Elizabeth

I am planning a trip in September and I have two days to spend with my 83 yr old. grandmother in Switzerland. We will most likely have a rental car and will return it and fly out of the Zurich airport. <BR>How would you recommend we spend our time? <BR>Obviously no hiking and not too much walking. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. <BR>Thanks

Bob Brown

A very key question here is this: <BR>Are either of you afraid of heights? <BR>Does riding in a gondola type of mountain conveyance frighten you? <BR>If the answer is "No", then I have some suggestions. <BR>Drive to Luzern and take a cruise on the lake: Vierwaltstaettersee. (Lake of the 4 Cantons -- the cradle of Switzerland.) <BR>That one is flat of course. The lake is gorgeous. <BR>Drive to Wilderswil just south of Interlaken on the road to Grindelwald and take the train up to Schnyge Platte. <BR>The views of the lakes are eye popping, as are the views of the Berner Oberland. <BR> <BR>Continue on to Grindelwald and take the gondola up to a station called First. <BR>There is a restaurant there and you can eat and enjoy the scenery. <BR> <BR>There is not much walking involved in any of these. <BR> <BR>I would suggest the Jungfraujoch train trip, but there is a considerable change in altitude rather quickly. For someone that age, there could be a risk. <BR> <BR>The others involve a change, but not up to 11,000 feet. <BR> <BR>Drive over the Grimsel Pass from Interlaken; or to the top of it and then back to Interlaken. There is also the Furka Pass which is very scenic. <BR> <BR>Drive to the end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and see the waterfalls. These can be seen from the car. After you see the falls, primarily Staubbach Falls, park the car and take the mountain train up to Wengen and/or Kleine Scheidegg for a close view of the Jungfrau and the Eiger. Lots of nice places to eat up there. <BR> <BR>Or, take the furnicular up to Grutschalp, then take the little train to Muerren for a great view as well. <BR>Gorgeous. If you are of a mind, continue up to the Schilthorn. (But again, big change in elevation.) <BR>This one might be out because you do need to walk from the train station to the lift station. I don't recall the exact distance, but it is a couple of hundred yards as I recall. <BR> <BR>In Interlaken, take a boat trip on the Thunersee and/or the Brienzersee. If you do the Luzern lake trip, then these two might not be as attractive. But they are very nice. You can't lose as boat trips go with any of them. <BR> <BR>How long do you have?? <BR>Enough time to drive to Zinal and Grimentz in Val d'Anniviers? The views from Barrage de Moiry of the Moiry Glacier are fine. You can reach Zinal fairly easily. Drive to Kandersteg. Take the train ferry through the tunnel, and drive down the mountain side to the Rhone. Turn right for Sion, and in a few miles watch for the signs pointing south to Val d'Anniviers -- the towns of Zinal and Grimentz. <BR>Of course some of this driving is a test of your will on mountain roads. My wife handled it fine last summer, and the summer before. (She drove, I navigated.) But she is the type who thought Loveland Pass in Colorado was a piece of cake. She also asked me where Tioga Pass was just after I had driven up it. ("Oh that was it?? I expected more." ) <BR>

Elizabeth

Thanks Bob for the great input. Maybe I can practice Tioga Pass this August since I'll be up that way. You have given such great details, is this all from your own experience or do you recommend a good tour book(I have used Frommers for previous trips to Benelux region)to help plan an itinerary? <BR>I will certainly print this out and study it on my map. <BR>Thanks again

Bob Brown

Hi Elizabeth. One more comment on the Jungfraujoch trip. It beautiful, something of an adventure, but it is expensive, unless you have some type of discount pass. However, unless you are there a relatively long time, amortizing the cost of the pass by taking various trains, gondolas, and boats, is not easy to do. <BR> <BR>I was 65 when I made the Jungfrau trip, and found it to be ok. But if someone's oxygen absorption rate is somewhat down for any number of reasons, I would be careful. With your grandmother being 83, I just don't know. If the change i altitude was gradual, she could adjust. But the train chugs away up the hillside and the change in altitude is relatively rapid. I start feeling it at 7,500 feet and at 8,500 I start to really feel the thinner air. <BR> <BR>Most of my experience was gained from here and there. I have the Fodors guide. But most of it came from brochures I got from the various tourist offices like the ones in Grindelwald and Interlaken. I also have one from Lauterbrunnen, but it is mostly a listing of places to stay. Some of the hiking books helped, too. The one by the Liebermanns is quite good for giving you ideas of places to go. <BR>But what I know is a mosaic. <BR> <BR>By the way, I thought the drive up Tioga Pass to be beautiful. Just drive carefully but steadily. Certainly you should have good tires!! <BR> <BR>I think you will have a good trip. <BR>We will be in Lauterbrunnen from September 6 through the 12th. On the morning of the 13th we leave for Salzburg and then Vienna. Sort of the reverse of your route. <BR> <BR>Switzerland is relatively easy to drive in; just make sure you know green from blue. The color of the route idicates if it is through town or the bypass type of route. My wife says she things the blue routes were local and green ones were the express. You might ask when you get your rental car!! <BR>

Christine

Gruezi from Switzerland. <BR> <BR>FYI, the green route markers are indeed for the Autobahns and the blue road signs for the secondary roads (note-in France it is the exact opposite!). <BR>Once again, Bob has made excellent recommendations for you considering your Grandmother's age. Except, it depends on what part of September you will be here since the pass drives may be closed by late September due to early snowfalls. In fact it has been snowing above 2000m this week. The past few weeks weather has been miserable, cool and lots of rain. I'm afraid any visitors who have been here recently haven't seen much of the beautiful mountains. I did notice lots of gloomy-faced people with cameras around their necks in Luzern on Wednesday. <BR> <BR> I'm headed to Lauterbrunnen tomorrow for what was supposed to be a weekend of camping and hiking-looks like we'll be playing cards in our tent. <BR> <BR>Bob, I was lucky enough to catch the Zentral Schweiz Jodlerfest near Stans a few weeks ago, it was fantastic. Lots of jodeling concerts, alphorn blowing , cowbell ringing and flag throwing, not to mention beer gardens, by hundreds of participants from all over Central Switzerland in traditional dress. Very much a "locals" event. This lasted 3 days and culminated with a huge parade. I thought you might be interested to know (for future trip planning?) this is an annual event in early July. The exact location in Central Switzerland changes every year. I'll post some pictures when I get them developed. <BR>

Bob Brown

Last summer in late September we visited the cheese factory at Afolten. By pure luck we arrived at the start of a cow judging contest. Some of the most gorgeous milk cows I ever saw were being <BR>inspected by judges in white coats. <BR>Those huge bells were awarded to the winners. The owners were quite proud, but the cows seemed to be oblivious to all of the ceremony. Also we have been lucky enough to be in villages when the cows came down from the high pastures. <BR>Quite a sight with the cows decked out in their headgear, with flowers and bells. The streets of the town were closed off as the cows were paraded along the way. <BR> <BR>Christine: if it rains in Lauterbrunnen, at least you can visit Trummelbach Falls. It is well recessed into the rock, so there will be no rain from above, but the spray from the thundering falls might get you!! Staubbach Falls is nice, but it doesn't take long to see it. It was on a rainy day last year that we took off across Switzerland's back roads and ended up watching the cows at the cheese factory in Afolten. <BR>The transportation museum in Luzern is well worth the drive; sure beats sitting in a tent counting rain drops. <BR>But after getting pelted with sleet on several occasions last year, I hope we find better weather this year. <BR>