If you intend to drive through Germany,...

If you intend to drive through Germany, remember Hotel Berthotel Latschneck in the Bavarian village of Mittenwald. Good service, a friendly proprietor, pleasant rooms. And a stunning view of the Alps.

This is a small (16-room), family-operated hotel. A caring staff, good restaurant. One of those little European gems that seasoned travelers delight in discovering and find hard to leave. Skiing in the winter, hiking in summer. (Closed in April, reopens late in May till mid-October; open again for Christmas.)

See your travel agent or write to Berthotel Latschneck, Kaffeeld 1, 8102 Mittenwald, Germany. Rates from about $60 U.S. single/$125 double, including breakfast and dinner.

A Swiss Hotel

Whenever I return home from Switzerland I check in the night before my flight at the pleasant little hotel Engematthoff in Zurich. Occupies a gardenlike setting only minutes from the center of the city. Another one of those friendly hideaways providing good service at reasonable prices.

Donat D. Ludwig, the major domo, has been greeting guests at the Engematthoff for years. A big bear of a man with a huge grin, Ludwig previously operated hotels in St. Moritz. Rooms with private baths/showers, balconies, TVs, mini-bars. (To guarantee a quiet night, ask for a room facing the garden and tennis court.) If you’re driving, leave your car in the hotel’s private garage. Guests arriving by train can take a No. 13 tram from the bahnhof to Waffenplatzstrasse. Only a half-block by foot from the hotel.

Hotel Engematthoff, Engimattstrasse 14, CH-8002 Zurich, Switzerland. Rates from about $65/$90 U.S. single, $90/$135 double. Breakfast, taxes, service charges included.

Tours From Zurich

For tours inside/outside Zurich, ask your concierge to put you in touch with Hans Meier Tours Ltd. Travel by steamer, motor coach, cable car. For about $30 there’s an all-day (8 a.m. to 9 p.m.) motor-coach tour over the Brunig Pass to the lakeside village of Brienz (the woodcarving center of Switzerland), with stops in Grindelwald and Interlaken. Other coaches travel to Engelberg, where passengers board a cable car for a 45-minute ride into the Titlis Mountain range. Spectacular scenery: forests, glaciers, wildlife. The 10,000-foot summit overlooks nearly the entire Swiss Alps. The return is via Lucerne. Cost: $60.

Storybook Village

Before moving on to other subjects, here’s a tip for readers planning a visit to Switzerland’s Lake Thun area. Don’t miss an evening in the Old Town. A lighted 12th-Century castle perched on a hilltop tower over Thun’s cobbled square. Looks for all the world like a Disney extravaganza. There’s a particularly good restaurant, the Casa Barba (32012 Thun, Rathausplatz). Candles, flowers, good food. Dinner with wine: about $20.

Facing Casa Barba across the square is Hotel Krone, whose restaurant features individual dining rooms. Rooms in the hotel are priced from approximately $36 to $90.

Hotel Krone, Rathausplatz, CH-3600 Thun, Switzerland.

Note: Thun is a good jumping-off point to Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, with its magnificent snowcapped mountains. Scenery that’s hard to beat--anywhere in the world.

Amtrak

Amtrak’s popular off-season fares are being given an encore this year. Take the train one way, pay only $7 for the return trip. The offer is good on most journeys with a one-way full fare of $65 or more. In addition, Amtrak’s All Aboard America fare provides passengers with the opportunity to travel for 180 days in various regions of the United States at discounted rates. Coach prices from $179 (one region) to $259 (three regions). Makes for substantial savings. Up to three stopovers permitted.

See your travel agent or contact Amtrak at toll-free (800) USA-RAIL.

Colorado Ski Lodge

You’ll pay $59 per person (double occupancy) for a one-night package at the Peaceful Valley Lodge and Ranch Resort in Colorado. Includes a full American breakfast, a lift ticket, taxes, service charges. The ranch is 60 miles west of Denver, 22 miles from the El Dorado Mountain Ski Resort. An indoor swimming pool, sauna, hot tub, game room. Sleigh rides, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, riding.

The $59 package is based on availability. Good for one night only. You’ll pay extra for the shuttle bus to El Dorado.

Peaceful Valley Lodge and Ranch Resort, Star Route, Box 2811, Lyons, Colo. 80540. Telephone toll-free (800) 537-2901.

Sun Valley

On Dec. 16, America West will begin airlifting winter vacationers from LAX to Sun Valley, Ida., aboard Boeing 737 jets. (The ski season at Sun Valley begins on Thanksgiving Day.) The new nonstop air service gets you to Sun Valley in about two hours. Besides flights from LAX each Saturday, connecting flights are available via Las Vegas Wednesday through Sunday. Round-trip fares begin at $228 (restrictions apply).

Contact your travel agent or America West. Additional information by calling toll-free (800) 635-8261.

Las Vegas

A 64-page magazine titled “What’s On In Las Vegas” tips readers on lounge acts, shows, tennis, golf, gaming, theater/arts, dining (names dozens of restaurants). A map pinpoints hotels, casinos. Other sections list a calendar of events, RV parks, tours and childrens’ activities, including a $1 trolley ride (stops at all major hotels). Additional details about Lake Meade, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire, Old Nevada, the Ethel M. Chocolates and Cactus Gardens, Grand Canyon, Red Rock Canyon, Death Valley, Nellis Air Force Base. This is no giveaway (costs $2.50) so unless you’re serious about a trip to the desert spa, it’s a trifle expensive. Details from “What’s On In Las Vegas,” 610 S. 3rd St., Las Vegas, Nev. 89101.

Reader Recommendations

Washington--Phillip and Jane Williams, Pacific Palisades: Describe the Captain Whidbey Inn on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound as “elegant rustic” and the staff as “courteous and helpful,” with “clean and comfortable” accommodations and “food and wine that are excellent.” Accessible by car ferry north of Seattle. The Captain Whidbey Inn, Coupeville, Wash. 98239. Rates: $55/$95.

Colorado--Gail and Allan Anderman, Culver City: “Eastholme B&B;, 444 Haggerman St., Cascade, Colo. 80909. Beautifully restored 1885 Victorian inn with seven large guest rooms. Won Colorado’s 1989 award for excellence in preservation. Mountain setting just six miles west of Colorado Springs. A fully equipped kitchen is available for use by guests. Rates: $35/$55 double, including full breakfasts.”

California--Joseph A. Broger, Pacific Palisades: Enjoyed Sky Mountain at Stallion Springs, Star Route 1, Box 2800, Tehachapi 93561. Telephone toll-free (800) 367-0470 or (805) 822-5581. “Peace, quiet, ancient oaks. Championship golf, tennis, swimming, hiking, health club. Rates: $75/$125. Condos: $95/$150.”

Rhode Island--Joan Horvath, San Diego: “The Willows Resort Motel & Restaurant, P.O. Box 1260, Charleston, R.I. 02813. The resort is 30 minutes from historic Mystic Seaport Village in Connecticut, and the famous Newport mansions. Rates: $71.50/$85.50 double.”

England--Jim and Janet Reynolds, Anaheim: “Orchard House Hotel, c/o Peter and Chris Pettet, St. Mary’s Road, Brixham Devon, England. Rate: 12.60 per night for bed and breakfast.”

Scotland--Ana Lya Sater, Los Angeles: Garfield Guesthouse, 264 Ferry Road, Edinburgh EH5 3AN, Scotland. Large rooms, shared bathroom. Rate: $20 U.S. per person.

Yugoslavia--David Goodwill, Rancho Palos Verdes: “Hvar Island, Split. Palace Hotel at head of main square overlooking harbor. Approximately $30 U.S. double.”