sm2707

Hello Everyone, Happy New Year. We are planning a trip to Europe from USA with 4 adults and 1 toddler for 12 days and 13 nights and below Itinerary is for Switzerland part of the trip. We are interested to see scenic beauty and mountains and not Museums. Please advise if I can make it better.

Land in Zurich: April 20th

Night at Zurich.

April 21st

Day/Night at Zurich - [Easy day to recover from Jetlag]
Walk along the Bahnhofstrasse until the lake and continue to the left to Bellevue. In the proximity, will find the old town, Niederdorf (or Niederdörfli).


April 22nd

Hand luggage lockers at ZRH and Zurich railway station lockers.

Depart Zürich HB Mo, 22.04.13 dep 07:47
Arrive Schaffhausen 08:46

--> Boat Ride from Schaffhausen to Stein am Rhein
Depart: 9:10 AM
Arrive: 11:15 AM.

--> Walk to Schloss Laufen am (Activity - 10 minutes Boat Ride near to the fall)

-->Walk to Neuhausen am Rheinfall

--> 10 minutes Boat Ride for the fall

--> 2 hours - Walk around the falls.

Neuhausen [TRAIN]--> Wintartur [TRAIN]--> Zurich Haft Banhhof [TRAIN]


Pick Luggage at ZRH and Zurich railway station lockers.

Depart Mo, 22.04.13: Zürich HB 18:04
Arrive: Luzern 18:49


April 23rd

Day/Night at Lucerne: A day trip to Mt. Titlis.

Start Tu, 23.04.13 from Luzern dep 08:06
Arrive Engelberg 08:53
--> Engelberg - Walk 15 mintues to Engelberg BET
--> Engelberg BET dep 09:08 --> Trübsee arr 09:28 (Gandola Lift)
--> Trübsee dep 09:30 -- Kleintitlis arr 09:45 Cable Way.

Spend some time at the top of the mountain.

Back to Lucerne:
Decend back down to Engelberg
Engelberg BET - Walk 15 mintues to Engelberg.

Two options from here:

Take train from Engelberg back to Lucerne.

OR [Will choose our options based on how tired we feel at that time.]

Train to Stansstad
10 minute walk from Stansstad to pier.

Stansstad to Luncerne - Ferry http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/boat...e-lucerne.html http://www.lakelucerne.ch/en.html


April 24th

Day / Night at Lucerne: Mount Rigi


Take boat to Vitznau that runs every 1 hour from the pier next to Lucerne. Boat ride is 1 hours. Depart Luzern 9:12 arrive Vitznau 10:09. \
Take Cog Rail in Vitznau to Rigi Kulm. Ride is 25-30 mins.


Coming Back to Lucerne:
take cog train from Rigi Kulm back to Vitznau (boat to Lucerne)
OR
Arth-Goldau (train to Lucerne)
OR
Hike down for around 1 hr. (very easy and scenic hike) from Rigi Kulm to Rigi Kaltbad and take a gondola from Rigi Kaltbad to Weggis and from Weggis take the boat again to Lucerne.


Question:

1) There is an earlier departure from Lucerne at 8:12 am but it says Wander Express. How this is different from a regular ferry. Schedule is here: http://www.lakelucerne.ch/fileadmin/...%C3%BCelen.pdf

2) How much time of the day we need to see Mt Rigi? Is it going to be very tiring if we decide to leave for Interlakan April 24 night after a trip to Mt Rigi. The reason is so we can leave for Jangfrau from Interlakan early in the morning around 6:30 AM to make it to the mountain by around 9:30 AM. Last connection is 23:00 hours from Luncerne to Interlakan by train according to www.rail.ch.


