ernest16

Hi everyone,

I am planning to Austria and Switzerland in coming April 2017, please could anyone see if the following itinerary is feasible, please give me some comments and suggestions for my trip and any hot spring that I can add into the itinerary. I also wonder if any of the following places is not accessible during the snow period:-

Thanks so much for everyone's advice.

31-Mar-17 Wien

1-Apr-17 Wien - Hallstatt

2-Apr-17 Hallstatt - Salsburg

3-Apr-17 Salsburg - Zurich - Berns

4-Apr-17 Berns - Zermatt (Leaving Berns in afternoon and stay in Zermatt)

5-Apr-17 Zermatt- Gornergrat

6-Apr-17 Zermatt

7-Apr-17 Zermatt -Grindelwald

8-Apr-17 Grindelwald - Schynige Platte - Interlaken

9-Apr-17 Grindelwald - Jungfrau - Wengen - Lanterbrunuen

10-Apr-17 Grindelwald - First - Bachalpse - Pfunagn

11-Apr-17 Pfunagen - Rigi Mountain - Luzern

12-Apr-17 Luzern - Zurich - HKG

kja

You might actually be able to make all the connections necessary to make this itinerary work (I haven't checked), but will you have time to see / do / experience the things that draw you to the places you plan to pass through? As examples, what do you want to see / do in Vienna that makes a single night stay, with jet lag, feasible? What do you want to see / do in Zurich that you can manage en route between Salzburg and Berne, and what do you want to see / do in Berne that you can manage on a single overnight?

Only you can decide why you want to visit these places and whether this plan will let you do so. You might want to plot things out on a calendar, making note of travel times, times for checking into / out of hotels (etc.), times that you can actually do the things you want to do (e.g., during daylight and while the trails / transportation you need are open), etc.

Good luck!

neckervd

You obviously want to visit neither Vienna nor Salzburg or may be even Lucerne (all depends on the time you will have to be at ZRH). You are of course free to do so.

The Schynige Platte railway doesn't run in April.

You will need good hiking boots for the walk through the snow from First to Bachalpsee, but it's perfecty feasible if the weather is fine and if the First gondola will still run on April 17th.

There doesn't exist any place called Pfunagn in Switzerland.

kja

@ neckervd: "There doesn't exist any place called Pfunagn in Switzerland." -- My impression is that visiting fantasy-land, especially while asleep, lets one see MUCH more than would be possible if one restricts oneself to places that actually exist. JMO. ;-)

PalenQ

going by train or car - train would be great to all those areas except maybe Pfunagn

If doing trains in Switzerland the Swiss Pass IMO would be a no-brainer for all that travel - in Austria just buy individual tickets (at a discount at www.oebb.com (?) Austrian Railways site or westbahn.com -competitor to Austrian Railways.

For lots of great info on trains and all those places check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Sue81

HI, I really think you should give Vienna a little more time, at least two days. The Spanish Riding School is great to see the Lipizaner lovely stallions (get tickets ahead/internet), right inside the Hapsburg Palace (tours available) and near the Vienna Opera House. Also the great Art Museum with the lovely Klimpt paintings, if they are still there (woaman in Gold in NY now I think). Great coffee houses, Lovely city....Forgot the name of that great museum..OK th e Bellvedere Palace I think if you are into art. Great city....then on to Switzerland. Sue

PalenQ

I'd cut out some stops and put more time into others - you are moving all the time with little time to savor say Hallstatt- if not staying a whole day there scratch it - ditto for some others.

Dukey1

Exactly what are you planning to do for THREE nights in Zermatt in April?

michelhuebeli

I'm with PalenQ on this one - reading the itinerary reminds me of some business trips I had to take, the kind that you need to ask your boss for a vacation when you come back because it was too strenuous. You won't see much if you proceed like that, except train stations, taxis, hotel lobbies, and more train stations.

PalenQ

Yes indeedy less can be more in travel as in life.

PalenQ

Exactly what are you planning to do for THREE nights in Zermatt in April?>

Good question- if weather is bad and hiking and Matterhorn a washout there are no really easy day trips to take from remote Zermatt

Unless into doing more than the Matterhorn/Gornergrat I'd cut a day there and put into say Hallstatt.

ernest16

Thanks everyone advices, but the part of Austria has been fixed and could not changed, I m regret, sorry.

@PalenQ Thanks for the advices, actually I stay in Zermatt for 3 nights because, I will get to Zermatt from Bern around night, and I will do another trip to Naturpark Blausee, do you think it worths to go ? and leave another day for Gornergrat.

Anyone knows any good spa or hot spring around the spots listed below?

I made bit modification below, please would you guys give me more information, I have cut down the one of Pfunagen and put more time on Luzern:-

3-Apr-17 Salsburg - Zurich - Berns

4-Apr-17 Berns - Zermatt (Leaving Berns at night and stay in Zermatt)

5-Apr-17 Zermatt- Gornergrat

6-Apr-17 Zermatt - Naturpark Blausee

7-Apr-17 Zermatt -Grindelwald

8-Apr-17 Grindelwald - Interlaken

9-Apr-17 Grindelwald - Jungfrau - Wengen - Lanterbrunuen

10-Apr-17 Grindelwald - First - Bachalpse - Luzern

11-Apr-17 Luzern

12-Apr-17 Luzern - Zurich - HKG


Thanks a bunch!!

ernest16

This is the second modification I've made, please let me have your advice and please ignore my comments above.

