Hello, In about two weeks, my husband and I will be in Switzerland for a short time as we drive from Chamonix to Stuttgart. Our only plans are to visit either Chateau Aigle or Chillon Castle, and to spend one night in Zurich. Is there anything else along the way we should try to see? Is Berne or Zurich interesting? I'd love to see more of the country but that will have to wait until another trip. Just trying to find out for now if the route across western Switzerland is going to be scenic or not. Thanks!
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Danville, VT
12040 posts
Steve writes: "You'll be following the Rhine for most of your trip through Germany." Following the Rhine is far out of your line of travel and would condemn you to driving some of the most congested sections of the Autobahn network. This is kind of a long drive, but should be OK spread out over two days. I would focus mostly on getting from point A to point B, but you have enough time for stops that more or less lie on your route of travel. If you mean Chillon by Montreux, you have enough time. Given the choice between stopping in Bern or Zurich, I would choose Zurich, but mostly for logistics, since it's a little closer to Stuttgart. Both cities offer about the same experience. As for if the drive is scenic or not, I'll comment on the stretches I know (instead of just nominating a bunch of out-of-the-way Rick Steves' recommendations). I'm assuming you're planning to take the Autobahn route via Geneva and not the more direct, but much slower mountain pass route. The scenery as you drive around Lac Leman on the way to Montreux is nothing short of stunning. Once you head north to Bern, you still have the Alps on your right hand side. Approaching Bern, the Alps are only in your rearview mirror. Heading north and east to Zurich, the scenery is OK, and sometimes if the weather is clear, you can still catch a glimpse of the Alps off in the distance. From Zurich, it's a little more scenic to head to Germany via Konstanz than through Schaffhausen. Link up with A81 from there and head north to Stuttgart. This part of the drive is moderately scenic, if nothing too dramatic. There's a few castles that you can see from the road. If you want to make a detour before arriving in Stuttgart, you can go to Hechingen to see Burg Hohenzollern.