The vacation of great vistas -
Switzerland and the Italian Lakes
Switzerland and the Italian Lakes
The logistics
Air:
This trip came at the end of an era – Marisa’s 15 years at Andersen. So
what better way to “celebrate” than to splurge by using some of her many
United Mileage Plus miles, mostly earned during the firm’s turbulent last
five years. We sprung for upgradeable economy tickets into Zurich and out
of Milan. The business class upgrades cleared immediately for the flight to
Europe, but we had to wait until about a week prior to our return to learn
that we would, indeed, be flying business class on the way home.
Great idea, not such great execution. We ended up on a flight that left
Chicago at 2:30pm and landed in Frankfurt at 5:30am – the equivalent of
10:30pm at home. No one slept a wink, even in the big, comfy business
class seats. Fortunately, there were plenty of movie options and several
substantial meals to pass the time. Our trip on to Zurich on Lufthansa was
literally a hop; we were on the ground there before 9:00am.
Coming back, we flew from Milan via Dulles. Our plane was late arriving
into Milan, thus almost two hours late leaving. So we really shouldn’t have
had to hoof it to the airport that morning, but of course it was showing on
time as we checked out of our hotel in Orta San Giulio.
This being less than a year after September 11, there was heavy security at
Malpensa. The United counter (United no longer operates there) was down
at a far end of the terminal, with El Al and a couple of other US airlines.
There were armored vehicles blocking the door and several checkpoints,
complete with soldiers with automatic weapons, to pass prior to reaching
the check-in counters. More soldiers with automatic weapons patrolled on
catwalks above the check-in desks. But once we cleared the check-in
counter, things lightened up a lot. Security was fast and easy. We had a lot
of time to kill. We did a little duty free shopping to kill the last of our Euro,
then spent the bulk of the time in the SAS Lounge.
The flight home was uneventful. We enjoyed having the extra room,
entertainment options, and better food. What was supposed to have been
a leisurely connection at Dulles, of course, turned into a sprint due to the
two-hour delay. Fortunately, United has its own customs/immigration
facility at Dulles, we were the only plane arriving at that point, and the staff
was ready for us. We cleared immigration, claimed our bags, cleared
customs, rechecked the bags, and hustled to our gate – all within about 20
minutes. Of course, we were sweating like pigs when we got on the plane
to Chicago. Turns out, that plane was delayed, too. The on-board fire
extinguisher bracket had come loose, and the plane couldn’t leave until it
was fixed.
Transportation:
We had booked a mid-sized automatic through Hertz, with a pick up at the
Zurich airport and a drop-off at Malpensa – knowing full well that there
would be a fee of about €250 to leave the car in Italy. So imagine our
surprise when we reached the Hertz counter at Zurich-Kloten, only to be
informed that they had a car with Italian plates that needed to be returned
to Italy. We would get that car and would not have to pay the drop-off fee.
And it was a diesel-powered Mercedes Benz station wagon! All for the price
of our mid-sized rental.
Nice! Plenty of room to spread out. Plenty of power for the many hills and
mountains. And the diesel fuel meant less costly trips to the pump, overall,
for the trip. Okay, it was a little hard to maneuver at points, particularly as
we got into Italy, but we’ll cover that elsewhere in the report.
I’ll add that because we had a car, we didn’t really try out the famed Swiss
train system, although from everything we could tell, it is a fantastic way to
get around.
Hotels:
We spent some time researching hotels for this trip, with the emphasis on
great views and decent value. We typically are three-star travelers and try to
stay in the range of about $150-$200 per night where possible.
