Planning 11 days in Switzerland.........Advice needed
Mar 19th, 2011, 12:12 PM
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Planning 11 days in Switzerland.........Advice needed
Help......
Planning a trip to Switzerland from 26th April to 07th May 2011. We will be 5 adults and 3 kids aged 5,3 and 3. Our itinerary is as follows.
26th- Arrive Zurich at 0630 hrs and head straight to Chur by train. any advice on Chur ??
27th- Glacier Express to Zermatt. Arrive Zermatt around 1700hrs so just enough time to walk around town n settle in for dinner. suggestions on restaurants??
28th- While in Zermatt plan to do the Gornergrat and walk down to Riffelsee for a photography session. Guess will do this after lunch as early morning with the kids will be rather tough.Decided against the Matterhorn after reading the many reviews besides considering our big group and long stay also need to look at budgeting. Any other options for Zermatt??
29th-Head to Neuhaus ....Lake Thun from Zermatt via Visp and Spiez.. From Spiez take the boat across to Neuhaus. Plan to do Beatus Caves and probably continue to the town of Thun. Is the entry to the caves free with a Swiss pass??
30th- Spend the day around Lake Brienz and the Ballenberg Museum. Will this museum also be covered with the swiss pass?? Any nice and budget place to eat or any interesting things to do .....pls suggest.
1st May-Leave Neuhaus and from Interlaken Ost head to
Lauterbrunnen. Walk to the Trummelbach falls. From Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald via Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg.
Is it better to be in Kleine Scheidegg or Grindelwald for lunch?? Is this a worthwhile route and is it covered by the swiss pass.?? Recommendations for meals. Return to Lauterbrunnen via Zweilutschinen for the night. IS it true during that the first is inoperable uptill 15th may.??
2nd- Harder Klum, Hoheweg Interlaken, Wilderswil maybe?
3rd- Glacier 3000. Trip to Montreaux, Chillon Castle, Lac Leman.
4th- Interlaken to Lucerne.... plan to do Lucerne town, Lake Lucerne, Mt Rigi.
5th- Engelberg, Mt Titlis any other points of interest or local foods to try pls advice. Chocolate factory??
6th- Lucerne to Zurich...trip to Rhine falls , head back to Zurich and
explore Zurich. Wanna try Sprungli though its expensive also
Burgerselli. Spend the night in Zurich.
7th- morning departure.
NEED HELP TO FIGURE OUT WHICH WOULD BE THE BEST PASS FOR US TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SIGHTS WE INTEND TO VISIT. ALSO NEED FEEDBACK ON THE OVERALL ITINERARY IF CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE ...........LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME INFO......THANKS....RISHEL.
Planning a trip to Switzerland from 26th April to 07th May 2011. We will be 5 adults and 3 kids aged 5,3 and 3. Our itinerary is as follows.
26th- Arrive Zurich at 0630 hrs and head straight to Chur by train. any advice on Chur ??
27th- Glacier Express to Zermatt. Arrive Zermatt around 1700hrs so just enough time to walk around town n settle in for dinner. suggestions on restaurants??
28th- While in Zermatt plan to do the Gornergrat and walk down to Riffelsee for a photography session. Guess will do this after lunch as early morning with the kids will be rather tough.Decided against the Matterhorn after reading the many reviews besides considering our big group and long stay also need to look at budgeting. Any other options for Zermatt??
29th-Head to Neuhaus ....Lake Thun from Zermatt via Visp and Spiez.. From Spiez take the boat across to Neuhaus. Plan to do Beatus Caves and probably continue to the town of Thun. Is the entry to the caves free with a Swiss pass??
30th- Spend the day around Lake Brienz and the Ballenberg Museum. Will this museum also be covered with the swiss pass?? Any nice and budget place to eat or any interesting things to do .....pls suggest.
1st May-Leave Neuhaus and from Interlaken Ost head to
Lauterbrunnen. Walk to the Trummelbach falls. From Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald via Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg.
