European Tour

Date- 14th September 2010

(Day 3)

Countries- France and Switzerland

State/County- N/A

City/Town/Area- Mulhouse France and Meiringen Switzerland

Locations- Schlumpf Musem Mulhouse and Das Sherlock Holmes Hotel Meiringen Switzerland

URLS

Notes

Metz to Mulhouse France then on to Meiringen Switzerland

An early start, despite our fears the cars are still there and unmolested. A good breakfast and off onto more motorway for the flog across to Mulhouse. On the way we stopped at Epinal for coffee- a charming little town. The trip onwards to Mulhouse is a more interesting drive and we decided upon the route over the col - for the first time giving the Mini a proper outing on the hairpin bends.

At Mulhouse we go to the Schlumpf Museum – a major car museum that my Brother-in-law Peter knows well. It is huge and Peter and John are going to stay on there all afternoon and visit the railway museum on Wednesday morning. The Schlumpf really is worth a day’s visit (petrol-heads plese note), though Rod and I can manage only lunch in the museum and a couple of hours as we want to get onto Meiringen in Switzerland. The whole of the Schlumpf museum is accessible, and very good value, wheelchair users are free, parking is not.

If Bugatti are your thing the Schumpf has more fo them than you can sake a stick at!

Then on to Meiringen. We get to Switzerland in just over an hour, at the customs we buy our ‘vignette’ – the pass you need for driving in Switzerland (40 Swiss Franks- about £32), these last a year but the year runs January through December so ours will run out in 2 months!

Driving in Switzerland is complex as speed limits change in rapid succession, 2 or 3 in the space of 500 meters some times. The Sat Nav is vital for knowing what the limits are. However Swiss drivers are pretty law-abiding and courteous so things are not too stressful.

We arrive at Meringen (site of the fictional last encounter between Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty) and stay at [Das sherlock holmes Meiringen Alpbachallee 3 CH-3860]. Access is via the lift (proper sized lift) in the lower level and parking is on the street next to the hotel (3 franks per night).

Accessibility

Schlumpf Museum- first rate

Das Sherlock Holmes Hotel - Good

Parking

Good at both places

Toilets

None in Epinal that were accessible, Good facilities at Schlumpf, OK at Das Sherlock Holmes Hotel

Accommodation

The das Sherlock Holes hotel is fully accessible except for the swimming pool and my room, though not specially adapted (I don’t think they have any specifically adapted rooms) is very roomy and my bathroom is large enough to manage. Meals are served in the accessible restaurant or the bar and the bar (also accessible as is the terrace) the staff could not have been more helpful and pleasant.

Other/General

My Overall Accessibility Rating

9 out of a possible 10 for Schlumpf Musem Mulhouse and 7 out of 10 for Das Sherlock Holmes Hotel Switzerland