Edi Travels with Kids

Last autumn, we spent 9 days traveling across Switzerland and northern Italy with my two daughters (4 and 7 years old at the time), and I just wanted to share that experience. Here the trip video https://youtu.be/y5qKWutb16I?si=Uis8v...

We live in Munich, and in early November during the school holidays I usually struggle with travel ideas:
the Alps can already be wintery,
southern Europe can see already miserable weather,

Winter time already kicked in with its short days and 5pm sunsets

Locations like the Canary Islands have limited and expensive flights,
and flying far away for just a week never really makes sense for us.

This time we decided to wait until the last minute to check the direction forecasting good weather for the following week — which turned out to be the area between Piemonte & Liguria in Italy, and Graubunden & Tessin in Switzerland. One of our most visually beautiful trips.

We moved mostly by bicycle and on foot, starting in Chur (Graubünden) and then moving south into Italy’s Piemonte and Liguria, before ending in Ticino (Tessin).

The route looked like this:

Evening drive Munich (Germany) - Bad Ragaz (Switzerland). Hotel Krone (150 EUR).

Day 1: bicycle ride in the wineyards between Bad Ragaz and Chur and perfect bright yellow autumn colours. Evening drive to Asti (Agriturismo I Suri’, 136 EUR including fantastic dinner)

Day 2: Visit Asti, as the only slightly rainy day. Afternoon ride to Neive in the Langhe region and walk around there. Guesthouse Vinoland (104 EUR). Absolutely peak autumn colors.

Day 3 and 4: 2 days backpacking through the Langhe wine region, spending the night in the Dimora Manichei in Monforte d’Alba (130 EUR).  Landscapes and colors absolutely unbelievable: must do!

On evening of Day 4, drive to Liguria - Savona station, parked the car there, and went by train transporting the bicycles to Ventimiglia. (Hotel Posta, 104 EUR).

Days 5 and 6: cycle from Ventimiglia to Savona all along the Ligurian coast, with an overnight in Imperia (Casa Dante, 94 EUR). Full mediterrenian feeling with the sea on one sinde and pastel colored houses on the other.

On the evening of day 6, picked up the car in Savona and drove to Lago d’Orta (Piemonte) where we spent the night in the Hotel Ramoverde in Borgomanero (95 EUR)   

Day 7: walked around the Lago d’Orta and its magnificent Montesacro. In the evening drove to Druogno, at the border between Italy and Switzerland Val Vigezzo, where we spent the night in the Albergo Stella Alpina (190 EUR including dinner).

Day 8: ride by bicycle from Druogno to Locarno all along the Centovalli and overnight in Ascona (Parkhotel Emmaus, 163 EUR). Fantastic ride, but at the beginning of the valley at higher altitude the trees were already without leaves

Day 9: panoramic hike on the path along and above the Lago Maggiore between Losone and Ronco Sopra Ancona. Drove back to Munich in the evening.

What made this trip so special:
• Peak autumn colours everywhere
• Except for half day in Asti with a drizzle, and the day around in Chur partly cloudy, pure sunshine and 22 C all the way
• Nobody around, not sure why, even in places like Barolo, on the Ligurian coast or Lago d’Orta
• Huge variety in landscapes: vineyards, sea, mountains, lakes
• Very relaxed travel rhythm, perfect with kids

We didn’t over-plan accommodation and stayed flexible, booking along the way depending on weather and energy levels — which worked perfectly.

All in all: highly recommended if you like slow travel, hiking, cycling, and want to experience northern Italy and southern Switzerland without the crowds.

If anyone wants more details let me know. Here https://youtu.be/y5qKWutb16I?si=Uis8v... video of the trip and GPX routes in the description.

 

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