steph03

Hi, we are planning for our highly anticipated 1 week holiday in Switzerland. We are travelling there in the middle of June. There are so much to see, and I felt so overwhelmed looking at all the recommendations. We are travelling in a group of 5 adults and 2 children (4 and 2 yrs old). We have only booked our flight ticket so far. Appreciate if someone can review and provide suggestions to improve my itinerary.. thanks!

Day 1, Saturday- Land at Basel airport @ 10am. Drive to Interlaken, explore the area, Lake Thun, Neiderhorn.(stay in Interlaken for 4 nights?)

Day 2 - drive up to .. Murren, Gimmewald, Lauterbrunnen. What should we do in the evening?

Day 3- Take Early Morning ticket to Jungfraujoch. Back to Kleine Schedegg for lunch. Explore Wengen and Grimdelwald

Day 4- Day trip to Lucerne. Explore Lucerne

Day 5 - Drive to Lugano. (stay in Lugano) - Should we do this instead of visiting some other places, Zermatt?

Day 6- Drive to Montreux and explore the area (stay in Montreux)

Day 7 - Drive to Bern. Stopping by Gruyere. explore Bern's Old Town (stay in Bern)

Day 8- Drive to Basel, Flight @2pm Basel airport

We will be renting a car, as there is 7 of us. I just think it is much cheaper to drive given we are a big group, and with two young children, it's probably easier... Are there any pass that we should get, given we will be going up to the mountains in Jungfrau..

Also, should we do Mt Pilatus or are they quite similar to Jungfraujoch given we will be spending 2 days in the mountains.

Please review, recommend and help me plan this trip better.
Thanks in advance for all your help and suggestions! Ideally I would like to finalise and go ahead with all the car/room booking as soon as possible.

Thank you so much again!

kja

I’m afraid you need to do some more research. For example, one cannot drive to Wengen – it is carless; there really isn’t anything to “explore” in Wengen, etc.

If you haven’t already done so, please consult some good guidebooks.

Reconsider the car – it will be a PITA in much of Switzerland, and taking the trains is actually incredibly easy.

And whether you use a car for part of your trip or not, if there is <b>any</b> chance that you will have jet lag, I would strongly encourage you to take public transportation for your first night or two. Although many people are not aware of it, there is mounting evidence that driving with jet lag is just as dangerous -- to yourself and others -- as driving drunk, and <b>nothing</b> you can do will prevent the microsleeps (which you might not even notice) that are the apparent culprit. Seriously -- NOT a good idea, no matter your other constraints and no matter your prior experience!

Good luck!

Mimar

Murren is also carfree.

You're doing an awful lot of driving. And a vehicle for 7 people plus their luggage is going to be pretty big. I wonder if those kids will like traveling twisty roads. Consider omitting Lugano and maybe Montreux, staying longer in one place

I'd base in Interlaken and do excursions from there by train and boat. You can take a boat on Lake Brienz from Interlaken Ost station and another boat on Lake Thun from Interlaken West. And there are various train trips up into the mountains from Interlaken Ost.

Another consideration is the weather. Even in June you can't depend on the mountains being clear. Don't buy tickets to Jungfraujoch ahead of time. They're expensive and all you may see is clouds. Keep your itinerary fluid and check the weather forecast.

Edward2005

A car may be a *good* idea for your group. 5 adults can usually travel cheaper by car than by train, even with a rail pass. Although you will need a larger car or even a van for a group your size. You would have to do the math to know for sure. Plus, with young kids in tow it will be easier to move around with your own wheels than getting kids to adhear to a train schedule.

Rather than Interlaken you should stay in Lauterbrunnen. It's central, in the mountains, and has parking. You could also stay in car-free Murren or Wengen and leave your car parked in Lauterbrunnen on the valley floor.

While in Montreux be sure to visit Chateau Chillon. It's fantastic medieval castle. The kids will lose their minds.

Luzern is a feasible day-trip from Lauterbrunnen, but it's a long day by car or train. Consider instead visiting the Ballenburg open-air museum near Brienz (a town on the same lake as Interlaken). The open-air museum has genuine medieval Swiss buildings, traditional farming, farm animals, and good food. Kids will love it.

steph03

Hi

Thanks and appreciate for your frank opinion on the driving kja, Mimar. To ease the driving part, I have changed the itinerary to based on 2 areas - Lauterbrunnen (as suggested by Edward2005) and Montreux. Depending on weather forecast, this will be my tentative itinerary for the time being.


Day 1, Saturday- Land at Basel airport @ 10am. Lunch and explore Bern Old Town. Drive to Lauterbrunnen

Day 2, Sunday - take the train/cable to Murren, to Schiltorn, Gimmewald

Day 3, Monday- Either we do a day trip to Thun (boat ride) or we visit Ballenberg Open Air Museum

Day 4 Tues - Take Early Morning ticket to Jungfraujoch. Back to Kleine Schedegg for lunch, explore Grimdelwald back to Lauterbrunnen

Day 5 Wednesday- Day trip to Lucerne, back to Lauterbrunnen

Day 6 Thurs- Drive to Montreux and explore the area (stay in Montreux)

Day 7 - Drive along Lake Geneva, Lausanne, back to Montreux

Day 8- Drive to Basel, Flight @2pm Basel airport

Is this itinerary better? Should I do Thun or Ballenberg Open Air Museum?

