Review Itinerary and provide feedback

Old Jan 22nd, 2015, 06:04 PM
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Review Itinerary and provide feedback

Planning a 7 day trip in Swiss (7 days exclude travel days). We are a family of 4 with 2 kids aged 5 and 3

Here is what I have planned:

Date Day Travel Stay
16-May Saturday Zurich - Solothurn Solothurn
17-May Sunday Solothurn - Montruex Montruex
18-May Monday Chocolate factory trip Montruex
19-May Tuesday Montruex - Interlaken Interlaken
20-May Wednesday Interlaken - Lucerne Lucerne
21-May Thursday Lucerne - Zermatt Zermatt
22-May Friday Zermatt - St.Mortiz St.Mortiz
23-May Saturday St.Mortiz - Zurich Zurich
24-May Sunday Zurich - Airport

Do you think this is doable with 2 young kids? If I need to modify, what locations should I exclude?
mridula_gokulnath is offline  
Old Jan 22nd, 2015, 06:28 PM
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The best and most scenic area of Switzerland, the Berner Oberland, is best seen in the mountains, not in Interlaken. Look at Grindelwald as it would be easy with children. You can visit the Jungfrau from there.
Skip concrete filled St. Moritz, or if in that area stay nearby in pretty Pontresina.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2015, 08:34 PM
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kja
 
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This trip sounds very rushed to me, and I'm not sure how realistic it is, as you allow no room for the possibility of bad weather. It sounds to me like you would be spending an inordinate amount of time in transit, with far too little time to actually see the places to which you are traveling.

For train schedules, see http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html
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Old Jan 22nd, 2015, 09:38 PM
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Hi mridula_gokulnath,

Remember that you lose about half a day of "outside" time with each move due to the chores of packing up and checking out of one hotel, then checking in and unpacking at the other. This will take even longer with children, unless the 5-year-old and the 3-year-old can pack and unpack themselves . . .

With 9 nights, I would suggest only 3 stops so that you'll have some time to see where you are. Believe me, you will not be bored or run out of things to do! I would suggest something like:

Oberland x3 nights
Montreux x3 nights
Luzern x3 nights

or

Zermatt x3 nights
St. Moritz (area) x3 nights
Luzern x3 nights

You'll see more and you'll remember more.

Have fun as you plan!

s
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Old Jan 23rd, 2015, 10:02 AM
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Thank you all so much! All the feedback is much appreciated!
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Old Jan 23rd, 2015, 11:17 AM
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Does this seem reasonable?

Date Day Travel Stay
16-May Saturday Zurich - Solothurn Solothurn
17-May Sunday Solothurn - interlaken Interlaken
18-May Monday No travel Interlaken
19-May Tuesday Interlaken - Montruex Montruex
20-May Wednesday No travel Montruex
21-May Thursday Montruex - Zermatt Zermatt
22-May Friday Glacier Express to Chur Chur
23-May Saturday Chur - Zurich Zurich
24-May Sunday Fly out
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Old Jan 23rd, 2015, 12:30 PM
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I think it is still too rushed. With only eight days two locations with day trips would be better - much better.

Interlaken itself isn't that 'great'. It's a very touristy town (although it does have a nice old town that most tourists never even get to cause they are staying in big hotels on the main street - but it's small and can be seen in an hour or so). It does make a good base though because you can go up into the mountains or take day trips on the lake to Thun, etc. and/or to Bern. The good thing about basing in Interlaken is that you can look at the weather each day and if it's clear go up to the mountains and if not it's better to go to Bern or Thun, etc. Some days the mountains are entirely in clouds. If you only allow one day in a location and that day is bad weather you're screwed.

Same thing for Zermatt - if you go there just one night your chances are probably less than 50-50 that you'll see anything. I based on Lake Geneva for six days a few years ago and every morning checked the weather for Zermatt. Not till the 5th day did it make sense to go there - every other day it was cloud covered.

If I were you I'd plan 6 nights in Interlaken and plan day trips up to the nearby mountains (Bernese Oberland), to Bern, on the lake to Thun, and possibly even to Zermatt (it's only a bit over 2 hours each way so quite doable as a day trip). Gives you plenty of options to rearrange each day based on weather. Then move to Lucene for the last two days - you can get to Zurich Airport from Lucerne - no need to spend the night in Zurich.
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