Honeymoon in Switzerland - need opinion please...
 

Honeymoon trip in Aug. We love nature, outdoors, scenery, mountains, lakes and traveling. This is what we are thinking:
- Arrive at Zurich at 13:20 on Day 1 and take train to Lucerne -
Day 1-2: Lucerne (2 nights stay)
Day 3-4-5: Interlaken/Wengen/Murren (3 nights stay in one place)
Day 6: Zermatt (1 night stay)
Day 7-8: (Take Glacier Express to St. Moritz, Eight-hour journey) St. Moritz (2 nights stay)
Day 9-10: Zurich (1 night stay)
- Departure from Zurich at 15:35 on Day 10 -

Please provide your opinions! Thank you!!!

You really have 1 days in Luzern---you need 3.
I would have 2 destinations for this trip---Luzern and the BO with the last nite in Zurich

Fabulous! You will get lots of good advise here but you have the framework of an awesome honeymoon!

While the Glacier Express is a great way to depart Zermatt, my only question would be, what do you plan to do for 2 days in St. Moritz?

Dear Swiss Honeymooners

that sounds like a great trip, if you like scenery and mountains.

In Lucerne (Luzern) be sure to visit the "Verkehrsmuseum" (Smithsonion of Switzerland), it's well worth visiting and seeing the different aspects of (early) public transportation. It also includes a planetarium and is situated very close to the lake. The Glacial garden and the Loewendenkmal (Lion's Monument) are also recommended. Be aware that Lucerne is very touristy.

Travel from Luzerne to Interlaken. Take the GoldenPass of the Zentralbahn (Central Line, and yes your Eurorail pass is valid). If you really want to be spoiled travel in the Panorama car (only first class / or have a lunch in dining car). You will travel over the Bruenig Pass to Meiringen/Hasliberg and then on the shore of Lake Brienz to Interlaken. (It may take a bit longer, but it is sure the nicer way to see part of Switzerland's heartland, then to travel from Lucerne to Berne and then to Interlaken).

I would suggest to stay in Interlaken for the three nights stay, Interlaken is somehow more cosmopolitan than the (remote) mountain villages. As Wengen and Murren are very similar I would suggest to visit Grindelwald with it's massive Eiger Nordwand (North Wall). This was one of the toughest Swiss mountains to reach the peak through this wall. There are several great places in the Grindelwald to "people watch" outside, while you are sipping on a beer, I would recommend the Hotel Weisses Kreuz (White Cross) right next to the train station in Grindelwald. Tell the owner Martin Konzett, I said hello.
In Interlaken, if you want to mingle with some regular, younger people - go visit the "Goldener Anker," a small little restaurant/hotel in walking distance from the train station.

From Interlaken to Zermatt, you will travel through one of the longest railroad tunnels in the world (over 21 miles). If you can stop for an hour or so in Spiez (visit the castle). I'm sure you will enjoy Zermatt and the Matterhorn. As you only will spend some hours or max half a day there, visit this website to get some insight what to do in this short time. http://www.zermatt.ch/en/page.cfm/experience/faq
You will be in the state of Wallis/Valais and I would recommend to eat a traditional Raclette - melted cheese, served with boiled potatoes. (In general if you like cheese try the cheeses where ever you are - there are tons and tons of different Swiss cheeses, not just Swiss cheese.)

St. Moritz will be very pricey, as it attracts a lot of high society visitors. But you will enjoy a visit to this southeastern part of Switzerland, where a regional dialect (and officiial 4th language of Switzerland) called Raetoromanisch is spoken. If you have a chance take a cable car up to the Diavolezza (Mountain of the Devil), or visit Sils Maria (Segl) on the shores of Lake Sils by bus from St. Moritz. Hermann Hesse (author) and Friedrich Nietzsche (philosopher) loved this area of Switzerland.

You will enjoy your train ride from St. Moritz to Zurch, a historic ride that was adopted by the UNESCO as a world heritage.

Zurich is very comsopolitan, go visit the old town, if you have a chance, look at the Swiss (Federal) Institute of Technology (Swiss MIT) and alma mater of Albert Einstein.

If you need any more help let me know.
A. Michael Uhlmann / amu communications

I much preferred Wengen to Interlaken. Wengen is the Switzerland of Heidi--beautiful hikes, gorgeous scenery, mountain pastures. Interlaken is but a jumping off point for the real "stuff."

I also think you are planing to do too much in too short time. Each time you change your base you loose time you could spend outside and sightseing. Two to maximum three bases (including Zurich) would be by far enough.
Zermatt and the Glacier Express are far away from your other points. I would decide to stay at Lucerne - www.luzern.com - (at least four nights) and the Jungfrau area - www.myjungfrau.ch -
OR
to spend my time at Zermatt - www.zermatt.ch - and St. Moritz - www.engadin-stmoritz.ch -.
At each of these areas there is enough to do for more time than you have available.
pore

I assume you won't have a Eurail pass. Instead, look at buying a Swiss Pass. It's expensive (as is all of Switzerland), but it may be worth it. We liked taking boats and buses as well as the train. The pass covers these and partially covers privately-owned railways.

Hi Swiss_H,

I agree with pore above -- your honeymoon will be more fun and more relaxing if you do one of these itineraries:

Luzern and Wengen

Zermatt and St. Moritz

Have fun as you plan!

s

Thanks a LOT for the responses! We are so grateful :-)