Alfa72

Hello everyone new to the forum.

My wife and I are having our honeymoon in Switzerland. This will also our first euro trip and BMW euro delivery. We created a iteinerary, which seems really busy and would like help with it. We will land in Munich, pick up the BMW and head straight to Switzerland. the biggest hurdle is having time to drive on the Nurburgring. During our stay in Switzerland we are considering staying at 2 places. 1st place is Interlaken and the 2nd is Bern. Within these 2 cities I will consider taking the train to our destinations and coming back to the same hotel(if the hotel is a good deal)

Any suggestions would be great and also and great value hotels with parking?

Thanks!



Monday September 2, 2013- Land at Germany, pick up car by 1pm drive to Lucern (3 hours and 41 mins) Spend the day at Lucern and stay there the night.

Tuesday September 3, 2013- Wake up at Lucern, Spend the day there all day and at night drive to Interlaken (1 hour), stay at Interlaken at night.

Wednesday September 4, 2013 Wake up at Interlaken and see Jungfrau, Lauterbrunnen, (29 mins) Gstaad, and Saanen. (1 hour 32 mins) Stay at Interlaken that night.

Thursday September 5, 2013 Wake up Early at Interlaken and drive to Swiss national park, stay the night near swiss national park. (Might possibly avoid this)

Friday September 6, 2013 Wake up and drive to Drive to Nurburgring(only time available for tourists within my schedule), stay the night there.

Saturday September 7, 2013 Wake up at Nurburgring and drive back to Munich, drop off BMW then either take the train or rent a car and drive to Zurich, stay there the night, if we have time, maybe we can go to Bern.

Sunday September 8, 2013 Go back home from Zurich.

PalenQ

Wednesday September 4, 2013 Wake up at Interlaken and see Jungfrau, Lauterbrunnen, (29 mins) Gstaad, and Saanen. (1 hour 32 mins) Stay at Interlaken that night.>

Too much IMO - drop Gstaad and Saanen and spend more time in the Jungfrau Region which is far more than the3 Jungfraujoch train - rather from Kl Schiedegg take the train down to Gridnelwald - a fantastic town with IMO the very best views in the area - views way different than you'll get from the Jungfraujoch - then head back to Interlaken after perhaps doing some of the sweet short hikes near Grindelwald.

For lots of great stuff on Jungfrau trains and the area check out www.siwsstravelsyste.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html and www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

nytraveler

You are trying to stuff way too much into each day.

Ascending the Jungfrau, seeing anything and coming back down is basically the whole day. Also - you need to understand you may have to wait 2 or 3 days before getting a day with clear weather at the top. The top is in the clouds much of the time - and you can see only on clear days.

And I reco strongly against such a long drive after getting off a plane - probably pretty jet-lagged. We have many road trips in europe - but either spend at least 2 or 3 days in the arrival city - or be sure that the drive is no more than an hour or so to the first hotel.

You need to slow down, relax - and have a look at what can realistically be done in one day - and stay in fewer places.

suze

I'm no expert, but have been to Switzerland a number of times. Your daily itinearies are not reasonable. Way too full.

PalenQ

Wednesday September 4, 2013 Wake up at Interlaken and see Jungfrau, Lauterbrunnen, (29 mins) Gstaad, and Saanen. (1 hour 32 mins) Stay at Interlaken that night.>

A case for a whole day in Jungfrau lollyland - do Jungfraujoch train and on way back down from Kleine Schiedegg walk the famous popular easy Ridge Walk footpath to Mannlichen - only a few miles over a wide path baby carriages can go on - en route you see down into both the Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald valleys and the Mannlichen itself, a rocky outpost overlooking Interlaken is one of the most famous look-out places in Switzerland - providing 360 degrees of fantastic views - including over the rocky spine of central Switzerland (probably can see Gstaad from here too!) - the Jungfrau Massif - glaciers - the Schlthorn and Interlaken far below lovingly wedged between its two lakes that bookend it.

From Mannlichen take the aerial cable way down to Grindelwald - giving you also the fantastic feel of swinging via cable thru this amazing area.

In Grindelwald have lunch, tea, etc. then head back to Interlaken.

xanthippe

I agree -- don't drive so far the first day after flying all night. The second day you can drive to Lucerne (if you want to stay there), and then on to Interlaken, or better, Grindelwald. Spend 2 or 3 nights where you can enjoy the scenery all day and night.

I recently spent several nights at Wengen (at the Hotel Caprice, which I highly recommend), and we were out on the balcony off and on late into the night, looking at the Jungfrau by moonlight. I would have been disappointed if we had had to drive down to Interlaken to sleep.

You must take a train up the Wengen, leaving your car in the car park (no cars in Wengen). Grindelwald will do nicely, if you want to keep your new car nearby!

Toucan

<Friday September 6, 2013 Wake up and drive to Drive to Nurburgring(only time available for tourists within my schedule), stay the night there.

