After lots of planning,learning and making reservations we are off to Switzerland tomorrow via Venice for 4 nights.
Then by train to Ascona for 4 nights to relax and enjoy a Midsummer Ball,before we pick up a car to drive over to Vevey for 6 nights. We will meet Pauline and Steve in Vevey and generally get to know the area a little.

Thanks to ST's for their help,although I am still seeking information about Villa San Remigio.
Wendy and Ricardo !

That sounds like a great trip you have planned.

I look forward to hearing more about it and hope you have a wonderful time.

Wendy, I know you and Richard will have a wonderful time... how great to have yet another rendezvous with Pauline and Steve.

Bon Voyage!

Kathy

See you soon Wendy and Richard!!

Thank you everyone.. I feel ready for this break but I can't believe it's time to go already.

Wendy

I envy you!

Enjoy your trip, and watch out for some spectacular scenery in Switzerland!

Wish I could have fit in Venice with my trip - maybe soon.

Please share your experiences (with photos) when you're back

Susan

Hello Susan,
We've been back nearly 2 weeks and had such a good time we have had dreadful trouble re adjusting to life back home.
Venice was delightful in the summer but we were lucky with the weather. The train from Santa Lucia to Ascona was very very easy, we paid a porter 10 euros to transport our luggage from the dock and onto the train so we felt that was very good value.
The trip across Italy was enjoyable spent in good company with some Americans but not so good for a party of 8 who were taken off the train at Milan because they did not want to pay their fines for not filling in their Euro Pass ticket properly and accused the guard of keeping the money himself.... ( that was quite disconcerting as the Police were called.)
We liked Ascona but were very lazy although we did enjoy discovering the Maggia Valley and took the Centovalli trip. We had wonderful weather in Ascona too and managed to visit the gardens of Villa San Remigio in Pallanza which are simply exquisite.

Driving across the Simplon Pass it started to rain and continued to do so for the next couple of days so we wondered whay we had left the sunny Ticino behind fro Vevey.
We met up with Pauline and Steve, visited Castle du Chillon and enjoyed exploring the Lavaux wine region. When the sun did come out we were spell bound by the views across Lac Leman to the mountains from our balcony and I could have spent a whole day watching the ever changing light.
We had a lovely evening up in the mountains in Leysin with Pauline and Steve in their very attractive apartment.
The following day took a funiculaire and a couple of train rides up into the mountains and a long boat trip round the lake.
Then it was time to go home but we did so via some enchanting towns like Nyon with it's castle and lakeside promenade en route to Geneva airport.

We are planning a return visit already but may go by train instead of flying.
I hope Richard will post some photos soon...thank you everyone for your good wishes.
Wendy

Wendy,it sounds as if you had a great ime. Like you we are finding picking up the threads of life at home hard after our trip too. The remedy is to plan another trip!! We have Edinburgh next week,Florence coming up in August......Lanzarote in February and either Spain or Italy next summer(we are in negotiation about the location!)and as we had to cancel Ireland for August due to exam results I am hoping to fit in a short trip there next year as well.

I know you are not keen on Ryanair but they are doing free...no taxes nothing flights from the UK to various different European destinations in Nov,Dec and Jan. Unfortunately we cannot travel out of school hols but for anyone that can it is a great offer.

Hello Poet,
We do have more trips planned including our forthcoming weekend in the Cotswolds and Cornwall in September but I am keen to try more travel by train acrosss Europe. It would take a lot of bribes for us to travel to Stansted to pick up a flight, Ryanair or otherwise!

We found it particularly dificult coming home this time, probably because our trip was so long and quite involved in it's planning.

I am lucky enough to be on a teacher's contract so get 13 weeks paid a/l a year taken whenever I like but Richard gets less leave than me so we are always stretching his allocation to get as many trips a year in as possible.We also have our aged dog to take into consideration so our wings have been clipped a little of late.

I am glad you had a great trip, with many forthcoming ones to look forward to.
Wendy

From London to Stansted cost us more than the flight tickets by Ryanair!

Still, it was worth doing (including the 4:30 a.m. start!!) because we flew London to Edinburgh for 2 pounds each ticket!

Our trip to Switzerland was by BA Holidays, though. Included accomodation with breakfast, as a package. Some good deals there, from time to time, if you keep looking.

Susan

Hello again Susan,
Welcome to Slow Travel!
I enjoyed reading your link about your short trip to Switzerland.

We are jaded flying travellers,we live very close to Heathrow and find the long check in times and waiting for luggage quite stressful.
Gone are the days when we'd fly out to somewhere simply because it was "cheap" and I do feel a twinge of environmental responsibilty as I get older.

We have had our fill of cheap flights over the years and will definitely be using the train for short hops to places like Geneva in future to see how we get on.
Wendy