weather plays a huge roll in your enjoyment as the weather can change on a moments notice. I have walked the suspension bridge once and it was really a once in a lifetime experience!!.

I followed the advice here of going to Switzerland in September, and had mostly great weather. I also followed the advice to stay in the Alps as long as possible, and that too was great. I was in Mürren for 4 nights, and so had 3.5 days; one of the days was cloudy, but I was still able to go up the Allmendhubel my first (half) day, the Schilthorn my second day, and the Jungfraujoch the third day (not ideal weather but still good). My fourth, cloudy, day, I did the valley walk and the Trummelbach Falls.

It's always hard for me to assess how hard trains are for novices, because I take them here in the US a lot (New York to Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, as well as local trains occasionally). Once you've gotten the hang of Penn Station, everything else is child's play (well, almost everything - Madrid Atocha Station was confusing even to me!).

With that preamble, I can say that getting to Berner Oberland and getting around it once you're there sounds confusing when you just try to read the directions. But once you're there, it's much easier and more obvious. Remember that Swiss people speak English, so you can always ask for help if you're lost or confused.

My whole trip of 10 nights was flying into Zürich and taking the train immediately to Luzern. Three nights in Luzern, with much of a day spent going by boat to Vitznau, up to Rigi Kulm, back down to Weggis, and boat back to Luzern (a great day!). Four nights in Mürren, already described (I also got to walk around Gimmelwald and Interlaken). Three nights in Lausanne, with the Museum of Outsider Art being a real highlight, as well as seeing Audrey Hepburn's grave in nearby Tolochenaz. I wasn't as taken with Chateau de Chillon as most, but I did like Montreux, as well as the Olympic Museum. I then went from Lausanne directly to Geneva airport for my flight home.

If you're looking to see Switzerland, you could do a lot worse than just following my itinerary - it worked great. One tip for booking hotels: do it direct by e-mail. I got much better rates and more available rooms doing this than by using the booking engines, even the ones on the hotels' own websites.

For transit, I had a Swiss Pass. I figured it would be the cheapest, but one advantage I hadn't anticipated was the convenience. You only have to buy tickets for items not fully covered (eg, the Allmendhubel, Schilthorn, and Jungfraujoch). For everything else, you just show the pass when asked.

I found Rick's Switzerland book to be one of his best. For instance, I was able to walk from the station to my hotels in Luzern and Mürren following his maps, and he gave very detailed directions for getting to my Lausanne hotel by public transit from the station.