Discover Switzerland, Austria & Bavaria

Tour mgr and guides were excellent. Learned a lot and the views were great. Meals were tasty and the accommodations were good.

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.

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 ever

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.

Excellent tour.

I can't pinpoint 1 favorite...all were memorable

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.

Eating a schnitzel in Innsbruck with a part of the group at the restaurant Stiftskeller

Gstaad-wintersports with the snow falling.

The city of Berne. Horse and carriage ride .

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.

Bavaria day with countryside and Oberammergau

We especially enjoyed the cog train trip to Mount Pilatus.

Tour review is same as in Overall Service Experience. Favorite memorable experience was at the mountain top overlooking the city of Innsbruck.

I would put 4 1/2 stars only because of the noise at the Bern Hotel. Everything else was great.

Mount Palatis, Innsbruck and Bern

see prior comment........

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).

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.

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.

We loved the Chicolate Factory Tour.

Loved the musical variety group near the end of the tour.

the tour was great. most memorable, well that's hard because all was memorable

Being surrounded by the Alpes in their splendor everyday made for a very memorable vacation.

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.

Innsbruck Olympic ski jump

Mt Pilates great views great

Visiting where the Sound of Music was filmed.

Everything was memorable Loved it

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.

Quality of hotels was only fair.

They provided perfect weather every day! We enjoyed seeing an area we hadn't seen before, but especially enjoyed Innsbruck.

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.

Only complaint was too much time on bus most days.

Lucerne is a beautiful city!

Visiting the city of Salzburg was a highlight. The local guide was a delight.

Mt Pilatus stands out. Stunning views. Great apples strudel

Loved the toboggan ride down Mt. Gurten and train ride up Mt. Pilatus!! The beautiful Alps!!!

Salzburg was beautiful!! Loved the ride up to Mt. Pilatus! The Lion Monument was so moving!

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.

The sights that we saw. Optional excursions were worth the extra money.

The whole tour was memorable.

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!

Please see previous comments.

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.

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.

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 everyday

Sight were spectacular! Beautiful countries.

Climbing the Swiss and Austrian Alps.

Loved Switzerland! As always, Collette doesn't disappoint. Excellent accommodations, excursions, tour guides and drivers.

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.

Dinner provided throughout the tour were very good. Fun safe trip. Thanks

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.

There were so many beautiful sites that I can’t just pick one.

Top of Mt Pilatus and the ride up and down was a highlight for many.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Amazing sights and gorgeous scenery. Loved the Castle tour, cogwheel train, and gondola!

The highlights of the trip were exploring Mt. Pilatus, the city of Bern, and the city of Innsbruck.

Enjoyed the places we went.

Everything was great loved the mountains

The day trip to Seefeld was the beat.

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.

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.

Very comprehensive but would have liked some shorter days.

I personally enjoyed Salzburg and Innsbruck.

We saw so much that we would not have seen on our own.

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.

Enjoyed tour and experience. Tour guide and individual guides on tours where other guides were very good.

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!

I love Switzerland and Austria. I always want to see more!

Loved shopping in Salzburg and Innsbruck, the panoramic train ride through the Swiss Alps, the unexpected snowfall.

Logistics were perfect. Food was fabulous. Tour guide Marian was awesome1

The scenery was indescribable! So many good experiences-can't think of only one.

Beautiful and memorable.

Excellent. She had the experience for her job.

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.

Loved the countries and food.

The Austrian Folk dancing show

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.

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 Louisa

It was a wonderful tour. We saw and did so much during our trip.

Beautiful views at Mount Pilatus!

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. O

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.

Everything went so smoothly. I particularly enjoyed the trip to Salzburg and the site of the Sound of Music.

Very professional tour guide and nicely planned dat tours

Great trip, affordable, long bus rides.

Hard to do as all experiences were exceptional.

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.

The Olympic ski jump. Got to go to the top and a team was there practicing. Awesome

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.

Time spent walking in Innsbrook

Memorable experience: Going up Pilatus, into the clouds, enjoying the Swiss chough birds... Innsbruck is a favorite city now, too

Expensive! I thought it was uninteresting

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.

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 $.

Montreux on Lake Geneva was beautiful! Wish we could have had a boat trip there.

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.

The day trip to the Chateau and Montreaux

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.

Really enjoyed the Seefeld cottage tour, the train to Gstadt, Oberammergau...could have spent more time there...suggest deleting the church and castle before.

The tour is well organized and extremely informative.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Salsburg, Swiss Alps, and all the Chalets

Such beauty, and the food was yummy. Would love to go back someday.

Great overall experience in very beautiful and friendly places. Great food in abundance!

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.

Viewing the countryside from atop the ski slope

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!

Enjoyed trip and everything went as promised.

Really all of it.... all was super great

Mount Piladus- traveling up ther side of the mountain in a cogwheel train was very memorable...

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.

Climbing up the tram to Mt. Pilates .

You got me to the Alps. That was awesome.

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.

It was a five star experience!

Too many favorites to list, but Mount Pilatus was (no pun intended) a highlight!

Because of the experience on my first night in Bern, as described previously.

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.

I gave detailed comments on the evaluation I left with the tour manager

tooo much bus time very poor hotel location in bern

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.

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!

We enjoyed the ski jump tour (architectural tour) and the rail and carriage rides to the small town to visit a farm.

Walking tour of downtown Bern.

Never been on a 10 rated tour

Adequate, well located hotels. Enjoyed the Alpine show and the side trip to Gstaad.

Train ride through the Alps. Time to explore on my own. History of each place as we went through. Steady paced tour.

Hard to describe one thing the entire trip was a memorable experience

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.