gbandi

Hi there,
We are making a 6 day stop over in switzerland on our way to asia from usa. I need help in planning an itinerary and making reservations. mostly interested in stuff which kids will enjoy (eg boat rides, train rides, kids museums)

8/9 we arrive ZRH at 10am
leave luggage with left luggage at the airport
go to interlaken and spend the evening there, possible boat tour to thun
8/10 excursion to Jungfraujoch
8/11 excursion to Lauterbrunnen and Schilthorn
8/12 travel to luzerne and spend the eveining with boat trip/transport museum/lion monument
8/13 mount pilatus trip
8/14 mount titlus trip
8/15 have flight at 9.45 am from ZRH

have a lot of questions
1. TRAIN or Rental car: leaning towards train pass. which one should i buy? 2 savers pass + family card for 8 days or 2 flex savers pass for 4 days
2. where should i leave my extra luggage? are unattended lockers big enough for 30" suitcases (they are cheaper than attended luggage) ? are there cheaper left luggage at train stations than the airport ?
3. where should i stay in IL area? mountains or IL town? lot of walking will not be tolerated well by the kids. how about luzerne area?
4. whats a good place/website to get reasonably priced kid friendly accomodations? should i look at VRBO and airbnb or go with consolidators like orbitz/expedia?
5. are there kid friendly routes, destinations, activities, hotels you all would suggest?
6. should i do mt. pilatus and titlus or one of them is good?
7. is there a way to squeeze matterhorn/zimmetMontruex?
8. will it be possible for me to get a train from IL to ZRH early AM on 9/15 or should i do a transer the night before and stay by the airport somewhere? my flight is at 9.45 am and i am not sure how long will it take to get the luggage and do the check in and security check for an international flight?

Again we wish to keep things simple and relaxed with the kids so not running around a lot...

PalenQ

1. TRAIN or Rental car: leaning towards train pass. which one should i buy? 2 savers pass + family card for 8 days or 2 flex savers pass for 4 days>

well manhy places you are going in the Jungfraujoch region won't even let cars in but force you to park them for a rather steep rate - for your itinerary trains are best - even if you do not get a Swiss Pass you can I believe get a free Family Pass where kids under 15 with at least one parent (must be parent) always go free - even on things that are only discounted with the Swiss Pass.

Swiss Pass very useful for your Jungfrau plans because it covers 100% trains to Lauterbrunnen, thrilling aerial ca bleways to Murren and gives 50% off Murren to Schithorn long long cable car ride (again kids with Family Pass never pay a dime even on discounted things - take the lift up from Lauterbrunnen's train station then for variety take the cable from Schilthorn to Murren then cable down to Gimmelwald (100% covered by pass) then an absolutely awesome thrilling aerial cable way to Stechleberg for a postal bus back to Lauterbrunnen - all 100% covered.

By all means take the tykes and you on a Lake Thun cruise - in late afternoon if the sun is out the Jungfrau Massif dramatically hovers over and reflecgts in the lake - Oberhofen is a nice destination - castle there by the boat dock - nice resort type town for eating, buying snacks, etc. Bring a picnic on the boat if you want - just flash Swiss Pass -100% covered - ditto for a boat ride on even moree gorgeous fjord-like Lake Lucerne if you have time.

In Lucerne you can take a boat to Alpnachstad - and then the thrilling mountain train to Pilatus and for variety again take the eq

PalenQ

equally awesome aerial cable way from the summit of Pilatus down to Krens, in suburban Lucerne and catch the trolley bus back to the town center. bus covered by the pass - Pilatus train 50% off but again kids always free.

The Jungfraujoch train is tricky from Interlaken in pricing - pass 100% valid to either Lauterbrunnen/Wengen or Grindewald but from there to Jungfraujoch via Kleine Scheidegg it is only 25% off instead of the usual 50% - I believe kids go free on this railway too but not totally sure - check in Interlaken.

As an alternative to the Swiss Pass you may consider the Berner Oberland Pass since it also covers I believe Lucerne area - not sure - and the Jungfrau Region with more 100% validities and 50% discount on Jungfraujoch train, etc.

anyway for lots on Swiss trains, passes and things like the Half-Fare Card and Swiss Card check out these IMO fine sites: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. There is also a Jungfraubahn Pass covering a smaller geographic area - the Jungfrau Region and boats on the lakes but its cost is so expensive that you'd have to be in the area using it several days.

PalenQ

7. is there a way to squeeze matterhorn/zimmetMontruex?>

Not unless you add days or ditch Lucerne - perhaps makes Lucerne an overnight before flying out - one day in Lucerne itself is enough though I would try to do a boat ride there too - kids will love the boats that I know!

Trouble with only going to the Matterhorn to see the Matterhorn and that IMO is reason enough to just glimpse this world's most famous mountain visages, regally standing sentinel high up at the end of of Alpine glacier-strewn valley back dropping the whole Zermatt area - well the problem is the the Matterhorn is fickle - not unusual to have its head in the clouds and not be seen for the whole day or more.

Ditto for Mt Pilatus and even more IMO - if the first day in Lucerne Pilatus' near equaly famous visage is out of fog or clouds or mist go for it - I have been in Lucerne many times and am struck at how few times I have been able to glimpse the old man of a mountain Pilatus.

nytraveler

You can;t be that rigid about what mountain you will see then. The highest mountains are often in the clouds for days at a time - and there is no point is spending time and money to ascend when you can't see your hand in front of your face.

