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-   -   Swiss Alps in Bernese Oberland and Beyond: the ways to tackle the (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/swiss-alps-in-bernese-oberland-and-beyond-the-ways-to-tackle-the-1663420/)

jane86 Mar 7th, 2019 07:36 AM

Any suggestions for Chamonix area for two days?

thank you all

PalenQ Mar 7th, 2019 08:07 AM

Chamonix 2 days

1 day Pt Aguile-Pte Heilbronner cable car

Montnevers train up Mt Blanc

Nothing of interest in Chamonix itself.

jane86 Mar 7th, 2019 08:26 AM

Is the Montnevers trian a separate trip? So need to be done in a separate day?

thank you

neckervd Mar 7th, 2019 08:43 AM

All about the Montenvers thing:
https://www.chamonix.com/montenvers-...ace,81,en.html

dugi_otok Mar 7th, 2019 10:08 AM

Le Brevent*** From Chamonix , you can take the gondola lift to Plan Praz at 2000m, then the cable car to Le Brevent at 2,525 m. Discover the south slope and its great panoramic view of Mont Blanc. Daily 8:50AM to 4:30 PM during your visit. https://www.chamonix.com/telepheriqu...156996,en.html

dugi_otok Mar 7th, 2019 10:31 AM

For a splurge €€€€, at least for me, have dinner at Atmosphere in Chamonix
www.restaurant-atmosphere.com/www.restaurant-atmosphere.com/Atmosphere_Accueil/Atmosphere_Accueil.html
www.yelp.com/biz/atmosphère-chamonix-mont-blanc

Nelson Mar 7th, 2019 11:15 AM

Thanks for the comment Jane. The camera was an Olympus OM-D EM-5, the first in that OM-D line of Micro 4/3 camera. But given those conditions a phone camera would also produce a nice result!

If you have to retreat indoors instead of shopping the Alpine Museum and Crystal Museum at Espace Tairraz could be of some interest. I don't speak French and used the Google translate app on the signs at the Alpine Museum. During my return visit later this year I'll probably hit the Lionel Wibault gallery because I like his work.
https://www.chamonix.net/english/gen...el-Wibault/280

Your hotel should have a discount book for these places. But I agree Aiguille du Midi and Montenvers - Mer de Glace are tops on the list. There's an interesting crystal display at the small Mer de Glace Museum that's worth popping into.

PalenQ Mar 7th, 2019 12:25 PM

Aiguille cables and Montnevers trains are two different things each taking much of a day.

jane86 Mar 7th, 2019 06:47 PM

Thank you everyone for your responses, information and suggestions, you're welcome Nelson, the views from the summit of Mt blanc are truly impressive, even just looking at them make me feel "dizzy".

So our priority at Chamonix is to go up to Aiguille du Midi then Pointe Hellbronner on day 1 or day 2 depending on the weather, but in any case, we will go up for one day. On the other day we will head to Annecy for a day trip.

jane86 Mar 7th, 2019 06:51 PM


Originally Posted by dugi_otok (Post 16882966)
Are you doing a day trip to Annecy on June 11? Are you planning the Golden Pass Train Montreux to Interlaken? Schynige Platte is a good stop over. "Take the Bernese Oberland Bahn ( BOB) train from Interlaken Ost to Wilderswil, a 5 min run. …..At Wilderswil station you will see the little red Schynige Platte Bahn (SPB) train across the track.. A small electric engine pushes the two-car cog train up the winding track to the summit (< one hr). ………………..Schynige Platte ………...sweeping view of the mountains and the lakes- one of the most scenic views of the area." Check private messages.

Where to look at the Bernese Oberland Bahn (BOB) train timetable? Are they covered by Swiss Travel Pass?

Thank you

jane86 Mar 7th, 2019 07:01 PM


Originally Posted by Hambagahle (Post 16882984)
The first part of this is very rushed and I suggest you make it 2 nights in Martigny and 2 in chamonix... Only one night in a hotel is not great especially when you have jet lag. As another poster says Chamonix is not a pretty town. But the views from there are stupendous.
The Lac d'Emosson is on the way from Martigny to Chamonix. To visit it you have to get off the train at le Châtelard, check bags somewhere (I am not sure if the station has lockers...) and walk to the bottom of the funicular. (Maybe 10-15mns). Then funicular (a very steep one...) up and change to a little "train" to another funi (small) up to the dam. Personally I think that unless you have the time and are capable of a more than 2hrs hike to the dinosaur tracks (not such an easy hike either...lots of shale around the lake and the last bit is quite steep) I would not bother with just going to the lake. Plus you really need good weather for this.
In Martigny you can see both the Fondation Gianadda (Roman museum, art museum, vintage car collection and sculpture garden) as well as the Roman amphitheatre because they are right next to each other. In fact you have to walk over the Roman road from Rome to London to get from one to the other!
And in Sion -- the hill on which the church is located is the Valère. Not "Valaria". The name of the church is Notre Dame de Valère.

So the plan for Martigny will be one day following the above suggestions:
1, Fondation Gianadda : roman museum, car collection, and sculpture garden
2. Roman amphitheratre
3. City Center? A view point ( a place to have good view at Martingy?)

