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Saturday, 19 September

Depart Elite Coach, 1685 West Main Street, Ephrata at 11:00 AM. British Airways (BA). Flight #184 departs Newark (EWR) at 5:55 PM and arrives at London Heathrow (LHR) at 5:50 AM. Multi-meals.

Sunday, 20 September

BA Flight #732 departs LHR at  9:25 AM and arrives at Zurich (ZRH) at 12:15 PM. Two hour train ride to Appenzell, an idyllic car-free town famous for its centuries old traditions that are still thriving today. Synonymous with the most beautiful Swiss traditions such as yodeling, cheese, seasonal cattle processions and traditional dances. Marvel at its magnificently decorated houses and living craftmanship. We will spend the day leisurely exploring the town. Stay in Appenzell for 3 nights in the 3 star Hotel Lowen https://hoewen-appenzell.ch/en/

Monday, 21 September

45 minute train and bus ride to Mount Santis, the highest, most compelling mountain in Northeastern Switzerland. This legendary mountain provides some of Europe’s most stunning natural scenery. On its summit, you can see 6 countries. We will journey by cable car. Afternoon may include a 15 minute ride to Ebenalp, another beautiful mountain. Possible lunch or snack at the world famous Aescher Ebenalp Restaurant, a cute little chalet built into a mountain cliff. Cable cars will get us here. We will see the famous “happy cows” as Ebenalp is home to some of the most gleeful cows in all of Switzerland! We will also spend some time admiring Ebenalp Seealpsee, a perfect emerald green alpine lake. Overnight in Appenzell.

Tuesday, 22 September

A cultural day in Appenzell area. We will visit the Appenzell dairy-an experience promising to be very special, bringing together all the senses, tradition and comfort of an authentic Swiss dairy. We will learn how the world famous Appenzeller cheese is made, and of course, get to sample! Afternoon may include a 30 minute train to Maienfeld, better known as Heidi Village, from the beloved children’s book. Author Johanna Spryi was so inspired by the people and ways of life here that she based Heidi’s village off of this village. Experience the village in a back in time journey to the origin story of Heidi. Overnight in Appenzell.

Wednesday, 23 September

Possible 1 hour train ride to Walensee, or Lake Walen, one of the largest lakes in Switzerland with steep cliffs rising up out of the lake. Possible picnic on the lake. 2 hour train ride to Engelberg, a small ski/hiking resort at the end of a valley framed by the glacial bulk of Mt. Titlis…Engelberg has 360 km of marked hiking trails set in gentle and gorgeous scenery…It has several cable cars, from the famous revolving cable car climbing to 3,020 meters over the stunning Titlis Glacier to more modest cars transporting farmers to their alpine meadows…Engelberg town has a nice pedestrian village and a    12th century Benedictine Abbey.  Stay 2 nights at the 3 star Hotel Crystal; https://www.hotelcrystal.ch

 Thursday, 24 September

1 hour train ride to Lucerne, one of the most attractive old cities, known for its many sights as well as Lake Lucerne. Day to Explore Lucerne’s old town with its many sights, such as Chapel Bridge and Water Tower and Musegg Wall. We will also explore Lake Lucerne’s stunning fjord landscapes by boat. Overnight in Engelberg.

Friday, 25 September

2 hour train ride to the Berner Oberland,the most famous mountain region in the country…We will stay in Wengen, a pedestrian only village, is a great base from which to explore this region. Stay 3 nights at the 4 star Victoria Lauberhorn Hotel in Wengen for 3 nights; https://www.faernresorts.com/wengen

Saturday, 26 September-Sunday, 27 September

Next 2 days are interchangeable as dictated by the weather… this is the best region for

independent travel for those who want more walking… Short train rides and cable car rides to pedestrian only villages of Gimmelwald and Murren, perched on a cliff high above the valley…exciting cable car journey to the Schilthorn, a revolving restaurant made famous in a James Bond movie…overnight in Wengen… The next days may include

*Short cog train ride across the valley to Wengen, another pedestrian only village…visit to

Grindelwald, a town famous for its view of the region’s 3 peaks, the Jungfrau, Eiger, and

Monch…high alpine bus to Grosse Scheidigg for fantastic 2 hour walk to First…possible cable car

rides to glaciers…overnight in Wengen…

*possible ride on Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest train ride…

