dugi_otok

Wengen vs Grindelwald cont.
You are having a hard time deciding because they both have positive attributes. More activity(my teenagers loved it) in Grindelwald and I agree a better view. Which ever you choose is the right answer for you. Mürren is a nice place to live or make a day trip to but I would not want to base there because it is on the other side of the tracks. Good luck on your selection!

neckervd

" So the trip should be roughly from ZRH to Annecy to Chamonix, to Montreux to Geneva (day trip, back to Montreux the same day), then to BO...."

In detail, thath would mean:
ZRH - LAUSANNE - GENEVA - Annecy - Chamonix - Martigny - Montreux - LAUSANNE - GENEVA - LAUSANNE - Montreux -

neckervd

Hambagahle is right: Maison Carrier, of course. We are at Chamonix and not at Nimes!

neckervd

"There is a circular day trip that you can do from either Wengen or Grindelwald that would take you to Aare Gorge.
If you start from Wengen it would be :Wengen-Lauterbrunnen*-Grindelwald*-First by cableway (do the cliff walk)-walk to Grosse Scheidegg –Schwarzwaldalp**-Meiringen**(Aare Gorge)-Brienz*-Interlaken(by boat or train)-Wengen**train **bus
It looks complicated but it is not."

It's easy, but rather long. For example
Wengen dp 7.03 - Grindelwald ar 8.08, dp 8.30 - First ar 9.00. Hike to Grosse Scheidegg (about 2 hrs). Dp by bus 11.40 - Willigen Dorf ar 12.48. Aareschlucht hike (about 1 1/2 hr). Innertkirchen Grimseltor dp by train 15.03 - Brienz ar 15.46, dp by boat 16.40 - Interlaken Brz'see ar 17.53, dp by train 18.05 - Wengen ar 18.49

dugi_otok

The trip is ZRH - Chamonix(3 nights) - Martigny (1 night) - Montreux ( 3 nights) - B.O...…………….
Day trip from Chamonix to Annecy
Day trip from Martigny to Sion
Day trip from Montreux to Geneva.

neckervd

" Duration is shorter and Zurich to Chamonix via Montigne covered by Swiss passs "

You can go in 5 hrs from ZRH to Chamonix, with train and platform changes at Lausanne and Martigny and train change at the same platform at Vallorcine. First departure from Zurich airport at 6.15, then every hr until 15.18.
Only up to Martigny (for a stop over) it's easier to travel via Visp (ZRH dp every hr from 6.46 until 19.46).

If you change at Geneva airport to a SAT Mont Blanc bus, the journey time is more or less the same, but you will have only 1 change. But these buses don't run every hr.

jane86

Thank you everybody for yours responses, suggestions and detailed information that have always helped us, we appreciate it very much. Your shared experience and thoughts make the talk interesting.

Grindelwald is mostly an answer, it’s big, more lively for my husband’s taste, for me there is direct connection to Interlaken, which’s a time saver.

jane86

“It's easy, but rather long. For example
Wengen dp 7.03 - Grindelwald ar 8.08, dp 8.30 - First ar 9.00. Hike to Grosse Scheidegg (about 2 hrs). Dp by bus 11.40 - Willigen Dorf ar 12.48. Aareschlucht hike (about 1 1/2 hr). Innertkirchen Grimseltor dp by train 15.03 - Brienz ar 15.46, dp by boat 16.40 - Interlaken Brz'see ar 17.53, dp by train 18.05 - Wengen ar 18.49”

>> We could split these, and fit one activity somewhere else

“You can go in 5 hrs from ZRH to Chamonix, with train and platform changes at Lausanne and Martigny and train change at the same platform at Vallorcine. First departure from Zurich airport at 6.15, then every hr until 15.18.
Only up to Martigny (for a stop over) it's easier to travel via Visp (ZRH dp every hr from 6.46 until 19.46).”

>> Don’t know how long it will take to get through customs, if it’s 2 hours, we can take train at 10:32 or 11:32 from Zurich HB, arriving at Chamonix before 5:00 pm, maybe doable, if it’s too long can consider stopover at Martigny (two hour train)

“The trip is ZRH - Chamonix(3 nights) - Martigny (1 night) - Montreux ( 3 nights) - B.O...……………
Day trip from Chamonix to Annecy
Day trip from Martigny to Sion
Day trip from Montreux to Geneva.”

>> Yes, it’s correct. Would be Martigny to Sion to Montreux

jane86

"Only up to Martigny (for a stop over) it's easier to travel via Visp (ZRH dp every hr from 6.46 until 19.46"

It looks like this is more feasible, the train ride from Zurich to Martigny is 2h43m to 3h10m with one change, so it'll be a easier ride, we could arrive at Martigny around 1- 2 pm.

So itinerary will be like this: Zurich - Martigny (1 night) - Chamonix (3 nights) - Montreux (3 nights ) -BO (5 nights) - Lucerne (2 nights). Is this OK? on arriving Martigny, after checking in the hotel and resting briefly, we could do some tour on that day, which one do you recommend? Something not too stressful, the next day hopefully can do a few hours of Sion, then come back to Martigny. If there is one thing that we should do (see) in Martigny, which one is that?