Is it better to be in Kleine Scheidegg or Grindelwald for lunch?? Is this a worthwhile route and is it covered by the swiss pass.?? Recommendations for meals. Return to Lauterbrunnen via Zweilutschinen for the night. IS it true during that the first is inoperable uptill 15th may.??
2nd- Harder Klum, Hoheweg Interlaken, Wilderswil maybe?
3rd- Glacier 3000. Trip to Montreaux, Chillon Castle, Lac Leman.
4th- Interlaken to Lucerne.... plan to do Lucerne town, Lake Lucerne, Mt Rigi.
5th- Engelberg, Mt Titlis any other points of interest or local foods to try pls advice. Chocolate factory??
6th- Lucerne to Zurich...trip to Rhine falls , head back to Zurich and
explore Zurich. Wanna try Sprungli though its expensive also
Burgerselli. Spend the night in Zurich.
7th- morning departure.
NEED HELP TO FIGURE OUT WHICH WOULD BE THE BEST PASS FOR US TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SIGHTS WE INTEND TO VISIT. ALSO NEED FEEDBACK ON THE OVERALL ITINERARY IF CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE ...........LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME INFO......THANKS....RISHEL.
Mar 25th, 2011, 06:24 PM
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Sorry I don't have time right now to comment on all of your individual trip segments and questions. Sprungli wasn't as wonderful as I had hoped. The free chocolates on our bed at the Marriott in Zurich were at least as good! Do try, but taste before you buy a lot. I am sure the Ballenberg Museum is covered by the Swiss Pass, as is most everything, it seems. Check the individual attraction websites and if it doesn't say, send them an email. Everyone in Switzerland seems to be happy to help!
We did a 10-day trip September 2010 and I have posted the itinerary and the trip report for the first few days, with a link to lots of photos, at http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ember-2010.cfm. If you just want to see the photos, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisnbill We visited many of the places you plan to see. I hope to get the rest of the report and photos up soon, if I can ever get a break from work. I need another vacation but haven't had time to plan one!
It was fun just walking around Zermatt - a quintessential ski village. Be sure to visit the old town section. I'm not sure what you mean when you say you plan to do the Gornergrat but not the Matterhorn as the only point I know of for doing the Gornergrat is to see the Matterhorn. The trip up to the Gornergrat was OK, and you can see some glaciers, but without seeing the Matterhorn, I'm not sure why one would go, although it appears there is a photo op of which I was unaware! (though we are too out of shape to hike!) Do check the weather cam at your hotel or at the station before you go up to Gornergrat. The day we were there, it was under clouds all day. We hoped the clouds would pass so went up anyway but didn't see very much, although it did snow on top of the mountain, which was a treat for us. It rained part of the time we were in Zermatt and the whole way on the Zermatt to Chur segment of the the Glacier Express (except for a short segment when it snowed), so that was a major disappointment. Do be sure to book your reservations for the Glacier Express in advance. We didn't because we were going to stay in Zermatt if the predicted snow materialized. We awoke to rain and decided to head on to Zurich via Chur, and got the last 2 seats on the Glacier Express, and they were in 2nd class, even though we had a 1st class pass. That was OK, though a bit crowded compared to 1st class, when we often had the train car mostly to ourselves.
Although it is expensive, the Junfraujoch trip was WONDERFUL, and there is lots for the kids to do there (check to see if they would be free since they are so young). (See our photos inside the Ice Palace). IMHO, I would do Jungfraujoch and forego Gornergrat in Zermatt. We also loved the gondola rides in the Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren area, and the wonderful gondola ride down from My Pilatus, near Luzern.
Can your 3 and 5 year olds really do that much walking around the Lauterbrunnen area (we're talking miles, with hills!), or are you carrying them on your backs? Just wondering
Montreux/Vevey/Lausanne was so pretty, and so different from the rest of Switzerland - more like being at a lake resort. We took the Lavaux Vineyards cruise on Lac Leman from Lausanne to Montreux (included in Swiss Pass), and the views were beautiful, though I don't know what the vineyards would look like in the Spring. If the flowers are blooming, the lakeside promenade in Montreux in so beautiful. The children would probably enjoy the swans in Lausanne and Vevey.
In Interaken, watching the hang gliders land in Hoheweg Park will be fun for all. Even more fun would be getting a cup of coffee at the restaurant at the top of the Hotel Metropole and watching them sail in and wave to you right above your head! I don't know how much they cost, but the carriage rides through Unterseen might be fun for the kids.
We loved riding the boats on the various lakes but it may be very cold when you are there, so bundle up!
We had considered seeing the Rhine Falls but some reviews made them sound a disappointment. We took the train from Zurich to Stein-am-Rhine via Winterthur and passed some of the most beautiful scenery we saw from any train - gentle, rolling hills and beautiful farm land (in September). The town itself was a delight.
We toured Zurich on a Sunday afternoon and there was a family festival, with a carousel on one of the bridges, balloons being handed out to children, and lots of booths selling food and crafts.
If you haven't booked hotels, we stayed at the Hotel Staubbach in Lauterrunnen - great location right in front of the Staubbachfalle, wonderful staff, excellent breakfast, reasonable price. In Zermatt, we stayed at the Hotel Daniela, which was also delightful. We got a brief glimpse of the Matterhorn from our balcony when the clouds cleared. We were upgraded to a room that would be perfect for a family. It was on 2 floors, with the main bedroom and bathroom up but also sleeping and a full bathroom down, as well as a lovely fireplace, which might come in handy during the time you'll be there! Staff was very friendly and the breakfast was good.
Favorite restaurants included Hotel Blumental in Murren, and the pizza for lunch and the dinner we had at La Rouvenaz in Montreux. Menu for La Rouvenaz at http://www.rouvenaz.ch/restaurant-ro...ntreux-en.html. Also http://www.rouvenaz.ch/rouvenaz-en.html for views of the restaurant. Reservations recommended for dinner, though we got in without them. As I'm sure you have read, food is very expensive compared to where we live in the US. We ate lots of pizza because we could split one between us. And we took LOTS of granola/trail mix bars to munch on the trains and when we were walking around. I hope the 3-year-olds are completely potty trained as seeing the price of diapers may give you a heart attack if they aren't!
We bought the 15 day Swiss Saver Pass and it made travel so easy - just hop on and off the trains and buses, and show it to ride the boats and get into museums. If I recall correctly, the children will ride free (though you may have to get some sort of card for them. Go to http://www.swiss-pass.ch/ As you may be aware, there is an additional reservation charge for the Glacier Express, and anything (train, gondola, etc) that goes only to the top of a mountain (like Gornergrat, Jungfrau, Pilatus, etc, and not town to town).
From the Swiss Rail site: 15% for 2 persons or more (Saver Pass)
Valid for two or more adults travelling together (does not apply for young people).
Free Family Card
Children aged 6-15 years accompanied by at least one parent travel free. Children travelling without their parents receive a 50% reduction of the adult individual Swiss Pass or Swiss Flexi Pass. (I assume that children under 6 are always free.)
I guess I had more time than I thought! Didn't mean to write so much but hope it helps. Whatever you do, you will love it. It's wonderful that you are giving your children the gift of travel from such young ages. Enjoy!
We did a 10-day trip September 2010 and I have posted the itinerary and the trip report for the first few days, with a link to lots of photos, at http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ember-2010.cfm. If you just want to see the photos, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisnbill We visited many of the places you plan to see. I hope to get the rest of the report and photos up soon, if I can ever get a break from work. I need another vacation but haven't had time to plan one!
