Hello All! My husband and I taking a month long trip to Europe in July/August and I need help deciding on where to stay and what to see in Switzerland. We will begin our trip in Frankfurt, Germany and take the romantic road down to Neuschwanstein (we are renting a car) and from there we will cut west through Switzerland. We will have about 4-5 days in Switzerland and we want to possibly end in Zermatt. We were thinking about staying in Lucerne for the time we will be in Switzerland, it seems central and a good "home base" and we don't want to be packing/unpacking every night at a new hotel.
So I would like suggestions on a good town or two to stay at from Neuschwanstein (Fussen) to Zermatt or any tips/tricks for this leg of the trip. Thanks for any help!!
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3398 posts
Lucerne and Zermatt would be a fantastic first intro to Switzerland. Lucerne is very "old-world" and is in an incredible setting. Besides the town you also have all the small villages around the lake that can be reached by boat.
Zermatt will give you those spectacular mountain views that are classic Swiss. Although everyone goes there, seeing the Matterhorn really is a fantastic experience! Be sure to take the Furgg lift to the restaurant/refugio by the Schwartzee. It sits just next to the Matterhorn and you can enjoy a beer, the AMAZING views from the large outdoor deck, and a band if you're lucky! Go further up to Glacier Paradise (a breathtaking gondola ride!) for an even more spectacular 360 degree view over Zermatt, the Matterhorn, and east towards Italy. You can also go into the tunnels under the glacier and watch climbers on the surrounding peaks and ice fields. Zermatt is an expensive place to spend time but entirely worth it.
As Lucerne and Zermatt aren't that close to each other, I would spend two or three days in each. Weather in Zermatt can be a factor and you want to give yourself more than just one day in case it's cloudy and you can't enjoy the views. When you get a clear day, get up and get out early in the morning as the clouds tend to roll in during the afternoon.
Posted by
Texas
531 posts
Luzern is amazing!!! Very romantic....spent much time taking lake steamers and cable cars.