Thank you

jane86 Mar 7th, 2019 07:10 PM


Originally Posted by PalenQ (Post 16876519)
Again s Swiss Travel Card will be very useful for parts of you trip.

Other than Swiss Travel Card, are there other options to consider?

Thank you

jane86 Mar 7th, 2019 07:24 PM


Originally Posted by swandav2000 (Post 16875808)
Hi again,

Well...sorry to be persnickety, but you don't have 1 1/2 days in Montreux, according to the itinerary you posted -- looks like you have two half-days.

What are your interests? Hiking, walking, wine, castles, sailing?

Off the top of my head, I would say --

Upon arrival, walk along the lake to Chillon castle, tour the castle, then maybe continue on to Villeneuve (45 minutes from Montreux to Chillon and 45 minutes from Chillon to Villeneuve). Take the bus (201) back to town and walk up to the old town, maybe try to catch views over the lake at sunset. There are two nice restaurants in Glion (above Montreux's old town), and the one in the Hotel Victoria has amazing views over the lake.

On the next day, dedicate yourself to enjoying the vineyards of the Lavaux. Take the train or the boat to Lutry, enjoy the harbor area and the old town, tour a wine cave or two, and walk through the vineyards (walks of 2h up to 6h, according to your start and end points). End the day with a few hours in Vevey, getting lost in its old town and having a late lunch or early dinner in one of the restaurants or cafes there. Return to Montreux to catch the train to Grindelwald via the Golden Pass route (be sure to complete the journey in daylight, as it's beautiful).

Have fun!

s

Will consider most of the above suggestions for Montreux, now we will have one and half day there.

dugi_otok Mar 7th, 2019 10:40 PM


Originally Posted by jane86 (Post 16884136)
Where to look at the Bernese Oberland Bahn (BOB) train timetable? Are they covered by Swiss Travel Pass?

Thank you

Time table on the Swiss Federal Railways site (SBB) or bahn.com
BOB is covered by Swiss-Travel-Pass

Hambagahle Mar 7th, 2019 11:56 PM

Don't just look at the BOB - put in the place you are leaving from to get to Wengen - or wherever - and the SBB site will give you all the connections...

Was just looking back on this thread re things to see/do in Chamonix. Not much aside from the Aiguille du Midi. The Mer de Glace has retreated so far it is a "shadow of its former glory". Shopping isn't great. We DO go there for the Saturday market but you aren't, I think, there on a Saturday and anyway you have no need to buy vegetables or cheese! If you want a really superb meal go to the main restaurant at the Albert 1er hotel. It has 2 Michelin stars (and is priced accordingly). Otherwise the Maison Carrier is just great with excellent food and wonderful views from its garden.

PalenQ Mar 8th, 2019 06:30 AM

Where to look at the Bernese Oberland Bahn (BOB) train timetable? Are they covered by Swiss Travel Pass?>

Some are like Interlaken to Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen and Wengen and Murren - all 100% covered by Swiss Travel Pass but above those towns pass only gets you 25%.

neckervd Mar 8th, 2019 09:07 AM

TRAVEL CARD - TRAVEL PASS
For the actual version of your itinerary (I suppose it will still change many times), a combination of Swiss Travel Pass Flex and Bernese Oberland Pass might be among the best solutions.
You could then use the Swiss Travel Pass Flex for ZRH - Visp - Sion - Martigny - Chamonix - Martigny - Montreux/Lake Geneva boats and for Lucerne - ZRH
and the Bernese Oberland Pass for Montreux - Golden Pass - Interlaken/Schynige Platte/Grindelwald/Kleine Scheidegg/Wengen/First/Lake Thun/ Lake Brienz/Haslital etc. - Lucerne.

jane86 Mar 8th, 2019 09:30 AM

Thank you all for your responses and info

jane86 Mar 8th, 2019 09:38 AM


Originally Posted by neckervd (Post 16884378)
TRAVEL CARD - TRAVEL PASS
For the actual version of your itinerary (I suppose it will still change many times), a combination of Swiss Travel Pass Flex and Bernese Oberland Pass might be among the best solutions.
You could then use the Swiss Travel Pass Flex for ZRH - Visp - Sion - Martigny - Chamonix - Martigny - Montreux/Lake Geneva boats and for Lucerne - ZRH
and the Bernese Oberland Pass for Montreux - Golden Pass - Interlaken/Schynige Platte/Grindelwald/Kleine Scheidegg/Wengen/First/Lake Thun/ Lake Brienz/Haslital etc. - Lucerne.

Yes, Swiss travel pass will be good for us. What is Bernese Oberland Pass? Won't Swiss Travel Pass cover Oberland too? Flex is much more expensive, I think. We will actually have 16 travel days, 17 days minus last day in airport (only need to go from hotel to airport last day), should we buy point - point tickets for the extra day, if buying a 15 day pass?

Thank you

PalenQ Mar 8th, 2019 10:11 AM

Berner Oberland Pass is a regional pass valid only in Berner Oberland area - Lucerne and Jungfrau areas only - but you should be good with Swiss Travel Pass.


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