Hi:
My wife and I (mid 50s) may do Switzerland in September (looking at a few trip possibilities). We will be arriving from Newark and are flexible in terms of number of nights. Our trips are normally 12 nights or so when we do Europe. (If 12 is too many we can shorten and add another country) We prefer not to rent a car but would if necessary. What are the must see cities and areas? Geneva? Zurich?
Any advice would be appreciated. We love seeing major sites and restaurants, etc
Thanks
Chris
There is more to Switzerland than Zurich and Geneva; a bit more info on your interests would be useful. Do you like hiking, for example, or are you more into gentle strolls? Historic sites, castles etc. or stunning alpine views. Do you want to drive or do you prefer to take trains? Cities or villages, jet-set locales or smaller, quieter villages?
Early or late September? The appeal in Switzerland is the accessibility of big mountains right in your face, of course there are other things on offer, so I’d peruse a book to see what appeals before diving in to itineraries. It’s an expensive country, so 12 may be plenty to get a very nice trip.
You could make a plan without Geneva or Zurich and no one would bat an eye, but flying in to one and out of the other would be grand, stopping at lake Geneva, the alpine destination of your choosing, and capping off with cute Lucerne.
No car needed at all, but indicate your interest in hiking if you want suggestions because that is another main draw. We found the weather fantastic on a late October visit but were lucky, so I think September will be nice.
Thank you Lesley and Valadelphia. (I have family in Bucks county PA) Yes we are in the initial stages as you can tell. We are not hikers but would like to see some views of the Alps. We prefer trains over cars (but will do one if highly recommended). We love castles and cool historic sites. In terms of where we stay we like a mix of cities and small villages. We can absolutely look into flying into one city and out of another.
Thanks for your assistance and advice
Chris and Linda
Fly into Geneva > Montreux 3 nights > Wengen 4 Nights > Zermatt 2 Nights > Luzern 3 Nights > Fly out of Zurich
From Montreux you experience French Switzerland with the amazing castle Chateau de Chillon, the Lavaux vineyard terraces built by monks 1000 years ago and still in use today, with optional day trips by boat to Yvoire, France, etc.
From Zermatt you can take the scenic Gornergrat train up to see the Matterhorn + explore the historic car free village
From Wengen, a car free village up in the alps you can explore the mountains via cable car (Mannlichen, Schilthorn, etc), walk the Lauterbrunnen Valley with waterfalls everywhere, take a boat ride on Lake Thun with castle stops at Spiez, Oberhofen & Thun + do some light hiking/walking around the car free villages of Mürren & Gimmelwald
From Luzern you can explore the historic center + the historic Musegg Wall, take a scenic boat ride to Fluelen, visit Bern, visit Lugano/Morcote to experience Italian Switzerland or do mountain viewpoints up at somewhere like Mt.Rigi
Do this all by train/cable car. Routes can be found on the official Swiss transportation site SBB.ch/en - once you confirm you’re visiting Switzerland come back here for questions on transportation, train passes, hikes, sites, etc.
Thank you very much Wanderweg. Much appreciated
Regards
Chris
