Switzerland and Austria

That will be a lovely trip. You have a great amount of days to work with. I would suggest you start in Luzern. What time of year? That would help people provide advise. Whether you need a car in Austria will depend on the cities you choose to visit. Even though you are not interested in big cities, I would give yourself two nights in Vienna. It may surprise you. I wouldn't stay overnight in Zurich. Luzern is an hour be train from Zurich.

Thank you for your response. We will be traveling late August to early September. While in Austria was thinking about Salzburg, Innsbruck and Vienna. Would I need a car to get to those areas?
Thanks

levyedward, you say you want minimal time in big cites, but list the three biggest cities in Austria. You could use a good guidebook. Renting cars is not necessary but depends on what you want to see. Its hard to explain how convenient the rail system in Europe, especially if you're spending the time in those cities.

You wouldn't need a car to get from Switzerland and then thru Austria. Train serves those cities well. There are some picturesque small towns around Innsbruck and Salzburg, that may be to your liking. Reading a guidebook and watching the Switzerland and Austria videos at this website would help you determine what you are looking for.