CA
Discover Switzerland, Austria & Bavaria
featuring Oktoberfest
10 DAYS
$5,149
pp*
*Rate is per person, land only, double occupancy, tour inclusions and available options may vary based on departure date.
Please select a date below for more details.
Please select a date below for more details.
Journey through spectacular mountain scenery and picturesque cities as you experience three Alpine countries and Munich’s legendary Oktoberfest. Spend four nights in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Bern and three nights in the charming Alpine city of Innsbruck. Spend your last night in the vibrant city of Munich. Get a taste of Switzerland when you meet a local alphorn maker and yodelers and enjoy a fondue lunch. Explore Lucerne, the "Swiss Paradise on the Lake.” Visit Mozart's birthplace and the Mirabell Gardens, featured in The Sound of Music, during your time in Salzburg. Sample traditional regional cuisine at some of the oldest and most famous restaurants in Europe. Toast to tradition at Munich’s Oktoberfest, dating back to the 1800s. The hills are alive on this enchanting journey across Switzerland, Austria and Bavaria.
Your Tour Includes
- 3 Handpicked Accommodations
- 13 Meals
- 2 Choice on Tour Options
Included Highlights
- Bern
- Alphorn Maker
- Yodeling Demonstration
- Fondue Lunch
READ MORE
Your Tour at a Glance
Customize Your Tour
Getting Prepared
Know Before You Go
Enhance Your Tour
Accommodations
Hotel Bern
Nights 1-4
AC Hotel by Marriott Innsbruck
Nights 5-7
Eurostars Grand Central
Night 8
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Trip Reviews
Live, Unedited, & Independent Traveler Reviews
Rating
237 reviews
4.6
Out of 5
Based on 237 independent reviews
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Mount Pilates was the best experience for me. I didn’t like the food too much. Hotel rooms were very small and shower water runs out to the next room. I met nice people from different part of us. I really enjoyed this trip!
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I absolutely loved my trip ! The people , the tour guides , the accommodations , the food . I learned so much made wonderful friends for life . My downfall for this was the bus ride , not so much the driver , just long rides with no place to be able to use the bathrooms. I can’t say I will do this again for that simple reason , want to travel again but probably go with someone that either lives in Europe or someone that will do a private tour .
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October fest was my least favorite. We were there too long.
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Favorite: Concert in Vienna Our last trip w/Collette (Great Britton), ended with us at SeaTac airport searching for our ride home. NOONE met us after we completed Immigration/Customs. We had to hunt him down. I reported the incident to you. The same thing happened at the end of this trip. We "found" the driver outside standing beside the vehicle after more than 1/2 hour searching airport exits. Strike two!Michael Connell
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making and eating strudel in the small village in the Alps. Beer tasting at the Ettal Abby, visiting the gardens where Sound of music was filmed. Mount Palatus was amazing.Yvonne Van Cleef
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Our tour manager was very knowledgeable of the areas. We loved walking and touring the cities and also going to the country side for experiences. Loved the horse and buggy ride.Natalie Clements
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We went through castles did hikes, went on cable cars, up mountains, around mountains, through mountains. And I loved it all. And I wish I could afford to do more. I will return. thanks.Murray Ralph
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the overall trip and sceneryDonald Grewing
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Guides were knowledgeable and fun. I would have liked to spend 2days in Austria and 2 in Germany. Otherwise, great trip.
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No available restrooms on bus is unacceptable. Accommodation breakfasts were good n dinners included were good Too many expected tips for tour guides, bus drivers for a tour we already paid for. Why do we have to tip 5-8 euros per tour for something that’s included in fare.
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I highly recommend the Switzerland, Austria, Bavaria tour, especially for someone who has never visited the area. It highlights the main attractions & the local tour guides add an additional personal touch. (The overall guide, however, could not have been better.). Hotels were very well appointed & conveniently located. The quaint mountain village of Habkern was such a treat! The fondue lunch, Alphorn demonstration, the short stop in Lichtenstein….all was well planned & coordinated. Wonderful introductory trip to a delightful part of Europe.
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All good, hard to pick a favoriteCarol Mallia
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It was a great experience for me. I loved every aspect of it.Sylvia Francis
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The tour was superb, mainly because of the outstanding tour manager and the beautiful places we visited. Many of these places I had seen years ago, but I forgot how magnificent the scenery is in this part of the world and how amazing and welcoming the people are.Fay Manicke
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It was great until the trip home. Loved Austria and the trip thru the Alps.Jessie Brittingham
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Seefeld and Pilatus Also Lucerne lake, Innsbruck a Skiers heaven, Alps, farm & diary land All old town Plazas etc all very good. Food as well
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Four hours a day was spent riding on the bus which was too much time riding and not seeing what Switzerland and Austria have to offer. I would lot rather change hotel rooms more often than be spending my vacation riding around in a tour bus. Hotel Rooms in Bern and Innsbruck were extremely small I was unable to open my suitcase on the floor and be able to walk around the bed. Dinner meals with beef served, meat was too tough and rare to eat. I sent it back 3 times and still was too rare to eat. At another dinner, the meat need a chain saw to cut through it. The meat was very tough and uneatable. Tour manager was very poor communicator. She refused to provide her phone number to us in case of emergencies, so we could text her if something happened to us. There were solo travelers who would be on their own during free time. Tour Manager failed to provide schedule at kickoff dinner. Therefore, we did not know what time to meet for 1st tour in the AM on the 1st day. Tour Manager was not open to other peoples input or ideas. Tour Manager talked about multiple events at the same time, which confused everyone. We were confused as to be when and when we needed to be, especially with no written schedule. She did not know what time the Tiroler Abend Austrian show in Innsbruck started. She had us at the performance over 1 hour early. Last day of tour, we were on the bus on the way to the Munich airport, and tour manager informs me my luggage is still at the hotel in Innsbruck. She failed to have all the luggage loaded on the bus for the airport.Marilyn Jaster
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The scheduled tours were excellent. I especially enjoyed the Alpine horn construction demonstration and trying my hand at playing one. The paragliders at Interlachen were amazing and I liked the trip to the top of the ski jump at Innsbruck.
