Mischka

We've booked our flights to Zurich, then home from Vienna. Normally everything would be very well planned as thats half the fun of going,but it's been a bad year and all we know is that we need a holiday, so went ahead and booked not really knowing where we're going or what to do. I'd really appreciate any ideas.

We are headed to Austria to visit family, hence flying out of Vienna. DH has a slightly dodgy knee after recent surgeries so won't be able to do any hiking, skiing or even too much walking this time. I thought I would plan things that we had always wanted to do and also didn't entail a lot of walking. The Glacier and Bernina Express has been on the list for a long time. Two years ago we spent some time in Lugano and loved the relaxed pace of riding the ferries from village to village and also the busses and trains to places like Como etc DH says a colleague spent time at Lake Constance and loved it, an option maybe? Some other lake maybe? We could even head down to lake Garda after the Bernina Express, although we have touched on that before. We arrive in Zurich 26 August and want to spend about 10 to 12 days before heading to our son who lives close to Graz.

Just so you know that I would really like to be spending lots of time planning.... The background right now is that my father had a stroke and broke his hip and I have been caring for him in my home since his release from hospital and that's why I dont have the time and am needing so much help.

Although we have been to Switzerland more than once, we have never been to Zermatt, St.Moritz, the Matterhorn or any of this area. We loved going to the Jungfrau, schilthorn with lunch at Piz Gloria etc. so that is really the type of trip we are hoping for again.

We would truelly appreciate any advice and ideas.
Many thanks.

PalenQ

Sounds like a lot of train travel, which is great as I am anaficionado of Swiss trains - the best way to visit Alpine areas, some of which do not even allow cars in - like the Jungfrau and Zermatt regions.

I have never been thrilled by the Glacier Express - a marathon with often monotonous scenery except around St Moritz and Zermatt. The Bernina Express I do think is one of the very top scenic trains in all of Europe and well worth detouring to that remote part of Switzerland to do. - a good way to go to Italy, from Tirano, the southern terminus of the Bernina Express with trains from there to Lake Como (Bellagio by boat from Varenna) or onto Milan to head west by train to Lake Garda.

And some kind of Swiss Pass may be the best deal for you with such wide ranging travels - check out these fantastic sites IMO for lots of great info on Swiss trains, lake boats, etc. (Passes are valid not only on trains but lake boats, postal buses (like one thru the stunning Maloja Pass you could take from St Moritz to Lugano), city buses and trams and free entry to over 400 Swiss museums to boot - anyway great sites - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.ricksteves.com and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html. Check out the later' special info on the Bernina Express!

Mischka

Thanks PalenQ, I will check those sites out. I did mean to say that we would be getting a Swissrail pass of some sort. I will have to give the glacier express some thought and would love some more views on it but appreciate your honest opinion. I know it's a lot of train travel but we have always enjoyed our trips and it's a great way to check out the scenery if you can't walk too much. The Maloja Pass sounds like a great idea, thanks. We both enjoy good food and wine, although budget would be a consideration, and any ideas on that would be handy too.

pja1

Hi,

I second PalenQ's assessment of the Glacier Express. We took it the entire way from St. Moritz to Zermatt. About halfway through we couldn't wait for the trip to be over. In all the trip was just over 9 hours.

Zermatt and seeing the Matterhorn was terrific. Always wanted to see it in person and it was one of the highlights of our Swiss trip. The other was seeing the Eiger and staying in Wengen in the Berner Oberland. While in Zermatt, we also took the Gornergrat cog train trip.

Paul

docdan

A few ideas - 1. if you visit st moritz, you may wish to take the brief train ride to Scuol, then a post bus to Tarasp castle, this is the lower Inn valley and the scenery is tops.
2. WE did a three day bike trip around Lake Constance absolutely lovely, especially Konstanz, Meeersburg, and Lindau.
Can DH knees handle bicycling? May I suggest Radweg-reissen.com. They are quite good about helping people with such itineraries and may have some e-bike or other options for folks who need less stress.

kja

I have NO answers for you, Mischka, but wanted to wish you and your father well - providing home care is such a loving, but difficult, endeavor!

And thank you - I'm thinking of making Switzerland part of my next journey, and I'm getting some very helpful information though the replies to your query.

PalenQ

an alternative to the Glacier Express between St Moritz and Zermatt is to take the Maloja Pass bus to Lugano, perhaps stay a night in this pleasant city on a pleasant lake and then take the Centovalli Railway to Domodossola and then via Simplon tunnel to Brig and up to Zermatt - lot more interesting IMO than GE route and if break up journey in Lugano no marathon all-day train rides.

PalenQ

Oh in the above I forgot to mention from Lugano you take a train to nearby Locarno, also a sweet town on a sweet lake that could make a neat stop over and from there you get the Centovalli train ("100 valleys") - one of Switzerland's legendary scenic trains that goes thru bucolic valleys to Domodossola - even though it goes largely thru Italy if you have a Swiss Pass it is fully covered as are trains from Domodossola, Italy to Brig and Zermatt.

Mischka

Thanks kja for your kind words.

Thanks everyone for the ideas, I will certainly look into all of them. We have decided to take the advice and scrap the GE idea, I think you are right and we may find it too long when we could be spending our time more wisely. We are thinking of doing the Maloja bus and will investigate that route to Zermatt. Is Zermatt a worthwhile trip?

We loved Lugano last time, specially for the ease of sailing from village to village, so maybe that is an option. We touched on Lucarno last time and took the lift up the mountain, wonderful! It was a Sunday and Lucarno was a ghost town. Will think about that too.

Any recommendations on the lake and easily reachable from Zurich?

I shall dedicate this evening to following up on all these great ideas, thanks again.

PalenQ

Zermatt for most folks in the Matterhorn, one of the world's most distinctive mountain peaks. But there is a lot more there - a Valhalla of an Alpine Wonderland - mountain trains, aerial cable ways, hiking trails for all degrees of experience and activity - right up there with the Jungfrau and Engelberg as to me Switzerland's three primo glacier-drenched Alpine resorts.