Alps in the summer

[1MegMeg]

Has anyone done the Alps in the summer? I am planning a trip next June. :) I love the US and Canadian Rocky Mountains in the summer time, so I am very excited about the Alps. Right now, my plan is to fly into Zurich and see the central/eastern Swiss alps, the western Austrian alps, and a little bit of northern Italy.

Question: Is there a "good" time frame in which to purchase airline tickets? Tickets are available right now and they are reasonable (for going in June), but I don't know if the prices might drop some since it is so early. Can I expect prices to go down a little bit between now and next June? In case you need more info, right now I can get a flight from my city (in FL) to Zurich, with one stop each way, for $900.

Thanks so much the the insight! :)

[houseblend]

I've done the Alps in the summer. It is absolutely gorgeous that time of year! There is still plenty to see and do with hiking or swimming in the lakes surrounded by the mountains. The only downside is that if it does get hot, most places in Switzerland and Austria don't have a/c.

I'm not sure about the best time to buy tickets, but $900 seems like a very reasonable fare, especially for a summer flight.

[Mrs. M.]

Munich might be worth considering for flying into as well. I think they have direct flights from Florida (check Lufthansa from Miami or Condor from Orlando).

If you want to see Salzburg (which I highly recommend), avoid the music festival in the summer, when everything in the area will be booked up and twice as expensive.

800-900 for the flight sound ok for Europe, considering how low the $ is right now.

[j*east]

Re: northern Italy--we went to Italy last summer and spent a few days on Lake Como. It's beautiful, cooler than the rest of Italy, and pretty mellow for summer. We stayed in Varenna and took a bus to Lugano, Switzerland for a day--so you could definitely do the reverse. The bus is maybe an hour or so?

Have fun!

[tlew12778]

My sister did the cable car from Aosta to Chamonix in June a couple of years ago. The 5 star Michelin restaurant she wanted to try at the top was closed for summer and I had an incredibly hard time trying to find a hotel for her up at the top. But, that aside, a lot of Europeans vacation in the Alps so so long as you choose the right spot, you should be fine finding a place to stay. It's a very popular destination for hiking.

[zayt]

1MegMeg I just returned from hiking in the Swiss alps (amongst other things). We based ourselves in Lucerne (about an hour south of Zurich) and it was just beautiful. Can you go any earlier than June? I only ask because I think the tourist season is just starting to ramp up then and it will be quite busy. The alps really are best experienced when you have them to yourselves (or at least, you think you do ;) ).

[daener]

Just want to recommend Interlaken as a base location for spring and summer hiking. It is an amazing region of Switzerland with gorgeous hiking in the summer, amazing food and out-of-the-way fun. My mom is from CH and we spend time in Interlaken during every visit to CH. Amazing, charming and great hiking!

[carolyn5924]

The alps are beautiful in summer too. But I still prefer them in winter.