Be more flexible about what you do each day - and be aware that there is a better chance of decent weather on the lower mountains that the Jungfrau (we were in Interlaken 3 days before we got one that was clear at the top).

gbandi

Thanks palenq and ny traveler.
Have another question. What's the weather gonna b like in august, both lowlands and ip the mountains. I am hoping a jeans with half sleeve t shirt would work in lower elevations. Do I need ski pants, thick coats and boots for the top or a jeans with fleece and downs coat will b enough.

PalenQ

Up top of the Junfraujoch the average daily high one August when I was there they said was 32 F or 0 C - so not really cold - layering is always suggested in the Alps - climbing makes you warmer - when the sun pops out too - take off a layer - when the winds whip up put it back on. I've always just put an extra sweat shirt on, etc - no need for any special shoes, etc.

Mimar

Instead of Lake Thun I'd look at Lake Brienz. (Thun and Brienz are the 2 lakes Interlaken is between.) For each lake, the boat leaves from the train station, Interlaken Ost for Lake Brienz (and also for the trains up into the Bernese Oberland), Interlaken West for Lake Thun. The boats are covered by the Swiss Pass.

The reason I suggest Lake Brienz is its access to the Open Air Museum near Brienz. The Open Air Museum is like a mini-Switzerland, with examples of houses from the different cantons and demonstrations of old time crafts like cheesemaking. Plenty of room for kids to run around. The bus to the museum meets the boat at Brienz.

Interlaken, stretched out along the river between the lakes, is a long town. Lots of walking from one end to the other. You'll get a more Swiss experience staying in a small town up in the mountains, a town like Murren or Wengen or Grindelwald.

PalenQ

The Ballenberg Open-Air Museum is great - lovingly set in a meadow overlooking an Alp-hemmed in Lake Brienz and if you have a Swiss Pass you get free entry - about a $25 value I think.

A great day out as Mimar suggests - boat from Interlaken-Ost station (just go out the back door of the station and find the boat waiting) - many like to get off at Geissbach Falls - take the antique funicular to the famous hotel and thundering water cascade.

reboard the next boat or take a bus to Brienz from where buses go to the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum. Intrepid travelers could also squeeze in a look at Reichenbach Falls where Sherlock Holmes and his arch-enemy Dr Moriarity fought until the evil Dr presumably fell to his presumed death in the roaring rocky waters far below the belvedere on which they were fighting.

PalenQ

From Brienz another thing to do on a boat trip on Lake Brienz is to take the Brienzer Rothorn Bahn - a steam train that starts its steep steep descent right from Brienz' train station just opposite the boat dock.

I took the train up and walked back down on easy zigzagging paths. 50% off with a Swiss Pass.

gbandi

Thanks all,
would like more help with some help with remaining questions?
where should i leave my extra luggage? are unattended lockers at ZRH big enough for 30" suitcases (they are cheaper than attended luggage) ? are there cheaper left luggage at train stations than the airport ?
whats a good place/website to get reasonably priced kid friendly accomodations? should i look at VRBO and airbnb or go with consolidators like orbitz/expedia?
will it be possible for me to get a train from IL to ZRH early AM on 9/15 or should i do a transfer the night before and stay by the airport somewhere (any recs would be great) ? my flight is at 9.45 am and i am not sure how long will it take to get the luggage and do the check in and security check for an international flight?

PalenQ

I always say stay at least in your departure city the night before such an early flight - when is check-in?

Train strikes though rare in Switzerland, rail accidents could shut down trains for a while...if a non-refundable ticket be there the night before!

PalenQ

first train from Interlaken Ost weekdays seems to leave 5:21 am and takes a bit over 2 hours - so if arriving by 8 am in the airport is fine then that would do. Change at Zurich Hbf - Hauptbahnhof or main in town station.

gbandi

Any recommendations for the route to mt. Titlus. Would likely be using the Swiss pass?
Any recs for kid friendly places in Zurich, might have to kill some time in Zurich if I get the day before..

PalenQ

Any recommendations for the route to mt. Titlus. Would likely be using the Swiss pass?>

Well there are two ways - take a boat and train or go all by train - I'd try to incorporate a boat trip coming or going- once in Engleberg, base city for Mt Titlis like Zermatt is for the Matterhorn then you take a mountain conveyance to near the summit (50% off with Swiss Pass - the boats and trains 100% covered.

PalenQ

You could take the boat to or from Hergiswil and transfer to or from the train from Engleberg to experience the fantastic Swiss lake boats! the boats of course start and end in Lucerne.

PalenQ

i am not sure how long will it take to get the luggage and do the check in and security check for an international flight?>

Swiss Railways has a bag to plane scheme where you pay $20 or so and the bag is delivered right to the airline check-in I believe (not sure how it works but if one wants to ditch a heavy bag that's an option - not sure how far ahead you could send however.

PalenQ

http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...l-baggage.html

apparently it may work now only when flying to Switzerland - you check your bags in a foreign airport and have it automatically transferred to any train station in Switzerland. Max 32 kgs a bag - 22 Swiss Francs per bag.

Could let you skip waiting for bags at airport and just take off after landing and Customs.

swandav2000

Pal, it's called "Check-in at the Railstation:"

http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...ilstation.html

It works 24 hours before your flight.

s

PalenQ

Thanks Swandav - I thought it may have been scrubbed with terrorism threats, etc. A great service!