*possible 1.5 hour train ride to Bern, the beautiful Switzerland capital… we will wander the old

town’s atmospheric cobbled streets, dipping in and out of the arcades on a street plan unchanged

since medieval times… Bern is so beautiful, it is designated a UNESCO sight

* mountain bus for high mountain pass traveling… this is a tour offered by the Swiss travel system

for easy access to mountain passes and villages…it is a rare opportunity to climb the passes in an era

where most take the tunnels through the mountains…the high passes all around offer possibilities for

spectacular postbus travel over the Grimsel, Sustenpass, and Furka (featured in James Bond

“Goldfinger”) mountain passes…

Monday, 28 September

1.5 hour train ride to Kandersteg… luggage transport… Kandersteg is a small town in an

amphitheatre of spiky peaks studded with glaciers…its jewel colored lakes create a sublime natural

backdrop to the rustic village of dark-timber chalets…

 we will have time to ride a cable car from Kandersteg to Oeschinesee

for a 40 minute down hill hike to see the extraordinary view of the Oeschinesee and the

Blumlisalp…. Those who want to hike more can see great vantage points of the lake and hike down

the valley… those who do not want to hike can ride a cart back to the cable car station and take the

cable car down to Kandersteg, Stay 2 nights in Kandersteg at the 3 star Seiler’s Vintage Hotel; https://seilers-vintage-hotel.ch/

Tuesday, 29 September

Private shuttle transport to nearby Gasterntal Valley, a beautiful valley unknown to most

Americans… 2.5 hour walk on gravel roads… then, cable car ride high in the mountains and hike up

to 2-3 hours more… those who do not want to hike more can take a cable car and return to our hotel

by bus or a level valley hike…stay in Kandersteg..

Wednesday, 30 September

Train ride to Fiesch to take cable car ride to visit the gigantic Aletch Glacier, the longest glacier in

the Alps and a UNESCO site… the village of Fiesch has lifts up to the vantage point of the

Eggishorn, offering the finest views of the glacier…luggage transport…2 hour train ride to world

famous Zermatt, home to the Matterhorn…Zermatt is a pedestrian only village with old brown

chalets and twisting alleyways in the Hinterdorf quarter… shopping opportunities abound… we will

stay in Zermatt for 2 nights at the 3 star Hotel Bristol www.hotel-bristol.ch  

Thursday, 1 October

Choices include cable cars and cog railways and hikes… one day will include a ride on the Sunegga

lift to Blauherd and making a day hike from the 2.5 hours 5 lakes hike, featuring reflections on the

Matterhorn, the 1.75 hour Nature Walk, and the 1.5 hour Riffelalp Walk…one day will include a ride

on the Schwarzee cable car ride which offers the most picture-perfect views of the Matterhorn at

close quarters…then, we will take the 3 hour Matterhorn Trail which will take us into a variety of

terrain and into mountain hamlets…for those not wanting to hike as much, the Gornergrat is famous

for its views of the Matterhorn as you climb over 3,000 meters… beautiful cable car rides to Rothorn

summit, viewing alpine lakes along the way… walking opportunities abound… overnight in Zermatt

Friday, 2 October

Time to return to Zurich…our luggage may be transported by the Swiss Rail System…we will stay at the 3 star Holiday Inn Express Zurich Airport www.ihg.com

Saturday, 3 October

Transport to Zurich airport…BA Flight #741 departs ZRH at 7:15 AM (yikes!!) and arrives at LHR at 8:10 AM… BA Flight #185 departs LHR at 11:10 and arrives at EWR at 1:55 PM. Multi-meals. Return to Ephrata.

      This itinerary is subject to change

Source:  Prior travels and the unbalanced minds of Dennis Hartranft and his daughter, Kiersten Handy, of whom I am so proud! And oh yes, also Lonely Planet Switzerland, and myswitzerland.com.

Arrival at 9:25 AM at Edinburgh Airport (EDI)…we will drive 2-3 hours to lovely southwest Scotland… Stay three nights at 3 star Ernespie House Hotel www.ernespiehouse.com …our hotel is set on 14 acres of countryside, within 10-minute walking distance of Castle Douglas… Castle Douglas is a beautiful small town known for good food and a lively high street… we will likely have dinner here on the first night as the hotel is not in a village.

We will have two days of day trips… we will visit:  Kirkcudbright, a delightful artists village… have a two mile walk along the coast between Kippford and Rockcliffe… visits to Gatehouse of Fleet, Caerlaverock Castle, Threave Castle, Dundrennan Abbey, Arbisland Garden, Portpatrick, Logan Botanical Garden… lots of variety to enjoy in an area few Americans visit.  We will enjoy coastal towns and countryside. Overnight two more nights in Castle Douglas

1.5 hour trip to Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s most famous Castles… less than 1 hour   drive to a small city of Dunfermline, a suburb of Edinburgh, Dunfermline is the birthplace of  Andrew Carnegie… it has an Abbey, beautiful park and vibrant downtown with many restaurants… Stay 2 nights at the 3 star City Hotel (www.thecityhotel.co.uk ) .

