A planning studio, not just another travel blog
We turn the overwhelming dream of an Alps trip into a clear, confident plan, built on real miles in the mountains and a method anyone can follow.
People dream about the Alps for years. Then they sit down to plan and hit a wall of questions: Switzerland or Austria? Zermatt or Wengen? Train or car? How many days is enough? What’s worth splurging on, and what’s overrated?
Alps by Design exists to answer those questions with confidence. We don’t just hand you information. We hand you decisions, built on a repeatable framework we call the Alps Design Method: choose your base, your route, your season, your pace, and your splurge.
The goal is simple: help you plan a beautiful, realistic, high-confidence Alps trip, and never waste your best travel days.
Five decisions turn an overwhelming dream into a real trip
Most Alps sites hand you information. We hand you decisions. Every guide, tool, and itinerary we make runs on these five filters.
- 01
Base
Where should you sleep?
The right base town makes or breaks an Alps trip. We match you to villages that fit your pace, budget, and the views you came for.
- 02
Route
How should you move?
Train, car, or cable car. We design routes that minimize backtracking and maximize the scenic, time-worthy legs.
- 03
Season
When should you go?
Wildflower summers, golden autumns, snow-globe winters. The month you choose changes everything about the trip.
- 04
Pace
How much should you fit in?
The biggest first-timer mistake is moving too fast. We help you decide how many bases and how many days each deserves.
- 05
Splurge
What is worth paying for?
Some experiences are worth every euro; others are overrated. We tell you where to spend and where to save.
Who’s behind it
Jon Miksis · Founder & travel writer
Alps by Design is a Global Viewpoint brand, founded by Jon Miksis, an award-winning travel writer whose work has been featured in Forbes, HuffPost, Yahoo Travel, and The Boston Globe, and who has been trusted by national tourism boards across Europe and beyond.
He has spent years in the Alps, going back at least twice a year to all six countries the range touches, from the Bernese Oberland to the Dolomites to Slovenia’s Julian Alps. Switzerland was the place that first made him fall for big mountains, and the obsession has only deepened since.
Alps by Design takes the personalized trip planning he has long done for travelers and focuses it entirely on the Alps, sharpened into a method, a field-researched database, and guides an expert reviews before they reach you.
One detail we care about: every photograph on this site is his own, shot on the ground across the six Alpine countries, never stock. When you see a village or a lake here, it is a place he actually stood.
As featured in
- Forbes
- HuffPost
- Yahoo Travel
- The Boston Globe
Postcards from the Alps
Every image on this site is Jon’s own, shot on the ground across the six Alpine countries. A handful from the road.
How we plan
The standard behind every base, route, and recommendation on this site.
We go ourselves
Our recommendations come from real trips across all six Alpine countries, not a content farm. We have stood on the ridgelines, ridden the trains, and learned which valleys actually deliver.
We take positions
We tell you what to skip, not just what to see. When something is overrated, we say so, and we point you to what to do instead.
We keep it current
A small editorial team fact-checks the details, pricing, and logistics, because lifts, trains, and restaurants change every season.
We stay independent
We earn through affiliate links and our paid guides, never by being paid to recommend a place. If we would not book it ourselves, it is not in the guide.
What we’ve built
A growing, field-researched library covering the six great corners of the Alps. Explore the work.
Who we’re for
- ✦Americans planning a once-in-a-lifetime Alps trip
- ✦Couples after a romantic, scenic Europe trip
- ✦Families who want an easy, beautiful summer in the mountains
- ✦Remote workers and slow travelers looking for the perfect base
- ✦Adventure-curious travelers who want epic views without extreme logistics
Not sure where to start?
Take two minutes to find the Alps base that actually fits your trip, then we'll send the route to match.
Or get the free 7-day starter route: