Any reviews on the Myway Alpine tour???

I haven't taken that tour, but we did take the Germany, Austria and Switzerland tour in mid to late May this year, and if I had it to do over again, I would go for June instead. Our weather in Switzerland was pretty disappointing in that it was so foggy and overcast that we couldn't see the big peaks. While this can happen at any time, I've read that your chances for good weather with clear skies are a lot higher in June than May. But you never know - I heard that the week before we were there the weather was perfect! And even in the fog, it's a lovely place to be!

I think there's a good chance you'll be able to hike, just not necessarily every trail. Some areas may be closed do to slippery trails or the danger of falling ice and snow from above. That being said, waterfalls and rivers will be raging and the remaining snow will add to the scenery.

Even if it's rainy, snowy and foggy every day, I'd still take a day walking in the Alps over my normal daily routine. You should bring both waterproof jacket and pants, along with synthetic/wool socks, hat and underwear, so that even if it's colder and wet, you'll still be warm and have the chance to stay outside longer. Two pairs of shoes are pretty important items for me as well.

I totally agree that late-June, July and August are the best months to be in the mountains. These months are also the busiest and more crowded. The middle of summer would be my first choice, but even the one trip I took to Switzerland in September that was mostly rainy the whole time was still super fun.

I took the 2015 tour in early June. From reading some of the (all-too-brief) reviews from the tours just before and after mine (late May, late June), it seems that my tour had the bad weather, while the others had mostly good weather. We had wonderful wildflowers, that were probably gone by July, but we also had many cloudy days and a good bit of rain. Our hiking in the Dolomites was curtailed by a 3-4 hour rain in the early afternoon. Some of us had gone up very early and left as soon as we could make our way back down once the rain started. Some had gotten a later start and waited out the rain and were able to get in more hiking in the late afternoon. We had pretty good weather in Chamonix, much needed after 2 nights in Lauterbrunen without seeing the Swiss Alps, just clouds. The good thing about going in May/June is that nothing's crowded yet.

In planning my trip, I pored over the scrapbooks from prior years - there were a couple on the Alpine tour that were very informative. I also found it useful to look at the scrapbooks of people who were in the same places on other tours (like GAS).

Unfortunately , the last week in May is the best time for me.

I will have just graduated nursing school and my 1st grandchild is due 3rd week of June.
Thank you for your comments!

What a great graduation gift! Congratulations!

The Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg trail near Lauterbrunnen may still be closed at that time of year. I was there in July a couple of years ago and, while the trail was open, the weather did not cooperate. I did the hike anyway, imagining what the views were like through the fog that enveloped the trail from beginning to end.

I really enjoyed the My Way Alpine tour (July 2014). I had good weather in the Dolomites and Chamonix and the scenery was spectacular.

I took this tour in June 2014 and it was amazing. It's very much an independent tour so you'll want to do your research before heading over. There is a tour escort, though, that can help you plan out hikes and various routes.

I can tell you that in mid-June, there were still some mildly snowy parts of the paths we hiked in the Dolomites (Alpe di Siusi) but most of it was gone. I'm not sure how much that month makes a difference, though, so I can't really help too much there.

The weather was blazingly hot in the beginning of our tour and then cooled off to more temperate conditions. You could comfortable hike in t-shirts or hoodies, depending on the elevation. Here are my favorites of the pictures I took on that tour: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53157520@N07/albums/72157645878820442

Great pictures, Colin.

Thank you!

I would like to jump on this thread. I, too, am seriously considering the Alpine My Way. Hanging out in the gift shops and sitting around drinking hot chocolate/beer all day (lol) is not really me. However, I am concerned about the difficulty of the various hikes. If I were to take the easy hikes, would I be missing out on the gist of the scenery on this tour? I am pretty sure the difficult trails are beyond my ability level….but I would also think those also offer some of the most spectacular views.

Being of veteran of several RS Tours…..I have always been able to stay with the pack…..stairs and all. However….. extended climbing over rugged terrain, could lead to some "grumpy" joints. Thanks for the input.

On my tour, some were serious hikers, some were good hikers and some were not at all hikers. While the serious hikers may have seen a few more spectacular views, the others did not miss out. Many of the views are from peaks you get to by gondola, in the Dolomites you also use a ski lift. The Dolomites were gorgeous even without hiking and there are varying levels of difficulty, including some good paths that are pretty easy. A lot of our group didn't hike at all in Chamonix. There are gondolas for views and 2 of our group went up in gliders (with no experience and a "pilot"). The pace of the tour is pretty much alternating days with lots of hikking and days with lots of scenic bus time.

Do get into shape, taking long walks, lots of stairs, and you'll have a great time. I took the early June tour and the wildflowers were gorgeous in the Dolomites.

Colin, Wonderful photos of your MY WAY tour. We're doing that tour this year. Where were you standing for the Evening shots in Hallstadt? Hoping to live through the lift to Aguille du Midi.

Colin,
Really enjoyed your photos. Made my decision making regarding going to Eastern Europe or Alps in 2019 more difficult.