Dear travellers,
My husband & I plan to go travel in Switzerland by end of oct'09. This is our first time there. Actually, we desire to go visit the watch museum & as well as the winery vinyards. Any other must see places are worth to go? Is it a best time to get there in Oct? Anyone who can recommend a 9 days itinerary to us as for our travel guideline. Thanks in advance for your valuable comments.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
No visit to Switzerland would be complete without visiting the Alps. The Berner Oblerand region of Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Wegen, Gimmelwald, and Grindelwald is the best place base yourself for alpine sightseeing. In October many of the hotels in mountain villages shut down until the ski season starts up. So for October, Interlaken would be a better choice.
Posted by
NYC area
2981 posts
Hi Oscar S,
Yes, many places in the Berner Oberland do shut down in October, but I'd suggest staying in Wengen (or maybe Lauterbrunnen), if you don't mind a bit of peace and quiet. We stayed in Wengen in mid October many years ago and enough was open for our liking. What was truly special for us was how peaceful it was in the evenings and at night. It felt as if the entire place was ours alone, plus the scenery is not to be missed! One of the lasting memories that stands out is a walk we took in the evening from Wengen down a paved road (path) outside of the village. It was just before sunset. We found a bench with views of the mountains and the valley down below. Not a sound to be heard except for the distant ringing of cowbells. Magical.
Paul
Posted by
Foley
23 posts
We've been to Switz many times. A good base for the Berner Oberland area is the small city of Spiez, on Lake Thun. There is a lovely small castle right there, and you have the option of rail to Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Schilthorn etc. Plus lake boat to Oberhofen, Thun, Interlaken. Allow 2 or 3 days here. Then for the Lake Geneva area, we recommend staying in Villeneuve or possibly Aigle. Wonderful wine museum in Aigle. You don't want to miss Chateau Chillon and the lake boat between Montreux and Lausanne (then train back) -- spectacular vinyards and lovely homes. Allow 2 or 3 days here. If you want a taste of the Italian area, try Locarno or Lugano. For Lake Lucerne, we recommend staying in Brunnen at Hotel Schmid-Alfa. Keep in mind that Switzerland is very expensive for lodging and food. For your first time, it's best to splurge a bit and get an overview of this beautiful country. Then go back and rent an apartment (i.e. timeshare unit) for a week, and take day trips with your railpass. That's what we're doing in October.
Bon Voyage!
Posted by
Littlteton, Colorado
18 posts
I have travelled extensively and love everywhere I go, but no place surpasses the beauty of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and views from the town of Murren and surrounding areas. The train to the Jungfrau is amazing, and the valley views are perfect. I would not miss an opportunity to go there, if I had the chance.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Give me Switzerland ANY month of the year! Forget the watch museums and head straight for the Alps.
Posted by
Clarksburg, MD, USA
92 posts
In addition to the Lauterbrunnen Valley that others have already mentioned, I suggest Zermatt and Luzern as additional places that you might want to visit. I don't think that Rick cares much for Zermatt, but we had a good time there and the train you have to take to get there is a fun ride. And the Matterhorn is quite awesome. Luzern is also a nice town and some of the lake cruises from Luzern are very picturesque.
Penn