Hi,
I need some help with a four night trip into Switzerland from Italy next September. My idea is to park our rental car in Tirano on a Monday and take the Bernina Express or another train into Switzerland. I would need to come out the same route to pickup our rental car and return to Milan on Friday for our Saturday flight back. For a limited stay, what are some good towns to visit that would encompass some culture and history of the Alps as well as offer great scenery and maybe some opportunities to do some light hiking?
Thanks.
Jeff
Posted by
613 posts
I strongly recommend driving into Switzerland. Its the best way to see the sights and it gives you essential flexibility. Bad weather is frequent in the Alps, so we always plan two itineraries MOuntian roads for good weather, towns & cities for bad weather.
Get the Michelin maps & Green Guides (specifically designed for sightseeing by car). I prefer the older Green Guides (ink drawings instead of photos) to the newer one with photos. Try eBay.
Get the 1/200 000 scale map. It shows roads, scenic roads, sights to see (rated) in great detail. Get it for Italy too.
Best scenery: The 3 Passes Tour; Interlaken/LAuterbrunnen Valley region; around Lake Lucern.
Posted by
OP
25 posts
Thanks KB. I have a tendency towards the car as well since I will be the primary driver for the two week trip. Last year I drove mainly between Milan and Torino including a drive up to Bellagio. This trip will include Torino, the Lago Magorie area and a long drive to the base of the Dolomites NW of Venice. I will then double back and head North to Bolzano and Merano. Weather permitting, we’ll take the Selvio Pass to Tirano. My mom was very interested to take the train to the St. Moritz area and beyond.
It would be a change to hop onto a train to relax and see part of the mountains that a car might not afford, but I like the idea of flexibility with a car. If the scenery and views are just as good from a car, then I might convince my mom and dad that driving is the way to go for such a short trip.
We do have Michelin maps of the area, but I primarily use offline maps with GPS when driving and take paper maps as a backup. Beyond that, I also use Google Street View and “drive” the routes that I’m planning (I drove the Stelvio Pass that way to get an idea of what it’s like).
A few other questions concerning driving:
I know weather can be unpredictable, but is snow the norm for the Alps in mid to late September?
I know I need an IDL for Italy. Does the same apply for Switzerland or is there somerhing else needed?
Any concerns about GPS not working? I know there are long stretches of tunnels, but I was thinking high mountains interfering?
Thanks,
Jeff