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Interlaken with 3yr and 1.5yr old – train/travel advice please!

Interlaken with 3yr and 1.5yr old – train/travel advice please!

Old Jul 20th, 2011, 09:24 AM
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Interlaken with 3yr and 1.5yr old – train/travel advice please!

Traveling with our 3yr DD and 1.5 yr DS on our first trip to Switzerland next week (flying from London to Zurich and train to Interlaken). We rented a villa for 5 nights in Interlaken to preserve flexibility with kids, activities and weather (DD LOVES boats so that factored in). On a similar trip to Paris via Eurostar, we took 2 duffels that DH and I could wear as backpacks, 2 smallish umbrella strollers, and 1 diaper bag. Dealing w/ strollers on trains is a pain but we have found that they are a necessary evil as our kids still both need breaks from walking, especially if we power through afternoon naptime.
Itinerary:
Goal is to keep the agenda simple and flexible around kids and weather but hope to accomplish the following:
Day 1(Sat) – Arrive afternoon and get settled/buy groceries for Villa
Day 2 DH birthday! Bake a b-day cake in villa (DD requirement). Boat ride on Lake Thun to Spiez or Thun (or both time permitting). I read on the BLS website that you can ride in 1st class all day for free on your birthday !
Day 3 – Jungfrau (or whatever day looks good weatherwise)
Day 4 – Boat ride on Lake Brienz and maybe go to Ballenberg Open Air museum (buy the combined tickets to museum and boat/bus) or just let kids play around lake parks/playgrounds/pools.
Day 5 – Train to mountain villages (Wengen? Murren?) and a nice little “hike” and picnic. Any ideas for a good/gentle walk suitable for toddlers?
Day 6 (Thurs) – leave am back to London.

More Questions:
1) Itinerary - any suggestions/edits on things we shouldn’t miss with the kids and anyone take kids to any of the lakeside pools/playgrounds that you would recommend?
2) Train – Plan to buy 1st class in hopes of a bit of extra space and less crowding – does anyone know whether the 1st class section would allow for sliding the folded up umbrella strollers under the seats or in overhead racks? In the UK, the 1st class sections are often a separate little compartment with little/no extra space for luggage (you mostly are paying for less crowding). Is this true for Swiss trains travelling between Zurich and Interlaken? (Note that I checked out the baggage delivery service offered by SBB but the timing of our flights in/out of Zurich means that we wouldn’t get same day delivery of our luggage so not an ideal option).
3) Train tickets – I did the math and it appears that the half-fare card is our best option. I assume it will be easy to buy our Zurich-Interlaken tickets and half-fare cards upon arrival?
4) Strollers –worth taking the stroller for the 1.5 yr old on the Jungfrau day – i.e., will it fit in the lifts (or would we be folding it up the whole time anyway and holding him)?
5) Restaurants in Interlaken – any recommendations on toddler friendly restaurants on nights where we eat out? Doubt that Hooters will be my first pick

Thanks in advance for any input!
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Old Jul 20th, 2011, 11:32 AM
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first some great sites for answers to those questions - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com. check ordinary fares at www.sbb.ch - Swiss Federal Railways site - in Swiss Francs.

Half-fare card may be best for you but I would also check out the Swiss Pass as it covers not only trains but lake boats (DH gets one free day but you can also take a boat across Lake Brienz to Brienz then a postal bus to the Ballenberg Open-air Museum lovingly overlooking the lake from its high up perch - Swiss Pass would give the adults free admission to the museum - about a $20 p.p. or more value as Swiss Passes give free entry to over 400 Swiss museums as well as all city transit, postal buses, lake boats and trains in full to places like Murren, Wengen, Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen,

You need a first class ticket or pass to ride on the open-air top deck of the lake boats - if you had a 2nd class pass you could pay the difference once on board between the ordinary 1st and 2nd class fares.

Kids under 4 always go free I believe on everything but there is also a free Family Pass that comes free with Swiss Passes that gives anyone under 15 who is a son or daughter free everything if the age limit is not under 4 as I believe.

First class train cars IME of years of riding them in Switzerland usually have ample places for skis, hiking sticks, etc and there are fewer seats so storage of a fold-up carriage should be no problem and it would not be in 2nd class really either from what I can see. There is very little first-class seating on trains from Interlaken into the hills - just one small compartment but on trains to Zurich, etc there will be whole cars for first class.

Jungfrau trains can be very crowded IME and I believe they are single class trains. but once up top you could well use it to trek thru the Ice Caves and outside towards the glacier, etc unless snow is around on the paths as it may be. But there is ample place for it to be useful IME once up top.