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Our drives through the countryside, visiting local businesses, tours of cities and talking to the local people were so nice. Our tour guide and non stressful bus driver was great. Enjoyed the concert at the end of the tour-it was first rate. The Vienna addition was excellent-the hotel was 5 star. The morning walking tour was to long, but the tour guide was enjoyable. Collette did a great job for our first trip to Europe and I have and will recommend them to others. Thank you!!Mary Seehusen
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I loved the time spent in Salzburg. But the detour to the Neuschawnstein castle was incredible. The whole adventure was so much fun.
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Such a wonderful time. Our manager, Alan, made the trip wonderful besides seeing all the beautiful places.
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The tour was wonderful! The accommodations were excellent with both hotels centrally located. There wasn’t a bad seat on the bus and every view was a postcard!! The scenery was just beautiful! Our tour manager was excellent! She was very knowledgeable, organized and just delightful! There are so many favorites, but going to Mt Pilatus in Lucerne was one of the best! Breathtaking views and just had a wonderful day!Laura S
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The Discover Switzerland, Austria and Bavaria tour was very nice. Our tour guide was personable and helpful. The accommodations were comfortable and provided good breakfast options. The bus that transported us to different locations was comfortable. The locations that we visited were attractive and interesting. We were given ample time to explore on our own.
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Ludwig’s Castle , The city of Bern
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Our tour guide , Sasha was amazing !Lisa Sumpter
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The Train ride to Seefeld with a horse and buggy tour, followed by apple strudel making and sampling was my most enjoyable experience!Gary Houck
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Tour itinerary was excellent. Colette God was very good, very knowledgeable about the places we were going, and very informative also was able to answer questions about things, not necessarily strictly related to the itinerary. Occasionally, the tour guide, and frequently the on site, non-tour manager, guides set a pace that left some slower walkers behind, and they were oblivious to the fact that that was happening or did not seem to care when it was pointed out to them, this was particularly evident with our guide and in Salzburg . this resulted in some members of the tour group not being able to keep up with the larger group, often losing sight of them, missing turns, not crossing intersections at the appropriate times, etc. definitely very inconsiderate on the part of those guides. While it is realized that they have an itinerary, they must keep, at the same time, they should be knowledgeable of how well the group is keeping up, because that sometimes the distances were great enough that the whisper devices were ineffective.
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Lake Geneva My pitalus Seefeld WAS THE BEST
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This was a short tour with only six days of touring provided by Collette and two free days. The tour is well organized and Alex is a good guide and very pleasant. I wish that he had provided more information for options on the free days. Marco, the coach driver, is also very good. The pre-trip information from Collette and an email from Alex were both very helpful. It was fun to see Linderhof. Switzerland is beautiful. But, my concern is that after I booked this tour for five adults the Bern hotel was changed from a nice hotel in the old town to a lesser hotel further out requiring a 7 minute tram ride to get to town. One person in our party uses a rollator for longer walks, and we took the rollator on the tram several times. The hotel itself was a disappointment, and we were there for four nights. The rooms were very basic and small. The Innsbruck hotel was lovely and located close to sights.
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NOT NOW
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Everything was excellent! Had a great time. I’m certain we will travel with Collette again.John Violette
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Our trip was almost, but not quite, excellent. We missed our connection in Dublin and lost a full day. The choice of using Dublin as a connecting airport seems a bit dodgy as the causes of the missed connection were both weather and mechanical problems at the Dublin Airport. We were rerouted to Shannon and returned to Dublin to wait for the flight to Zurich the next day at the same time. Although Aer Lingus gave us a bed and an adequate but not great dinner and breakfast, and did get us to Zurich eventually, we lost a full day in Bern. Please note that the Collette trip insurance would have covered the room and meals, but not the lost time in Switzerland. After this hiccup, the rest of the trip went well and Collette did try to make it up to us with a second welcome dinner and a separate tour of Bern squeezed into the second day. So the review is a mix of a very bad start with an excellent finish. Cannot give 5 starts for it and have some trepidation for traveling through Dublin on any future trip to Europe. For the most memorable experience, it was probably the Luzerne, Montreaux on Lake Geneva, and Salzburg visits. But Bern is a wonderful city and would have liked the promised 4 days there.Ira Beckerman
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This was our first experience with Collette, and with a trip to Switzerland, Austria and Bavaria. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip - my only disappointment was that sometimes we didn't have enough time to thoroughly see an area due to time constraints. Our favorite areas were the city of Bern and Montreux in Switzerland, and Salzburg in Austria.
