15 days Switzerland - too long?
Jan 25th, 2017, 10:10 AM
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15 days Switzerland - too long?
Hi experienced travelers 
We are heading to Switzerland mid-June to celebrate my husband's big birthday and here's how we've organized our trip!
June 21 depart US
June 22 arrive Zurich spend the night
June 23 short ride up to Schwarzdalp
June 24 start our hut to hut hike to Grindelwald.
June 25 hike to Wengen
June 26 extra day in Wengen - we are taking the train today to Jungfraujoch
June 27 hike to Obersteinberg inn
June 28 hike to Murren (our hut to hut hiking ends today evening)
June 29 train to Schilthorn - back to Murren for the night
June 30 Murren - just to relax and take a stroll through to Gimmelwald and back.
July 1 to Luzern
July 2 Luzern - cogwheel Pilatus
July 3 to Zurich
July 4 home.
I know I"m missing out on Geneva and Bern - probably more for Gruyeres that looks so cute near Geneva or in Geneva, can't recollect now where exactly it is located. I know we are missing out driving Switzerland perhaps...but are we spending too much time in this country and should we maybe cut out luzern etc and try to hop across to Lake Como in Italy or do Vienna in Austria - I've always wanted to do Hallstat in Salzburg...any thoughts?!
thanks so much!
We are heading to Switzerland mid-June to celebrate my husband's big birthday and here's how we've organized our trip!
June 21 depart US
June 22 arrive Zurich spend the night
June 23 short ride up to Schwarzdalp
June 24 start our hut to hut hike to Grindelwald.
June 25 hike to Wengen
June 26 extra day in Wengen - we are taking the train today to Jungfraujoch
June 27 hike to Obersteinberg inn
June 28 hike to Murren (our hut to hut hiking ends today evening)
June 29 train to Schilthorn - back to Murren for the night
June 30 Murren - just to relax and take a stroll through to Gimmelwald and back.
July 1 to Luzern
July 2 Luzern - cogwheel Pilatus
July 3 to Zurich
July 4 home.
I know I"m missing out on Geneva and Bern - probably more for Gruyeres that looks so cute near Geneva or in Geneva, can't recollect now where exactly it is located. I know we are missing out driving Switzerland perhaps...but are we spending too much time in this country and should we maybe cut out luzern etc and try to hop across to Lake Como in Italy or do Vienna in Austria - I've always wanted to do Hallstat in Salzburg...any thoughts?!
thanks so much!
Jan 25th, 2017, 11:05 AM
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With your current Swiss plans no Swiss Pass would be of interest to you-but a Half-Fare Card which gets 50% off everything that moves in Switzerland probably would -50% off the Jungfraujoch train pays alone for much of the pass (valid for 30 days)-buy it at any Swiss train station upon arrival.
There's no train to Schilthorn but a very long gondola ride - since you are hikers why not hike down -very pretty with great views the whole way.
for lots on Swiss trains check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.
There's no train to Schilthorn but a very long gondola ride - since you are hikers why not hike down -very pretty with great views the whole way.
for lots on Swiss trains check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.
Jan 25th, 2017, 11:17 AM
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Is Zurich a destination or an overnight city you thought was obligatory for no other reason?
Looking at your interest in hiking and other places, your affinity to Zurich is not clear. Unless your flight into Zurich is super late you can travel straight to pretty much anywhere in Switzerland upon land and even arriving at accommodations before you can check-in. Also unless your departure from Zurich is super early, you can stay in Luzern until the morning of the departure. There are frequent trains from Luzern to Zurich. This frees up two nights without sacrificing much, if any at all.
You "could have" gone to Italy or Austria in more rational manner by not doing round trip flight to Zurich, but do multi-city into Italy/Austria and return from Switzerland or vice versa. If you have already bought round trip air tickets to ZRH, you have boxed yourself in and it is too late. You can still zip to Austria or Italy upon landing at ZRH if your ZRH arrival is early. What it does is to take advantage of the time you cannot check-in to your accommodation, time to kill, into time to travel far.
Looking at your interest in hiking and other places, your affinity to Zurich is not clear. Unless your flight into Zurich is super late you can travel straight to pretty much anywhere in Switzerland upon land and even arriving at accommodations before you can check-in. Also unless your departure from Zurich is super early, you can stay in Luzern until the morning of the departure. There are frequent trains from Luzern to Zurich. This frees up two nights without sacrificing much, if any at all.