Half-Fare cards cost about $130 to start so if you know exactly what trips you will take then it is easy to figure out if you know the local fares. And Half-Fare card will also give you 50% off the Wengen/Grindelwald to Jungfraujoch trains whereas Swiss Pass on that portion only 25%.

Actually I think a Jungfraubahn Pass may be your best option as it covers everything pretty much 100% in the region, including I believe the Jungfraubahn - buy it locally.

There is a McDonalds in Interlaken but you may want to visit the rooftop cafeteria of the Migros superstore right in the center of Interlaken - many locals eat here.
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Old Jul 20th, 2011, 11:35 AM
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Lucky you!
The train station/offices are just across the street (well-signed) and downstairs at Zurich airport. It'll be a breeze to purchase your HFC and initial tickets at the counter (may be a bit of a line if several planes just got in).
I personally have not ridden in train First Class, but most 2nd class areas have a rack above the seats which should accomodate the strollers (iffy on the train out of the airport though with so many other arriving passengers). If racks are jam-packed at any time, larger items can be placed at the end of the car (keep within view).

Can't name any specific restos in Interlaken, but at this time of the year many will have outdoor seating available, which might help to keep the kids entertained.
Finally, I think you itinerary is nicely paced. I very much liked Ballenberg "outdoor Museum" above Brienz. A lot of fairly level walking/strolling can be involved, but in a woods-like setting, so there is often tree cover for shade.
There are picnic tables and a few restos as well, including self-serve (helps to keep the costs down).
As for hikes, I cannot recall the exaact one(?Grutschlap to Muerren), although two in the area are called "the Grandmother's Hike" and "the Grandfather's Hike" and are on mostly paved, wide and level paths with spectacular mountain views.
I'm sure many other posters will give specifics.
Bon Voyage!
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Old Jul 20th, 2011, 11:53 AM
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Have fun! Reminder: on many trains serving major routes, there are quiet cars - no mobile phones, no loud conversations, etc. Check that you're not taking your family into one of those (there is usually only one quiet car per class on the train).

And while you're enjoying the BO, count your blessings that you weren't there this week, which has so far been rainy (some areas had torrential downpours) and cloudy. A colleague was in Locarno over the week-end and said the city had the heaviest rain he'd ever seen. BO had similar weather.
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Old Jul 20th, 2011, 12:58 PM
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I have done almost the exact same itinerary with two 2-year olds and 4 adults and it worked out beautifully. Definitely plan your days around the projected clear morning weather and use that to do Jungrfrau the first train up. It will not be so crowded and it sometimes gets cloudy later in the day. Also, if I recall correctly, the dog-sled rides at the top of Jungfrau end at 11 am or so, so if that is a possibilty (not sure if there are minimum age requirements) then you would want to be up early. The Murren/Grutschalp is a nice mild walk. We had a nice hearty lunch outdoors in Murren with a view to die for at Hotel Alpenruh.

Also, the kids loved the trains, cable cars/gondolas and boat rides. That was almost as fun as the destinations themselves! Ballenberg is also wonderful. They have a few areas with swings, carousel, etc. And any place where there are animals (e.g., pigs, cattle) will hold their attention for a while. Ballenberg has that as well. It is quite a bit of walking though so keep that in mind. We did a ride on Lake Thun from Thun to Spiez and ate dinner at a restaurant outdoors ni Spiez right on the lake but I don't recall the name. There is a great playground in Thun about 10 mins walk from the boat dock.

Consider going up to Heimwefluh and/or Harder Kulm in Interlaken. Both involve funicular rides, have nice views and snack bars as well as playgrounds. Also, Interlaken has a municipal pool (w/ waterslide but don't think the kids are old enough) on Goldey that should be open to visitors for a daily fee.

Have a great time!
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Old Jul 20th, 2011, 01:37 PM
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Thank you so much everyone! Great suggestions and tips. I just loaded in all our options on a spreadsheet and looks like its about breakeven between Swiss card and half fare as the tix from Zurich to Interlaken aren't that pricey compared to the cost of the passes. I think you need an advanced degree to figure out Swiss rail passes!
I feel better about the strollers now too and will remember to watch out to avoid the quiet 1st class cars - I commute to London most days and always laugh when I see somebody being clueless and talking on their mobile in a quiet zone and the looks of death that people send their way (although I've observed that Brits don't usually say anything but when they do, it can get pretty ugly! I keep my mouth shut since I'm an American).

Cjbpjb - great tips for the kids and Heimwefluh looks like it will be really fun for them.

Fingers crossed for good weather!!!

