Hi, we are a family of four. We are looking to do a 7-10 day trip from Paris, see Switzerland and return home via Frankfurt. We don't need museum time or theme parks. Would just like to experience the natural beauty and relax in different cities. Basically would like to see Paris for 2-3 days. See the Alps, MontBlanc, Chamonix and head to Frankfurt for departure. Any suggestions welcome!

Paris to Chamonix

Chamonix to Interlaken - the Jungfrau the epitome of the high Alps - stay in a neat mountain town like Wengen or Grindelwald and be eyeball to eyeball with glacier-girdled high Alps of your dreams

Train to Frankfurt direct - there is an overnight train from ZurichI believe - get a private compartment for 4 - bring any food and drink onboard - experience a night train!

I'd spend all the time in Chamonix and especially the Interlaken area - one day go to Lucerne for a night then via Zurich to Frankfurt - day or night train.

For lots of goodies on Swiss trains and passes (one of which will be beneficial to your trip plans - perhaps the Swiss Transfer Ticket - check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

check www.voyages-sncf.com or www.capitainetrain.com for discounted tickets to Chamonix - after Chamonix use a Swiss Pass or Swiss Transfer Ticket - kids under 16 get a Free Family Pass where they never pay a cent for any transpsortation in Switzerland. Passes cover not only trains but lake boats and city trams and buses and postal buses too.

In Chamonix you can yes take a train up to Mont Blanc from near Chamonix and right from Chamonix you can take what to me is the most thrilling aerial cable car ride in Europe - at least of all the zillions I've been on - up to the Pte de Aguille then across a sea of ice to Pte Heilbronner in Italy and back - up top the tiny 4-person gondolas often stop and you dangle over the ice and snow far far below - hearing only the cracking of the ice (when I took it) - they stop to let folks on and off at each end and if a Nevous Nellies - WOW! I was happy each time the gondolas started up again.

http://www.chamonix.net/english/leis...guille-du-midi

And as this description says Pt Aiguille is the closest you can get to the Mont Blanc summit except by hiking or climbing - teh Mont Blanc train from nearby Montnevers does not go as close to the actual summit, apparently - if you have to chose between a train running on land or the thrilling cable cars I'd chose the cable cars - unless a Nervous Nellie that is!

The trip is fairly expensive but you kids will be talking about it at school once back forever!

From Chamonix you can also take a dramatically scenic railway to Switzerland and Martigny to join the mainlines via Visp/Brig to Spiez then change for Interlaken-ost, jumping off spot for tiny trains to Lauterbrunnel or Grindelwald - change at Lauterbrunnen for trains to Wengen.

All in all a great trip - Chamonix, the scenic railway to Martigny and then the Jungfrau Region - wow is all you will say once there - the picture of the Alps in many folks minds but which will not be fulfilled in Swiss cities which though nice are cities - few except for Bern (possible day trip from Jungfrau base) or Lucerne really are that exceptional (though again like everything in Switzerland rather nice and spotlessly clean).

https://www.google.com/search?q=cham...=1600&bih=1075

Chamonix-Martigny Railway - some trains are called Mont Blanc Expresses but they are not spiffy special trains like on the Glacier Express - anyway a sweet way to Switzerland from France.

What time of year are you making this trip?