It was fun just walking around Zermatt - a quintessential ski village. Be sure to visit the old town section. I'm not sure what you mean when you say you plan to do the Gornergrat but not the Matterhorn as the only point I know of for doing the Gornergrat is to see the Matterhorn. The trip up to the Gornergrat was OK, and you can see some glaciers, but without seeing the Matterhorn, I'm not sure why one would go, although it appears there is a photo op of which I was unaware! (though we are too out of shape to hike!) Do check the weather cam at your hotel or at the station before you go up to Gornergrat. The day we were there, it was under clouds all day. We hoped the clouds would pass so went up anyway but didn't see very much, although it did snow on top of the mountain, which was a treat for us. It rained part of the time we were in Zermatt and the whole way on the Zermatt to Chur segment of the the Glacier Express (except for a short segment when it snowed), so that was a major disappointment. Do be sure to book your reservations for the Glacier Express in advance. We didn't because we were going to stay in Zermatt if the predicted snow materialized. We awoke to rain and decided to head on to Zurich via Chur, and got the last 2 seats on the Glacier Express, and they were in 2nd class, even though we had a 1st class pass. That was OK, though a bit crowded compared to 1st class, when we often had the train car mostly to ourselves.
Although it is expensive, the Junfraujoch trip was WONDERFUL, and there is lots for the kids to do there (check to see if they would be free since they are so young). (See our photos inside the Ice Palace). IMHO, I would do Jungfraujoch and forego Gornergrat in Zermatt. We also loved the gondola rides in the Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren area, and the wonderful gondola ride down from My Pilatus, near Luzern.
Can your 3 and 5 year olds really do that much walking around the Lauterbrunnen area (we're talking miles, with hills!), or are you carrying them on your backs? Just wondering
Montreux/Vevey/Lausanne was so pretty, and so different from the rest of Switzerland - more like being at a lake resort. We took the Lavaux Vineyards cruise on Lac Leman from Lausanne to Montreux (included in Swiss Pass), and the views were beautiful, though I don't know what the vineyards would look like in the Spring. If the flowers are blooming, the lakeside promenade in Montreux in so beautiful. The children would probably enjoy the swans in Lausanne and Vevey.
In Interaken, watching the hang gliders land in Hoheweg Park will be fun for all. Even more fun would be getting a cup of coffee at the restaurant at the top of the Hotel Metropole and watching them sail in and wave to you right above your head! I don't know how much they cost, but the carriage rides through Unterseen might be fun for the kids.
We loved riding the boats on the various lakes but it may be very cold when you are there, so bundle up!
We had considered seeing the Rhine Falls but some reviews made them sound a disappointment. We took the train from Zurich to Stein-am-Rhine via Winterthur and passed some of the most beautiful scenery we saw from any train - gentle, rolling hills and beautiful farm land (in September). The town itself was a delight.
We toured Zurich on a Sunday afternoon and there was a family festival, with a carousel on one of the bridges, balloons being handed out to children, and lots of booths selling food and crafts.
If you haven't booked hotels, we stayed at the Hotel Staubbach in Lauterrunnen - great location right in front of the Staubbachfalle, wonderful staff, excellent breakfast, reasonable price. In Zermatt, we stayed at the Hotel Daniela, which was also delightful. We got a brief glimpse of the Matterhorn from our balcony when the clouds cleared. We were upgraded to a room that would be perfect for a family. It was on 2 floors, with the main bedroom and bathroom up but also sleeping and a full bathroom down, as well as a lovely fireplace, which might come in handy during the time you'll be there! Staff was very friendly and the breakfast was good.
Favorite restaurants included Hotel Blumental in Murren, and the pizza for lunch and the dinner we had at La Rouvenaz in Montreux. Menu for La Rouvenaz at http://www.rouvenaz.ch/restaurant-ro...ntreux-en.html. Also http://www.rouvenaz.ch/rouvenaz-en.html for views of the restaurant. Reservations recommended for dinner, though we got in without them. As I'm sure you have read, food is very expensive compared to where we live in the US. We ate lots of pizza because we could split one between us. And we took LOTS of granola/trail mix bars to munch on the trains and when we were walking around. I hope the 3-year-olds are completely potty trained as seeing the price of diapers may give you a heart attack if they aren't!