You "could have" gone to Italy or Austria in more rational manner by not doing round trip flight to Zurich, but do multi-city into Italy/Austria and return from Switzerland or vice versa. If you have already bought round trip air tickets to ZRH, you have boxed yourself in and it is too late. You can still zip to Austria or Italy upon landing at ZRH if your ZRH arrival is early. What it does is to take advantage of the time you cannot check-in to your accommodation, time to kill, into time to travel far.
Jan 25th, 2017, 03:26 PM
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Nope haven't bought my air tickets yet, but yes the thinking was Zurich as the entry/exit point that's about it! From SF I'm thinking just getting to Zurich alone will be about 1-2 stops plus 10-14 hours?! We never get "good" flights living on that side of the coast So after arriving in Zurich...I don't know that we would want to zip across to Austria or Italy for a night or two? we like cities too...we like hiking, cities, countryside...open to all of it. Just looking at the itinerary I think it's fairly relaxed and gives us a great sense of Switzerland...but...feel tempted to hop to another country..maybe i need to just learn to be okay with slowing it down
Unless we skipped Luzern at the end and then that would free up about 2-3 nights to maybe hop to another country...debating...
So after arriving in Zurich...I don't know that we would want to zip across to Austria or Italy for a night or two? we like cities too...we like hiking, cities, countryside...open to all of it. Just looking at the itinerary I think it's fairly relaxed and gives us a great sense of Switzerland...but...feel tempted to hop to another country..maybe i need to just learn to be okay with slowing it down Unless we skipped Luzern at the end and then that would free up about 2-3 nights to maybe hop to another country...debating...
Jan 25th, 2017, 03:29 PM
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June 25 hike to Wengen>
Two routes I would consider - walk up to Kleine Scheidegg then take wide track that mountain bikes even go over gently sloping the whole way to Wengen. Consdier walking down from here after doing the Jungfraujoch train - l did and it took just a couple of joyful hours- again a gradually descending trail.
Or straight from Grindelwald to The Mannlichen - celebrated viewpoint then really steeply down to Wengen. Going up to The Mannlichen is also a bit less steep.
The Mannlichen-Kl Scheidegg Ridge Walk is probably the most popular hike or really stroll in the whole Jungfrau area- it offers views over both the Grindelwald amphitheatre and Lauterbrunnen Valley. There is a gondola Mannlichen to Wengen.
Two routes I would consider - walk up to Kleine Scheidegg then take wide track that mountain bikes even go over gently sloping the whole way to Wengen. Consdier walking down from here after doing the Jungfraujoch train - l did and it took just a couple of joyful hours- again a gradually descending trail.
Or straight from Grindelwald to The Mannlichen - celebrated viewpoint then really steeply down to Wengen. Going up to The Mannlichen is also a bit less steep.
The Mannlichen-Kl Scheidegg Ridge Walk is probably the most popular hike or really stroll in the whole Jungfrau area- it offers views over both the Grindelwald amphitheatre and Lauterbrunnen Valley. There is a gondola Mannlichen to Wengen.
Jan 25th, 2017, 03:59 PM
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As a rule, I think taking public transportation while in Switzerland makes MUCH more sense than trying to drive while there! JMO.
From your title, it sounds like you are wondering whether 15 days is too much for Switzerland? I spent a full month there, and my biggest challenge was deciding what I would skip. You might find some useful information in my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...any-thanks.cfm
Enjoy!
From your title, it sounds like you are wondering whether 15 days is too much for Switzerland? I spent a full month there, and my biggest challenge was deciding what I would skip. You might find some useful information in my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...any-thanks.cfm
Enjoy!
Jan 26th, 2017, 07:19 AM
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If you cut out one overnight stay in Zurich, you could add an overnight stay in Grindwald, and use it to take a hike that isn't on your point-to-point trek, or, if you have bad weather, to make a daytrip to Bern. You could also use that day as your possible Jungfraujoch trip, if the weather is nice (then use your Wengen day for something else, like hiking from Schnygge Platte to First). We did 15 nights in Switzerland last June, spending a week in Wengen, and the weather was really uncooperative (unusually so, apparently). Those hikes you have planned in that area will not be nearly as satisfying as they could be if you are making them in weather such that you can't see much of your surroundings.
Jan 26th, 2017, 08:25 AM
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Zurich airport - Schwarzwaldalp:
3 1/2 hrs train and bus journey. Departures every hr from 5.40am until 13.47
Be aware that weather is always unpredictable in the Alps and that rainy days cannot be excluded. Have a plan B for these days.
The hikes from Stechelberg to Obersteinberg and from there to Murren (via Gimmelwald, BTW) are rather short.
I don't think that Schilthorn will bring you any additional value after Grosse Scheideg, Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch.