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Great Guide, Great Driver, Great Trip. Well done.
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My favorite experience was going to Montreux! It was my most beautiful stop on this tour. It had was tropical looking with the beautiful lake surrounded by palm trees and a backdrop of snow covered mountains. We had ample time to have a nice lunch, walk to the castle or just explore. My husband and I truly enjoyed our visit.
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The entire trip was an incredible experience. Montreax by Lake Geneva is exceptional and so beautuful! No wonder rich and famous travel there. The incredible views of the alps from different locations will always stay with me. You must see for yourself to experience the majesty and heights of the alps.
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Montreux was beautiful. The daily local guides were very knowledgeable and shared things that were interesting and informative. Our free time was limited. However, we saw and experienced so many things that we would not have experienced on our own. The lunch in the monks restuarant was nice but our group was too large for them to comfortably accommodate us. My favorites were Gruyeres and touring the castles in Bavaria
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I loved going to the top of the mountains and seeing the beautiful view from there.Phyllis Bolt
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We had a great time even though my wife spent 6 hours in a hospital in Innsbruck one day and 3 hours the next day as a follow-up. Thankfully we has Javier as our tour manager as he was critical in getting my wife the attention she required. Javier was also awesome the whole trip, making some of those long bus trips bearable.William Craig
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3 day Austria extension was not worth the extra thousand dollars-one whole day traveling by train, one day with 2 hour? walking tour and hour long show, one day completely on our own-no contact with Collette staff. Best hotel was in Vienna. Breakfasts were all great. Evening meals definitely not as well planned and palatable. Loved touring Switzerland both by coach and train. Loved the mountain scenery and small villages.
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BERN, MONTREUX, SALBURG, INNSBRUCK, BAVARIA, Will be back to you .Thomas Santos
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I had a wonderful time!! I would recommend this trip to anyone with a pulse!Regina Sortor
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did an awesome job planning the tour, and everything went well.Judith Weaver
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Awesome trip and planned very well!
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Overall excellent trip. Would go againRobert Elrod
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The trip allowed us to see many parts of Switzerland and Austria without having to drive.Jay Blum
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The tour of Switzerland and Austria all that I had experienced through reading and televisionDorothy Gore
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Everything was so well panned and organized. All the guides where so friendly and knowledgeable.Scott Stevens
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Overall great experience.Sandra Reed
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A wonderful trip! The scenery was breathtaking! Our tour guide (Martin) & bus driver (Rafi) were great. The city tour guides were very knowledgeable. LOTS of walking but was prepared for it. I would recommend this trip.
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I like the way Collette lets you know when you are flying where your next gate is etc.
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It just ran so smooth . Our guide was very informative mixed with a little humor. Kept very busy but still had plenty of time to explore on our ownJanet Cole
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Our tour guide was excellent. Hotel in Bern was very small.Brenda Elsamiller
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Mt. Pilatus excursion and Lucerne was awesome. Th scenic train ride to Gstad. All the bus trips went through gorgeous landscapes and mountain views.Kathleen Waechter
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Tour guide excellent. The AC Marriott hotel was only middling with air conditioning that was not up to standard along with a out of service elevator.
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Travelling on Air Canada through Toronto should be avoided if at all possible. The airport is described by locals as disorganized and worse. Limited space for jumbo jet capacity planes in waiting areas, multiple gate changes for multiple flights all at the same time, at least a 6 hour delay getting off the ground with no real explanation and passenger gridlock in the hallways. What happened to concern for passenger safety once in the air? Sleeping with bags on toes and dinner plates in lap all night is not it! Plane seats are reconfigured underneath to have a quarter of the size of the bag it should accommodate. Cabin crew told me directly to bus my own dinner plate to the galley! The Collette plans were generally very enjoyable.
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Our tour guide for the first 7 days, Alex, was tremendous. He kept us on time, was very patient, and very throrough. Our guide for the last 4 days in Vienne seemed disinterested in being with us.Ryan Mc Bride
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Great Tour Guide (Carman) and Bus Driver was excellent. All of the sights taken in were just Fabulous. Only problem I had was trying to connect with the group at the airport (Zurich), but our Great Guide found me.Jeffrey S Sens
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Well organized, informative and very well rounded. The Mt Palouti area was great.Sylvia Wright
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Beautiful tour, but too much time was spent on the bus. Too much time wasted travelling on the bus. It is better to move from hotel to hotel to be closer to the sites we were scheduled to visit. All the towns and sites visited were beautiful but I would skip Metreux (sp?) best to schedule a cruise on Lake Geneva when visiting this town.
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Beautiful tour with so many breathtaking sights to visit and explore!! We created memories that will last for a lifetime!Linda Zarnowski
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We love the places, our tour manager, Carmen Manzanares.