We bought the 15 day Swiss Saver Pass and it made travel so easy - just hop on and off the trains and buses, and show it to ride the boats and get into museums. If I recall correctly, the children will ride free (though you may have to get some sort of card for them. Go to http://www.swiss-pass.ch/ As you may be aware, there is an additional reservation charge for the Glacier Express, and anything (train, gondola, etc) that goes only to the top of a mountain (like Gornergrat, Jungfrau, Pilatus, etc, and not town to town).
From the Swiss Rail site: 15% for 2 persons or more (Saver Pass)
Valid for two or more adults travelling together (does not apply for young people).
Free Family Card
Children aged 6-15 years accompanied by at least one parent travel free. Children travelling without their parents receive a 50% reduction of the adult individual Swiss Pass or Swiss Flexi Pass. (I assume that children under 6 are always free.)
I guess I had more time than I thought! Didn't mean to write so much but hope it helps. Whatever you do, you will love it. It's wonderful that you are giving your children the gift of travel from such young ages. Enjoy!
Mar 27th, 2011, 11:04 AM
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Stayed in Chur last June for two nights. Head directly away from the train station (? Bahnhofstrasse, I suppose) to the quainter old city section (a ten minute walk).
Nice square dominated by church, many outdoor cafes for sitting and people-watching. If you click on my name, you can read my trip log for that visit.
As for chocolate, there are more choices than just Spruengli!
Teuscher is just as expensive and just as delish, if not better!
Have been to Ballenberg at least three times, taking my other first-timer friends. Plan on 3 or 4 hours. You can take a picnic lunch as there as many scattered outdoor tables for such, OR there are restos at both the east and west ends of the museum (if you have a stroller, take it...a lot of meandering).
Nice square dominated by church, many outdoor cafes for sitting and people-watching. If you click on my name, you can read my trip log for that visit.
As for chocolate, there are more choices than just Spruengli!
Teuscher is just as expensive and just as delish, if not better!
Have been to Ballenberg at least three times, taking my other first-timer friends. Plan on 3 or 4 hours. You can take a picnic lunch as there as many scattered outdoor tables for such, OR there are restos at both the east and west ends of the museum (if you have a stroller, take it...a lot of meandering).
Mar 27th, 2011, 11:30 AM
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The main church square in Chur is St.Martinsplatz. Chur train station has a very helpful Tourist Information with maps --bottom level of station. Be sure to try the locally produced (and very tasty) Calanda beer!
IF, you had time, a one hour train trip from Chur up to Arosa is great for some 'in your face mountain views' to start your trip. But beware, during your time of travel, not much at all will be open in the way of town stores (Arosa, I mean--its in between seasons).
IF, you had time, a one hour train trip from Chur up to Arosa is great for some 'in your face mountain views' to start your trip. But beware, during your time of travel, not much at all will be open in the way of town stores (Arosa, I mean--its in between seasons).
Mar 27th, 2011, 11:45 AM
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I think you can pretty much count on spending the whole day at Ballenberg - there's plenty there to keep you busy, and places to eat on site (though not super cheap, so an alternative is taking a picnic). I'd get the boat there from Interlaken (just over an hour) so you get the scenic route as well, at least one way, although you can go by train as well. then you get a bus from the station/boat disembarkation point to Ballenberg.
Mar 27th, 2011, 12:14 PM
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I'd like to see you slow down and spend more time in one place. Or maybe 2 or 3 places. Not everybody will want to keep up this pace. Herding around 8 people can get difficult. Do the 3-year-olds still nap?
