Alps Recommendations for a Couch Potato
 

A family member would like to visit the Alps.

While they have been able to walk around the European cities we have been to lately, hiking in the Alps on all but the shortest and easiest trails will be out of the question.

Can you recommend any particular mountains that are serviced by railroad or ski lift that will minimize walking yet still give a taste of the Alps.

All sorts of possibilities in the Berner Oberland (Jungfrau, etc.,) as well as the higher peak above Zermatt, the Matterhorn. All these areas are served by rail of one sort or another and easily reached.

You can use Murren or even Interlaken as a base for trains to glaciers, cable car gondolas to the highest peaks, boat rides on lakes and flat walks amid waterfalls.

There is the train that goes up the Rhone valley and down the Rhine valley. Or one can rent a car in do three passes in a day--the Susten, the Furka and the Grimsel Pass. Just ghetting out of the car on top of the passes and walking for a few minutes will give you a sense of the Alps.

This picture and the next six were taken on a day's drive from Aarau. One person in our group had a congenital hip problem.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...th/4206244605/

You can do that on most of the most well-known mountains as long as the person doesn't have breathing problems. These may start to kick in as low as 7,000 feet or so (Pilatus) and make even strolling onerous.

But most everybody notices at the highest peaks - like Jungfrau. (Several people that ascended on the same train we did took it right back down they were ro uncomfortable.)

So is this an preference thing, and energy thing, a fitness thing or a breathing issue (very real for someone with asthma, COPD or who has ever smoked).

Other than that there is a lot to see/do/eat on top of the various mountains without any but the mildest physical exertion.

Michael, greats pics of Switzerland, particularly Lucerne, one of my favorite cities.

As Newyorktraveler observed, “Other than that there is a lot to see/do/eat on top of the various mountains without any but the mildest physical exertion.” Especially if the sun is shining. :)

I recall being in a group in Zermatt going up the mountain near the Matterhorn in July. Lovely viewing area at a great altitude. Suddenly a man from South Africa and his ten year old son jumped over the railing of the restaurant sun deck and started rolling around in the snow. They had never seen the white stuff before!

Switzerland is beautiful – enjoy…

Do the trip up to the Jungfrau with a nice lunch at the top! Trains up. walk around in the snow, ehave a nice lunch at the top, trains back down. Beautiful day!

Lots of opportunities for getting a nice Alpine experience in the Berner Oberland while avoiding excessive exertion and/or the highest elevations. If you can tolerate the 11,000+ ft elevation, the train to the Junfraujoch (not Jungfrau, that's nearly 14,000') is a unique experience. So also is the tram to Piz Gloria, the revolving restaurant on top of the Schilthorn, above Murren at a somewhat more comfortable 9750 ft.

For the very altitude sensitive, there's the train to Kleine Scheidegg (where the trains for the Jungfraujoch start), departing from either Grindelwald or Wengen. KS is at only about 6800' and provides a great view of the famous North Wall of the Eiger. The area sees a lot of visitors, so it's a pretty busy spot. Alternatively, the gondola from Grindelwald or the tram from Wengen will take you up to Mannlichen, at about the same elevation, where there's a restaurant and other amenities. Finally, heading in the other direction from Grindelwald, the Firstbahn gondola will take you up to Schreckfeld, one of my favorite spots in the mountains, at only about 6500', which should be OK for just about anyone. It's a beautiful sunny plateau with great views of the Eiger, Schreckhorn, and Wetterhorn. There's also a nice restaurant with lots of outdoor seating (as there is at most of the termini and intermediate stops of the gondolas, trams, and trains.

Many other "couch potato" options in the area as well; those are only a few recommendations.

Hi traveller51

Around the village of Zweisimmen you got great possibilities to do hikes of all dificulties.
There are 2 wonderful panoramic walks, where you use the cable cars to get to the top of the mountains an stay in this altitude till the end of the walk, where you can take again a cable car to get down to the valley. The paths are easy to walk and well signed.
More informations on: http://www.gstaad.ch/en/page.cfm/Act.../Summer/Hiking

Enjoy planning
pb

My DH and I are just finishing up a two-week trip to Switzerland; and he, too, has some mobility issues and isn't up to much walking, let alone hiking. We rented an apartment in the Bernese Oberlands for two weeks and have a Swiss pass. We have had a great time taking lifts up a number of mountains, where he was able to stay on the balcony at a restaurant and enjoy the views, while I took short hikes. We did this on Eggishorn, Engstligenalp, and Griesalp.

We also took the funicular to Niesen, which unfortunately was cloud covered. One of our favorite day's excursions was taking the Post Bus from Brig across the Simplon Pass into Italy. We hadn't heard much about Brig but found it to be an exciting city with a beautiful castle.

It gets harder as we get older, but we love to travel and so make the accommodations we can to continue to go to places we love without the physical demands we could handle in the past.

Thank you for the information it is very encouraging.