Binitha

Hi..im travelling to switzerland in september and will be there for 10 days.Please advise on places to visit,so that i can effectively utilise my 10 days there.Also suggest budget hotels to stay at each place.

Binitha

Just to add a few more details for a better pic.
We will be landing in Zurich on.How does
Zurich-Interlaken-Zermatt-Zurich sound?Basing myself in Interlaken,i can visit Bern,Luzern,Jungfrau region and Montreux.I plan to spend 4 days at interlaken,4 days at Zermatt and 2 days in Zurch.Please advise if this itinerary is fine or i could revamp the whole thing.

swandav2000

Hi Binitha,

Your plan sounds just great -- you're hitting some great places. I'd only suggest that you stay up in the mountains instead of in Interlaken; head for the villages of Wengen, Muerren, or Grindelwald to get the most of your stay. Interlaken is just a crowded city while the villages have loads of character.

I'd also suggest you drop Montreux from your day-trip plan. That's about a four-hour train trip each way -- far too much for a single day. Instead, spend the day on one of the sweet, gentle alpine walks in the mountains.

Let me know if I can help further!

s

swandav2000

ps,

You can get train schedules at www.rail.ch.

s

jmw44

Just a tiny alternative. You could stay in Brienz or Spiez at the bottom (more village atmosphere than Interlaken), and this would make your daytrips to Bern or Lucerne or even Montreux (if you really are stubborn) possible while still close enough to go up to Grindelwald or Murren, etc. This way, you'd have a mountain stay (Zermatt), a city stay (Zurich), and a small town on a lake stay (on Brienzersee or Thunnersee). Have fun planning. J.

clevelandbrown

As to reasonable lodging, I would suggest you look at
http://www.minotel.ch/minotelPublic/main/advantages.asp

We have stayed at a couple of their affiliates and have not been disappointed, especially if you can find one that is offering 3 nights for the cost of 2. I was surprised to see that they even had this deal in August, when I would have assumed everything would be fully booked with no discounts. Of course, they may not have an affiliate in the locations you choose.

emtravel

It is always a dilemma where to stay for convenience - in mountains or below. We chose to stay in Murren and enjoyed it. But this is true if you wish to be in car fre environment and like walks/hikes. I think last place to leave a car is Lauterbrannen. Train to get to Interlaken takes I think 20 mins but it is a sightseeing in itself. I also did not care for Interlaken but we are not into shopping, casino, etc.

Some people stay in Brienz or Spiez if you like to visit lakes. In this case, car is better than train in my opinion.
However, we toured them on the way from Bernese Oberland to Bern or Montreaux for that matter.

Remember, Swiss rail allows you to send luggage ahead. Therefore, when we left Murren, went down to Interlaken, checked in our luggage toweards Bern and spend a pleasant day touring lakes.

If you want to see Montreaux, you can continue from Interlaken to Montreaux,stay there overnight and fly from Geneva (if you do not have tickets yet). I think more logical is to fly from/to Zurich and back from Geneva.
I have a trip report on our one of the trips to Switzerland, if interested, let me know.
Happy Travels!

But we don

suze

I'd skip Montreux. It's too far out of your way for this trip. Unless you want to revise itinerary (not that I'm recommending this) and use Geneva as your airport and include other stops in the Vaud (Lausanne, Vevey, Montreux). Montreux's great (I will be there next month staying there with a friend who lives there) but I wouldn't spend an 8-hour RT train ride just to have a look around town.

mikemo

If you plan to drive anywhwere in the Alps, I would highly recommend John Hermann's "Motorcycle Journeys in the Alps". It's now in the 3rd ed. I think. My 2nd ed is worn out.
M

jmw44

Hi all. Binitha, I know the longer you think about your trip, the more places you'll come up with to see -- it doesn't get simpler, it gets more complicated. But that's part of the challenge of planning a trip to Switzerland. Your basic outline is a good one.

Note to emtravel, both Brienz and Spiez are on rail lines with lots of trains going toward Lucerne, or Bern, or from Spiez toward Lac Leman. Unless Binitha really wants to drive, there's no downside to using the Swiss travel system to daytrip. Of course, this comment is from a devoted fan of Swiss trains, buses, and boats. J.

clevelandbrown

From Spiez, Montreaux would be an easy and scenic day trip. You train up the valley through Gstaad and on down to Lac Leman. I liked Bern, but Thun, which is closer to Spiez, was very nice also, as they have preserved much of the old town, including a castle. We stayed near Spiez and one day took the train to Thun, then a postal bus to Oberhofen (another castle/museum) and planned to take a boat back to Spiez, but saw it leaving from a window in the castle, so had to take the bus/train back.

flygirl

I think when you get to the Berner Oberland you won't want to go far afield! the train trip from Montreux to Zermatt is about 3.5 hours or so. Maybe see Montreux/Lake Geneva on the way to Zermatt, but I wouldn't go all the way there and backtrack.

sunstar

Wow, some others have already given you some good advice.

I would stay in Grindlewald and just enjoy the beautiful area.Hiking, mountain biking and many things to do in this area.

You do not have to be a super hiker to enjoy the era.

Not to knock on Montreux, but I'd drop that visit. There is a castle there and a nice lake where you could grab a lake cruise, but I'd stay where the mountain breeze is cool! Just my opinion, even though I am right.

9/11 never, NEVER forget!!!!

rach

Binitha,
Unless you are HUGELY into hiking, I'd shave a day off the Zermatt trip. Three days and two nights based in this region gives a nice sampling of area hikes/lifts, and an opportunity to see sunrise/sunset plus sample a little of the nightlife.
You might be a little less travel-frenzied if you need the time elsewhere.
Otherwise, enjoy the multitude of area hikes and hope for good weather!
PS I am a great fan of the town of Brienz, based on a clear blue lake with snow-capped mountains as a backdrop all around. Lakeside cafes to sip lattes, wood-carvings to watch or buy, an open-air museum of ancient rural dwellings just a ten minute ride away (Ballenberg) and a great train incline for fabulous views (Rothornbahn).
Enjoy!

Binitha

Woow!!! My mind is spurring with tour plans.Thanks soo much.
Now im confused on whether i should stay in grindelwad,brienz or spiez.
I will be arriving in zurich in the nite and i intend to take the train right away to bernese oberland(brienz,spiez or grindelwad).
If i were to stay in one of these villages,wouldnt 4 days be too many days to spend there? I definitely need a stay near the lake with mountain backdrop.And im certainly fixed on the idea of spending few days in Zermatt.I intend to stay in zurich on my return..last 2 days.
Note: I will be relying totally on the swiss railway network for my transport.Please suggest with this in mind.........HELP....my trip is nearing and im lost with my itinerary!!!!..Also i have dropped Montreusx from my plan,jmw44...im not stubborn enough to forfeit 8 valuable hours for just one place!!

swandav2000

Hi again Binitha,

Well, if you want to stay "near the lake with mountain backdrop," then Grindelwald isn't for you! The lake is about 30 minutes away by train. So if the lake part is important to you, your only choice is between Spiez & Brienz.

I was in Spiez in May, and though it's a charming place, I don't think I'd want to stay there. The town is lovely, the harbor is enchanting, and the castle is great -- but somehow they don't all add up to a great town. For one thing, the harbor area is somewhat distant from the town, which is uphill a few blocks. The harbor is very small, just three restaurants and two hotels, and the dock!

I think I'd opt for Brienz. But do make sure you get to Spiez, maybe by ferry, to check it out!

Hope this helps!

s

emtravel

jmw44,
we did both drive and train. We do love trains but some areas like French Switzerland to require drive. Unless you use post busses. Trains do not go everywhere. For example, Greyers (sp?) - it is not easy to get without a car.
sophia

swandav2000

Hi Folks,

emtravel, I do respectfully disagree. Gruyeres is easy to get to by train from Montreux/Vevey area -- I did it nicely, (only one change, Montbovon). I've rented a car only twice in Vaud and both times regretted it.

s

rach

Binitha,
Just me again, loudly casting my vote for Brienz.
I stayed in a vacation apartment in this town for ten days last May, using the trainpass to get about for daytrips.
Get a room with a balcony and lake view!
There is a swimming beach just ten minutes walk from the RR station, lake cruises often, the Incline Rothornbahn for beautiful views, the bus to Ballenberg Open Air Museum (check out their website at www.ballenberg. ch)
and those lovely lakeside cafes.
Be sure to walk the main street far away from the RR--there are plenty of cute shops/cafes further down AWAY from the tourist stops.
Meander up the narrow alleyways climbing the hillside, checking out centuries-old chalets.
Interlaken Ost is only a 12 minute ride away for connections into the mountains!
This is not a place for big nightlife, just crickets and quiet (mostly) after 10 PM.
The town's website is www.brienz.ch
Accomodations are "Unterkuenfte"--I don't recall if parts are in english...

rach

Better english site with accomodation listings/descriptions/pics:
www.alpenregion.ch
click english, then hotels