Is lightweight jacket enough for Switzerland early June?
 

We will be in Switzerland June 1st. I was planning to pack a sweater as well as a light weight rain jacket. Will this be enough warmth for Interlaken/Grindelwald area June 1st? I know the weather can be variable but I can't predict that! Anyone else been there this time of year that can offer suggestions?

My current desktop background is a photo of our group of four travelers standing in the snow at the top of the Jungfrau on July 4. We are all bundled up in multi layers of sweaters topped with lined nylon hooded rain jackets, knitted ski hats pulled over our ears, and gloves. We still look cold (and we were). You be the judge.

Sorry, I made a mistake. That was July 13 and it was snowing on top the mountain.

We were there around June 15 of last year. Let's just say that my husband was forced to buy a $150 wool sweater because of the cold weather!!

What you will need beyond a sweater or light jacket is purely a function of how high in terms of elevation you plan to go. <BR>Nights can be cool; days can be very uncomfortable if it is cloudy particulary if you are up above 7,000 feet. If for example you plan on taking the trip to the Jungfraujoch, or to the Schilthorn, you could well need a heavy jacket.<BR><BR>I normally go in September and I pack along a Gore Tex shell to layer over a heavy Polar Fleece pullover. I usually throw in a long sleeve turtle neck sweater as well. <BR><BR>There have been times when I needed all of them at the same time. <BR><BR>If you venture no higher than Grindelwald, the evenings there will be relatively mild in June. To a large extent it depends on your own tolerance for cold. I need more protection now than I did when I was 50.<BR>

What you are taking, Mary, is exactly what I've taken w/me in early June on two recent trips. However, I did not stay up in the mountains at night. I'm a lake-side dweller, and was perfectly comfortable on Lake Thun. J.

Excellent site for Swiss weather:<BR><BR>http://www.meteoswiss.ch/<BR><BR>JW, where on the lake do you like to stay? We currently have reservations in Murren but with all these "bone chilling snow in July stories" I'm beginning to wonder if we wouldn't be happier (hmmm warmer) at a lower elevation. <BR><BR>I have a Columbia omnitech ski/outdoor shell with hood I am now considering bringing. Not very fashionable for the city but if it's raining, or snowing, would be very nice.

You can expect bone chilling cold, artic conditions, snow driven by wind gusts upwards of 60 kph (more than 35 mph), freezing rain, and driving sleet.<BR>People freeze to death every summer just taking a casual stroll. <BR>Other than that, you should be fine if you don't mind travel by dog sled.<BR><BR>Come on folks, get real. If the conditions were that bad, thousands of people daily would not go there. You are not going to Antartica. <BR><BR>If you go to the Jungfraujoch, the elevation is about 11,000 feet. You would expect colder temperatures, at least you would if you had ever been on a mountain. Towns like M&uuml;rren are only around 4,000 feet high. There is a drop in temperature of about 3 degrees per thousand feet of elevation gain. So if M&uuml;rren is 66 degrees F, you could expect 45 degrees on the Jungfrau. If you go, there is no reason to leave the Sphinx observation building. I took a walk outside along a snow path. Of course it was cold, but it was not that bad. At night the temperature will drop below freezing, but you will be at a much lower elevation by then.<BR><BR>I have seen what some people call a sweater, but some of those garments with virtually no insulating power are hardly enough if you plan to be up high, such as the M&auml;nnlichen Ridge or the First gondola station near sundown.<BR><BR>

We will be in Lucerne, Switzerland around the 1st of July for a conference before going to Murren. People who attended this conference last year said it was cold, rained, and they never made it to the mountains due to snow. So, I don't know. Guess I'd rather be prepared...

I've been to Switzerland many times in June, including last year and plan to go this year again. We stay inWengen, Zermatt, St. Moritz, and Zurich. We take one 22 inch roll on each for the entire trip. Last year we were away for a month. Now sisnce we have to consider any type of weather, from unbelievably warm to mighty cold and rainy we have learned, very simply to layer. Don't take much, just layer according to the weather. Jungfraujoch is always cold, but that is just a day trip. Mostly you won't be that high. I take one turtle neck, one cotton sweater, one sweatshirt,one warm up suit jacket and one waterproof very lightweight slicker. I usually take the warm up suit jacket on the plane. The slicker is a Helly Henson that folds up into its own pocket and takes up no room at all. It hangs from my waist pouch when hiking. The above will get you through any type of weather you might encounter in June. I have never taken any wool sweater nor did I ever need it. This way, the same sweater can work for a mild climate or, if layered with other items,for a really cold day as well. Hope this is of some help.

