The Best of Switzerland August 4 - 14 2024

Did "Paris and the Heart of France" trip 2 years ago. Guide was was brilliant. A font of knowledge, went way out of her way to help us when help was needed. Good hotels, splendid food. Yes, it was summer and hot. Had a great time. Thought this was the benchmark for Rick Steves... NOT!
Returned 2 days ago Switzerland. Guide was initially personable, knowledgeable, knew people all over Switzerland. Was HOT!, fairly humid, did miles and miles of walking. Group made up of fairly young adults and older, retired types. A very few days into the tour complaints started. Hotels were iffy. Most had no air conditioning, which was expected. Many had no small refrigerators. Some had no room phones... did have numbers to call in emergency... go figure. Many with no elevators. Several had no staff in the hotel after about 8 p.m. What if there were an emergency? One member, whom I quickly grew to like, purchased a smallish fan for himself and his wife as his room was hot. I was told the tour guide was unhappy about this. Why? We could easily have taken taxis or busses but instead repeatedly walked on hot days in narrow heat traps formed by stone-faced buildings.
Climbed up steep! hill to spot of 1291 founding of Switzerland, only to be told that event was a lie. Then, why the hard, hot climb? Guide did not understand time management. One Saturday, on the bus at 5:49 p.m. Told stores closed at 6. Some of us had to hoof it 300 yards, uphill, to reach a COOP for food. She could have cut time at the wonderful wine tasting by 20 minutes. One member complained to me many of the members were twice the age of the guide. She did not have a clue as to what that meant, and maintained a fast pace. Flooding cancelled one visit and I praised Heaven. Some members began dropping out of events, or even entire days. At the end of almost every day, this member and others were hot, sweaty and pretty near exhausted. I realized RS simply does not offer what I want - a lecture or 3 about local history, art, religions, the Swiss banking system. Most people wanted cheese, potatoes, wine and chocolate.
Up gondola at Ebenalp. Some hiked up, others down. Guide ignored warning by 1 member about darkening sky and continued. We were caught in a rip-roaring mountain storm: gale force winds, lashing rains, hail, lightning and thunder. Most were drenched, including myself. Later, guide told us she had checked weather twice – she knew(!) storm was rapidly approaching and never told us. At Bellinzona old fort the same day, local guide led us all up to the top, now covered by a lawn... in a lighting and thunder storm. She encouraged us to walk the castle walls and up to the unprotected top of a tower - all the while the storm raged and came closer. She took shelter under a chestnut tree, as did our guide. Several of us refused to participate in such dangerous actions. We sheltered under stone arches. One woman and I warned the guide against standing under a tree. She replied there was a lightning rod. I said, "Do not bet your life on it." She looked sheepish and moved to better shelter. The same woman wondered aloud if the guide had never been taught basic safety tips about lightning. I counted eight lightning strikes in the neighborhood. Colossal stupidity by our guide and the local guide.
We paid a lot of money and used valuable time to stay in hot rooms, walk many kilometers in high temperatures, walk up steep hills to the site of the founding of the Swiss State – only to be told it was a lie and never happened. She told us the William Tell story and we visited his hometown. Then she told us it was a myth, a lie, never happened. The regular guide and one local guide put us in danger – twice in the same day! The bus driver was great. Good man, personable. I will never again take a RS tour. People asked me if I enjoyed the trip. More accurate answer - I endured it. Be warned.