10 Days in Switzerland
 

Hello Everyone! We are four friends (2 couples) planning a 25-day trip to Europe. We are planning to visit Paris, Italy and Switzerland. We will be in Switzerland from 8th August - 17th August, 2015. We will come to Switzerland from Milan in Italy. We are planning to visit the following places -

1. Jungfraujoch
2. Trummelbach falls
3. Montreaux
4. Mt.Titlis
5. Matterhorn in Zermatt
6. Gstaad
7. Jet d'Eau in Geneva
8. Rhine falls
9. Junfrau

Kindly suggest the best place to base ourselves (like Grindlewald, Wengen, etc...) if we want to visit the above places. Is it better to have more than 1 base?

We need to be in Zurich by 16th August as we depart from Zurich on 17th August.

If we have missed out on something very interesting in Switzerland then kindly suggest that as well.

Looking for some good suggestions:)

Hi aneri27390,

So I guess you'll have 9 nights on the ground in Switzerland. You could see all these things from one base, either from Bern or from Thun -- everything (except the Jungfraujoch) is within a 2-hour train ride from either of those. However, that would rob you of the joys of really experiencing the Swiss Alps.

With 9 nights, I would try to fit everything into 2 bases.

So, I would do something like this:

Milan - Zermatt 3h30. Walk around the town and soak up the views. (I personally didn't care for the village, so imo just a few hours there would be plenty). Whether you see the Matterhorn or not is entirely dependent on the weather. The only way to be certain you'll see it would be to spend 4 or 5 days there -- and I don't think you have the time to spare to do that. So, hopefully, it will be clear on your one day in Zermatt.

Continue by train later that day Zermatt - Montreux 2h40. Spend 2 or 3 nights in Montreux. One day-trip to Geneva to see the Jet d'Eau.

Montreux - Gstaad (1h30). Put your bags in a luggage locker and walk around the town, enjoy the scenery, maybe take a walk in the countryside. Continue the same day to the Jungfrau region to stay in Wengen. Spend 4 nights in Wengen.

Wengen - Luzern (about 3h). You could spend the remaining time in Luzern, as it's easy and quick to get to the Rhine falls from Luzern, and of course Titlis. The Zurich airport is only 1h from Luzern, with some direct trains every hour, so you can even stay there the night before your flight.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Way way too much in a short time - I'd cut some of those places and do more in a few placews. Anyway if you do do all those trips by train a Swiss Pass is a no-brainer - even if you do half - for lots of great info on Swiss trains check out these IMO superb sites: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com.

You really need to factor in travel time between those places - you will have very little time in each.

Hello. Thanks a lot for your inputs. We are definitely taking a Swiss rail pass.

Skip Geneva and the Rhine Falls. You have Jungfrau twice.

Skip the Matterhorn or Titlis and spend a day in Lucerne or Thun.

Spend a few days in the Berner Oberland and enjoy the peace. Too much train travel gets deathly boring.

I would probably do three bases to hit most of the stuff you want.

First Montreux - go there from Milan, about 3 hours. Probably three nights and hope that one of the following days the forecast for the Matterhorn is clear. Zermatt the town is boring and really no point in going there if the Matterhorn is clouded in, which it is about half the time. But if there is a clear day it is very much worth the two and a half hour trip from Montreux. (At least it was to me, but I had to wait five days till I got the 'good' forecast). But then, oh Wow! (www.pbase.com/annforcier/image/151988524) Take the cog railway up to Gornergrat and walk part way down). If the forecast is good on the day you travel from Milan you could stop on the way - assuming there is somewhere to store luggage, I think there is but I'm not sure. Then on the other day from Montreux as a base you could take a train or lake steamer to Geneva. Stopping at the French town of Yvoire is worthwhile, and of course the chateux in Montreux. If you ended up with a half day free the town of Sion is lovely.

Then I'd go to the Bernese Oberland. Most people will suggest you stay in Wengen or thereabouts. However, it depends on how desperately you want to see the Matterhorn. Cause if you didn't get a clear day while in Montreux (and I mean clear at the Matterhorn, not just in Montreux) then you could still go there if you based in Interlaken. The Jungfrau is going to have the same problem in terms of being not worth going to the top if it's socked in clouds. If you stayed in Interlaken you have more options depending on the weather - Jungfrau could be covered in clouds and Matterhorn not, or other way around, or both. But Interlaken is not as 'charming' as Wengen.

Last two nights Lucerne - no need to stay in Zurich.

Wengen is loved by older folks seeking solitutde in that car-free town - younger folks looking for a more apres-whatever night scene will find in more in Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen.

Wengen is a bit isolated - being about 20 minutes by train from Lauterbrunnen, which itself is about 20 minutes or so by train from Interlaken - Grindelwald about 25 minutes from Interlaken-Ost.

Oh gosh, PalQ's comments are so funny. I've visited Wengen two times (one week each) and didn't notice the place was full of older folks! I saw loads of young people hanging out (literally) at the bars in the backstreets of town -- looked like the young ski instructors.

As you're going in August, I would seriously advise you head to a car-free town to avoid the traffic and the crowding of tour busses in Grindelwald and Interlaken.

s

OK the apres-whatever scene inWengen is just as hopping as in Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen - NOT! I was making a generalization - older folks to me means families too - not younger singles who would be bored to bits in a place like Wengen - older means say 35 + or those with families.

I'd hate to tell a young buck that Wengen swings though for you it does seem to which conflicts with the solitude aspect - have you ever been in Grindelwald at peak season at night - bars on the main street rock!

Please sandav - do not be so nit picking - that is a generalization and as that it is valid - for younger bucks Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen will be much more to their liking in spite of what you say that Wengen is about the same - if so so much for the ballyhooed solitude!

Sorry Pal, but I just find your generalization to be false. The instructors were all young, maybe around 24 or 26 or so. And very very fit! I was skiing with younger folks, too, including a newlywed couple under 30 years old.

I suspect you just haven't spent enough time in Wengen to know it beyond the hype/reputation.

s

so you are saying the night life for younger folk in Wengen is just as happening in Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen?

Yes?

Well it ain't and that don't mean Wengen does not have a hopping pub scene - I would not know since I have not stayed there at night - just bopped around town a few times in the day coming down by foot from Kl Scheidegg.

But the fact that Grindelwald has several youth hostels or youth dorms such as the Nature Friends house and a large campground just lends that place many more young visitors - Lauterbrunnen has hostels too and big campground, including last I knew a Contiki-city bringing scores of single 20s types into town.

How many hostels does Wengen have - one small one I think?

Demographics just say you do not know what you are talking about when you say Wengen and Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen all have the exact same evening opportunities for younger single folk. Nope that's not the case and again not saying there are not some younger folk in Wengen but theere are scores scores more in Grindelwald - that I know because I've stayed in the hostel there and Nature Friends House and more and in the camp.

Not sure why you are trying to make Wengen into a Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen because it ain't and for many, like you, that is a big plus but for others that you cannot seem to wrap your head around.

Cheers!

Pal, I don't know why you have to be demeaining or to exaggerate my words when I disagree with you.

I ever said they were equal or had equal number of pubs and bars -- Grindelwald is larger, so of course it has more bars and pubs and people to fill them.

I only want to correct your incorrect generalization that Wengen is only for older folks. There are younger folks there, lots of them, in the bars at night. Not as many as in Grindelwald for sure, but they are there

Please try to wrap your head around the fact that people differ -- and you don't have to be insulting about it.

s