We spent a wonderful week based in a chalet in Lauterbrunen, fall 2011,with kids. Easy access to many major sights, Trummelbach falls, Staubach Falls, Jungfrau, Schilthorn, day trip to Lake Geneva, Gruyeres, Lake Thun, etc... There are so many spectacular things to do, it's just a matter of picking and choosing - it's all amazing! Have fun!

thanks sundance....did you guys hire a car? How much should i typically expect to pay for a 2 bedroom apt for a week?

cheers

We drove (temporarily living in Europe). I used homeaway.com. Prices vary greatly depending on the time of the year. I have been happy with homeaway on many many trips. While Switzerland is expensive, the franc is comparable to the dollar (as opposed to the euro).

Take a large wallet.

Alternativley stay in the French Jura (mont Blanc) enjoy walking in unspoilt meadows and enjoy significant culinery pleasure at sensible prices.

http://www.informationfrance.com/departments/39:jura

To get here, fly into Paris, Geneva, Lyon, Mullhouse

You need to understand tha tthe tops of the mountains are in the clouds on many days - and you can see nothng from the top. So you can;t count on ascending on any specific day - you need to leave this part of the trip open. We stayed in Interlaken and couldn't ascend the Jungfrau until out 3rd day there - way too many clouds and a waste of time and money.

We generally rent apartments/chalets/villas so the very reason that cooking a few meals here and there saves a lot of money - AND gives the kids a lot more freedom and we're all more comfortable.

Eating out is expensive in Switzerland - but it's BEAUTIFUL AMAZING GLORIOUS Switzerland! Packing a sandwhich or stopping by the Coop for snacks is always an option.

We had an amazing time. You can check the weather at the tops of the mountains before heading up so no need to waste time or money. Just go up when it's clear. There's plenty to do down below if you have to wait for a nice day. Exploring nearby Wengen, Murren and Gimmelwald were fabulous.

I recommend Rick Steves book on Switzerland - you can also watch his video on Hulu. Plus other online info on his website.

As he says, the cities are nice, but any day in Switzerland not spent high in the Alps is a shame.

Funny, as I was writing this, my 6yo brought me her squished penny momento from Junfraujoch.

I think you'll be able to enjoy the many activities at the top of Junfrau (sledding, dog sled run, etc) that we weren't able to do in October when it's already too cold.

I mean bigger cities - Lake Thun and it's magical little towns(especially Oberhofen), and Gruyeres knocked my socks off. I was disappointed with Montreaux (sp I know) but Chillon was stunning.

thanks sundance and others for the useful tips. I am trying to book something around beatenberg area for 5 nights. Initially I was thinking splitting between lucerne and grindlewald, but thought it would be convenient to base at one place and make day trips. For our budget of around 100-120 USD per night its hard to find anything near the town centre/shops.