April 25th:

Day at Jungfraujoch
Night at Interlaken
Lucerne - Bruenig - Interlaken - Jungfraujoch (only if weather is fine)

OR [Depends where we spend April 24th night]

Interlakan - Jungfraujoch

6:30 am Train from Interlaken Ost -> Lauterbrunnen -> Wengen -> Kleine Scheidegg -> Jungfraujoch

Coming Back --> Kleine Scheidegg Grindlewald -> Interlaken Ost


April 26th:

From Interlakan

Take Golden Pass 09:08 INTERLAKEN OST Arrive MONTREUX 12:13.[Keep Luggage at MONTREUX railway station.]
Hop on to Bus 201 which will bring us right in front of the castle by 12:30 approx.
Depart by CGN boat: Château-de-Chillon 14:55
Villeneuve CGN arr 15:03 [Double check this...In his this is about 1 hour ferry.]
Walk 5 mintues from Villeneuve CGN to Villeneuve
Villeneuve to Montreux [spend some time in the gardens and restaurants along the lake, walk to the railway station, fetch your luggage]
Take connecting train to Berne
Will choose a hotel close to the railway station and walk through the historical center before dinner.
Either leave the following morning at 7.29 for Paris (direct train). Otherwise will visit more in detail and leave in the afternoon via Basel (train change); departes from Berne about every hour until 17.04 (4 1/2 hrs trip)

Paris about 3 days and Italy about 3 days or all 6 days in one country.
Return is from Zurich. 3rd May Morning.

Rastaguytoday

First time poster, you're all over the place.

You have enought itinerary for a month. What do you get to see on this trip.

Don't overplan the train times until you figure out what the hell you're doing.

sm2707

Hi Thank you the the reply. I have cancelled many other attractions to make this trip comfortable like Pliatus, gornergrat and Matterhorn, etc.Can you please help me specifically what did I overplan.

April 21st - Day 1 - Very light in Zurich to recover from Jeg Lag and to take time to settle in after a long haul flight.
April 22nd - Day 2 - Only making trip to RhineFalls.
April 23rd - Day 3 - Only making trip to Mt. Titlis from Luncerne (Closest city I get to Mt. Titlis is from Lucerne).
April 24th - Day 4 - Only making trip to Mt. Rigi from Luncerne (Closest city I get to Mt. Rigi is from Lucerne).
April 25th - Day 5 - Only making trip to Jungfraujoch for the complete day.
April 26th - Day 6 - Golden Pass, Château-de-Chillon, Berne [only historical center].

kja

I'm no expert, just someone who is also planning a trip to Switzerland. Here are some thoughts based on what I've learned so far.

- Visiting the RhineFalls might not be the best use of your time. If you really want to visit some waterfalls and do in fact go into the Bernese Oberland to see Jungfraujoch, it might made more sense to visit Staubachfalle and/or Trummelbachfalle.

- You won't be able to count on good weather the day you go to Jungfraujoch, so you might not be able to see anything during transit or at the top. You would have a better chance of a clear day if you add some time to the area.

- I could be mistaken, but I don't think the train you are describing for day 6 is the Golden Pass. I think it's a "regular" train that may (or may not!) use some of the same tracks. I don't know if that matters to you.



> We are planning a trip to Europe from USA with 4 adults and 1 toddler ... Paris about 3 days and Italy about 3 days or all 6 days in one country.

Honestly, I'd urge you to pick EITHER Paris OR one city in Italy (perhaps Rome?) for the entire time.

I think it is very easy to underestimate how much time it takes to get from place to place, to get oriented to a new location, and to get everyone on the same schedule. Obviously, you know your family and I don't, but I fear that you will end spending more time in transit and in frustrating moments than you will be able to spend enjoying the beautiful places you will see.

Hope that helps!

jasmine3

You are really trying to cover way too much in too little time, in my opinion.

I traveled with my 2 teenagers and 10 y.o. last summer and spent 3 weeks in Switzerland and spending 1 nite in each location will wear you down and the toddler!

Might I suggest you stay in Wengen for the Jungfraujoch trip. It is a quaint car-less town. You can rent a chalet in Wengen and have access to trails. I would suggest staying longer in Wengen as that region is beautiful.

I also suggest Trummelbache Falls near Lauterbrunnen. It is beautiful and worth the trip.

I have homebased from Berne on many trips to Switzerland and found it convenient to Zurich and Lucerne.