Help for Zurich Traveler
Jul 9th, 2003, 08:43 PM
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Help for Zurich Traveler
I am leaving in two days for a two week stay in Zurich. I will be travelling with my 2 1/2 year old and 5 year old, accompanying my husband on business. This was just planned and I have never been to Switzerland before - We are throwing caution (and quite a bit of $ it seems) to the wind, but I really want to see this beautiful country. Can anyone recommend day trips from Zurich for me & kids? Any other helpful travel advice? Also we will have a two day weekend to travel as a family - any destination suggestions? Thanks!
Jul 10th, 2003, 01:03 AM
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Get the Fodor's book on Switzerland, which is quite good. Also get a good map of Zurich and Switzerland. You can buy both in the airport in Zurich. Also take a look at the website of the Zurich Tourism Authority at www.zuerich.com, click on "English" for the English version. There is lots of info there about recreation and other outdoor activities.
1. A nice day trip for the kids would be to go to Rapperswil, a town at the end of the lake. You can take the ferry down (about 2 hours, you can buy lunch or snacks on board and there are bathrooms). There is a medieval portion of the town which is very charming and if you climb the hill you will get great views. There is a castle at the top (now a museum on Polish history of not too great interest unless you are Polish. ) However, the real reason to go with kids is to go to the children's zoo (Knie Kinderzoo) and the Circus Museum. Both great for kids, esp the former, as they can feed pets and ride ponies, etc. Take a look at www.rapperswil.ch, click on the UK flag for the English version.
You can then return to Zurich by train (about 30 minutes) rather than taking the ferry back. The train station is quite close to the ferry pier.
2. Zurich has an excellent zoo, and the tram ride up the hill to the zoo is fun and gives some good views. Take #6 from Central (near the main train station). You can also take Tram #5 from Bellevue but I think #6 has a prettier route.
3. You can rent paddle boats and sailboats on the lake near the main ferry pier at Burkliplatz.
4. You can take a little train to Utliberg, hike uphill for about 15 minutes and be rewarded with the best view of the lake and Alps. On a clear day, you can see to Germany. Take a look at --. The train leaves from the main train station and also makes a stop at the Selnau station in Zurich. The ride takes about a half hour. There is a hotel at the top with a self-service and full-service restaurant. There are also outdoor cafes at the train stop on the top of the hill. You can walk back down hill, but I would not recommend this for kids, the walk is long and very steep in parts.
5. You can swim in the lake or the Limmat river. There are free beaches along the lake, esp the west side toward Enge. There is a women-only bathing area on the river (male children are allowed as far as I know). It is on Stadhausquai, near the Fraumunster church. It is a charming old wooden bathing pavilion floating on the river and has an inside swim and non-swimmers area so you don't actually have to be in the river currents. You can rent umbrellas. As I recall, you need to pay a small entrance fee. I believe this is open to non-residents, but check with your hotel. The name of is it the Frauenbad, Stadthausquai, 8001 Zürich Tel: 01 211 95 92.
5. You can walk or bike a fair distance along the Limmat river from the lake and into the countryside. The non-city part starts just after the Marriott hotel, walk away from the lake on the path. Quite pretty, and there are cafes along the way to stop and rest. You should be able to rent bikes for free or a small fee at the main train station, or check with your hotel. I don't know about trail-behinds or children seats. I don?t' believe helmets are required for children in Switzerland, but if they are you should be able to rent those as well.
6. Take a train ride to Chur or towards Lake Constance, as the train ride is very pretty. Chur is about an hour and a half, you can have lunch there and then go back. Look for an intercity train, as they often have a "kinderbahn" car which is a train car designed for kids and has a small play area, a slide, etc. and kids can be as loud as they want. Take a look at Swissrail.ch for times and schedules, and stop by the ticket office in the main train station and they can help determine if the train you want has a kinderbahn.
7. I have not done this, but the Fodor's book mentions taking a train to See?and renting bikes (should be free) and riding 8 miles or so to the Katzensee, a large lake. Supposed to be an easy ride and the lake is very pretty.
For your 2-day family vacation, there are many places to go, run a search here. Obviously something in the mountains or the Lucerne area would probably be best. I am a big fan of Zermatt, but not sure your children are old enough to appreciate it.
1. A nice day trip for the kids would be to go to Rapperswil, a town at the end of the lake. You can take the ferry down (about 2 hours, you can buy lunch or snacks on board and there are bathrooms). There is a medieval portion of the town which is very charming and if you climb the hill you will get great views. There is a castle at the top (now a museum on Polish history of not too great interest unless you are Polish. ) However, the real reason to go with kids is to go to the children's zoo (Knie Kinderzoo) and the Circus Museum. Both great for kids, esp the former, as they can feed pets and ride ponies, etc. Take a look at www.rapperswil.ch, click on the UK flag for the English version.
