Summer Holiday near the Alps

phog · 31-12-2023 2:03pm #1

This year I'm thinking of a holidaying in Northern Italy or maybe around Chamonix or Zermatt.

I'd like to hire a car and do some driving around the area (can you drive in different countries if you hire a car).

I'd also like to use the ski lifts to visit some of the peaks, if that's an option.

Has anyone any recommendations for hotels or AirBnB in the area as wat town/s I should consider staying in and visit.

It's a group of 4 adults.

Is there anything that I should consider.

1wizards sleeve · 31-12-2023 2:08pm

Hi just keep in mind the train service in Switzerland is top class, we didn't need to rent a car. So for some of your trip the car wont be needed imo. Check out Interlaken and the lauterbrunnen area well connected and lots of cable cars and mountain top trips.

VG31 · 31-12-2023 2:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121553868#Comment_121553868

Absolutely, the public transport in Switzerland is excellent - definitely the best in Europe. Driving in Switzerland is a bad idea. Zermatt is actually car-free anyway.

The Swiss trains are very expensive but you can save a lot of money with a rail pass. One of the best options for shorter trips is the Saver Day Pass. It's a pass which allows unlimited travel on almost all public transport in Switzerland for the selected day. It starts from 52 CHF or 29 CHF with a Half Fare Card. I've used it before and it saved me a lot of money.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/tickets/day-passes/saver-day-pass.html

There is also the Half Fare Card which for 120 CHF gives you half price travel for 1 month. Obviously the longer you stay up to a month the more you save but even for stays a few days it can still save you money.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/tickets/guests-abroad/swiss-halffare-card.html

Don't be discouraged by journeys with multiple changes either. They are almost always seamless and the trains are very punctual. Short connections normally just involve walking across the platform.

phog · 31-12-2023 5:58pm

I will certainly look at Switzerland but I thinking of basing ourselves in the Aosta Valley

Tenzor07 · 03-01-2024 1:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121554841#Comment_121554841

If you're staying in Italy it will be MUCH cheaper than Switzerland, especially Zermatt..

You will need a car if you want to get to Aosta from the airport and drive into Chamonix, bear in mind that the toll is about €65 return for a car, then you pay for parking near the town itself.

phog · 03-01-2024 2:04pm

Thanks for your replies.

I've been looking at the Switzerland options and public transport, I think it works out expensive. One thing that's drawing me towards hiring a car is we can do day trips without too much advance planning and no need for airport pick ups/drop offs.

Unfortunately TUI travel don't seem to do package holidays in the area I was interested in.

Currently , I'm looking at flying from Dublin to one of the Milan airports, hire a car there and book something in Courmayeur.

Has anyone done anything like that?

Tenzor07 · 03-01-2024 2:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121565863#Comment_121565863

Just book yourself online via Aerlingus for Malpensa airport which is closer to Courmayeur and avoids the need to drive around Milan.. Hire your car at the airport and drive to Courmayeur... get your accommodation through Booking.com nice and straight forward... Easy drive to Aosta or LaThuile, Chamonix..

phog · 03-01-2024 2:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121565983#Comment_121565983

That's was kind of what I had thought would be the best option after looking for the last few day.

Are you familiar with the area - is there anything that is a must see/must do once I'm in the area.

One thing I might try and get done is a trip on the Bernina Express.

Tenzor07 · 03-01-2024 2:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566049#Comment_121566049

Well, it's an Alpine region so mostly all hill walking, mountain biking in the area so would be a real outdoors holiday... some ski'ing on the higher slopes too..

You can take one of Europe's most scenic cable cars from Courmayeur to Chamonix and back....

Go Mountain biking in LaThuile a site of a world series mountain bike race..

Drive to Breuil-Cervinia and get the cable car to Zermatt..

If you want to take the Bernina Express you'd have to drive over to Tirano (367km from Courmayeur) and park up there, take the full trip to Chur.. think it's about €275 return in 1st class, but it is very scenic.. though if you want make stops then plan for an overnight stay somewhere along the route..

phog · 03-01-2024 2:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566174#Comment_121566174

Thanks for the info - all sounds good.

Jim2007 · 03-01-2024 2:51pm

Well Switzerland is expensive and the public transport is excellent, that I can confirm as I have lived here for over three decades.... There are a couple of things you need to keep in mind.