P.S. - Is it just me or do others feel like a complete fool trying to pronounce these names without sounding like a bad Saturday Night Live skit? I can muddle along in French or Spanish but can't wrap my head around German!
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Old Jul 20th, 2011, 03:38 PM
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I know I'm the odd man out - but I always prefer driving in Switzerland. And esp with small kids and all the stuff you have to haul around - would think a car much easier to manage than a train. We much prefer the chance to go where we want when - change plans in the middle of the day if the weather - or our mood changes. And you can make a lot of stops not possible on a train.
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Old Jul 21st, 2011, 08:22 AM
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The Jungfraubahn Pass IMO could be a good option compared to all the others. Swiss Cards must be purchases I believe before getting to Switzerland - Swiss Cards that is not Swiss Passes though if comparing prices of Swiss Pass and in North America be sure to use dollar prices as when I checked recently the same exact Swiss Pass bought in Switzerland was significantly more expensive than same pass bought here.

Getting About Page - Bernese Oberland Information Website
www.berneroberland.co.uk/bgabout.htm

The Jungfraubahn Railways Pass is a good choice for those wishing to explore the mountains in the Jungfrau region. The Pass allows six days consecutive ...


Jungfraubahnen Pass - Jungfrau Region
www.myjungfrau.ch

The Jungfraubahnen Pass can be purchased at all Jungfraubahn stations as well as the Wengen-Männlichen (LWM) cable car stations, the First gondola (BGF) and ...
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Old Jul 21st, 2011, 11:53 AM
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another option is the more far-ranging Berner Oberland Pass, covering all forms of transport in a much wider region than the Jungfraubahn Pass which basically covers conveyances up in the hills from Interlaken. But with the BOB Pass, bought locally, you can probably travel on it from Bern or Lucerne or at least get a discount and then all around Interlaken have the pass kick in 100%.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2011, 07:28 AM
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the half-fare cars is often seen it seems as a panacea for folks who find all the options frustrating - gee I just show this pass and get 50% off everything that moves in Switzerland except cows - but it costs $130 or so or more to buy so you have to travel at a full price cost of about $260-280 - does your travel tickets add up to $260-280? And that is only the break even price. I dare say from your OP you may be better just buying regular tickets as you go along and forget the Half-Fare Card.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2011, 09:06 AM
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We just returned from Switzerland and yes there is a little more space on the 1st class trains, but IMO not worth the extra money. There is storage space between seats for umbrella strollers in second class. We were able to fit our luggage between the seats for the ride from Zurich to Bern. We rode all 2nd class and on all our train trips, there was NEVER a full car so we had plenty of space (except for our Trip to Milan - that was full and we had reserved seats).

We had the Swiss pass and overall it only saved us maybe $50-75 total, but it was nice to have the flexibility to just jump on and off when and where we wanted.

We LOVED Spiez. Very nice beach and swimming area, and we took the Berner Oberland boat from there to Interlaken. This was my favorite little town (so far).
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Old Jul 23rd, 2011, 12:39 PM
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Hi Jennifer - great to know on the space in the trains and we will definitely go to Spiez!

PalenQ - I get the impression that you've had a lot of experience with people not doing the math on the travel cards! But, never fear, I promise I actually did the full spreadsheet (I'm a CPA by training)and loaded in our Zurich to Interlaken trip and every planned excursion including the price of Ballenberg (despite my DH making fun of me as he would have just bought whatever pass and be done with it). I found that the half fare card was clearly the cheapest option in our specific situation. At full 1st class fares , we would pay approx. CHF 700 for one adult vs approx CHF 450 using the half rate card. All others (Swiss Pass, Swiss Card, Flexi-Pass, BOP) were between CHF 500-550 per adult. Our kids are of course free..

Only 1 week to go before our holiday - looking forward to getting out of the UK for a bit - the summer started nicely but has gone downhill weatherwise this past month!
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Old Jul 23rd, 2011, 01:37 PM
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We just got back and did the Thun to Interlaken boat ride. We happened to get lucky and get the paddle boat which the kids really loved. You can look down into the engine and there are also windows that allow you to see the paddles. Just look at the brochure and they tell you which of the trips is on the paddle boat. I believe there is only one trip a day each way that uses this boat.
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Old Jul 25th, 2011, 06:52 AM
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Nor Cal Jo - Yes with first class fares the Half-Off Card makes sense - i forgot you were going first class as in 2nd class it may not have been worth it. And even though in Switzerland IME the difference between first and second class is not as significant as it is in most countries there is a difference - I always have a first-class pass and am happy to have one - lots of empty seats in first class which is key for you - 2nd class, esp in the BOB region can be SRO at times as swarms of hikers come aboard IME. And on the boats you need a first-class pass to ride in the open-air upper deck, far far better than being stuck down below though in 2nd class you can indeed sit on the open-air back of the boat on the lower deck - but I'd rather be on top up front!
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Old Jul 25th, 2011, 11:18 AM
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Wekiva - I also love the boat ride on Lake Thun and it seems that it is off the radar of many folks visiting the Berner Oberland who gravitate to the hills and neglect the lakes that bookend Inter-Laken - and Lake Thun is majestically backdropped by the glacier-girdled peaks of the Jungfrau Massif - on a nice sunny afternoon to plop myself on the upper open-air deck and get intoxicated on both the scenery and perhaps some vin de pays! sometimes I just go for a float and come back but it is easy to get off at either Spiez, where yes the castle of your dreams hovers high above the boat dock - with vineyards swirling around it or at Thun, a larger but really nice city with a gushing river running right thru it - from either Spiez or Thun trains quickly whisk you back to Interlaken. If have a Swiss Pass or Half-Fare Card, etc they are valid 100% on the boat. boats go frequently so it is easy to get off at a lakeside gem like Oberhofen, flower-bedecked Oberhofen with another neat old castle overlooking the lake and get on another boat an hour or so later.
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Old Jul 26th, 2011, 11:13 AM
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NorCal Jo - You have done your homework but some notes for others who are comparing costs of say passes to Half-fare Cardes, etc.

