Going May 2006...need help
 

My wife and I are planning a trip to Switzerland in May 2006 (5/10 to 5/20), yes in 2 months!!! it is our last min trip. We just found out that she is 2.5 months pregnant, so we want to go on a nice trip before our 2nd baby is born. We will be travelling without our first baby...:) We are interested in shopping/sight seeing/lake/mountains, so we thought of the following places, in this order:

- Zurich (landing there)
- Lucerne (heard it is a nice little town)
- Bern (heard it is a nice place)
- Gimmelwald/Interlaken (heard it is a good place to stay if we want to use it as an entrance to the BO moutain area)
- Geneva (thinking of departing from here, heard about Lake Geneva)

Please help us with the planning. I read through a lot of postings, and seems like May is a bad month to travel since all of the hotels/restaurants/lifts are closed in the BO area. Some said that some are closed but most are open, so which one is it?! If some are still open, are the popular lifts open? does anyone know?

As you can see, we are in the beginning phase of planning. We are thinking of flying into Zurich purely b/c of the cheaper ticket reason. Should I not?

I also read about Swiss Rail Pass. Based on my itin., what are your suggestions? Should I go with the one-way tic approach or should I get a pass?

I just noticed how $$$$$$ Switzerland is! ouch ouch!

Thanks in advance for your help Fodorees!

SOS

There are plenty of things open in the BO during May.
I'd opt for Montreux, instead of Geneva itself.
I'd stay in Grindelwald for the mountains.
Luzerne would be fine also as a base.

Yes, I would get a Swiss Pass and do lots of day trips from those three bases. You can easily do Bern as a day trip from Luzern for example, and lots of places from Montreux. Not having to book trains, but hop on them as you desire is a nice advantage of the pass.
With the Swiss Pass you can also hop onto lake steamers on Lake Geneva and Lake Luzern to visit other little towns or just relax by sitting on the top deck if you have a first class pass.
Flying into Zurich and out of Geneva is a great idea, or vice versa. If you end in Luzern, it is easy to take a train right to the Zurich airport for your return flight.

Thanks Neopolitan - great information. I am assuming Grindelwald is same as Gimmelwald...heh...still trying to figure this whole thing out.

No, Gimmelwald and Grindelwald are two different towns.

http://128.121.204.14/english/index.htm

http://www.grindelwald.com/index-uk.php

Thanks Bettyk! whew...almost messed up...

Hi augiechang,
We are looking for the same time next year, I think we have crossed here on a couple of posts.

Another nice Fodorite gave me the suggetion of stayng in Meiringen and we are also looking at Brienz. I had my heart set on Lauterbrunnen but there are a lot of places closed so I "moved on".
We will also be looking at doing similar sorts of things to you and yours.

I have been looking at apartments so we can self cater to some degree and found some nice looking ones at www.alpenregion.ch, you didn't mention what you had in mind for accommodation but this also has hotels.

Best wishes to you both and have a fantastic holiday.
Maudie

We are staying at the Hotel Oberland in Lauterbrunnen in May. From my research, I found a number of hotels open in May in Lauterbrunnen.

Hi Betty,
I have also bookmarked this hotel in case we decide against an apartment.

The 'best' help for you will be at a local book store or your library. Postings on this site are always prejudiced by personal experience. Check the publication date of any 'guide book' you read. Search Swiss internet sites.

Hi augiechang,

With only 10 days, you have too many stops (imo!). You may want to go directly to Grindelwald or Wengen when you arrive and stay there four days or so, then head to Montreux for two or three days, then to Luzern for your last few days (Luzern is just over an hour from the airport by direct train). You can do an excursion to Bern from Wengen.

Here are a few ideas of activities from Montreux:

Montreux old town
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...reux_Vaud.html

Lavaux
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...reux_Vaud.html

Promenade Fleuri
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...reux_Vaud.html

Morges
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...rges_Vaud.html

Gruyeres
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR..._Fribourg.html

Have fun!

s

Maudie - why are you so set at Lauterbrunnen? I am just curious.

Augiechang,

I have no idea, had to try and pick some where for a base and that was the name that kept popping up. I thought it would be easier for doing day trips, not just for the mountains but for other areas as well.
I am open to all suggestions, it is hard trying to get the "feel" for a place from the other side of the world!
Interlaken was really the first choice but a lot of people on here don't like it all that much so I started looking further.
Where have you decided on?

Thanks for your post on "our" other thread augiechang, that would be fantastic. I hope you do get to go on your holiday! Great idea before #2 arrives.

Maudie

Lauterbrunnen often pops up in recommendations because it is in a beautiful valley, with cliffs and waterfalls and lovely views of the mountains (think "Yosemite Valley", but larger). There are nice walks along the valley floor if the mountains are clouded in, and easy train connections to the high mountains as well as to other areas.

G'day Enzian,
Sorry, Yosemite Valley doesn't help - although it sounds lovely, I am an Aussie! But I get your drift and that is why I guess I was leaning towards Lauterbrunnen from the great reviews it gets here.
Do you think it would be ok in May as a base for a week? We will just have to take our chances with the weather, that is why I wanted to stay somewhere that gave us choices.
Maudie

G'Day Maudie---sorry! I didn't catch your accent. . . You're going in 2007, right? You're a "way ahead" planner like me---we'll be there in late June, early July of 2007. I've been to Switzerland several times, but never yet in May, so I would only have to guess on the weather question. I know there a number of people going in May and the Switzerland "experts" here seem to think it's fine. I'll chime in on your own dicussion if I come up with any information.

Enzian,
Yes, it looks like we both belong to the "way ahead" club! Oz accent is hard to pick up on here.
We have a "window" between Amsterdam and Norway, we decided on Switzerland and so it has to be May. Sounds like a song, LOL.
Thanks, I would appreciate any input.

Augiechang, sorry for hijacking your thread, again!

maudie - no worries about high jacking my thread. I checked out some pictures of Lauterbrunnen, and WOW. I think that is where I would like to stay. I've already contacted one hotel: HOTEL STAUBBACH , they mentioned that "many lifts" DO close during this time, so I am asking them which ones.

enzian - thanks so much for letting me know about Lauterbrunnen and how it resembles Yosemite Valley. I live 3 hrs away from Yosemite :) it is BEAUTIFUL.