Most people who travel with children say the kids prefer settling into one spot and getting to know it. Making friends with the local baker or gelato maker.
Lauterbrunnen is a good central spot with lots of daytrip options: Murren, Wengen, Jungfraujoch, Gimmelwald, Schilthorn, and more. Including a train to Interlaken Ost and the lake steamer to Brienz, where you catch a bus to Ballenberg. Or train to Spiez and boat back to Interlaken West.
Lucerne makes another such base. Good day trips to Mt. Pilatus, Mt. Titlis, and even Zurich. You don't need to stay in Zurich, which is expensive. You can take the train from Lucerne directly to Zurich's airport.
The Swiss public transportation system runs like, well, clockwork. Buses and boats meet trains. And the postal buses reach back deep into the mountains. People spend vacations just riding the buses; they're fun and comfortable.
Most people who travel with children say the kids prefer settling into one spot and getting to know it. Making friends with the local baker or gelato maker.
Lauterbrunnen is a good central spot with lots of daytrip options: Murren, Wengen, Jungfraujoch, Gimmelwald, Schilthorn, and more. Including a train to Interlaken Ost and the lake steamer to Brienz, where you catch a bus to Ballenberg. Or train to Spiez and boat back to Interlaken West.
Lucerne makes another such base. Good day trips to Mt. Pilatus, Mt. Titlis, and even Zurich. You don't need to stay in Zurich, which is expensive. You can take the train from Lucerne directly to Zurich's airport.
The Swiss public transportation system runs like, well, clockwork. Buses and boats meet trains. And the postal buses reach back deep into the mountains. People spend vacations just riding the buses; they're fun and comfortable.
Mar 28th, 2011, 07:54 PM
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I support Mimar's comment about slowing down the pace, although I know it's hard to resist wanting to see as much as possible. Our trip was very fast paced, which suits our style - up at 6:30 and out the door after a quick breakfast, sightseeing til we drop into bed at night. But this would be difficult to do with young children. (We do take restful vacations as well, but usually to a resort or on a cruise.)
I forgot to mention that children were rarely seen in restaurants when we visited Switzerland. We saw one family at dinner -La Rouvenaz in Montreux - but other than that, the restaurants seemed to be for adults only. I don't mean to be discouraging - just preparing you for what to expect.
I forgot to mention that children were rarely seen in restaurants when we visited Switzerland. We saw one family at dinner -La Rouvenaz in Montreux - but other than that, the restaurants seemed to be for adults only. I don't mean to be discouraging - just preparing you for what to expect.
Mar 28th, 2011, 10:16 PM
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As far as i can tell, your trip doesnt seem to be badly organised tbh...
i can see sense in the directions you take, you dont make any unnecessary detours and didnt pack overly much into your days...
sure, there gonna be some paced days.. especially the interlaken part with lauterbrunnen etc... you might want to slow down there a bit...
otherwise check:
http://www.sbb.ch/en/index.htm - which is the time table site of swiss public transport... you may want to search for your acctual traveling time so you can appraise a bit better, if you overdo it or not...
your program is not overdone, but as mentioned bevore, quite paced.. you wont have much time to sit down, drink a coffee, enjoy the time... so check out the times you need to get from place to place and how much time you want to spend there.. you will quickly see, if it all comes toghether or falls apart...
i can see sense in the directions you take, you dont make any unnecessary detours and didnt pack overly much into your days...
sure, there gonna be some paced days.. especially the interlaken part with lauterbrunnen etc... you might want to slow down there a bit...
otherwise check:
http://www.sbb.ch/en/index.htm - which is the time table site of swiss public transport... you may want to search for your acctual traveling time so you can appraise a bit better, if you overdo it or not...
your program is not overdone, but as mentioned bevore, quite paced.. you wont have much time to sit down, drink a coffee, enjoy the time... so check out the times you need to get from place to place and how much time you want to spend there.. you will quickly see, if it all comes toghether or falls apart...
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