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Tour ******: Carmen and driver: Juan Carlo worked together to provide us with comfortable, carefree bus travel. Site visits: extensive historical and current information. They maintained good order and opportunity for relaxing relationships between all participants in my tour of 42.Shirley Hiller
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Excellent choice of sights 2 visit, fantastic/knowledgeable tour guide. Amazing scenery, very good meals, fun group & excellent value for the money. Didnt have 2 worry about transportation or finding our way around. Absolutely loved everything about Lucerne & Bern, but each location was wonderful in its own unique way & had special highlights. Thank you for providing us a great time & vacation to remember for the rest of our lives!Carolann Walters
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This trip ranked right at #1 or right up there with our Western U.S. trip years ago. Collette handled everything seamlessly. We were most impressed with all the arrangements & sights. So much history & breathtaking scenery. It was an especially meaningful trip as my wife's ancestry is from Switzerland & Germany. We already booked another Collette trip for next year.Gerald Walters
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everything was taken care of.. hotel, flight all transportation etcCarol Shepherd
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What a wonderful itinerary! We loved all the places we visited and the tour excursions were terrific! We essentially loved going to the top of the 7,000 foot Mt. Pilatus which was fantastic! Our tour manager Li Kozanyi was very Knowledgeable, experienced, courageous, friendly and attentive. The hotels we stayed at were all located in the city center, the provided meals were located in A+ restaurants were the food , service and decor were local and delicious. There were 44 people in our tour and were all ages. We all got along fine. We rotated our seats every day on the coach bus. The coach driver Giovanni from Italy was such a delight and and excellent driver. I highly recommend Collette Tours! Even though it was our first booking with them. This particular tour was well thought out and worked out perfectly for us!Rosanne Catanzaro
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I loved the cities we visited and the mountains!
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Our Tour Manager and Coach Driver were both friendly, kind and professional. We enjoyed all aspects of the tour. So much to do and see. It was one of the best experiences ever.Dan Newell
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Lots to see and experience
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There were a lot of walking uphill and a lot of stairs.Cathy Hansen
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I felt that the care and concern that we received while on this trip was extraordinary.Tanya Bellissimo
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Tour mgr and guides were excellent. Learned a lot and the views were great. Meals were tasty and the accommodations were good.
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Guide was excellent. Coach and drive were great. Hotel were great. Places we went and the things we saw were great. Step on guides were good. Food was very good. Only bad thing there was no place to exchange money in Austria.
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Thought the 3 to 4 inches of snow on our first day would spoil the day but it made for one of the prettiest days everGary
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I loved this tour. First, I think Colette has amazing customer services. The tour went without a hitch. The hotels were lovely. Would highly recommend Collette and this tour.Diane Bark
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Excellent tour.Andy Heitman
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I can't pinpoint 1 favorite...all were memorableBridget Morey
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Our tour guide was personable, pleasant and very knowledgeable. She was very accommodating for any personal requests and was ready to assist me when I experienced a family emergency back home.
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Eating a schnitzel in Innsbruck with a part of the group at the restaurant Stiftskeller
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Gstaad-wintersports with the snow falling.Duane Becker
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The city of Berne. Horse and carriage ride .Beverly Obrien
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The itinerary was good.The tour was a good value for what you got. We had an excellent tour director .It was a wonderful to be in these countries.
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Bavaria day with countryside and Oberammergau
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We especially enjoyed the cog train trip to Mount Pilatus.Dennis Moeller
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Tour review is same as in Overall Service Experience. Favorite memorable experience was at the mountain top overlooking the city of Innsbruck.Jamie Le Blanc
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I would put 4 1/2 stars only because of the noise at the Bern Hotel. Everything else was great.
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Mount Palatis, Innsbruck and BernDorothy Toelle
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see prior comment........
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My favorite was the cultural show...music, dancing. Also, the trip up to Mt. Pilatus and the carriage ride in the mountain community(both optional, but so glad I took part).
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The tour was fabulous. My favorite things; Taking the cog train up MT Pilatus, Lucerne, seeing the country side within the Alps, doing something local; learning how to make apple strudel, seeing Neuschwanstein Castle OMG beautiful, seeing the ski jump in Innsbrook. I loved everything. The food and the hotels were excellent. I would not have changed a thing except for my transfer ride from my house to the airport JFK. I will not use Chris Limo again.Cheryn Kwasnik
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The sites and scenery throughout Switzerland and Austria were breathtaking. Pictures cannot do them justice. Our main regret was the accommodations in in Bern. The hotel was clean and well maintained but it was still warm outside and the air conditioning unit was shut off for the fall/winter months. As a result we needed to open the large windows in the room and were subject to all the noise, music, traffic, and sounds from the preparation of stalls for the market fair which was set up across the street from the hotel. The set up started about 4 am and was very noisy. It made it hard to sleep and relax.
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We loved the Chicolate Factory Tour.Marvin Pierson
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Loved the musical variety group near the end of the tour.Jon Lind
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the tour was great. most memorable, well that's hard because all was memorable
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Being surrounded by the Alpes in their splendor everyday made for a very memorable vacation.
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Guide was very impatient with seniors who couldn't hear or walk fast. Very taken over by the large group of travelers. Partial to their wants and wishes. The 9 of us from another group were never considered. Did no have people move seats on the bus.
