PalenQ

You can also easily involve a lake boat ride on lovely Lake Lucerne with a quick look at the dramatic high Alps at Engelberg - first take the boat to Stans (or some lakeside station on the Lucerne to Engleberg train.

Then hop the mountain train to Engelberg from which you can ascend Mt Titlis in all its glacier-girdled glory - when done for the day hop the train back to Lucerne (direct trains from Engelberg).

neckervd

The boat leaves Lucerne at 9.38 (on Sundays at 8.38 too) and goes up to Stansstad (45 min ride) where you will have to change to the Engelberg railway.

Pocket

Cheers everyone, you've given me lots of fresh perspectives. I'm now enjoying looking at all these places online. Truly, sometimes the planning is nearly as enjoyable as the actual journey.
(I did say nearly)
P

kja

OMG, I love planning my trips! (Not as much as the trips themselves, but I'm not so tired at the end of a day. ;-) ) Since you are finding enjoyment therein, let me note that the guidebooks I found most useful for this part of the world (I used six) were the Michelin Green Guide and The Rough Guide, with the Lonely Planet as a close 3rd. Enjoy!

PalenQ

Mt Pilatus hovers high above Lucerne and though it is kind of an isolated Alp sans any of the expansive Alpine wonderland like in Engelberg, the Jungfrau Region or Zermatt it is still a thrilling trip to the summit and can involve a boat ride as well:

Take a boat to Alpnachstad where across from the boat dock is the depot for one of the world's most thrilling mountain railways - to Pilatus' Summit (Pilatus Kulm) - with its stirring vistas for miles and miles around. Then for vareity take a thrilling aerial cable way back to the other side to Krens, in suburban Lucerne (currently being rehabbed I hear but for how long I don't know) - Krens has buses back to Lucerne central.

Pocket

Hi guys. Looking at settling on Brienz. An easy day trip to Lucerne. A nice paddle steamer trip around Lake Brienzersee. Rothornbahn up the mountain for lunch. I think my MIL would be able to handle these. Now I am looking at restaurants/cafes. Fondue!!!

kja

FWIW, I was surprised by how much up and down there was in Brienz, and how little there seemed to do in the town itself. It is beautiful, but I'm not sure it has the advantages that your family would want for a stay of several days. JMO.

mokka4

I disagree, for all the daytrips listed above, using Brienz as a home base. The kids would enjoy Freilichtmuseum Ballenberg too, though it may prove too much walking on uneven, rugged surfaces for MIL. Its true that the old wooden chalets climb steeply up the hillside, but main street (Hauptstrasse), after the initial bit of uphill slope from the train/bus/boatdock stretches flat for almost a mile. And in the opposite direction, a flat flat paved path stretches right along the lakeshore past a swimming beach(May would likely be too early to swim)and camping grounds for quite a while. Hotel de la Gare has many room options. Its true, nightlife is lacking, but the the OP is not a college partied either. BTW, Pocket, another daytrip is the Aareschlucht ( a narrow gorge that you can walk from end to end...quite narrow at times) The kids may find it cool.

mokka4

Yet another 'senior' highlight would be Giessbach Falls right across the lake. I never ate at the Grand Giessbach Hotel (?Viktoria), but other seniors have raved about lunch with views in the old hotel. P.S. I really liked the steep trip/track up to the Rothorn!

Pocket

I was looking at Weisses Kreuz Hotel, as it is right at train station, ferry dock, and backs onto Rothorn. I think my MIL will be unable to just hop on and off trains and do much at all. But if she can walk to dock out front (I think) of hotel, she would love visiting all the villages by boat. If she feels up to it we can get off and have lunch if not we can just enjoy the sights. Being from Western Australia, mountains are something that gob smacks us into silence. Lakes as well.
Snow too. We live on the edge of a flat desert. (very beautiful beaches etc but almost the polar opposite of Switzerland, scenery wise). That would almost be enough for her to do in one day.
Also if we can walk out the front to train, an easy ride into Lucerne (I think she will enjoy the trains as a way to see the scenery without walking). Lunch, maybe walk across covered bridge. that will be enough for her too. My husband and I can zip off anywhere with the kids if we want, but I just want my MIL to have some enjoyable well paced days. She is the crux of our happy travels. If I can get her to the Rothorn, that would be a whole day activity, up for lunch at top. All that is worrying me is if the hotel has too many internal stairs. Their website seems to be all in swiss?german ?? and I cant tell. Someone did mention above that the small quaint hotels might have this prob !!

