Hey guys

My wife, 10 month baby and I are going for 6 days to Switzerland for the 1st time.
While we have heard about the beautiful mountains and scenery and all we are not really sure what are the absolute must things to do in switzerland.

we were planning on doing a couple of days in Lucerne then another couple of Geneva and 1 day in interlaken..is this a good start??

any suggestions...is there a must see? Any ideas on whether i should include locarno or st.moritz??

Going in mid aug...all help will be appreciated..

thanks guys..

I'd skip St.Moritz it's not up to the hype.Lucerne,Lausanne,Lugano,Zermatt etc.are all very nice.

Geneva is a huge, expensive, world-class city. It is a dream to fly in and out of (as the train station is connected to the airport and it's all extremely efficient) but I've never spent much time there. I would suggest more time in Lausanne, Vevey, and/or Montreux (along the lake outside Geneva within 1 hour or so) instead.

Another consideration for Switzerland is if you prefer the French, German, or Italian speaking regions.

I have friends in Vevey and Montreux and will be making my 5th trip this August. Heavenly!

My absolute must do's are things like the Saturday morning open air farmers market, Chateux de Chillon (castle on the lake), maybe Gruyere (another village & castle), boat tours on the lake, etc. I'm only familiar with a small part of the country so can't help with your itinerary, other than to say have a great time!

Yes, your choices should depend upon your interests -- Swiss towns, lakes and vistas, or big time mountains. With six days, I'd select two places to stay, however, you didn't mention train or car, so that choice may be a factor.

Since it's your first time, I'd suggest omitting St. Moritz and Locarno and concentrating on central Switzerland. If you devote your six days to exploring Lucerne and its lake and the lake towns of Brienzersee, Thunersee, and the nearby mountain villages, you will experience the Switzerland you probably picture in your imagination. Ballenberg, an outdoor museum, is very interesting and can be visited by bus from Brienz. (If you stay in Brienz, the views of its lake and the Berner Oberland peaks is magnificent.)

Lac Leman (french-speaking region) is very beautiful, too, but you'd have to divide your six days into three pairs to include Vevey or Montreux (rather than Geneve) as a place to stay. Search for Montreux or Lavaux and read swandav's descriptions of the area if you're interested. So much Switzerland, so little time. J.

Just my opinion--German region, Alps, and Berner Oberland!

I second jmw's recommendations. St. Moritz and Locarno are too far out of the way.

Since this is your first visit I suggest three nights Lucerne or a village at its lake and three nights Mürren or Wengen.

Thanks guys..this has been great information ..

To answer jmw's question - mode of transport is also something that I am not sure what to do ..with a baby I keep thinking rent a car will be good idea but then I was thinking in travelling in those trains so that I could see the lovely sites and mountains and scenery of Switzerland. any suggestions??

One thing I noticed is that very few people mentioned anything about Interlaken...I thought that was one of the most beautiful places..(??)

I was thinking of doing (in no particular order)
2 days interlaken
2 days Lucerne - go to mt titlus (jungfrau region)
2 Brienz (can I go from Brienzersee to Montreaux??? is it too far??)

And ofcourse either train it or drive it?

Any suggestions.

Thanks for all the help...

Hi, travelsaint. Interlaken is just between the little lakes of Thun and Brienz which lie at the foot of the mountains. There is no need to stay in both Brienz and Interlaken-- they're only minutes apart by train. Brienz is smaller and has a better view of the mountains because it faces south; it also has woodcarvers and an easy bus to Ballenberg, the outdoor museum.

If you were to stay in Spiez, which is on lake Thun (do you have a map?), you'd be a bit more than 2 hours from Montreux (via Bern)by train. From Interlaken, 2:35, and from Brienz, 3:00. If you went via the mountain route, it would take longer. You can daytrip up into the mountains from any of those towns. Actually, you can daytrip to Lucerne from Brienz via the Brunig pass, too. But take all of this info with a grain of "this is coming from a person who LOVES to ride Swiss trains." Best wishes, J.

p.s. You'll notice that the main difference between Ingo's advice and mine is that his suggestion allows you some nights up in the mountains (Wengen, etc.) My choice is always a lakeside town with view of the mountains. You've got to decide which you'll prefer. The mountain villages Ingo mentions are indeed spectacular.

Maybe it would be a good idea to start a second thread with a heading something like "Switzerland with baby; car or train?" You need some input from those who've been in the same situation.

Dear Saint,
Just a thought regarding the baby. You have only six days, much of it will be eaten up with baby-related care responsibilities. So, my suggestion would be to either:
1. Save yourselves and family the wear and tear of moving too often by staying 3 nights in each of two places (e.g., Luzern and Brienz), or
2. Consider bringing your baby with you when s/he is older and can enjoy it.

For what it's worth, I'd probably choose Option 2. I think a first trip to Europe, especially a short one, deserves a chance for you and your spouse to enjoy the experience. Though you'll not hear universal agreement on this, I can't imagine that happening with a 10-month old baby. In the end, of course, it's what you can imagine, not us posters. So, whatever choice you make, enjoy your trip to a truly beautiful country.