mrsconcord

My husband and I will be traveling to Switzerland with our 1-year-old daughter for a week in September. We will be in the central and eastern parts of Switzerland (before moving on to Austria for 2 weeks). We would love to stay away from busy areas and keep it low-key and relaxing in the interest of keeping our baby comfortable. We like to be a little off the beaten path, but don't want to be too isolated. We are in our 30s and we are most looking forward to exceptional scenery, great food and beer and wine, walks in the wilderness, maybe a few museums, gardens, etc.

Below is a rough itinerary with some ideas for places to stay and things to do and see. I would love to hear any comments.

---ZURICH: 1 night
---LUCERNE: 3 nights
Hotel ideas: Hotel des Alpes, Hotel Wilden Mann, Des Balances Hotel, Hotel Schiller, Waldstaetterhof
To do & see: Picasso Museum, Chapel Bridge, Pilatus, Rigi Kulm, Mt. Titlis, Engelberg, Hotel Chateau Guetsch, hike around old city walls, steamer to Rutli meadow, boat to Brunnen.
---STEIN AM RHEIN: 3 nights
Hotel ideas: Hotel Adler, Grenzstein, Hotel Chlosterhof
To do & see: Meersburg, Lindau, Mainau Insel, Marbach Castle, Schaffhausen (Rheinfalls), St. Gallen, Appenzell, Winterthur, Rapperswil (Children’s Zoo)

Some of my questions include the following: What kind of train pass would be best? The Switzerland-Austria one seems expensive since we are only traveling short distances on some days. Any recommendations on what to do in the smaller towns? If we can't make it to all these towns, what are the highlights? Is it possible to stop in both Winterthur and Schaffhausen in 1 day on the way to Stein am Rhein or should we skip one? Any opinions on hotels? Am I missing any major sights? Are there any scenic trains (pre-alpine express?) that are worth fitting into our itinerary? Any fantastic restaurants to recommend (not too fancy to bring a baby)?. Other tips on traveling with a baby?

I promise to follow up with a trip report after we return.
Thank you!

juliejulie

ttt

PalenQ

The only railpass you would consider is the Swiss Pass - not the much more expensive and less inclusive Austria-Switzerland 'Eurailpass' - Eurailpass being the key there to not offering nearly all that a Swiss Pass does - Eurail not being valid on many boats (though both passes are valid on boats on Lake Lucerne) nor on city trams or buses or postal buses or some rail lines and would not give 50% off on Pilatus, Rigi Kulm and Titlis ascents, like the Swiss Pass does. And the Swiss Pass also gives free entry to over 400 Swiss Museums - and your child always go free, being under 4.

Here are some fantastic sites for planning a Swiss train trip and about passes and alternatives - www.swisstravelsystem.com - links to scenic speciality trains like the Pre-Alpine Express that you could easily fit into your itinerary it seems and also to www.sbb.ch - Swiss Federal Railways for schedules and fares to compare to the pass - you are not traveling as much as many but still the pass can be great deal - especially if you can comport the 4- or 8-consecutive day passes to your time frame - then virtually everything that moves in Switzerland, except cows, would be covered from the get to to the got gone; and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - check out their really good Swiss section; www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com

If i were traveling with a baby i would by all means consider first-class travel and pass - lots of empty seats always in my several decades of Swiss train travel - empty seats for kiddo to nap, on - more area to move around in, etc. and always being able to IME find adjoining seats - now 2nd class for average travelers is just fine but it can get crowded at times - very crowded at times - you never know but with first class you do know there will be lots of emtpy seats IME.

PalenQ

To do & see: Picasso Museum, Chapel Bridge, Pilatus, Rigi Kulm, Mt. Titlis, Engelberg, Hotel Chateau Guetsch, hike around old city walls, steamer to Rutli meadow, boat to Brunnen.
Well if you have only 3 days in Lucerne you cannot possible see the sites in Lucerne as well as ascending Titlis, Pilatus and Rigi - especially with a toddler in tow IMO

Each of those mountain peaks IMO would take most of a day - perhaps Pilatus, being practically in Lucerne could be a half-day excursion. But i do think the three mountain peaks would be too ambitious and Mt Rigi being the much less dramatic i would probably put that third on my list.

PalenQ

Are there any scenic trains (pre-alpine express?) that are worth fitting into our itinerary?>

Well if you go to Engelberg you take a really scenic train from Lucerne up to this Valhalla of an Alpine resort - prettier IMO than the Pre-Alpine Express - though that is pretty too, just not in the dramatic mountain-climbing sense as the Engelberg train

and if you go up Mt Pilatus you can take a lake boat to Alpnachstad and from there you take one of the very most thrilling Alpine railways to Pilatus Kulm (summit) - the for variety take the scintillating aerial cable car back down to Krens - in suburban Lucerne with buses taking you back to town.

PalenQ

Hotel Chateau Guetsch>

If you go there please tell me if the old antique funicular train that used to go up there is working again.

Thanks