Saturday September 7, 2013 Wake up at Nurburgring and drive back to Munich, drop off BMW then either take the train or rent a car and drive to Zurich, stay there the night, if we have time, maybe we can go to Bern.>

You are driving almost 1500km (900 miles) in two days. Add the stops and breaks required and you have two absolutely full and grueling days on the road. That much road driving does not sound like a great honeymoon.

You are right in saying Nurburgring is a big hurdle. It makes this whole trip very disjointed and frankly hard to do. Ideally it would be on one end of the trip, however because you have to pick up a BMW at Munich, that may be impossible.

I would fundamentally rethink the whole itinerary.

PalenQ

ttt

PalenQ

Swiss national park, stay the night near swiss national park>

I have traveled all round Switzerland and do not know what Swiss National Park is? Is it in Rutli Meadow or some other place - OP or others please enlighten me about Swiss National Park.

Thanks

Ingo

The Swiss National Park is in the Lower Engadine and Müstair valley. Actually the first National Park in Europe. Good bases are Zernez, Müstair, Scuol.

However, it's by far not as scenic as other areas in the Engadine.

PalenQ

http://www.nationalpark.ch/go/en/vis...-to-get-there/

I see - it's near St Moritz and I agree not the nearly as scenic as other areas here like the Bernina Pass - awesome Bernina Pass - if driving this far from central Switzerland do the Bernina Pass instead of the so-so national park (so-so is still very scenic but just not as awesome as Bernina Pass and its glaciers.

Alfa72

@PalenQ: Gstaad and Saanen, have 2 items my wife wants to see. It was in a movie so.... you know the rest. Any recommendations on value priced hotels in Jungfrau?

@NYtraveler: I am in agreeance with you on the jet lagg, depending on how bad it is, I will either stay in Munich or do a short drive as suggested.

@PalenQ: Do you have a suggestion on where I should take the train from? I haven't even decided where to stay in Switzerland.

@xanthippe: Hotel Caprice looks very nice, I would like to do Sept 4-6 in Jungfrau and get a similar hotel to Hotel Caprice. And for the rest of the nights, a value hotel which could be our "central hub". Any suggestions for the "central hub" with parking?

@Toucan: Don't remind me, I desperately want to drive on the 'Ring as I beleive I might not have another time to do this later on in life. I was thinking on my way back to Germany, I would drop the car off in Frankfurt take the train to Zurich and spend my last day and a half in Zurich. Another option would be to extent my flight but I would need to find hotels at great prices which unfortunately I cannot find.

@PalenQ: Swiss national park had some great pictures on it's website, I might cancel this part of the trip.


@everyone: I am having difficulty still setting the itinerary from 2nd-5th. Sept 2nd would either be Munich or Lucerne(maybe) depending on my jet lagg. I was thinking from Sept 3-5th I would stay in Jungfrau and get a romantic room(possible central hub to see the other sites), Sept 6th I would be in the Nurburgring area, sept 7th back to Zurich. For my driving experience it would either be the 'Ring or driving the Stelvio pass(Which I hear is crowded sometimes). My last and final option would be to extend my flight, but I would have to find VERY VERY cost efficient hotel rooms for us.

drchris

We travel at a fast pace but your original itinerary would just be a blur. As have others, I would suggest picking a couple of hubs and doing day trips from there. Here is a link to our 10 day itinerary, which was probably overly full. The photos may give some idea about places that appeal most to you.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ember-2010.cfm

http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisnbill

Enjoy your honeymoon!

PalenQ

It was in a movie so.... you know the rest.>

Then put in Piz Gloria and Schilthorn - Piz Gloria being the revolving restaurant building on the Schilthorn summit - out in the middle of snow and ice - a remote outpost but was seen a lot in James Bond On Her Majesty's Service when Piz Gloria was being built.

aliced

PalenQ, bookmarking several of your details for our Switz. stay in Sept. Yes, if not clear atop Jungfrau, lots of other options open up.

PalenQ

Any recommendations on value priced hotels in Jungfrau?>

Interlaken by far has the most value-priced hotels - I love Walter's B&B in the quiet Matten part of Interlaken - balconies with views of the Jungfrau Massif in the distance. Contact the Interlaken tourist office for a complete list of all accommodations with amenities noted.

Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen also have many low-budget options - I enjoyed the Nature Friends House in Grindelwald - an all-ages place with a kitchen to use - favorite for hikers.

Alfa72

@drchris: Thank you, I will check out your itinerary.

@PalenQ: Thank you, I will check out those hotels and spots to visit!

PalenQ

http://www.walters.ch/preise_e.html

Walter's charges 50 Swiss francs for a private single and 33 francs per person for doubles - all share bathroom/showers and include unlimited free buffet breakfast in your room or on your balcony. A staple for budget travelers for many years now and great views of the Jungfrau Massif from rooms. Matten is a very quiet area on the edge of Interlaken - just see meadows to the south rising up to ice-draped mountains.,