3 1/2 hrs train and bus journey. Departures every hr from 5.40am until 13.47
Be aware that weather is always unpredictable in the Alps and that rainy days cannot be excluded. Have a plan B for these days.
The hikes from Stechelberg to Obersteinberg and from there to Murren (via Gimmelwald, BTW) are rather short.
I don't think that Schilthorn will bring you any additional value after Grosse Scheideg, Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch.
Jan 26th, 2017, 09:08 AM
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I don't think that Schilthorn will bring you any additional value after Grosse Scheideg, Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch.>
My subjective take is that I enjoyed Schilthorn/Piz Gloria as much as anything in Jungfrau Region - it's very different - in part I like it because James Bond's On Her Majesty's Service was in large part filmed there.
My subjective take is that I enjoyed Schilthorn/Piz Gloria as much as anything in Jungfrau Region - it's very different - in part I like it because James Bond's On Her Majesty's Service was in large part filmed there.
Jan 26th, 2017, 11:38 AM
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Switzerland is one of the most expensive places on Earth - so is 15 days too much for your budget?
But at least hiking a lot cuts down expenses as there is little to spend money on while hiking.
Restaurants are really pricey -maybe try for self-catering accomms?
But at least hiking a lot cuts down expenses as there is little to spend money on while hiking.
Restaurants are really pricey -maybe try for self-catering accomms?
Jan 26th, 2017, 12:46 PM
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My experience with Switzerland is that the longer you stay, the cheaper it is. So, rather than make several short forays into Switzerland as part of other trips, I think you do better financially to take one big bite.
Jan 26th, 2017, 02:32 PM
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June 23 short ride up to Schwarzdalp>
From where - Grindelwald or Meiringen? The Grindelwald Bus links both to Schwarzdalp.
From Zurich you could go by train Interlaken-Ost to Meiringen (or take lake boats there) - a cute little town with a Sherlock Holmes Museum in a teensy-weeny small chapel in the town center.
Then take the bus or walk from Meringen to nearby Reichenbach Falls- a huge water cascade where Sherlock Holmes and nemesis Dr Moriarity tangled on a belvedere overlooking the middle of the falls.
You can hike on path up there or take the antique funicular - pick up bus or walk on to Schwarzdalp.
You could go via Grindelwald and then bus but you will go over that route in your hike to Grindelwald- and the train or boat ride on Lake Brienz is awesome as are the falls.
Maybe you were planning to do this but if not consider it.
I walked one day from Grindelwald up to Grosse Scheidegg and then down by Schwarzalp - gorgeous meadows and valley - to Reichenbach Falls and Meiringen.
Outstanding walk - good choice!
From where - Grindelwald or Meiringen? The Grindelwald Bus links both to Schwarzdalp.
From Zurich you could go by train Interlaken-Ost to Meiringen (or take lake boats there) - a cute little town with a Sherlock Holmes Museum in a teensy-weeny small chapel in the town center.
Then take the bus or walk from Meringen to nearby Reichenbach Falls- a huge water cascade where Sherlock Holmes and nemesis Dr Moriarity tangled on a belvedere overlooking the middle of the falls.
You can hike on path up there or take the antique funicular - pick up bus or walk on to Schwarzdalp.
You could go via Grindelwald and then bus but you will go over that route in your hike to Grindelwald- and the train or boat ride on Lake Brienz is awesome as are the falls.
Maybe you were planning to do this but if not consider it.
I walked one day from Grindelwald up to Grosse Scheidegg and then down by Schwarzalp - gorgeous meadows and valley - to Reichenbach Falls and Meiringen.
Outstanding walk - good choice!
Jan 26th, 2017, 06:30 PM
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Personally, we loved Schilthorn/Piz Gloria and especially delighted in the views of the other mountains from it - Eiger, Jungfrau and Monk if I remember correctly. Eating out may be expensive but a rosti on the top of one of these mountains is not going to break the budget and should not be missed.
http://helsieshappenings.blogspot.co...itzerland.html
http://helsieshappenings.blogspot.co...itzerland.html
http://helsieshappenings.blogspot.co...itzerland.html
http://helsieshappenings.blogspot.co...itzerland.html
Jan 27th, 2017, 11:39 AM
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and all the times I've been in Lucerne -many times - Pilatus has often been enshrouded in clouds - keep flexible - take a nice boat cruise if it is or consider Mt Rigi - not very high but a famous lookout place over all of central Switzerland - boat to Vitznau -train to Rigi Kulm - summit - all covered by a Swiss Pass.
