This is a bit long, but I have 3 questions to ask: <BR>1. This summer, our family of 5 (2 adults, 3 teens) is going to Italy for 2 weeks and then Switzerland for 6 nights (although the 6th night will be in Zurich to catch an early morning flight). Our final Italy destination will be Venice, then we will be going to Switzerland by train, either to Interlaken or Zermatt (arriving 5pm-ish either way). My question is: how would it be best to do this? <BR>A. Should we park ourselves in Interlaken for all 5 nights and do a day trip to Zermatt? Is it realistically do-able or is it just too hectic and rushed? <BR>B. Should we go directly to Zermatt from Venice for 2 nights, then go to Interlaken for 3 nights? (Although I was hoping to not do quite as much luggage-schlepping as the Italy portion of the trip!) <BR>C. Or, go ahead and book 5 nights in Interlaken, assuming we'll do the day trip, but actually plan on overnighting in Zermatt for one night (at least we wouldn't have to drag all our luggage with us!), then returning to Interlaken the next day. <BR>D. Any other suggestions on how to do it? <BR> <BR>2. Is there plane or helicopter service to/from or around Zermatt? Cost? Is it worth it? How would I book it? <BR> <BR>3. Is there someplace else other than Interlaken that I should consider, that is centrally located to visit various mountains, and not an additional train trip? <BR>Thanks for advice and suggestions! Post here or email me.

I was in Switzerland last summer and have one word for you- Gimmewald!! Don't stay in Interlaken if you want the Swiss Alps experience. It takes a little effort to get there but it is heaven on earth. It has been said "if heaven isn't what it's cracked up to be, send me back to Gimmewald"!!

I agree. Why Interlaken? And why would you go to Interlaken and then plan on backtracking to Zermatt. It is a non trivial trip in terms of time. <BR>If you objective is to see the Swiss Alps, there are two comfortable places from which to do it: Zermatt and somewhere in the vicinity of Grindelwald or, on the other side of the Mannlichen Ridge, Wengen, Mürren, or Lauterbrunnen. <BR>Of the 4, Grindelwald is the largest village with an international mixture of visitors. <BR>From your description, money is not much of an obstacle. So why not go to Grindelwald and plan on taking the train up to the Jungfraujoch. It is very, very scenic and will give you a true mountain experience.

Thanks for the suggestions! We decided to toss out Interlaken and go for a modified Plan B: 2 nights in Zermatt, then 3 nights in Lauterbrunnen, which looks like a scenic and central location to visit the Jungfrau and Schilthorn, etc. Gimmelwald looks lovely...maybe next time! By the way, there is a helicopter service (Air Zermatt) which offers a 20-minute tour for about 195 chf (about $113 USD)per person, so it's on our "maybe" list, but looks breathtaking! Happy travels to all.

I would definitely suggest that you get a 4 day Swiss Pass. You can ride buses, boats and many cable cars free with the pass, and 1/2 price on the expensive private trips to Schilthorn and Jungfrau (you pay only from Wengen on to the top). Children under 16 travel on Swiss transportation free with their parents, and you can get "companion" fares for a second adult. The lakes are beautiful to take trips on, and the buses can take you to out-of-the-way waterfalls, etc. If you run into a rainy day, you can travel to Bern or Lucerne on the train for a different point of view, and the pass is good on city transportation too ! (but not in Interlaken)We found that it was always a good idea to have a Plan B for the days that it rained or the low clouds made those beautiful mountains disappear! And, FYI, we made a day trip to Zermatt from way east of Interlaken and thought it was great. A long day, for sure, but beautiful scenery all along the way. The only problem is, again, the clouds may cover the Matterhorn by the time you get there!

Hi Nano. Let me do a little fill in here. First of all, I virtually have a second home in Lauterbrunnen -- not quite mind you. <BR>But I have been there for the last 3 summers. I selected Lauterbrunnen because it is a transportation center. <BR>You can easily go to Grindelwald, Mürren, Wengen, and Interlaken from there. Others will rightfully argue that Mürren has the better views of the mountains. I concede that point willingly. But I want to explore different areas as much as I can. Therefore, I am constantly on the go. Despite its beautiful vistas, Mürren requires two changes of conveyence to get there. <BR> <BR>Now lets compare the Berner Oberland area and Zermatt. Zermatt gives you a view of some of the most dramatic mountains in Europe, including the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, the Dom (the highest peak totally within Swiss borders), the Zinal Rothorn, Dente Blanche, and a flock of others. <BR> <BR>If you can get in both, then go for it. <BR>In the Berner Oberland area, most of your train riding and lift riding will not be on lines that fully honor the SBB rail pass. But for a family travelling together, let me suggest that you check out the full panoply of Swiss Passes that are available. <BR> <BR>http://www.sbb.ch:80/pv/sts_e.htm <BR> <BR>Also, there is a Berner Oberland Regional Pass that will help a little bit on the various mountain trains in the Zermatt area and give you 3 days (out of 7) of free travel in the Berner Oberland area. I figured that if I rode everything in sight I the pass would pay for itself. So I did. <BR> <BR>The best rides to my thinking are these: <BR>1. Luftseilbahn to the Schilthorn. <BR>(even with the pass you pay 50% for the final leg of the trip up) <BR>2. Gondola to First from Grindelwald <BR>(First has nothing to do with second.) <BR>3. Train to the Jungfraujoch. <BR>Pricey as all get out, and you pay 50% of the cost of the final leg from Kleine Scheidegg to the observation building if you have the pass. <BR>4. Wilderswil to Schynige Platte. <BR>Beautiful views to say the least. <BR>You view the Berner Oberland Range looking south and the lakes on either side of Interlaken looking north. <BR>5. Loop trip from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen and back to Lauterbrunnen. <BR>Great for seeing the north face of the Eiger. <BR>Go, enjoy, and if you stay in Lauterbrunnen drop by Trudy's Bazaar. <BR>She is a friend of ours, and she speaks good English; her husband is originally English. <BR> <BR>One word of warning, on the way from Zweilütschinen to Lauterbrunnen, you pass by a shooting range. As you may have heard, all men in Switzerland must serve in the reserve army. The shooting range is where many of them practice their marksmanship. They are as handy now with a rifle as William Tell was with a bow and arrow. <BR>It reminds me of a line penned by someone in my high school history class. <BR>William Tell shot an arrow through an apple while standing on his son's head. <BR>

Thanks for the transport tips and extra info...I'll definitely look into it!

The Berner Oberland Regional Pass has a web site that gives you the costs and it also has a map of the area of coverage. <BR>It is quite extensive as you will see. http://www.bls.ch/german/sites/a/a_c_d_regiopass.html <BR>The page is not in English that I can find. But the prices are understandable and the map is fairly clear, if a little small. <BR>If you don't read German, I can wade through it for you. I might have to use a dictionary, but I can get the meaning out of it. <BR> <BR>You do run a little risk here. You might decide you don't want to leave and just stay there all summer. <BR>

Thanks, very helpful. Between the Swiss passes and regional ones, there are so many choices! By the way, here's the English page (the key was to go back to the home page and choose English, then continue) Also, there is a bigger version of that map. <BR> <BR>http://www.bls.ch/english/sites/a_c_d_1regiopasse.html <BR> <BR>And, yes, I would love to stay longer. I've been to Switzerland once before as a teen, 25 years ago, to Davos and Zurich, and I'm very excited to be going back and exploring some different areas, and have my own teens along to enjoy it with me.