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Innsbruck Olympic ski jump
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Mt Pilates great views great
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Visiting where the Sound of Music was filmed.Melissa Peters
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Everything was memorable Loved itMary Minor
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Our tour guide was exceptional in every way. The pre-arranged destinations were terrific with superb views. The hotel for the first half of our trip was very clean and accommodating with very nice breakfast buffet; the hotel for the second half was not as great. Although the room was clean, there were several things left to be desired (glass wall of bathroom permits the light from the bathroom to light the entire room in the middle of night; limited buffet and space to accommodate all guests). For those with special dietary restrictions, make sure you notify Collette and tour guide asap so arrangements may be made.
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Quality of hotels was only fair.
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They provided perfect weather every day! We enjoyed seeing an area we hadn't seen before, but especially enjoyed Innsbruck.Jeffrey Arnold
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Everything was beautiful. The tours, the alps, the yodeling family and the educational information provided by Ozcan. He was a class act. I will definitely take another Colette tour and hopefully Ozcan will be the tour manager. I can't give the 5 stars for the Grauer bar hotel that it deserves because the hotel ambassador was awful.Jacqueline Sherlock
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Only complaint was too much time on bus most days.Marjorie Mancuso
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Lucerne is a beautiful city!Lori Ann Rische
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Visiting the city of Salzburg was a highlight. The local guide was a delight.
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Mt Pilatus stands out. Stunning views. Great apples strudelBenjamin Glunt
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Loved the toboggan ride down Mt. Gurten and train ride up Mt. Pilatus!! The beautiful Alps!!!
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Salzburg was beautiful!! Loved the ride up to Mt. Pilatus! The Lion Monument was so moving!
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The 3 countries are such a beautiful part of the world. I loved Innsbruck and Austria. It was a pleasant surprise that I wasn't expecting to have. However Switzerland certainly didn't disappoint.
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The sights that we saw. Optional excursions were worth the extra money.
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The whole tour was memorable.Diane Iannini
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Favorite: Mount Pilataus gage rail trip. The inclusion of Neuchatel was one of the best parts. I would love to go back to that little village! Best Western Priemer Hotel was wonderful!
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Please see previous comments.Mark Nepper
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Some things need to be addressed. The arrival instructions need to be clearer. We went where the instructions told us to go, but the tour director was not there. We wandered all over the airport asking various people how to find our guide. The name tags need to be attached at the shoulder level rather than on a lanyard. It's hard to read the name. Also, there's no need to go to Germany. Oberamagau is a rip off...just a tourist trap and waste of time. Departing from Munich airport was a nightmare. There were so many people crowded into the airport, it was wall to wall people and very hard to find where we were supposed to be. It took so long we didn't get to the gate until just a few minutes before boarding then we had to be bused to the airplane. Seems like it would be easier to drive back to Zurich and leave from there or re-design the tour so it arrived and departed from Zurich.Jan Davis
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Loved the whole experience for the locations we visited and enjoyed the tour manager. Favorite country was Switzerland and favorite tour was Mt. Pilatus. Enjoyed staying in town of Bern, and also the city/small town feel of Innsbruck. The only tours that were ok were the Bear pits, and a rose garden at top of Bern. However, I can appreciate the history of the Bear pits and the amazing view from the rose gardens. It always good to have lighter days interspersed with lots of walking days. Tour manager was exceptionall. Im sure your company knows this. She went over the top for our group. Got to know us personally and took her own time and energy to help a not so active individual on our tour. Just great i would encourage others to go on this tour, with this tour guide.Amy Robinson
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I loved the places we visited. The location specialists were a waste of time especially in Lucerne. There was not enough time to have lunch and visit shops- we had 55 minutes! I was disappointed that we did not visit the Neuschwanstein Castle and it was just a photo shop. The tour was good but I felt a bit pricey for what we did everydayNancy Kiernan
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Sight were spectacular! Beautiful countries.Timothy Gambino
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Climbing the Swiss and Austrian Alps.Keith Wright
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Loved Switzerland! As always, Collette doesn't disappoint. Excellent accommodations, excursions, tour guides and drivers.
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My favorite experience was the tour of the castles, one in each country and my time in Montreux. What a beautiful place!! It is known as the "Swiss" Riveria. That city has many stories regarding musicians for the United States. It was fun to learn so much.Victoria Bodack
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Dinner provided throughout the tour were very good. Fun safe trip. ThanksDianne Buchanan
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I thought the price was reasonable for what was included. Can't say any part was better then another. I enjoyed everything about the trip.Patricia Willers
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There were so many beautiful sites that I can’t just pick one.Bernard Huntington
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Top of Mt Pilatus and the ride up and down was a highlight for many.
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Our tour manager was knowledgeable, professional, and kind. We saw great vistas, learned about the countries, and enjoyed local cuisine. The other 42 guests were enjoyable and made traveling in a group pleasant. My favorite memory was an option to take a cog rail up Mt. Pilatas; it was beautiful ascending, viewing from above, and descending in a gondola.
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I loved being in the old downtown areas in Lucerne, Bern, and Innsbruck; however, we were given almost no time in most of these areas because Collette books a lot of places with only a brief stop at each. We missed so many opportunities to see castles, etc. because we only had 20-minutes at some stops. The language Collette uses is very misleading. If the description says that you'll "see" a castle, bring binoculars because they mean you'll see it in the distance. We went to Salzburg and "saw" Mozart's birthplace and missed the salt mines. We went to Gstaad and stayed for 20 minutes. Collette advertises all these beautiful places you'll visit but doesn't say you're basically going to have time to go to the bathroom before you get on the bus again.