Do NOT use the price in Swiss Francs for Swiss Passes if you live abroad - use that in your home country (in UK prices for passes in pounds bought from RailEurope on Piccadilly St in London for example) as pass prices are often significantly cheaper say bought in the U S than same pass in Switzerland - and also do not forget that a 3-day Swiss Flexipass gives you all of the benefits of a Half-Fare card as in between the first and third day (over a month period) you also get 50% off everything that moves in Switzerland just like the Half-Fare card - and since Half-Fare passes now cost about $145-150 to start compare the price to the 3-day Swiss Flexipass price - currently in U S $240 p.p. - meaning that on the 3 days of 100% covered travel you would have to spend the differential between Pass and 1/2 Off Pass or about $95 on actual travel - $32 a day x 2 or $64 a day for a break even point and this is easy to do for some folks like those taking the Glacier Express, going from Geneva to Wengen or even doing the fantastic IMO Interlaken-Lauterbrunnen-Murren-gimmelwald-Stechleberg-Interlaken loop - marshall you long travel days into the 3 100% travel days (and any expensive museums as well as Swiss Pass gives free entry to 400+ museums, like Ballenberg Open-Air - a $25 or so a pop - that day could include a boat ride on Lake Brienz, a train to Meiringen and Reichbach Falls, etc. Now the one difference is that Swiss Passes only give 25% off from Wengen or Grindelwald to Jungfraujoch whereas 1/2 Off Pass I believe is still 50% off - about the only difference. And of course conseutive day Swiss Pass are much cheaper per day than a flexipass.

Yes it is confusing for folks at first glance.
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Old Jul 27th, 2011, 04:28 AM
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Pal:
I have to ask...do you work for the Swiss Rail?
Most of your very informative (verbose) posts deal exhaustively with the variations of swiss passes and benefits available...
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Old Jul 27th, 2011, 09:18 AM
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Swiss Passes are simply great travel bargains I am proud to hype - especially when the Half-Fare Card is usually recommended without really analyzing the situation and will continue to do so even with accusations like from you where I consider the source and move on. and if you really read everything I post I often also say to some folks a pass is not a good deal and point out like I did in this post about the Jungfraubahn Pass and Berner Oberland Pass as alternatives to folks basically going to one place and staying put or just traveling in a small compact area.
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Old Jul 27th, 2011, 10:21 AM
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Sorry, but I have analyzed the situation and the Half-Fare Card works best for me and many others who post here.

You have a lot of nerve.

And whilst I many not be an accountant, I have a BA from Dartmouth and MA from Penn. (I don't hide my light under a bushel.)

Not everyone here needs nursemaiding, guv.

Now to the OP: I would never travel first-class on any train in the BO. In some cases there is only one class (like the train from Lauterbrunnen via Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg, or the train from KS to the Jungfrau, or the train from Wilderswil to Schynige Platte). There is also no class on cablecars.

If you are coming from Zurich, second-class is fine and dandy on the trains to Luzern or Interlaken. Plenty of Room.

I once accidently sat in a first-class compartment on the train from Zurich Flughafen to Zurich Bahnhof. I NEVER would have paid extra for it. NO WAY!

P_P, posting in Fodorville for over 10 years
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Old Jul 28th, 2011, 03:31 AM
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PP:
Here Here!
Pal:'What "accusations?" And how rude-"consider the source!" Do you have thin skin?
I also travel extensively in Switzerland and routinely find the Half Fare Card to be best, because I DO THE MATH on my own!
Agree with PP about the nursemaiding comment, sorry.
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