Thanks everyone advices.

@PalenQ Thanks for the advices, actually I stay in Zermatt for 3 nights because, I will get to Zermatt from Bern around night, and I will do another trip to Naturpark Blausee, do you think it worths to go ? and leave another day for Gornergrat.

Anyone knows any good spa or hot spring around the spots listed below?

I made bit modification below, please would you guys give me more information, I have cut down the one of Pfunagen and put more time on Luzern:-

31-Mar-17 Wien

1-Apr-17 Wien - Salzburg (leave Wien at night)

2-Apr -17 Salzburg - Hallstatt (get to Hallstatt in the early morning)

3-Apr-17 Salsburg (Whole day in Salzburg)

4-Apr-17 Salzburg - Zermatt (Leaving Salzburg in the early morning and stay in Zermatt)

5-Apr-17 Zermatt- Gornergrat - Rotenboden - Riffelsee Lake - Zermatt

6-Apr-17 Zermatt - Naturpark Blausee - Zermatt

7-Apr-17 Zermatt -Grindelwald - Kleine Scheidegg - Jungfraujoch - Grindelwald

8-Apr-17 Grindelwald - Interlaken - Grindelwald

9-Apr-17 Grindelwald - Wengen - Lanterbrunuen - Grindelwald

10-Apr-17 Grindelwald - First - Bachalpse - Luzern

11-Apr-17 Luzern

12-Apr-17 Luzern - Zurich - HKG


Thanks a bunch!!

Edward2005

In April there is a very good chance the weather in the alps will be poor; snow is still a strong possibility. I would play it by ear on the 4th when you leave Salzburg. If the weather forecast in Switzerland looks good then proceed as planned. But if the forecast looks bad, spend a few days in Bern or Luzern or another city for a few days. When the forecast improves head to the mountains!

I realize some people freak out if they don't have a hotel booked months in advance, but it will work out fine as April is the off-season and there will be plenty of rooms available at the last minute. Besides, there's no alpine grandeur to see in Zermatt or the Oberland when the weather is poor.

neckervd

Why did you invent the word "Pfunagen" and what should it mean?

Why do you want to waste a whole day with your Salzburg - Zermatt journey. If you would go to the Engadin Valley (if it must be snow in the Swiss and not in the Austrian Alps) you would arrive at noon and not in the evening.

Rotenboden - Riffelsee (frozen and coverd with snow in a manner that you will not realize that it is a lake) - Riffelberg hike: are you really well equipped for this hike (hiking boots, may be crampons, warm walking clothes)?

Zermatt - Frutigen (Blausee) - Zermatt, followed the next day by Zermatt - Frutigen - Grindelwald: that means that you will do 4times the Spiez - Zermatt leg (2 hrs each), the first time when you arrive from Salzburg, the second and the third time when you travel from Zermatt to Blausee and back and the fourth time on your journey from Zermatt to Grindelwald. The short Spiez - Frutigen leg (15 min OW) will even be done 6times!

Similar remark for the Interlaken - Grindelwald leg: why do you want to do it 4-5 times? AFAIK it's not attractive at all!

neckervd

Some thermal spas in the Swiss Alps:
Scuol (Engadin Valley, close to the Austro-Swiss border),
Bad Ragaz (railway station Sargans along the Salzburg - Zurich railway line,)
Leukerbad (close to Visp, along the Bern - Zermatt itinerary)
Baden (Aargau) along the Zurich - Berne railway line.

PalenQ

I realize some people freak out if they don't have a hotel booked months in advance, but it will work out fine as April is the off-season and there will be plenty of rooms available at the last minute. Besides, there's no alpine grandeur to see in Zermatt or the Oberland when the weather is poor.>

Indeed -and many railway stations have hotel boards that list all hotels in the city and provide a phone with which to call them -there should be loads of 'green' lights on the board at that time of year.

kja

Why do you want to visit Interlaken? And why visit Wengen, if not staying there?

For thermal spas in Switzerland (google could be your friend):
www.myswitzerland.com/en/thermal-baths.html

PalenQ

4-Apr-17 Salzburg - Zermatt (Leaving Salzburg in the early morning and stay in Zermatt)>

Yes a long long day -I'd suggest going Salzburg to Lucerne, a shorter but still long train day -then go to Zermatt and back to Interlaken then to Zurich- to shorten that long long Salzburg-Zermatt train ride. Salzburg-Lucerne 6:15 - 3 hours more to Zermatt.

ernest16

Thanks all for the advices!

Please see the modified version here, if it is good to go?

31-Mar-17 Wien

1-Apr-17 Wien - Salzburg (leave Wien at night)

2-Apr -17 Salzburg - Hallstatt (get to Hallstatt in the early morning)

3-Apr-17 Salsburg (Whole day in Salzburg)

4-Apr-17 Salzburg - Luzern

5-Apr-17 Luzern

6-Apr-17 Luzern - Mount Rigi - Luzern

7-Apr-17 Luzern - Grindelwald

8-Apr-17 Grindelwald

9-Apr-17 Grindelwald - Zermatt

10-Apr-17 Zermatt

11-Apr-17 Zermatt - Bern

12-Apr-17 Bern - Zurich - HKG (Plane at 10:30pm)

Please let me know if it is ok, thanks.