Hi all - we're planning to rent a car next weekend and head away for a few nights. We're new to Switzerland and haven't seen much. We did a little last summer around Milan & Lugano, but only really for a day. We're in 3 things about this

1) Head north - so leave Zurich and head north ... Rheinfall, Konstance around that area, and maybe into Germany. Also maybe hit some German shops If we were going this direction, where else are highlights?

2) Head south - down through Luzern, Lugano, Locarno into Italy maybe around Como. Also maybe work on our tans

3) Something else - head in another direction (vague eh!) and see some other highlights, that you good people might point us towards

In general I think we're into seeing some nice scenery, and if possible finding nice places to chill and maybe even some sunshine ! Also, don't want to be doing insane amounts of driving. Probably looking at c.500km in total give or take. Will prob have a car from 5pm Friday to 5pm Monday

Any suggestions - I think we're going to do ALL of these 3 at some stage over the coming months, I think it's just a question of which we do first!

Cheers
Graham

The trip from Zurich to Rheinfalls and the town of Stein Am Rhein can be done in a day.

If I were you, I would head down south to the Locarno area. The area is simply stunning - and the drive itself, beautiful. Everyone takes the Gottard tunnel but its 17km of pure boredom and traffic jams.

Take the longer but much more stunning route over the Gottardo pass through Jura. The views, you simply have to see them for yourself. Breath-taking. Spend the weekend down in Locarno/Ticino area.

Have fun

Sounds nice ! Like I say we had a quick look at Lugano last year, but was on train and only had a few hours.

If you had 3 days - where are hte highlights in that region? Lugano, Locarno, heard there is a shopping place just down near the border etc. Would you head into Italy at all?


About Rheinfall - could we do that by train? Including Stein, or do yuo raelly need a car?

There are still any little pockets of Switerland that I have yet to explore - my rushing to new places got sidetracked by returning by doing return trips to places that I have liked. One of my favourites (so far) is the Luterbrunnen valley, with Wengen as a place to overnight - taking the cable car up the mountain, then walking down again from further around the mountain. ( taking the train up to Jungfrau was a good thing to do once, but too expensive to be doingmore than once.) If you are into hiking as well as driving, then I recommend this region. ( the hiking is not hard core - at least not for the down hill)

Hello,
Another part very nice and authentic and not so touristic: the Valais. It is a little bit further, french speaking but worth the journey. One of the very authentic valley is the Val d'Anniviers: http://www.sierre-anniviers.ch/en/Ac...Summer-Hiking/. The village of St-luc is on the sunny side of this valley. http://www.st-luc.ch/en/Accommodation/Hotels/ A modern cable car brings you up to 2100m with fantastic view on the 4000m peaks from which the Matterhorn, Weisshorn, Obergabelhorn, Zinalrothorn... and an scientific observatory to observe the sun or the stars: http://www.ofxb.ch/?lang=en . Small villages, friendly people, great scenery. Or just on the other side of the Lötschberg tunnel, after Kandersteg, you have the Lötschental: http://www.loetschental.ch/?seo=fr/m...17&language=en. Again very authentic, quiet place. And in the Valais the climate is always sunnier... Wish you a nice week-end.

On any summer weekend you need to avoid the routes from Basel to Tessin, every man and his dog will be heading for the Alps, Croatia, Greece or Italy, via the Gotthard or the Grand Bernadino tunnels. And this weekend is going to be WET

So you really need to head east to Graubunden and choose any valley! Klosters, Davos, Pontresina

Or go west to Solothurn, Neuchâtel, Murten. All are very pleasant towns with beautiful surrounding countryside.

Tip: every town in Switzerland has it's own website e.g. www.solothurn.ch http://www.neuchatel.ch/ www.murten.ch

Gotthard Pass and Jura in same sentence

Apart from the geographic confusion I believe that the Gotthard area (tunnel or pass) should be avoided at all costs at this time of the year. Unless, of course, you use the trains

Sounds like an ideal opportunity to visit the Engadin - head to somewhere like Scuol, and be sure to indulge yourselves at the Roman-Irish (honest!) baths there. And also eat lots of Tuorta da Nusch (Engadiner Nusstorte)