Thank you for your advice!

dugi_otok

Those trains that leave Zurich 9:02 , 10:02, 11:02 etc to Martigny via Visp ( 1 hr increments) also stop in Sion 15 min before they stop in Martigny. So Zurich to Sion is 2hr31. Why not get off at Sion, spend the afternoon and night in Sion. Then train to Martigny the next morning, spend a few hours if you want, then onward to Chamonix. This prevents a back and forth train to Sion on day 2..

Hambagahle

And an excellent place it is too. Reasonable cost. Lovely food and ambiance and of course - the garden. we go there a lot in the summer (we live 45mns from Chamonix) when we go to the Saturday market in Chamonix.

Hambagahle

An excellent suggestion. Those trains run via the Lötschberg tunnel and it is the fastest way of getting to the Valais from Zürich. However I disagree with the idea of spending a night in Sion simply because there are very few hotels. Martigny would be a lot better choice with at least one 4 star and several very good 3 star hotels.

jane86

Yes, it is good, we can certainly stop at Sion as our first destination, this itinerary becomes more interesting, we will walk as following route after arrival:

“You can visit the old town of Sion in half a day but be aware it is a fair walk from the station and you have to climb a steep hill. Walk up the avenue de la Gare until you reach the place de la Planta. Turn right and walk along till you get to the rue de l'Ancien Pont. Turn left there. After a bit you will see the rue des Ch teaux going up to the right. Just walk up there. You can visit the church at the Valère and see the ruins of the castle on the Tourbillon. the church is fortified which is rare. Castle burnt down centuries ago and you can visit that too if you have the time.” - Hambagahle

We may have to consider a hotel in Sion, it will give us a place to rest a little and put down luggages, There is a hotel "Hotel du Castel, it's an average, basic but clean hotel, it seems centrally located. We could also add Derborence lake if recommended.

Thank you

jane86

Could anyone advice if the second stage cable car from Aiguille du Midi to Pointe Hellbronner- Entreves (Italy) will be open around June 10 2019? There is a timetable for Aiguille de Mini for summer 2019:

https://www.chamonet.com/lifts/summer-dates

dugi_otok

3 Hotels in Sion
Hotel du Castel- Rue du Scex 38...………. 15 min walk from Gare de Sion
Hotel du Rhone- Rue du Scex 10 ................9-1/2 min walk from Gare de Sion
Hotel Elite- Avenue du Midi 6 .........…. 5 min walk from Gare de Sion

See Map

https://goo.gl/maps/HY9uRx9mzf92

jane86

Thanks very much for the hotel information in Sion. The center hotels may not be the best. Another option is to store the luggages in the train station of Sion, and move on after seeing the two castles and one church. Found out that there are good lockers at Sion"s train station.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/station-servic...e-lockers.html

dugi_otok

Works for me. I like to hit the ground running as soon as my plane lands on my trips to Europe. Both day one and day two are very scenic train rides. On day one you will be within a snow balls throw from Grindelwald. Do not sleep on the train. Not good for the battle with Jet lag. Neither is resting (napping) in your hotel on day one.

Hambagahle

The Castel is probably the best hotel in Sion. (I am amazed at how few hotels there are there!!) But Sion to Martigny is only 16mns and there are two really nice hotels near the station here - MARTigny Boutique Hotel and the Vattel. You could check your bags at the Sion station in a locker...

Geting over jetlag is a very personal thing. I have a shower, a nap and then go for a long walk. Others keep going. Depends on how much time change affects your own body clock! "They" say (whoever they are!) that pasta is a very good anti-jetlag remedy...

neckervd

" Don’t know how long it will take to get through customs, if it’s 2 hours, we can take train at 10:32 or 11:32 from Zurich HB, arriving at Chamonix before 5:00 pm, maybe doable, if it’s too long can consider stopover at Martigny (two hour train)"

Why are you talking about Zurich main station (Zurich HB)? Do you plan to leave the Visp or Lausanne bound train at Zurich HB, walk around the railway station and go on 1 hr or lo later with the next Visp or Lausanne bound train arriving from Zurich airport?

Immigration at ZRH and the walk from the baggage claim to the airport railway station shouldn't take a full hr.

neckervd

" "Only up to Martigny (for a stop over) it's easier to travel via Visp (ZRH dp every hr from 6.46 until 19.46"

It looks like this is more feasible, the train ride from Zurich to Martigny is 2h43m to 3h10m with one change, so it'll be a easier ride, we could arrive at Martigny around 1- 2 pm."

The train journey from Zurich airport to Martigny with only 1 train change at Visp lasts 3 hrs, all the day round (Zurich airport dp every hr from 6.46 until 18.46). If you leave Zurich airport at 8.46, you will arrive at Martigny at 11.48