We are planning a trip in September-low season. According to Rick’s new book we can spend the whole month in Switzerland and ride all the great railways. However, one of my friends suggested that is just more of the same beautiful mountains. His older books suggested Part of Germany then Switzerland. Thoughts? Also, thoughts about September?
Thanks
Debbie and Dan Wilson
September is no longer really a low season, maybe just not crazy busy as July and August. I would suggest adding Italy (Lake Como, Dolomites) and Austria for Alpine scenery. You will notice a stunning reduction in everyday costs in these countries.
You may get better responses if you give us an idea of what you like to do. Of course you can spend an entire month there... but that could be taking hut to hut hikes, riding the panorama trains, visiting excellent wineries near Lake Geneva or investigating many fine museums. There are never enough of the beautiful Swiss mountains to me. But, the Bernese Overland is quite different than the Jura region next to France or the Rhone Valley-Zermatt- St Moritz deep alpine regions. I love popping over into the Ticino Province on a side trip near Italy around Lugano. That is very different than Luzern-Zurich.
Note: At Swiss prices nothing is "low season" particularly with so many retirees traveling now.
Have fun.
We did 21 days in Switzerland a couple years ago and loved every minute of it. We could have done more, and in fact, we are returning this year for another four weeks. So, obviously we're biased, but I don't think you "need" to add Germany, Austria, or Italy unless you want to.
Also with 27 days, you really can explore the border regions where you can slip into Germany and Italy if you want. So, along the Rhine and Bodensee up north, for example. Or Locarno, Lugano, and Chiasso to the south for Italy. I do think there's a lot of diversity in Switzerland, so it isn't just "all the same mountains." But it also means getting off the beaten path. As someone else mentioned, more about your interests might help flesh out where you might spend your time.
That amount of time really lets you get under the skin of Switzerland.
Which railways do you specifically have in mind? More than Bernina Express, Glacier Express, Luzern <> Interlaken, Interlaken <> Montreux, Geneva <> Montreux?
How many is "we"? Kids? Seniors? Mobility challenges?
Thanks so much! We are both in our mid 70s so not a lot of hiking, just a little. We just like to explore the areas Rick recommends, eat the food, experience the culture. So it’s sounds like y’all are saying we wouldn’t get tired of Switzerland in 27 days. We don’t like to rush so we like at least 3 nights in each city to relax and see sights and enjoy the people. We learned from our trip to Italy that we can’t keep up with Rick’s fast pace. :)
In addition to the two regions I mentioned above, I highly recommend the "Three Lakes" region of Neuchâtel, Murten, and Biel. Quiet, beautiful, and not well-known. Terrific wine country and lots of quaint villages, castles, etc.
A factor to consider is budget.
While there is indeed plenty to see for 27 days in Switzerland, daily costs are significantly higher than in the neighboring regions of France, Italy, Austria and Germany.
So, spending a few days in, say, Alsace, Bade-Wurtemberg, Bavaria, Tirol, Savoy or the Italian lakes will bring costs down and add some variety, without detracting from your enjoyment of Switzerland.
To be more specific:
- 3-4 nights in Alsace combine well with a stay in Basel, Luzern, or Zürich
- a stay in the Lake Geneva region can easily be extended in Chamonix (2-3 nights rec.) and/or Annecy (2 nights).
- the Italian side of Lake Maggiore (e.g. Stresa, 2-3 nights) is quick to reach from Zermatt or the Berner Oberland.
- Lake Como (e.g. Varenna, 3 nights) is easy from the Engadine/Bernina Railway or from Lugano
etc. for Austria and S Germany but I don't know those as well.
Thanks so much. I guess a better question is if this is the itinerary by Rick Steves and I spend 2-4 nights at each stop, would it be better to delete one or two of these stops and hop over to Germany from Appenzell? Maybe the famous castle in Germany is better than some of these stops in Switzerland. Land Zurich but go straight to Appenzell, Luzern, Lugano,Pontresina (upper Engadine area), Zermatt, Lausanne (Lake Geneva area), Berner Oberland area, Bern and back to Zurich to fly home. But, we are very interested in the beautiful train rides in Switzerland like: Bernina Express, Gotthard Panorama Express, and Glacier Express.
Thanks so much.
You don't need to travel on every single scenic railway. If you pick two between Bernina Express, Gotthard Panorama Express, and Glacier Express, it is already plenty.
In your case, you could do:
You have been given excellent advice. Sept is no longer low season.
How much flexibility do you have? Swiss weather (mountains or cities) is fickle. Allow some slack for your itinerary, as I am sure that you will, unfortunately, experience some raining/cloudy days during your trip. On some flexible days, chase the sun (locals do this)--for example, Ticino often has more sunny days than the north. If the weather in Zurich/Basel sucks, head south. If you are around the French region or Basel and the weather in Alsace is nicer, go to Alsace.
When booking hotels, make sure that they are refundable. I don't recommend Germany, because it's less scenic in general though more affordable. Italy, France, or Austria are nice.