Just to add a note to my previous post. Naturally we take other things too. Please don't think we live in one turtle neck for the entire time! The items listed were only for the cold and rainy weather days. Also, if you are going to Jungfraujoch bring gloves.

Hi Ronda, we stayed in Leissigen (Thunsee)in a small two-star, the Hirschen, but there is a nice three-star there as well and it has a web site-- I just cannot recall the name just now. I liked Leissigen a lot, very quiet and right on the rail line with easy connections to anywhere. However, if you'd prefer a lake view plus a mountain view, try Brienz. It will be much more crowded, but it's pretty and the view is lovely. J. p.s., obviously the temp depends on your elevation; I found it warm on the lakes.

You've given me a lot to think about. I Confess.....I'm middle aged and certainly not the athletic type (unless you call listening to music lifting my glass of wine...haha) All this talk of hiking etc. is making me weary already. Maybe we're more the lake types. I'd like to take the gondola up, look around at the beautiful scenery then head back down the mountains. I will certainly bring layers....sure makes sense to me. I can't wait to explore Bern and the Lakes region but all this talk of snow in July makes me shiver already. I'm born and raised So.California....got thin blood! Thanks so much for all the great advice guys. Mary

L., great packing suggestions but I would like to know just exactly what else you put in that twenty-two incher to make it for a month! Are you male or female? <BR><BR>We are taking a weekend trip and I'm trying out the 22" to see exactly how much stuff I can get into it.

Hi. Try one pair of pants, one skirt, four or five tops (vary the weights), a rain/windbreaker (LLBean sort of thing), and several sets of underwear, and you're all set. Everything needs to be easy to wash and dry though. J. p.s. Ronda, your trial-run sounds like a good idea.

Ronda, Everything really does fit in a 22" roll on provided you wear your bulkiest shoes, (hiking boots or walking shoes) on the plane. By the way, we don't take the roll ons on board. We put the cases through. Flying Swiss Airlines means we can arrange for the cases to go directly to the train station in the town we will be visiting first. This makes life very easy when we arrive at the airport. No waiting for luggage. When we get to the town if the luggage isn't there yet, it will certainly arrive by the next train and the hotel arranges to pick it up for us. I love the Swiss efficiency. <BR><BR>Back to the packing. Since I am always cold on the plane I usually also take my sweatshirt and warm up suit jacket as well. I carry on board a small nylon bag made by Le Sport Sac. No weight and also folds up into a tiny space if I want to put it in my roll on later. Last year I took more than I really needed. In addition to what I wore on the plane and in addition to what I outlined in my previous post for cold weather, I took four pairs of long pants, three sweaters, one blouse, several short sleeve tops,two long sleeve tops, two weeks worth of underwear, 2 nightgowns, robe, slippers, two pair of shoes and lots of socks and, of course, my toiletries case. It all fit in very nicely and I had room for purchases and gifts. I have a very roomy case, a Sharper Image one, that I purchased several years ago. I don't think they make this one any more. My husband has one by Atlantic and it expands. He stuffs it very full. He always ends up taking more than I do. <BR><BR>By limiting ourselves to the 22" case, we avoid overpacking which we are prone to do otherwise. Hope this is helpful.

Great suggestions! Thanks to all. I did take a weekend trip and used a 22". It did seem smaller than my daughter's Atlantic with expanding zipper. I did fit everything in except shoes, coat, and toiletries.<BR><BR>Shoes are always my big problem. I do have to take a dress as my husband will be on business one week and we will have to go out to dinner.<BR><BR>I thought it would be clever if I started a thread re my trip to Paris and Italy this past weekend but everyone would soon discover that it was one night in Las Vegas on the way to my son's college graduation in AZ and I would be in BIG trouble. lol

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