I would appreciate your help concerning Füssen, Lucerne, Murren for July. I have read the RS book.
We are planning on staying 3 nights in Füssen, 1 night in Appenzell, 2 nights in Lucerne, and 2 nights in Murren.
Any recommendations or experiences on where to stay? Near public transportation, sights, restaurants. What to do? Where to go?
Do I need a car?
Thank you very much
In Mürren = Chalet Fontana/In Breitenwang (in Austria not far from Füssen) = Hotel Moserhof
Instead of staying in Füssen I would recommend the little village of Horn which is about a 5 minute drive from Füssen. Lots of nice little guesthouses and quaint hotels with lots of bike-paths, open green pastures with cows and their bells. Great views across the pasture to the castles. I can recommend both Hotel Helmerhof and Hotel Rübezahl in Horn...very very nice.
Mürren - no question about it, the Chalet Fontana wins every time.
For the Fussen area a car could be nice, but I wouldn't want to have one, myself, for Lucerne nor Murren.
For a place to stay in Murren I recommend www.eigerguesthouse.com. They have some rooms that have extra beds, and are adjoining, if you have a larger family or simply need more room. Nice game-room area if you are traveling with small children -- or just want to be able to 'take a vacation from your vacation'. The restaurant onsite here is top notch -- so grab a meal here even if you don't stay here. Stayed twice, 7 total days. (30-somethings, toddler, friend, teen).
I've also stayed down the mountain in Interlaken, and up the mountain in Gimmelwald, if your city preference changes I can make recommendations in those two places as well.
I've stayed at a nice place in Fussen... but am drawing a blank... I'll try to come back if I think of it.
I wouldn't recommend where I stayed in Lucerne -- overpriced chain.
Near Fussen... go on a picnic by the lake, definitely do the luge, castles (of course).
In Germany, just over the border from the Tirol, is Pfronten, actually a dozen little villages that have grown together. It's a lot prettier than Reutte and easy to get to by train, and to Füssen and Hohenschwangau (~½ hr) by bus, without needing a car.
Hi Jerry,
In Fuessen we stayed twice at (and can recommend) the Hotel zum Hechten.
While in the area, the Tegelberg cable car and luge ride, 1 mile from Neuschwanstein, is worthwhile.
Paul
Jerry,
We also stayed at the Hotel Zum Hechten in Fussen and it was a very quaint place to stay and reasonably priced. WE found the restaurant also to be good. One of our favorite stops on our last trip to Germany.
The two places I have stayed in Murren during separate visits are the Hotel Alpenruh and the Hotel Blumental and I would highly recommend them. Both were very comfortable and both had breakfast and reputable restaurants for dinner (we ended up eating dinner at La Grotte, the restaurant in Hotel Blumental, three nights in a row during one trip).
Near Lucerne--one trip we took was to Mount Rigi--took a ferry from Lucerne to Vitnau, a cog-wheel train from Vitznau up to Mount Rigi--and then hiked a bit before taking the cable car down to Weggis to meet the ferry that brought us back to Lucerne. Gorgeous views, pleasant hikes, and we enjoyed the different modes of transport in such a short period of time.
In Lucerne, we have enjoyed a few meals at the Rathaus Brauerei. I am not a beer drinker--but those I was with loved the beer.
Enjoy!