You can then return to Zurich by train (about 30 minutes) rather than taking the ferry back. The train station is quite close to the ferry pier.
2. Zurich has an excellent zoo, and the tram ride up the hill to the zoo is fun and gives some good views. Take #6 from Central (near the main train station). You can also take Tram #5 from Bellevue but I think #6 has a prettier route.
3. You can rent paddle boats and sailboats on the lake near the main ferry pier at Burkliplatz.
4. You can take a little train to Utliberg, hike uphill for about 15 minutes and be rewarded with the best view of the lake and Alps. On a clear day, you can see to Germany. Take a look at --. The train leaves from the main train station and also makes a stop at the Selnau station in Zurich. The ride takes about a half hour. There is a hotel at the top with a self-service and full-service restaurant. There are also outdoor cafes at the train stop on the top of the hill. You can walk back down hill, but I would not recommend this for kids, the walk is long and very steep in parts.
5. You can swim in the lake or the Limmat river. There are free beaches along the lake, esp the west side toward Enge. There is a women-only bathing area on the river (male children are allowed as far as I know). It is on Stadhausquai, near the Fraumunster church. It is a charming old wooden bathing pavilion floating on the river and has an inside swim and non-swimmers area so you don't actually have to be in the river currents. You can rent umbrellas. As I recall, you need to pay a small entrance fee. I believe this is open to non-residents, but check with your hotel. The name of is it the Frauenbad, Stadthausquai, 8001 Zürich Tel: 01 211 95 92.
5. You can walk or bike a fair distance along the Limmat river from the lake and into the countryside. The non-city part starts just after the Marriott hotel, walk away from the lake on the path. Quite pretty, and there are cafes along the way to stop and rest. You should be able to rent bikes for free or a small fee at the main train station, or check with your hotel. I don't know about trail-behinds or children seats. I don?t' believe helmets are required for children in Switzerland, but if they are you should be able to rent those as well.
6. Take a train ride to Chur or towards Lake Constance, as the train ride is very pretty. Chur is about an hour and a half, you can have lunch there and then go back. Look for an intercity train, as they often have a "kinderbahn" car which is a train car designed for kids and has a small play area, a slide, etc. and kids can be as loud as they want. Take a look at Swissrail.ch for times and schedules, and stop by the ticket office in the main train station and they can help determine if the train you want has a kinderbahn.
7. I have not done this, but the Fodor's book mentions taking a train to See?and renting bikes (should be free) and riding 8 miles or so to the Katzensee, a large lake. Supposed to be an easy ride and the lake is very pretty.
For your 2-day family vacation, there are many places to go, run a search here. Obviously something in the mountains or the Lucerne area would probably be best. I am a big fan of Zermatt, but not sure your children are old enough to appreciate it.
Jul 10th, 2003, 01:25 AM
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To clarify my message on Utliberg above, the website for the train to Utliberg is szu.ch (there does not seem to be an English version, so I don't know how helpful this will be.) Also, my comment about "not walking back down hill" was meant to refer to walking back down into Zurich, which would take between 2 and 3 hours and is very steep. Walking back from the top of Utliberg to the Utliberg train station is not a problem, about 15 minutes.
Jul 10th, 2003, 05:44 AM
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Last March, my husband and I 'did' Switzerland and based ourselves almost entirely out of the Zurich Marriott. each morning, we'd go to the grocery store and get a load of picnic supplies/waters/chocoloate, and armed with our Swiss Flexipasses, take the free shuttle to the main train station. We saw Luzern (touristy but beautiful), Bern, Lugano, Lausanne, and other fantastic smaller cities this way--as long day trips. We'd get in at night and take the shuttle back. All those cities were gorgeous, but we finally decided to see the uber-Alpine vistas that make Switzerland so wonderful. We checked out of the hotel and headed to the Lauterbrunnen Valley, where we stayed cheaply at the Hotel Staubbach. I cried when I saw the multiple waterfalls, three snowcapped peaks and sky gondolas everywhere. Our balcony view alone was mezmerizing. We hiked to Murren and Wengen, had amazing food, and felt so energized by the natural beauty around us. From there, we did other day trips to Grindlewald, Interlaken... the touristy places. I think your kids would like this area. I rode on this toboggan-style ride high up in the mountains, on which there were a lot of laughing kids. The sheep, cows, shops, skydivers...AND THOSE MOUNTAINS!!!!! I HIGHLY recommend you see this area on your free weekend.
