We will be going on the My Way Alpine Europe tour in October 2015 and would like to arrive a couple of days early and stay a couple of days after the tour. The tour starts in Salzburg Austra and ends in Chamonix France. I am looking for suggestions for a city to visit before and after the tour, that is located within a reasonable travel distance from the tours beginning and end. We are more interested in a "local flavor" more than museums.
Thank you
Jeff
Munich is a natural before the tour (you're probably flying into MUC to start the trip anyway). There's lots of museums, but other attractions too. And in addition to fine arts, Munich's museums include the Deutsches Museum, focused on science and technology, which was a wonderful place.
For afterward I was going to suggest Lyon, but I see that it's roughly five hours from Chamonix. Geneva has some fans, but not too many (I've never been), but many do like lots of other places in Switzerland along the lake, like Lausanne, Montreux, Vevey, and Chateau de Chilllon. Direct trains connect all these towns to GVA, so you can stay there and get to the airport easily for your flight home.
Hi. I did this tour in the summer of 2013. I spent a few days in Innsbruck before the tour. It is an easy train ride to Salzburg. I chose Innsbruck for some specific reasons - a QiGong in the Park experience and the location of the Way of St. James nearby. Hall in Tirol is close by, too.
Munich is a good choice, if you have not been before. I did not choose Munich this time for the reasons above and because I have previously resided in Munich and was looking for a different experience. Munich is a really good transportation hub, and its airport is pretty agony-free.
I flew directly home after Chamonix via Geneva. But, I really would have liked to visit the Aosta region of Italy.
I suppose your decisions may be influenced by your arrival and departure airports. Munich, Zurich, and even Milan might serve a purpose for coming and going. I have experience only of Munich, and it is good experience.
Enjoy MyWay Alpine. It is a lovely trip.
Oh, I just re-read your post and noticed the time of year you are travelling. In October, you may have the opportunity to catch the return of the cows/cattle from the mountains - which is celebrated in many Alpine areas. I did this a few years ago in a small village on the outskirts of Innsbruck. If this is something you are interested in, keywords are Viehscheid, Almabtrieb, and Alpabfahrt. The cows are dressed with greenery and ribbons and other finery and come home to a local festival. The year I did this, I actually based my location on when and where the Viehscheid was happening in close proximity to transportation to the Village Italy tour, which turned out to be Innsbruck to Padua.
Again, enjoy.