Pocket

Received a reply back from hotel. They have an elevator. All seems good. Thanks for everyone help P

mokka4

The Rothornbahn starts up again on 10 May next year. Hopefully, your travel dates are after that?

mokka4

And, you can read all about Hotel Weisses Kreuz, in English, using the engine www.booking.com and entering your town choice. It is indeed across from the back of the small train station, and set back less than a block from the lake itself.

Pocket

Yes Mokka ... 14th-17th May, just scrape in !!!

kja

Geissbach Falls might be enjoyed by the younger ones, too -- there's a place where you can walk under the falls.

Good news about the elevator -- sounds like you've found a place that meets your needs very well. Enjoy!

mokka4

Ah-oh Pocket...gave you some bad info. The Rothornbahn begins PARTIAL service to the half-way point of Planalp only on May 9/10. Full service to the top begins on June 6. There IS a casual restaurant at Planalp where lunch can be taken, but I did not stop there. Cost for this trip is 55 CHF roundtrip per adult, 27 CHF for children, assuming no railpass.
Another easily accessed panoramic viewpoint of the Berner Alps is HarderKulm at 4337 ft, accessed in Interlaken Ost. There is a new "2 Lakes Bridge" for spectacular views, which I have not yet experienced. IT opened 18 April this year, so is likely to be open by mid-April next year as well. Cost 28 CHF roundtrip per person.
While this is by no means the highly touted trip up to the Jungfrau or Matterhorn, it is a much gentler access for less mobile folk, much cheaper, and still awesome to behold. A final area option is the Stanserhorn, at 5555ft. Accessed on the first part by a Nostalgic incline, then a fascinating gondola with an open air viewing platform on top (the Cambrio).
This being a bit more spectacular, price is 74 CHF per adult. The walk to the mountain lift is level and about 10 minutes. There are nice circular, paved walking paths at the top, and, if I recall correctly, a revolving, though self-serve resto at the top. If MIL was up to a bit more, this would be MY first choice. The tie of Stans is cute too. Check rail connections from Brienz at www.rail.ch

mokka4

That should be the "town" of Stans...and I mention this mountain trip because it, too, begins season in mis- April.

Pocket

Thanks for looking into that Mokka. I just read the web site (more properly) (excuse grammar) and you're right. BUT you have to roll with it. My MIL will prob find a 30 min journey more to her taste (not really fond of heights) and looking at the time table we can get there by 11:15, and leave at 1pm .... I can have her settled with a cuppa by 2pm, and my husband and I will still have most of the afternoon to explore while she rests. It's always glass half full !!

neckervd

... and don't forget the historic Niesen cablecar which usually begins to run end April
http://www.niesen.ch/en/gallery/?oid=1807&lang=en

PalenQ

I took the steam train up the Rothorn and then walked back down on gently descending zigzagging paths - easy enough for any reasonably fit person - the lake in full view as well the the glacier-girdled Jungfrau Massif the whole way.

Brienz is nice but it cannot compare to the likes of Grindelwald, Wengen, etc in being practically eyeball to eyeball with soaring peaks - a whole different scene here - mainly the lake - if you've been to Grindelwald, etc then Brienz would make a nice low-key (for the area) place but it will not fulfill the Alpine Wonderland as will Grindelwald and Wengen where just sitting on your hotel balcony is a treat with the soaring peaks in full view.

First time to Switzerland - IMO head for the hills - Brienz is nice but not nearly as awesome as the Grindelwald area. Again Brienz is a lovely town known for its wood cutting like seen on its wooden houses and there are a plethora of esy day trips - varied ones - that are a short train or postal bus ride away - Ballenberg Open-Air Museum; Meiringen; Reichenbach Falls; boat rides; The Glacier Gorge at Innerkirchen, etc.

But I've easily done all those as day trips from Interlaken - taking a boat from Interlaken-Ost train station to Brienz or train to Meiringen, etc. by train Brienz is just a few minutes from Interlaken - Grindelwald is just about 20 minutes from Interlaken so all those things in the Brienz area are easily accessible from Grindelwald too.

Just my opinion and everyone has their own take - I respect mokka4 a whole lot from previous posts and who is to say who is right and wrong when in fact you cannot go wrong with either place - just that I find the Jungfrau Region far more awesome than the Brienz region and if going to the area and never going to a Grindelwald, the Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, etc would be missing out on the dramatic Alpine Switzerland picture etched in most folks' minds but which will not be fulfilled in the Brienz area, nice as it is.