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How does one schedule a tour and not realize that there is a National holiday? Everything is closed. Several occasions, time was not given to explore many of the places that we visited. The most memorable part of the trip for me was the last night. We attended a Yodeling program that was presented by a local family. I wish that we could have done something exciting like the Chocolate Train instead of just riding the train to the top, going to the bathroom then getting back on the bus to return to Vevey.Phyllis Tarkington
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I give Switzerland and Austria 5 stars and Collette 1 Star. Everywhere we went was incredibly rushed. We went to Salzburg and didn’t even visit the salt mines, which is what the city is known for. We literally stopped on the side of the road for a photo op with Neuschawnstein Castle instead of actually receiving a tour. We went to Mt. Pilatus and were given less than an hour to spend. We took a train to Gstadd and were literally given enough time to use the bathroom before we were herded like Cattle back onto the bus. The descriptions we were sold we very misleading. More time was spent on the outdated, cramped bus than any excursion.
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The tour was very good - what I expected for the price. Hotels in Vevey and Innsbruck were wonderful. The rooms were a bit warm, but the weather was warmer than usual. We certainly didn't need the heavy duvet! Learning to leave a keycard in the slot for room electricity and A/C helped. Visitors should not expect the same power grid efficiency of the US.
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Amazing sights and gorgeous scenery. Loved the Castle tour, cogwheel train, and gondola!
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The highlights of the trip were exploring Mt. Pilatus, the city of Bern, and the city of Innsbruck.Aujuah J.
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Enjoyed the places we went.Lyndia Palmer
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Everything was great loved the mountainsMichael Kubesch
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The day trip to Seefeld was the beat.
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Fast paced tour with an aggressive itinerary that allowed us to visit so many locations in a short amount of time. The guides were so helpful in all cases. Favorite experience was extra side trip to Seefeld Country Cottage was our favorite outing of the entire trip. It as nice to get off the bus, meet some local people, make apple strudel, visit the farm animals and take a relaxing horse carriage ride. Loved riding the train! The Tyrolean folklore festival was fantastic and loved by all. We were very impressed that each country represented by the audience was recognized and respected by the performers.
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We loved just about everything about this tour. Disappointed that we did not get a closer view of Newschwanstein Castle. One of our excursions was cancelled. Wish there would have been a Plan B.Cynthia Mccoy
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Very comprehensive but would have liked some shorter days.
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I personally enjoyed Salzburg and Innsbruck.Richard Martin
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We saw so much that we would not have seen on our own.Linda Berryman
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Loved the tour and our tour manager. I would have given the tour 5 stars except our hotel in Bern was under construction and not up to Collette's usual standards. Hotel Innsbruck was great. Collete did offer compensation for the hotel issues.Gail Denisoff
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Enjoyed tour and experience. Tour guide and individual guides on tours where other guides were very good.Ronald Stone
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Told us max of 30 : 43 on tour.This meant not everyone had a window on the bus as we drove through beautiful countryside. The hotel in Berne was under construction. We had to go through an unfinsihed hall to get to our room. Access to lobby via the staris was blocked!Richard Schenck
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I love Switzerland and Austria. I always want to see more!
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Loved shopping in Salzburg and Innsbruck, the panoramic train ride through the Swiss Alps, the unexpected snowfall.
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Logistics were perfect. Food was fabulous. Tour guide Marian was awesome1Steven Nelson
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The scenery was indescribable! So many good experiences-can't think of only one.
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Beautiful and memorable.Samuel Joe
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Excellent. She had the experience for her job.Yei Gwaikolo-joe
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The tour was great especially seeing the snow covered Alps. Switzerland, Austria, and Bavaria were very pretty, green and clean, not a scrap of paper on the ground. Got to hear yodeling and those long pipes you hear in the Ricola commercials. It was a great trip.J. Miller
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Loved the countries and food.
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The Austrian Folk dancing showBeverly Kennedy
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Loved seeing Bern and Innsbruck and the side trips. The tour manager, Toni, was very good in every way. The hotel in Bern was awful and should not be used by Collette. The flight arrangements out of Dallas and back again should have been better planned.
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I keep getting interrupted with this review I do not know what has been sent Maryellen the organizer of the trip is phenomenal The tour an average survey with emphasis on shopping Meal in Bern was good Museum night in Bern was great but not your doing Other meals, venues good but didn’t feel especially welcomed by staff, food from culinary standards okay Big disappointment how Oberammergau was represented by Tracy Nothing there gave a hint of the Passion that was to come We’re told to expect more but sadly all we saw was shopping Tour guide wasn’t as informative as previous Swiss guides I’ve experienced. Little history or description of geography Hotels centrally located Hotel in Bern under construction and dangerous in that rooms had too many different lips in floors that were not highlighted Too many trips and stubbed toes Rooms temperature uncomfortable because systems not finished Opening windows a problem because scaffolding with elevator outside our windows We probably will travel with Maryellen again Read that Maryellen and not Collette first Our best trips with you have been hand tailored by Maryellen not your common tours I always recommend traveling with our organizer not the company and will be more discriminating in the future I hope you did something very nice for your guests whom were hurt by different leverage in hotel and inconvenience with not having a flight booked with Swiss Air Happy travels LouisaLouisa Lanzano
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It was a wonderful tour. We saw and did so much during our trip.Janice Wallinger
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Beautiful views at Mount Pilatus!