Hotel des Alpes, Luzern, three nights
We picked this based on personal recommendations and some price
shopping. It commands a perfect location, right on the River Reuss in
Luzern and just across the main bridge from the train station. It was
perhaps a little faded. The room was utilitarian with an average bath, but
clean and relatively comfortable. There is no air conditioning, and in August
this was a bit of an issue. We almost went shopping for a small fan for the
room. Our room was on the river side of the hotel, and the views are
absolutely stunning: the Vierwaldstatersee and Rigi off to the left, the
Kapelbrukke straight below, and Pilatus in the distance off to the right. We
had a small balcony with a table and two chairs. The hotel has a decent, if
not spectacular restaurant, with outside seating. Our main issue was with
noise at night. The hotel is situated right next to the lesser-priced Hotel Mr.
Pickwick, whose bar attracts a fairly young, “enthusiastic” crowd late into
the evenings, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays. Between that, jet lag,
and the warm room, we had a little trouble sleeping at times.
Hotel Gletschergarten, Grindelwald, four nights
This hotel was on the high end of our price range, but turned out to be
perfect. It is on the “far” end of the main area of Grindelwald, so there is
much less foot and car traffic around the hotel. Yet it is still within easy
walking distance of restaurants, shops, and the various gondola stations.
We ended up taking a room that was a bit larger and more expensive than
the one we reserved, but that was fine. We had plenty of room to move
around, including a large balcony with a view straight up at Gross-
Fiescherhorn and several glaciers. The hotel is run by Finn and Elsbeth
Breitenstein and their children. They have a nice restaurant with a
wonderful view – it was mesmerizing to sit over breakfast or dinner and
watch the light change over the mountains. The half board was relatively
reasonable, and we had dinner there a couple of times. Very friendly place
to stay – covered elsewhere in this report.
Hotel Bellavista, Menaggio, three nights
We picked Menaggio because of its easy access from the west. It doesn’t
have all the charm of Bellagio or the quiet of Varenna, but we found it to be
just fine for a three-day stay on Lago di Como. The hotel is right near the
ferry dock, so getting around was a snap. The hotel itself, like the Des
Alpes, is a bit faded, but it was a reasonable value, and the views from the
room and the terrace more than made up for any rough spots – and there
were a few. We had reserved parking in advance, but had to argue to keep
it once arriving. And the friendliness of staff was hit or miss – some were
nice, some were not. Marisa had a bit of a problem with the lock on our
door, which was clearly a mechanical problem with the lock itself, but was
treated a bit brusquely by the proprietor. The restaurant produced pretty
average food, but the price was good and the terrace view was to die for –
out across the lake toward Bellagio and Varenna. The hotel seated us right
on the lake both nights we ate there. Allie tried out the pool but found it too
cold to be enjoyable. Marisa could still be sitting on the terrace, sipping a
glass of wine, and gazing out across the lake.
Hotel Orta, Orta San Giulio, two nights
A personal recommendation of Bob the Navigator, and a nice old hotel
right on the main square of town looking out toward the Isola San Giulio.
Again, a basic, three-star room that was comfortable but utilitarian – but the
views from our room couldn’t be beat. Senora Oligna was a gracious host,
even providing us a discount as Bob’s relatives. The dining room has large
windows overlooking the lake, and the food was pretty good – better,
certainly, than the Bellavista.
Planning:
We spent a fair amount of time online preparing for this trip, including
tapping the always-knowledgeable crowd on the Fodors Travel Talk board,
not to mention the personal knowledge of Bob the Navigator, since we
happened to be traveling through one of his favorite parts of the world.
To prepare for this vacation, we also asked Allie to do a little homework.
She had to read Heidi and pass a simple German vocabulary test – hello,
goodbye, help, where is the bathroom, etc. Her reward was a matching
hiking outfit for her and her American Girl doll, Kirsten. Two years later, Allie
still knows how to count in German. Funny thing is, we learned that a
different dialect of German is spoken in Switzerland, so many of the
phrases, while understood, were not the primary phrases used where we
were traveling. Oh well, I suppose that means we will have to visit Germany
proper, sometime.
The end.
