15471 posts
Hi Sarahchamb31,
Welcome to MySwissAlps! Indeed November is not the best month to visit Switzerland (http://www.myswissalps.com/be sttimetovisit), but there are still plenty of options. Do take into account that there’s often fog in lower altitudes, and sunrise is late and sunset early. But you can still have wonderful sunny days, it’s just not a guarantee.
It’s hard to recommend a route as there are so many options. You could even stay in one central place and do day trips from there. Personally I would not rent a car. Public transport is excellent and safe, and generally gets you to more places than a car. It’s also more flexible as you won’t have parking issues, and no need to return to where you parked your car for the day. Please see http://www.myswissalps.com/ca rversustrain.
Further information to get started with your planning is here:
72625 posts
Thanks so much! After reading this and a little more, I think we will avoid the car. Would you recommend the Swiss Pass? We’d like to see Lucerne, hopefully trek a bit around lake Thun if the weathers nice, Zermott, Geneva, Basel, and Zurich – wondering if the pass would be worth our while. Looks like it includes quite a bit, but would be double what renting a car costs considering having to get two tickets.
15471 posts
Hi Sarahchamb31,
The costs of a pass may seem high, but do note that the costs of a rental car is only a part of what you will be spending: add fuel, parking costs and tickets for boats/cable cars/mountain railways to scenic places you can’t reach by car. Without a pass that adds up real quick, depending on where you go of course. People who drive usually buy a Swiss Half Fare Card to save on that: http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isshalffarecard. Apart from that, I recommend the trains because it’s more relaxed, safe, eco-friendly, and more flexible in a lot of cases. There can be reasons to rent a car, but the destinations you listed are best done without a car.
The Swiss Travel Pass includes a lot for free, even museums. To compare your options and estimate costs, please take a look here: