Laurieobella

We will arrive in Basel by riverboat 9-7 and we fly home from Geneva 9-17. We'd like to visit the mountain summits, valley waterfalls and lakes. We love easy to moderate hikes, 4-5 mile max.

My first thought was:
4 days BO
3 days lake geneva area maybe Vevey
2 days Chamonix
Last night in Geneva

My second thought now is maybe it is too much travel to get to Chamonix and we would be better spending one more day in BO and Lake area or we could spend our first night exploring Basel.

Also where do you like for the BO hub? we'd like a mountain village. Grindelwald, Murren or Wengen.

Thanks in advance,
Laurie

PalenQ

Well if going by rail check into some kind of Swiss Pass or Half-Fare Card, etc, for lots of info on Swiss trains check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Chamonix is nice but you may have your fill of mountains - in a positive way -in the BO - Wengen is a great base-Murren to me too isolated from other day trips. Grindelwald is much more busier but a great utilitarian base.

I'd try to work Lucerne in for a few days rather than Chamonix - great days out on lake boats.

twk

We stayed in Wengen last June, and I would stay there again if I go back to the BO.

I agree with Pal that Chamonix probably should be cut, either giving the days to BO and Lake Geneva, or maybe by going to Lucerne.

If you are going to Geneva just because you are flying out of there, that's not necessary--if you stay anywhere on the lake, you can take the train to the airport on departure day. Geneva does have some things to see, so maybe you purposely scheduled it that way, but you can make a daytrip there from a Vevey base if that is the concern. I generally would prefer not to change bases if it wasn't necessary.

Laurieobella

Thanks PalenQ and twk. Our flight is at 9am from Geneva. I'm guessing we'd need to be at the airport 6am. I'll check the train schedules. Would love to see CERN. Hubby may have heart set on Chamonix for hiking but I think BO will be spectacular too.

Dogeared

You will in fact have 9 days to work with. I see no point in going to Chamonix. I would look at where I want to spend my days between Basel and Geneva only.

Depending on what time you actually arrive in Basel on the 7th, you may want to stay the night or move on directly to somewhere else for your first night. Basel certainly has things of interest for most people to see and do.

How much time to spend where depends entirely on your interests. One person could spend 2 weeks in the BO while another just wants to see the scenery, snap a few selfies and move on. Quality vs. quantity.

Regarding hiking, forget miles and learn to think in terms of hours. All hiking trails in Switzerland are signposted in time, not distance. If you think about it, it makes much more sense that way. How long it will take you to hike a given distance will differ depending on whether it is on the flat, uphill or downhill. Once you have hiked a few sections and see how your time compares to the average time shown on the signposts, you will know how to judge accordingly. Distance tells you nothing.

The Bernese Oberland is the usual first timers choice to see the picture postcard Switzerland that they expect. As such, it along with a few other popular spots like Zermatt are the most visited and therefore the most crowded. How you feel about that can affect how long you want to spend there.

Look into the Golden Pass Line panorama train from Interlaken to Montreux for your travel onwards to Geneva.

PalenQ

Hubby may have heart set on Chamonix for hiking but I think BO will be spectacular too.>

I think the BO has even better hiking -many more places to hike and IME of both better groomed trails.

PalenQ

You could easily do Chamonix as a day trip from Geneva -direct buses take about an hour or so. Trains much longer as they run a round-about route due to hills.

If you do stay in Chamonix then take the scenic train down from there to Martigny, Switzerland with connections to Visp, Spiez and Interlaken.

PalenQ

I think Basel to BOB should be first

Go to Lake Geneva area (or Chamonix area)

Take the fabled Golden Pass scenic train between Interlaken and Montreux (next door to Vevey).

Maybe spend first day in Basel -really nice city on Rhine.

Spend night before flight at airport hotel or one in Geneva -not Vevey.

neckervd

The train ride from Interlaken to Chamonix is very scenic:
Interlaken dp 9.08 by Golden Pass Panoramic Express to Gstaad - Montreux ar 12.13, dp 12.40 by Lake Geneva boat via Chillon Castle to St-Gingolph ar 13.38, dp 13.51 by train to Martigny ar 14.38, dp 14.46 by Mont Blanc Express to Chamonix ar 16.12
http://www.goldenpassline.ch/en/
http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/...d-express.html
http://verticalp-emosson.ch/en/decouvrez

Laurieobella

Thank you everyone. We've decided to skip Chamonix. We will spend the first night in Basel then on to Grindelwald for 5 nights. Golden Pass train to the Lake Geneva area for 3 nights. Then a quick overnight to Geneva for an early departure for the States.

Thanks again for your help.

Pepper_von_snoot

I am not a fan of Grindelwald. Too much traffic.

The Jungfrau Marathon is September 8-9. Could derail your plans. Large crowds, lots of traffic, trains packed.

Thin

PalenQ

Golden Pass train to the Lake Geneva area for 3 nights.>

check out the unique VIP seats on GP train! See official site for details.

Laurieobella

Oh no! Pepper thanks for the heads up. I will need to look in to it. PalenQ we will def take the Golden pass train. I'm glad we have 5 days! I have a reservation in Grindelwald but I haven't ruled out Wengen. I also like Murren but I think that may be a bit off the beaten path. I def want to stay in the mountains not the valley.

PalenQ

Wengen is sweet for folks who like quieter towns - no cars and not so many of the many younger travelers who are found in Grindelwald, which even has music in pubs at night when I've been there.

Murren yes too isolated for other day trips.

I prefer Grindelwald because there is more action - climbing and hiking groups coming thru and more restaurants and night places (not that Wengen is completely bereft of those but more sedate than say the main drag in Grindelwald which receives many many more tourists and bus groups.

Dukey1

Exactly where on Lac Leman (lake Geneva) did you decide to spend those last nights?

Pepper_von_snoot

You don't have to call me Pepper.

My name is Joanne Gucci.

I am a rich white lady who likes to shop at Bergdorf's and Cartier.

All my jewellery is REAL!

Don't be a hater,
Thin

kja

If I could afford a room with a really good view, I'd go for Wengen, no doubt about it! I couldn't, and so I spent several nights in Lauterbrunnen, which worked very well for me. I was not enamored of Grindelwald, which seemed to me to be overrun by tour groups, but maybe I didn't see it at its best.

No need to take the "Golden Pass" train unless you want to -- regular trains run by Swiss Rail take exactly the same rails, but at more frequent times.

IME, Vevey makes a good base for the eastern end of Lake Geneva -- good choice!

IMO, Basel is a delight. I see that your goals don't include time in any Swiss cities, but if you do stay overnight, do consider making time to roam around and maybe visit one or two of it's highlights.

Enjoy!

swandav2000

Hi Laurieobella,

Like kja and Pepper/Gucci, I also dislike Grindelwald in the summer months. I've skied out of there twice, and it was great (crowded, but great). But when I visited in the summer once with my mother, it was really unpleasant.

Because that's as high as vehicle traffic can go, that's where they all go and park, including lines of tour busses. It's a pretty small town, and it can't really gracefully absorb all that traffic -- and the down-loaded day-tripping passengers. They all swarm the streets of the town and clog up the small stores, and they eventually get to the train station to make the trip up to the Jungfraujoch.

Lots of folks say it's fine, that you only notice it in the daytime, so they plan to be out of the town during the day. However, I'm something of a slow traveller, and I like to spend time in the towns rather than rushing off (or feeling that I had to rush off) first thing in the morning.

My mom and I spent a day in Wengen during our trip, and it was an amazing difference. Because it's a car-free town, there is virtually no traffic, and the foot traffic is dramatically reduced. There can be something of a mob at the train station, but once you step away from that, the village is peaceful and quiet. Just what you'd expect an Alpine idyll to be. So, yes, I join the others in recommending Wengen (where I've spent 2 vacations).

What are your plans for your 2 nights in Vevey?

Have fun as you plan!

s

PalenQ

Yup Grindelwald and Wengen are different as night and day - folks who love quiet settings - car-free- and not into nightlife love Wengen -great for families and older folk -but younger active types may find Grindelwald more their slice of cheese - especially if you want to stay in youth hostels or the Nature Friend's House, etc- much cheaper than anyplace in Wengen but of course not for everyone.

I've stayed in Grindelwald several times and am always out during the day when the town is so busy with folks coming and going (and something I rather like) - I've had hotels on quiet car-less lanes too.

I now recommend Wengen as being better suited for most who post here but qualify it by saying some would be bored stiff in a Wengen but love the action in Grindelwald.

Dogeared

I consider Wengen, Grindelwald, Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Murren, as all places to be avoided EXCEPT for the first time visitor. It's kinda like Niagara Falls or Las Vegas to me. Everyone has to go there once. After that, you find better places to stay.

For example, anyone who has spent any time in the Alps knows you want to be on a south facing slope. All of the above villages are not! You want to be on the south slope to get the sun, not be in shadow most of the day.

Go a short distance away from Interlaken et al and you can find hotels that still have easy access to wherever you want to go in the area and yet are on south facing slopes and usually for considerably less cost.

Here is one I am familiar with for example.
https://www.ixigo.com/hotel-gletsche...and-hid-395700