Our family of 4 itinerary for 3 weeks originally started out as Germany (based around the Munich area) , Venice, Cinque Terre, Switzerland (Gimmelwald area), & Paris (incl. a day at Disney for my hubby). Now we think we will be exhausted trying to do so much and we don't want to overload our kids (or ourselves for that matter). So we feel the need to cut something out. It seems the logical would be either Switzerland or Germany. I'm told if we do the Bavaria area of Germany that we won't be missing a lot to cut out Switzerland, assuming we will some day go back, and bearing in mind that we live the beautiful mountainous region of Seattle. My husband wants to cut Venice too. Any advice anyone? This trip will be mid June/early July.
Posted by
NYC area
2931 posts
Hi Margaret,
Will you be travelling by car? If so, from Bavaria (beautiful scenery) going into Italy to the Cinque Terre (via Innsbruck/Brenner Pass), you could drive into and stay a night or two in the Dolomites (spectacular scenery!) to take the place of Switzerland.
www.alpedisiusi-seiseralm.com/index.html (Val Gardena)
Paul
Posted by
OP
Maple Valley, Wa, USA
108 posts
Yes,I forgot to mention that we will most likely have a car. It seems the most logical way to travel with 4 of us. Thanks for the info. I'll check it all out.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16801 posts
Please do not drop Switzerland. The area around Gimmelwald/Mürren is unlike anything you will see in Bavaria (and unlike anything we have here in Washington State), and is our family's favorite vacation destination. Our teenage daughters love it there (and so do we). The food, the scenery, the flowers, the hiking, the cows, the people. . . everything.
The one I would drop is Venice. We love that city by would not go there in the summer.
You could fly open jaw, into Paris and out of Milan. Take the train from Paris to Munich and rent a car there to tour Bavaria. Then return the car and take the train to Zürich and on to Gimmelwald. Your children will travel free on the Swiss trains, boats, and the cablecar up to Gimmelwald, and they will love every minute of that travel. Consider renting the apartment in Chalet Fontana instead of staying in Gimmelwald.
Then on to Milan and Cinque Terre by train. Return to Milan and fly home.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
If you want to cut your expenses, the Bavarian Alps, although by no means cheap, are a bargain compared to their counterparts in Switzerland. Food is particularly costly in Switzerland. Here's an example- a pot of cheese fondue for two people at a small out-of-the-way inn near Interlaken, in the off-season, cost me nearly 70 SF (converted at the time to about $100). A huge plate of Jaegerschnitzel and potato dumplings with a side of bread and liter of beer might cost 15 euro in Garmsich-Partenkirchen. Although I do like Switzerland, the sky-high price of nearly everything in that country will always prevent it from becoming my Alpine destination of choice.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16801 posts
Tom, 70 Swiss francs is $64 at today's conversion rate, and I don't know when it was ever $100 (the Swiss franc was 60 cents until recently, when it went up to 88 cents). And fondue is a specialty item that is always expensive. There are many very nice things to eat in Switzerland that are much less expensive (and better to eat IMO). A plate of Rosti, for example, is around 8 to 10 CHF, unless you get it with special toppings. A mixed salad, 7 or 8 for a small one and around 12 CHF for a meal-size portion. Single serving pizza, again around 10-12 CHF. We enjoyed a number of very good fish and chicken dishes in Switzerland last summer for around 20 to 25 CHF each. Perhaps you can eat a little cheaper in Germany, but the cost of food in Switzerland is nowhere near as exorbitant as you make it appear.
We spend part of our Swiss time in apartments and cook for ourselves. And in hotels, we book half-board and get a very nice 4-course dinner for 20 to 30 francs total.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Oops, yeah my conversion was off. But, overall, Switzerland is still probably the most expensive country in Europe. Worth visiting, but if money is tight and someone really wants to see the Alps, there are less expensive (if not budget) options.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16801 posts
Some people do find Austria a bit less expensive, but we have found the best experiences and the most beautiful scenery of all in Switzerland (and I am a serious mountaineer and a mountain scenery addict). Using the Swiss travel system is such a joy, and kids in particular enjoy it. And there are reasonably-priced lodging options there; one just has to be persistent and look around for them. I would be happy to share my knowledge of them with Margaret.
In my previous post I neglected to mention that by renting the car only for your Bavarian tour and leaving it there, you will avoid hefty drop charges that arise when you rent in one country (France) and leave the car in another (Italy). And you really do not need a car in Switzerland---the best way to enjoy it is by train, boat, and cablecar. The parents' Swiss pass will cover all of those, and the kids ride free.
Posted by
Paradise
6782 posts
That would indeed be a lot of driving. Venice is incredibly congested and overpriced in summer and pretty tough with a car unless it has fins - might be a good one to drop. I'd actually be tempted to drop Cinque Terre too if you want to pare down the miles and avoid driving into Italy, which is always hair-raising. You would have a much more manageable route if you stayed to the north. A car in Paris is useless, so I'd begin in Paris and pick up the car when you're ready to leave. From Disneyland head to the Alace (Colmar/Strasburg) and to Switzerland - it's must see around Gimmelwald. Then loop into Bavaria and see what you want. On the way, make a stop at Lake Constance on the Swiss/German border for a day or two - very nice place to relax with kids and recreate (swimming, biking, etc.) and very scenic - Alps all around you.