Fingolin

Good afternoon,

I will be travelling with 4-days Swiss pass to Switzerland in the upcoming days, arriving to Basel in the middle of the morning.

I will be staying 2 nights in Wengen and 1 in Luzerne. Could anyone please give some advice on the plan below:

Day 1: Trip from Basel to Wengen (need advice on whether and what should visit on the way in Basel or Interlaken or Wengen);

Day 2: Wengen - Jungfraujoch - Kleine Scheidegg - Wengen

Day 3: Luggage by express train to Luzern

Morning: Wengen–Männlichen Aerial Cableway - Grindelwald Gondola Cableway

Lunch: Grindelwald

Afternoon: Grindelwald - Interlaken - Golden pass line to Luzern

Night: Christmas markets and Dinner Luzern

Day 4: Lake Luzern + suggestions (which are welcome)

Thank you.

Pepper_von_snoot

Mannlichen Gondola & Grindelwald Gondola to get from Wengen to Grindelwald isn't going to take that long. I can't see it taking more than 40 minutes altogether, with 20 minutes walking around Mannlichen to see the view. That gives you about one hour. Not much of a morning adventure.

There is no snow in Wengen right now (and 42 Fahrenheit), but I don't know if there is snow on the trail from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg. I would suggest a walk down if it were possible.

What are you going to do in Interlaken? Grindelwald?

Thin

Fingolin

Interlaken would be just a gateway to/from Wengen.

As if we go directly from the airport to Wengen can arrive at 14.30, i was considering if to stop on the way in Basel, Bern, thun or Interlaken before heading there or to spend the afternoon in Wengen área.

Which walk down are you suggesting? Any other visits i can add to the second morning in Wengen or should head to Luzern earlier?

Thanks you for the help.

PalenQ

For lots on Swiss trains and passes which may benefit you check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Pepper_von_snoot

>which walk are you suggesting?<

There is only one walk from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg.

There really is nothing to do in Wengen except walk around and look at the views.

Wengen is a base for seasonal hiking or skiiing.

If you were not going to ski or if it were to snow and you couldn't hike, you would be stuck.

Wengen is a tiny car-free village.

I suppose you could take the Grutscalp gondola up to Murren and walk around and admire the views. However, if it were to snow you would be stuck.

I hope your hotel has a hot tub.

Thin

PalenQ

Yes stick to towns at lower altitudes -maybe even Interlaken itself if not into snow adventures.

Fingolin

Thank you for the inputs.

Any advice regarding the way there? Bern, Thun, Basel, etc or after (Luzern)?

rncheryl

Try Hotel Des Balances in Lucerne for a wonderful meal

PalenQ

Any advice regarding the way there? Bern, Thun, Basel, etc or after (Luzern)?>

Bern would make IMO the best short stop - you are ready to stretch legs by then and the train station is smack in the heart of the lovely lovely town center.

After Lucerne too.

nytraveler

You really can't count on ascending the mountains on any specific day - since the weather can turn bad any moment. If you are going to be skiing fine- but for sightseeing if the wether isn't clear - several days a week at least - you will see nothing at all.

Frankly I don;t get going to Switz in winter except for winter sports of some kind - since so many other things are closed or impossible.

IMHO Lucern is the best tourist town since you can get to a lot of places from there and it's good itself for a day of sightseeing (ancient town walls, wooden bridge, etc). We love the Wilden Mann hotel and restaurants (formal and bier stube). Thun is charming for a day and Bern has enough to see for a day. I am not a fan of Basel, since I had a client there and frankly rolling up the sidewalks at 6 pm was a big PIA.

PalenQ

I am not a fan of Basel, since I had a client there and frankly rolling up the sidewalks at 6 pm was a big PIA.>

this is endemic in many Swiss towns and cities - In Zurich I saw the same and few stores open on Sunday - tourist towns like in the Alps have Sunday openings though in season.

nytraveler

Yes, it's rue except in real tourist areas. And for a New Yorker it's frankly really irritating. But worse when you have to take a client out to dinner and by 8 pm (when we would normally go TO the restaurant - they are emptying out). A client from OZ who worked there had to go food shopping in Germany since Sunday was her only free day and everything in Basel was closed.

PalenQ

Even train stations which in many countries have small food stores open on Sundays and holidays I found were often but not always closed in Switzerland -I remember being in Zurich Hbf one early evening and everything shut down by 7-8pm-may have changed as that was several years ago.