We are considering a hiking heavy organized tour going from Lucerne to Geneva in early July 2026.
I am looking for ideas on where to go post or pre- the organized tour.
We do not usually travel to Europe in the summer in order to avoid crowds and heat.
I was considering going to some French alpine towns, like Annecy.
Or maybe we should just spend some extra time in Zurich and Geneva. We have never been to Switzerland before.
Any other suggestions?
We are willing to take short flights.
Its rather blunt, but of the Swiss towns I've been to Geneva was the least interesting. Zurich has never appealed to me, its a big city. It might help if you list the cities that your tour will cover, and how much time you have. On Lake Geneva, we found Montreux and Lausanne interesting with plenty of sight seeing.
I really liked Bern and Basel, and make sure you will get enough time in Luzern/Lucerne. Luzern is drop dead gorgeous. I highly recommend strolling the town, a boat tour of the lake, and one of the mountain excursions. We did Rigi, which got us a boat ride, and a ride on the cog wheel train to the top.
Yes, depending on how much time you get in Lucerne with the tour, it is a great town. I am sure there are places nearby to escape summer crowds.
And likewise, Montreux, or one of the smaller lake places like Lausanne, Vevey. That would be a great way to cap off a hiking tour--wine and lake scenery!