You may find a car is not as convenient as you might first think. To start with Zermatt is car free and some other mountain places are either car free or have limited access. So you need to keep that in mind and do your research.
With a car in the mountains you always have to come back to the car. And depending on where you want to go and what you want to see having to double back to collect the car might not be the best use of your time
Some ski resorts turn out not to be to great as summer resorts, it's just a filler for them. For instance ski lifts are for just that and unless the owners make significant investment they are pretty useless outside of skiing season
Summer time in the Alps is the only time they can do major construction projects and refurbishments so you need to do your research to make sure you don't spend your holidays in a building site or next to one

You ask some good questions about renting and driving a car across state borders:

Road transport is not a shared sovereignty and so the rules may be different from one country to the other and as the driver it is your responsibility to ensure you and your car are in compliance. Most of the big stuff is the same, but the small stuff is another matter - the requirement to have a first aid kit, mobile hazard lights, high vis vests etc.... Most of the rental companies are very familiar with this stuff and so long as you tell them before hand where you intend to drive they'll make sure you have a car and documentation that meets the requirements.
Again there are serious consequences for illegally importing/exporting a car from the EU and if you are not carefully you could faces. serious bill. Rental agencies from Switzerland (in particular) and the surrounding countries have cars that have been properly authorised to be taken across the borders and ones that are only to be driven on one side of the border. Like with the other stuff it is just a matter of telling them where you are going and they'll make sure you have the right car and paper work.

Every year we have stories in the papers about tourist who did not bother telling the rental company that they were going to cross into/out of the EU and then got hit with thousands of Euros in penalties & fees. So make sure you are crystal clear with the rental company about where you intend to drive the car and you should be fine.

Tenzor07 · 03-01-2024 3:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566215#Comment_121566215

If this doesn't put you off Op than nothing will! :-D

I've driven a car hired in France with German plates into Switzerland and never had the slightest of issue... Although the Swiss are very strict on speeding and unlike Ireland there's plenty of fixed speed camera's around, and non-payment of any speeding fines in Switzerland could lead to you being detained at the Swiss border in any future visits until you do pay the charges....

beggars_bush · 03-01-2024 3:17pm

Fly into Geneva

Hire car on the French side of airport. Drive down through Annecy and into the French alps. You can cross over to Italy as you want.

Lots of national parks in the area

If you go in June it will be dirt cheap and loads of accommodation available

Big_Evil · 03-01-2024 3:43pm

Went to Bavaria last year - flew in through Munich - stayed near Bad Reichenhall which sits on the German/Austrian border. If you hire a car, you can drive cross border albeit, there will be an additional cost for the car hire as well as having to buy a sticker for the car to use the Austrian autobahns.

Highly recommend going there as a holiday destination - you are close to Berchtesgaden (there is a salt mine there thats worth a visit, Konigssee, Obersalzburg and of course, the Eagles Nest. At Konigsee, you also have the Jennerbahn which is a cable car to a mountain top - think its around €20 but worth it for the views. Restaurant on the top.

Boat ride on Konigssee is around €40 IIRC, that is pretty spectacular.

If you are willing to drive a bit further, you have Chiemsee, just off the A8 autobahn with boatrides to the various islands and monastaries.

If you get bored with all of that, Salzburg is maybe 30 mins away from Bad Reichenhall - plenty to see and do there

There is also an ice cave nearby but a bit of a trek to get to it - even with a cable car ride for some of the ascent.

Also, do note: this location is pretty central. Depending on how long you are staying or what mode of transport you will use, Italy is in easy reach too. The A8 is one of the main arteries into south eastern Europe and Italy. It is also well served by rail.

phog · 03-01-2024 4:01pm

100 years ago 😁 I did a Keycamp holiday around the French Alps and then a few days in Susten, I had my own car back then, this time I want to fly/drive.

I like the sound of Germany, we had a few days in Heidelberg in the autumn and really enjoyed it, we've done Salzburg a few times from Kitzbuhel.

mr spuckler · 19-02-2024 1:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566319#Comment_121566319

Same, I drove an Italian hire car into Switzerland last summer with no issues. I called the rental company the day before to inform them in case there was in issue with insurance - I'd to pay a small extra charge.

I had planned on doing the Bernina express but it was ridiculously expensive for the family, especially as I had the car! Instead we drove much of the route of the train, stopping for lunch near a glacier (can dig out the name if you like) and then hiking up close to the glacier. Made for an amazing day out :)

We're booked for Chamonix this summer, flying to Turin and getting a bus from there. Car hire is available in the town if we decide we need it but it looks like we'll have plenty to occupy us without needing a car for the most part at least.

steve-o · 19-02-2024 2:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058328993/summer-holiday-near-the-alps

If you haven't yet been totally discouraged, be aware that the lift ticket prices can be eye watering, costing anywhere between €100 and €250

Tenzor07 · 19-02-2024 2:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121788132#Comment_121788132

Why fly into Turin to get to Chamonix? Geneva airport is much closer, and direct Bus from the airport...

mr spuckler · 19-02-2024 4:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121788536#Comment_121788536

We also wanted a couple of days exploring a city before Chamonix which came down to Turin vs Geneva. That was settled by €25 flights to Turin and accommodation, food etc at a fraction of the price of Geneva while Turin also looks like a great city to explore with young kids. The longer bus is a bit of a pain but well worth the offset from our point of view.

Tenzor07 · 19-02-2024 7:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121789210#Comment_121789210

Ah well that's different so if you plan on making a visit to Turin as part of your holidays...

Summer Holiday near the Alps

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