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Our airplane accommodations were completely wrong. We paid a lot of money for this trip to be seated awAy from my husband. We should not have to be asking or begging for sits at departure time. We paid for the tri, is your job to deliver the service we paid for. We have done I t think five trips with you but this time you really messed up. OMaria Alvarez
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Collette exceeded all expectations- we were able to enjoy each country in the most personal way, immersed in the best aspects of each culture. Each traveler was able to experience this journey in their own special way- everything was individualized to a person. I feel that everyone came away with their own special memory.Mary Thornton
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Everything went so smoothly. I particularly enjoyed the trip to Salzburg and the site of the Sound of Music.Charles Allen
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Very professional tour guide and nicely planned dat toursPatricia David
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Great trip, affordable, long bus rides.Evelyn Lund
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Hard to do as all experiences were exceptional.John Graham
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I love to travel internationally and to do it with a group, a knowledgeable group made me feel safe and allowed me to really enjoy the scenery, the shopping, the food, wine, and friendships.Christy Stevens
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The Olympic ski jump. Got to go to the top and a team was there practicing. AwesomeCarol Seward
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The Swiss Alps, the Austrian Alps, the beautiful weather, no rain the entire trip. Bavaria was great to visit but sure would like to have spent more time in Germany, so much to see but just so many days and hours to see it.John Gumz
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Time spent walking in InnsbrookJames Burgoyne
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Memorable experience: Going up Pilatus, into the clouds, enjoying the Swiss chough birds... Innsbruck is a favorite city now, tooPamela L
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Expensive! I thought it was uninterestingJeaneen Bellitti
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I loved the opportunities to see the various countryside and mountains in both Switzerland, Austria and Bavaria. This tour was a fantastic mix of doing things yourself versus planned activities.
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Seeing the countryside and landscape. I also like Salzburg very much. I did not enjoy my time at Oberammergau There was nothing I could eat unless I sat down at a restaurant. There was no time to do that unless I did not want to walk about the town. I found the attitude of the people in all 3 countries to be mostly unfriendly, at times rude, and dismissive. My husband said that he saw some people glaring at us and appearing to laugh at all of the old Americans. I left feeling that they would prefer we stay home and just send American $.
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Montreux on Lake Geneva was beautiful! Wish we could have had a boat trip there.Charlene Weigel
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Every place we visited on this tour was my favorite. It would be difficult to isolate one from the others. Toni Ray-Ingham made it all worthwhile in the way she described its majesty.Nora Ramirez
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The day trip to the Chateau and MontreauxKaren House
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Did not care for the first night in Bern “local” dinner experience - low end Carb. Fest! Fondue too salty with bread and potatoes- did not eat— then frozen bagged vegetables over hash browns! Next more carbs but some pork. Other local restaurant meal was excellent as was one in Innsbrook. Not a fan of the Strasberg meal either but historic Abbey ambience was nice.
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Really enjoyed the Seefeld cottage tour, the train to Gstadt, Oberammergau...could have spent more time there...suggest deleting the church and castle before.Mary Smart
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The tour is well organized and extremely informative.Sherry Holdburg
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It was one of the best tours that we had taken with Collette. It was very well organized except a couple of minor points. Would have enjoyed an extra day at Salzburg instead of Oberammergau trip. I thought we spent too much of time in the bus during Oberammergau trip. Our tour manager Sabina was very knowledgeable and friendly.Srinivas Prabandham
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It would have been nice to have seen the castle in Germany and not just view it from afar. More time at that point to actual hike up to the castle and take a tour and see the spectacular views would have been a better use of everyone's time. The tour manager went above and beyond, very knowledgeable, friendly and great personality and sense of humor. I had Collette book my airlines. Only thing was that when returning from Munich I who live in Atlanta went Munich to Washington DC and then ATL. Everyone else on the trip who didn't live in ATL went Munich to ATL and then on to their home. Pretty pathetic that I had to spend 3 hours in DC with weather related problems and couldn't fly direct to ATL. I thought the advantage of having Colette book for me was to get the best possible flight and trip times possible, I know now that is not correct.
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Hard to pick a favorite. We really enjoyed all the places we visited. Only disappointment was going the Neuschwanstein Castle (Friday, Aug 31); we thought we were going to tour the Castle, but in re-reading our itinerary after the fact, we realized that it was a picture opt only. It just seemed like a very long drive to just see from a distance and unfortunately, it was raining and very foggy so never really saw this Castle at all. Others on the tour, also thought we would be visiting the Castle. Maybe bold and underscore the words picture stop only.