See all of our trip photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
Air:
This trip came at the end of an era – Marisa’s 15 years at Andersen. So
what better way to “celebrate” than to splurge by using some of her many
United Mileage Plus miles, mostly earned during the firm’s turbulent last
five years. We sprung for upgradeable economy tickets into Zurich and out
of Milan. The business class upgrades cleared immediately for the flight to
Europe, but we had to wait until about a week prior to our return to learn
that we would, indeed, be flying business class on the way home.
Great idea, not such great execution. We ended up on a flight that left
Chicago at 2:30pm and landed in Frankfurt at 5:30am – the equivalent of
10:30pm at home. No one slept a wink, even in the big, comfy business
class seats. Fortunately, there were plenty of movie options and several
substantial meals to pass the time. Our trip on to Zurich on Lufthansa was
literally a hop; we were on the ground there before 9:00am.
Coming back, we flew from Milan via Dulles. Our plane was late arriving
into Milan, thus almost two hours late leaving. So we really shouldn’t have
had to hoof it to the airport that morning, but of course it was showing on
time as we checked out of our hotel in Orta San Giulio.
This being less than a year after September 11, there was heavy security at
Malpensa. The United counter (United no longer operates there) was down
at a far end of the terminal, with El Al and a couple of other US airlines.
There were armored vehicles blocking the door and several checkpoints,
complete with soldiers with automatic weapons, to pass prior to reaching
the check-in counters. More soldiers with automatic weapons patrolled on
catwalks above the check-in desks. But once we cleared the check-in
counter, things lightened up a lot. Security was fast and easy. We had a lot
of time to kill. We did a little duty free shopping to kill the last of our Euro,
then spent the bulk of the time in the SAS Lounge.
The flight home was uneventful. We enjoyed having the extra room,
entertainment options, and better food. What was supposed to have been
a leisurely connection at Dulles, of course, turned into a sprint due to the
two-hour delay. Fortunately, United has its own customs/immigration
facility at Dulles, we were the only plane arriving at that point, and the staff
was ready for us. We cleared immigration, claimed our bags, cleared
customs, rechecked the bags, and hustled to our gate – all within about 20
minutes. Of course, we were sweating like pigs when we got on the plane
to Chicago. Turns out, that plane was delayed, too. The on-board fire
extinguisher bracket had come loose, and the plane couldn’t leave until it
was fixed.
Transportation:
We had booked a mid-sized automatic through Hertz, with a pick up at the
Zurich airport and a drop-off at Malpensa – knowing full well that there
would be a fee of about €250 to leave the car in Italy. So imagine our
surprise when we reached the Hertz counter at Zurich-Kloten, only to be
informed that they had a car with Italian plates that needed to be returned
to Italy. We would get that car and would not have to pay the drop-off fee.
And it was a diesel-powered Mercedes Benz station wagon! All for the price
of our mid-sized rental.
Nice! Plenty of room to spread out. Plenty of power for the many hills and
mountains. And the diesel fuel meant less costly trips to the pump, overall,
for the trip. Okay, it was a little hard to maneuver at points, particularly as
we got into Italy, but we’ll cover that elsewhere in the report.
I’ll add that because we had a car, we didn’t really try out the famed Swiss
train system, although from everything we could tell, it is a fantastic way to
get around.
Hotels:
We spent some time researching hotels for this trip, with the emphasis on
great views and decent value. We typically are three-star travelers and try to
stay in the range of about $150-$200 per night where possible.
Hotel des Alpes, Luzern, three nights
We picked this based on personal recommendations and some price
shopping. It commands a perfect location, right on the River Reuss in
Luzern and just across the main bridge from the train station. It was
perhaps a little faded. The room was utilitarian with an average bath, but
clean and relatively comfortable. There is no air conditioning, and in August
this was a bit of an issue. We almost went shopping for a small fan for the
room. Our room was on the river side of the hotel, and the views are
absolutely stunning: the Vierwaldstatersee and Rigi off to the left, the
Kapelbrukke straight below, and Pilatus in the distance off to the right. We
had a small balcony with a table and two chairs. The hotel has a decent, if
not spectacular restaurant, with outside seating. Our main issue was with
noise at night. The hotel is situated right next to the lesser-priced Hotel Mr.
