6 days in Switzerland? Where to go?
 

My family is flying into Zurich and driving to Verbier for a week. After Verbier we have a week to make it back to Zurich for our flight home. We were thinking of Bern, Zucern, Geneva (or is that out of the Way). How many days is needed any other suggestions? Hotel recommendations would be appreciated. How is Chateau de Chillion? Wmccawkey

Hi Wmccawley,

What time of year?

Yes, there is a lot to do in and near Luzern. Bern is an interesting city as well. What are the ages/interests of your family?

gruezi

If you go to Bern (and stay there for 3 days or so) - you can take many day trips to other cities/towns from there. easy with the Swiss trains. You must get to the Berner Oberland. Only about 1 1/2 hours from Bern - but if you go you should stay there for a few days.


We loved Chateau de Chilon. You can take a train from Bern to Lausanne, and then get on the boat that goes along Lake Geneva (a lovely trip itself) and get off at the Chateau.

Chateaux de Chillon is awesome. I love that area along Lac Leman, the towns of Montreux and Vevey are charming (and I would go there instead of Geneva proper which is just a big city).

Depending on the weather, boat rides on the lake and the tram up Rocher de Nayes are both fun things to do.

Take a look at a detailed map to get a better handle on the country. Geneva is west of Verbier, at the other end of the country than, say, Zürich. Geneva itself is not all that attractive, but it is situated on western end of the lake Geneva (called Lac Léman in the local French, and Genfersee in the rest of Switzerland) where, at the eastern end, is Montreux and its nearby attractions of Castle Chillon and, up above, fabulous views from Caux, Glion, and Rochers de Naye (easy by small mountain train, and much fun).

From Verbier I would suggest you go spend two nights in nearby Zermatt, do the Gornergrat and marvel at the Matterhorn etc.

Then two nights in Montreux, go up to Glion and Caux and Rochers de Naye, marvel at the Mont Blanc across, and do a lake excursion by public ship (timetable below).

Then a night or two in the Berner Oberland, and a final night in Lucerne unless you have an early flight, in which case I recommend staying the last night in the town of Kloten next to the ZRH airport - simply google the words Kloten Hotel - they have shuttles, or a taxi early in the morning doesn't cost much from there.

If you decide on renting a car, you can do even more, although in cities and in some mountain towns a car is a hindrance. Trains work great in most places, and where no train goes, a bus/coach usually goes, with synchronized timetables for train arrivals.

For trains look up www.rail.ch, and for passes etc. http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/Tick....html?&L=2 and www.sbb.ch/mct/wi/shop/b2c/adw.do?36

Then check out these websites, they are all worthwhile targets, and that's only a fraction of everything that is available to you; pick and choose, and see if you can arrange them in some order of logistics that can work for you:

www.cgn.ch/en/home/index.php (Lake Geneva ships)
http://www.leman-sans-frontiere.com/...ueil/index.php
http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/?rubri...&lang=_eng
www.olympic.org/uk/passion/museum/home_uk.asp (Olympic museum in Lausanne)
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/offe...ture-8689.html (Stockalper Castle in Brig not far from Verbier)
www.la-gruyere.ch/index2.php?langue=eng
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/Swis....html?&L=2 Chocolate Train
www.chillon.ch/en/index.html Chillon Castle
www.montreux.ch/sightseeing/carte.html
http://membres.lycos.fr/beuret/english/real/mtgn.htm Mountain towns above Montreux
www.montreux.ch/naye/ mountain train to Rochers-de-Naye alpine flower paradise
www.zermatt.ch/index.e.html
www.gornergrat.ch/en/
http://www.about.ch/cantons/valais/matterhorn.html
www.murten.ch/_anglais/index.html
www.avenches.ch/ota/page.php?id=138&lang=eng
www.berneroberland.ch/navi/winter/frame_en.htm
http://switzerland.isyours.com/e/gui...rland-map.html
www.schilthorn.ch/index.php?set[page][language]=4
www.jungfraubahn.ch/en/DesktopDefault.aspx
www.thunersee.ch/ausfluege/stockhorn.html
www.niesen.ch
www.niederhorn.ch/
www.brienz-rothorn-bahn.ch/?lang=en
www.muerren.ch/
www.kandersteg.ch/english/ort/index.html
www.berninfo.com/en/welcome.cfm
www.paulkleezentrum.ch/ww/en/pub/web_root.cfm
www.luzern.org/en/welcome.cfm?
www.rigi.ch/en/welcome.cfm
www.pilatus.ch/default.asp?sprache=E
www.pilatus.ch/content-n38-sE.html
www.pilatus.ch/content-n39-sE.html
www.einsiedeln.diorama.ch/english.htm
www.einsiedeln.diorama.ch/heidi/e_default.htm
www.engelberg.ch/en/index.php
www.titlis.ch
www.verkehrshaus.ch/en/

Sorry forgot to tell you when. We are going to be in Verbier from the Dec 27 - Jan 3. We do not have to leave early on the 3rd as we are staying with Friends. We have a late flight on the 9th.

Thank you for all the suggestions. I was leaning towards not going to Geneva, based on comments, I think I will leave it to the next trip.

My kids at 10, 8 and 4.

Since Bern and Luzern are so close (I think 45 min) is it better to stay in one place and drive or take the train to visit?

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