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Hotels were so, so. Included dinners were so-so. The sites were nice, though the morning going to the King Ludwig II castles in Oberammergau was a waste of time as we parked in a parking lot filled with Chinese tourists and simply got a view from the parking lot and street.Chandan Banerjee
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The trip overall was excellent, but there were a few things that could have been better. We had much rather spent four nights in Lucerne than in Bern. Bern was much more expensive than any of the other locations. Hotel Bern did not have air-conditioning, so we had to leave the windows open. The very loud noise from the clubs went on until 2:30 am on Friday and Saturday night. The shower was so small that an average size person could hardly turn around. Some the included dinner meals could have been better. At one restaurant we were so crowded that you could hardy move. The seating arrangement caused my wife and I to sit a separate tables.Ronald Jordan
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Salsburg, Swiss Alps, and all the ChaletsDale Martin
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Such beauty, and the food was yummy. Would love to go back someday.Karin Cirelli
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Great overall experience in very beautiful and friendly places. Great food in abundance!
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I loved our tour guide. She was wonderful. I would have liked more time in Oberramagau. I loved all the scenery. The countries were beautiful.Cheryl Baeszler
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Viewing the countryside from atop the ski slopeSabine Brown
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Still can't get over how much pleasure you can experience during ten days. I am still digesting the memories. Thank goodness for all the photos we took. My trip highlight was the Lowendenkmal (The lion statue dedicated to the Swiss Guard). ****** (our tour guide) set the stage perfectly before we entered the viewing area. Very moving!Vincent E Dimino
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Enjoyed trip and everything went as promised.Ralph Merlo
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Really all of it.... all was super great
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Mount Piladus- traveling up ther side of the mountain in a cogwheel train was very memorable...Honorine Bagwell
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Loved the cities and countryside visited, a most memorable trip. Loved staying in 2 hotels instead of 4 or 5. I will always look for tours like this one. Side trips costly.Pia Mazzarella
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Climbing up the tram to Mt. Pilates .Deborah Lennon
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You got me to the Alps. That was awesome.Ronald Mattson
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The tours were well planned so that we saw a lot in a short time without feeling rushed. Our tour manager made extra effort to learn names and solve problems, while taking care of every detail of our trip. She was very knowledgeable and made the coach rides interesting and entertaining. I would definitely book with Collette again, but would research the accommodations more first to make sure there is air conditioning in the summer. We really liked staying four nights in each place rather than the more typical one or two nights that most land tours offer. Less time packing, unpacking and more time sightseeing and enjoying.
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It was a five star experience!Eileen Kleinschmidt
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Too many favorites to list, but Mount Pilatus was (no pun intended) a highlight!Robert Kemp
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Because of the experience on my first night in Bern, as described previously.Margaret Jones
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Where to begin? The scenery of the area was, of course, spectacular. What else would you expect in the Alps. From Mirabell Gardens to the UNESCO sights of Bern, to Innsbruck's St. Peter's Restaurant, everything terrific. I really like the old churches of Europe and was particularly taken by the Baroque Pilgrimage Church of the Scourged Saviour.Edward Blotzer
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I gave detailed comments on the evaluation I left with the tour managerRosemarie Battaglia
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tooo much bus time very poor hotel location in bernMark Anderson
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The views of Switzerland were spectacular. What an experience -- having lunch and a beer outside next to the river is Switzerland with the view of the mountains.Janet Blotzer
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Dinner at a beer hall in Innsbruk: my wife and I joined a table of six (locals) and we got advice on the best menu items, best beer, and great conversation! Also, the Tyrolian folk show was amazing; great fun!Ernest Czyryca
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We enjoyed the ski jump tour (architectural tour) and the rail and carriage rides to the small town to visit a farm.James Oren
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Walking tour of downtown Bern.Robert Lammers
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Never been on a 10 rated tourThomas Mcwillie
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Adequate, well located hotels. Enjoyed the Alpine show and the side trip to Gstaad.Robert Musacchia
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Train ride through the Alps. Time to explore on my own. History of each place as we went through. Steady paced tour.Beverley
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Hard to describe one thing the entire trip was a memorable experienceMary
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Accommodations were in the center of town, you are able to walk to many attractions. Rooms, provided breakfast, and hotel services were excellent. Our guide provided suggestions for free times and provided maps and directions as well. The provided dinners were excellent local authentic cuisine and we felt immersed in the culture of the countries we were visiting. Our guide also made suggestions for the best local restaurants for our purchased meals. There was a good ratio of guided tours vs free time. It was wonderful to see, walk, enjoy the alps as well as the surrounding cities. Mount Pilatus, and funicular to the top of the mountain in Innsbruck are must sees. This is an excellent tour and I recommend it everyone.
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Compared with other tours I have taken with Collette, I felt there was too much free time on this trip, and too many meals where we had to find our own restaurant. I think the weather (which you can't do anything about) contributed to the overall feeling. It rained some everyday but one! I did enjoy Salzburg, our one good day, and enjoyed seeing the Alps. Some of Austria and Bavaria I had been to before
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Hotel in Bern was centrally located, but that was the only good thing about it. Our group was crammed into the breakfast room that could not accommodate all of our group. Our breakfast selection was very skimpy as compared to the other breakfast room for non tour guests. The front guest personnel were not helpful at all with zerro recommendations for dinner etc. Spending 4 nights in Bern was WAY too long. Very little to do and see. Would have much rather stayed nights in Salzberb. Collette needs to plan their trips better around Bank Holidays etc. as several towns we visited were totally closed up due to Holidays. When asked by friends about this tour, we tell them that "this was not a good tour"Richard