Pickwick, whose bar attracts a fairly young, “enthusiastic” crowd late into
the evenings, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays. Between that, jet lag,
and the warm room, we had a little trouble sleeping at times.
Hotel Gletschergarten, Grindelwald, four nights
This hotel was on the high end of our price range, but turned out to be
perfect. It is on the “far” end of the main area of Grindelwald, so there is
much less foot and car traffic around the hotel. Yet it is still within easy
walking distance of restaurants, shops, and the various gondola stations.
We ended up taking a room that was a bit larger and more expensive than
the one we reserved, but that was fine. We had plenty of room to move
around, including a large balcony with a view straight up at Gross-
Fiescherhorn and several glaciers. The hotel is run by Finn and Elsbeth
Breitenstein and their children. They have a nice restaurant with a
wonderful view – it was mesmerizing to sit over breakfast or dinner and
watch the light change over the mountains. The half board was relatively
reasonable, and we had dinner there a couple of times. Very friendly place
to stay – covered elsewhere in this report.
Hotel Bellavista, Menaggio, three nights
We picked Menaggio because of its easy access from the west. It doesn’t
have all the charm of Bellagio or the quiet of Varenna, but we found it to be
just fine for a three-day stay on Lago di Como. The hotel is right near the
ferry dock, so getting around was a snap. The hotel itself, like the Des
Alpes, is a bit faded, but it was a reasonable value, and the views from the
room and the terrace more than made up for any rough spots – and there
were a few. We had reserved parking in advance, but had to argue to keep
it once arriving. And the friendliness of staff was hit or miss – some were
nice, some were not. Marisa had a bit of a problem with the lock on our
door, which was clearly a mechanical problem with the lock itself, but was
treated a bit brusquely by the proprietor. The restaurant produced pretty
average food, but the price was good and the terrace view was to die for –
out across the lake toward Bellagio and Varenna. The hotel seated us right
on the lake both nights we ate there. Allie tried out the pool but found it too
cold to be enjoyable. Marisa could still be sitting on the terrace, sipping a
glass of wine, and gazing out across the lake.
Hotel Orta, Orta San Giulio, two nights
A personal recommendation of Bob the Navigator, and a nice old hotel
right on the main square of town looking out toward the Isola San Giulio.
Again, a basic, three-star room that was comfortable but utilitarian – but the
views from our room couldn’t be beat. Senora Oligna was a gracious host,
even providing us a discount as Bob’s relatives. The dining room has large
windows overlooking the lake, and the food was pretty good – better,
certainly, than the Bellavista.
Planning:
We spent a fair amount of time online preparing for this trip, including
tapping the always-knowledgeable crowd on the Fodors Travel Talk board,
not to mention the personal knowledge of Bob the Navigator, since we
happened to be traveling through one of his favorite parts of the world.
To prepare for this vacation, we also asked Allie to do a little homework.
She had to read Heidi and pass a simple German vocabulary test – hello,
goodbye, help, where is the bathroom, etc. Her reward was a matching
hiking outfit for her and her American Girl doll, Kirsten. Two years later, Allie
still knows how to count in German. Funny thing is, we learned that a
different dialect of German is spoken in Switzerland, so many of the
phrases, while understood, were not the primary phrases used where we
were traveling. Oh well, I suppose that means we will have to visit Germany
proper, sometime.
The end.
See all of our trip photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
Top of the Schilthorn
American girls at the Bachalpsee
Isola Comacina
Gondola - Up the cliff from Steckelberg to
Gimmelwald
Gimmelwald
Albergo Orta
Villa Balbianello, Lago di Como
View of Bellagio at sunset from the Hotel
Bellavista, Menaggio
Bellavista, Menaggio
Bellagio, from the ferry
Isola Bella, Lago Maggiore
Kleine Scheidegg
