DAY 9: OVER THE BERNER OBERLAND PASS TO SWITZERLAND
DAILY TOUR ADVANTAGE: FANTASTIC BUS AND DRIVER
SITE SUMMARY: Scenic drive over the Berner Oberland Pass to the Swiss Alps, Cogwheel train to Wengen, Yodeling performance and lessons at the hotel
LUNCH: Biergarten in Lindau, Germany
DINNER: Group Dinner at the hotel
SLEEPING: Hotel Falken (Wengen, Switzerland)
Lindau, Germany
When first choosing a tour, we were initially worried about all of the driving time between destinations. These drives turned out to be as fun as non-driving times!
DAILY TOUR ADVANTAGE: FANTASTIC BUS AND DRIVER
The bus was so comfortable and clean and driven by the funnest "local" on the trip: Paul. Paul navigated tight turns, cliffs, mountains, and traffic in large cities and small towns. He even stocked the bus with a variety of drinks that we could purchase at a reasonable price. There were approximately two seats per person on the bus and the drives gave us time to get to know each other better, plan ahead for our free time in the next place, reflect and journal, or rest and take in the diverse scenery.
In the afternoon, we arrived at the Lauterbrunnen Valley, parked the bus, and headed to the train station. Our reservations were in a mountain village called Wengen on one of the steep sides of the valley. The primary way to get there is cogwheel train. The entire scene reminded me of something magical from the set of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Our hotel was located at the top of the village. Our room had two balconies with a set of chairs and table. We enjoyed stunning views of the valley from the balconies! In the video at the bottom of this page, you can see the cogwheel train coming down the mountain and hear bells ringing from grazing cows!