Public bus 45 minute ride to Edinburgh… all day in Edinburg… we will have a guided tour and time for exploration… we will visit Edinburg Castle and the Royal Mile… we will visit the Old Town and Princess Street… we will have time for independent walking and exploration… Overnight in Dunfermline.

2 hour drive to visit Kilchurn Castle, jutting out on a promontory into Loch Awe…we will drive in the beautiful Glen of  Orchy…the Scottish Highlands are rich in magnificent-looking mountains and deep valleys, but nowhere does it come together more dramatically than Glencoe, “The Great Glen” where the road connects one end to the other in just 20 minutes, but you could spend a whole day taking in the sights and hiking the trails..the highlights include the Three Sisters Viewpoint in front of Bidean Nam Bam,…we will drive on the one lane road to Loch Etive, admiring the reflections in Glencoe Lochan and driving down James Bond Skyfall Road… Stay 1 night in 3 star Caledonian Hotel (www.bespokehotels.com) …  in Fort William… this hotel is located on the shore of Loch Linnhe.

1.5 hour (58 miles) drive to Mallaig with a stop to see the the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous by the Harry Potter movies…30 minute ferry to the Isle of Skye, a stunningly beautiful place..we will drive on its southern end and see razor-sharp black pinnacles separated by narrow ridges as we visit the Black Cuillins, the most inhospitable mountain range in the country…we have 1 hour to Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most photographed castles in Scotland. Located on a small tidal island, the rustic building is surrounded by rugged mountains….30 minutes to Plockton, quite possibly the most beautiful village to visit in Scotland,.. Plockton sits on the edge of a sheltered bay in Loch Carron. Often referred to as the ‘Jewel of the Highlands’, a string of attractive stone houses line the harbor front. Breath-taking landscapes of coral beaches, tiny islands, and castled hills stretch into the distance…The harbor is often packed with visiting yachts, locals taking tourists out to sea the seals, and adventurers heading out on kayaks. End the day in one of the atmospheric pubs or try the fresh fish on the seafront…Stay 2 nights in the 3 star Plockton Inn (www.highlandcoasthotels.com)  dinner at the hotel

6 hour day tour on the Applecross Peninsula and drive over the amazing Applecross Pass…overnight in Plockton

1.5 hours (56 miles) drive to Ullapool…we will drive along Little Loch Broom and Loch Broom to Ullapool…The coast in this area has powdery white sand beaches provide the vantage point for whale and dolphin watching, along with stunning views over island-strewn lochs marching out to sea…Our picturesque fishing town, Ullapool, has good  seafood restaurants.. Ullapool is situated in one of the most unspoilt natural environments in the UK…There is a great choice of varied walks in the area including mountains, rocky coasts and long inland footpaths with a good portion of the finest summits in the north west Highlands too. The town makes a great base for exploring the surrounding countryside and touring Wester Ross and the Highlands…

Stay 2 nights at the 3 star Royal Hotel Ullapool (www.theroyalhotelullapool.com)

 6- 8 hour day trip on a section of  the scenic North Coast 500 Drive (NC500)…we will drive on the best segment of these windy roads near the coast, the Drumbeg Road in Assynt…Overnight in Ullapool

1.5 hour (61 miles) drive to the small historic town of Dornoch…Dornoch has a tranquil location, stunning scenery and sunny climate.

This thriving community sits on the east coast of the north Highlands that runs from the Moray Firth up to Sutherland. It is blessed with a particularly sunny climate thanks to its sheltered position, and has miles of golden sand beaches…we will visit Dunrobin Castle, the largest in Scotland with 189 rooms connected by a maze of corridors and capped with fairy tale turrets and splendid gardens…Stay 2 nights in the 3 star Dornoch Castle Hotel (www.dornochcastlehotel.com)... We will spend a full day touring the area north of Dornoch and make sure we have enough time to enjoy our village.

4 hour (183 miles) drive, with several stops on the way to Dunfermline…We will have a cruise on Loch Ness… we will break up the day with a few visits… Stay 1 night at the 3 star Hill Park Hotel (www.hillparkhotel.co.uk) in Rosyth, located 12 miles from the airport.

Time to come home…JetBlue Non-stop Flight #72 departs EDI at 12:30 PM and arrives at JFK at 3:03 PM…return to Ephrata.