travel tips

With the limit response space on this site, no one can write a guidebook for you which is what you are requesting. My suggestion is - If you don't want to buy the guidebooks, go to your public library and check out the books for your areas of interest and also the DVDs so you can get a feel what there is to see and do in those areas. All of the Rick Steves are good for these areas. Look at a couple to get a feel for his style of travel. Europe Through the Back Door would be a good starting point. Ten days is way too short by about three weeks if you are bouncing around four countries. With ten days two major cities or maybe three cities is it and you need to fly open jaw. . This site works best when you can ask specific questions so we can provide specific answers. How can we answer, "to see all of the places I wish to see" if we have no idea what places you wish to see?

If what you are seeking is a single base from which you can visit all four countries as day trips, that is not practical due to both distance and terrain.

"Seeing" four countries in 10 days is clearly not possible. However, seeing one specific place in four countries may be more plausible. However, the only specific you mention is Lake Como. Lake Como, Milan, someplace in Switzerland are very doable. One problem you have is that transportation from the Como area isn't good. From Milan you could get to Lake Como, the Berner Oberland, and probably Salzburg in 10 days. I don't know where in France you would be interested in going. Primary destinations are quite distant. You could fly into/out of Milan and Salzburg, depending upon which direction you decide to travel.

The reason you "don't know where to begin" is that your stated goals are completely impossible unless you have your own private helicopter. Harsh but true. So, start over again. You have 10 days, so you can only see a few places. You have to choose places that have transit between them (trains, buses, or planes) and that don't take too long to travel between. I don't see how you can see places in all four of France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy in 10 days, unless you race around like crazy just to say you saw four countries. Start by figuring out what it is you want to see in these countries, and then people can help. For instance, "France" is a big place. What is it that you want out of your visit there? Museums, food, scenery (which kind), culture, Art Nouveau architecture, WWII history - the list of possibilities is endless. Start by looking at Rick Steves travel shows, on TV, or on YouTube or Hulu. That may help your narrow down some choices. Then, ask here if your first choices can be connected, and how it works. For instance, Lake Como and Switzerland can be connected, although it takes longer than you think (for many Swiss destinations, you either go back through Milan, or have to take local trains, or both). If you want to see Paris and Vienna and you only have 10 days, you would have to fly (but that's fine - I once did 10 days in Berlin and Vienna, connected with a flight). Lastly, don't stay between your sights of interest. Stay at the interesting places themselves. Don't stay "on the border of swiss and milan" because you think it's a convenient place from which to see both countries. It isn't. Stay in Milan to see Milan, stay in a Lake Como town to see Lake Como, and stay in Switzerland to see Switzerland. Otherwise, it's like staying in Tampa to see Disney World.