Thanks once again!!

mokka4

Thun is a small city with a castle,many small shops, outdoor cafes.
Ballenberg Outdoor 'Museum' is a collection of distinctive old Swiss architecture buildings set along an outdoor forested region, with opportunities to picnic or play.
Often, there are workshops going on in some of the buildings, like whistle-making, etc. More kid-friendly. Takes about 3 hours, but entirely self-paced. You could park in Brienz and take the quick bus up, then explore wood-carving village
of Brienz

mokka4

I much prefer Brienz over Thun.
The steep hillside dotted with old brown, weathered 'typical' chalets is cool.
You could even time it to take a boat cruise on Lake Brienz on the same day, maybe to Interlaken Ost and train back!?

Mimar

Or, from Lauterbrunnen take the train to Interlaken Ost, walk across the street and catch the connecting boat on Lake Brienz. Get off at Brienz town and catch the connecting bus to the Ballenberg Frei Licht Museum described by mokka4 above. The boat ride is scenic. Everyone should enjoy that as well as the museum.

steph03

Hi, Thank you so much for all your replies. Will definitely do Brienz instead of Thun.

One last question, on our last leg in Montreux, should we stay in Montreux itself or is there any other area nearby that I should consider since we have a car? Thanks!!!

Just booked the apartment in Lauterbrunnen..

mokka4

I have also been looking at lodging in this area. Vevey or any of the small towns around look great and come highly recommended...check airbnb for suggestions.
swandav?

PalenQ

Day 2 - drive up to .. Murren, Gimmewald, Lauterbrunnen. What should we do in the evening? >

as said can't drive past Lauterbrunnen - have to take aerial gondola first to Grutschalp then train to Murren - be sure to take the long long gondolas to The Schilthorn (after Jungfraujoch the most famous Alpine excursion perhaps) and gondola Schilthorn to Gimmelwald -not much there but a very unique setting in the middle of nowhere but high Alps- then thrilling aerial cable way down to Stechelberg and postal bus back to Lauterbrunnen.

Just becaause you can't drive don't miss this great great IMO loop from Lauterbrunnen-kids will love the gondolas and mountain train to Murren.

Now if doing both the Jungraujoch train and Murren/Schilthorn Loop then you will save money by buying the Half-Fare Card that costs about $130 or so p.p. but gives you half-off everything that moves in Switzerland (besides cows!) and 50% off just those two trips will more than pay for the Half-Price card -plus you can use it on other gondolas and lake boats-which kids will also love. buy it at any Swiss train station - kids under 16 traveling with at least one parent get a Free Half-Off Card and never pay a centime for anything the adults pay half-off for.

For more on the above excursions and Swiss trains in general check www.swisstravelsyste.com; www.sbb.ch (official site of Swiss Federal Railways for schedules and fares); www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksdteves.com.

kja

@ PalenQ: Thanks for adding the link to the sbb site!

swandav2000

Hi mokka4!

I'm a bit of a curmudgeon, evidenced here.

Because public transportation is so excellent in Switzerland (most places in the world, there is no choice between using a car or trains, but in Switzerland, the trains are a terrific option), and because I see damage from global climate change every winter here in Garmisch, I cannot help people who choose to drive. It would be counter to my own best interest. However, I'm sure the op will get enough information for the trip.

If you, mokka4, want some info on accommodation in Montreux, you can drop me a line at TA (I'm active in the Bavaria boards) or even start a new thread.

s

kja

@ swandav: Thank you for your position on green travel.

swandav2000

kja,

Thanks for the thanks, lol!

I gave up my car when I moved to Germany in 2008. Been slogging to church & shops since then, which is getting more difficult in my 60s, especially in the cold rain (like yesterday). Of course, the health benefits are great.

But I continue to be dumbfounded at some people's behavior ... yesterday after the sunrise service, folks DROVE the approx 2-3 blocks for the sit-down breakfast. And people wonder why obesity is an epidemic in the USA.

Anyway.

kja

@ swandav: I meant it! I live in a city with good public transportation and gave up my car after moving here nearly 20 years ago. A wheeled backpack has served me exceedingly well. I have occasion to take a taxi a few times a year, and I rent a car for a few hours once or twice a year. I listen to colleagues complain about trying to find parking and the price of gas and detours for road work, and thank my lucky stars that I have found a way to live that doesn't revolve around those particular daily hassles and that doesn't contribute unnecessary carbon emissions. I know that cars are essential to many people in America, so I'm not trying to pass judgment -- I'm just grateful that I don't need one! And FWIW, I understand that a car can be useful when traveling, but only if used safely and with careful consideration of how it does / does not serve one's plans. JMO. In a country like Switzerland, with such excellent public transportation (and such magnificent scenery, which would not be viewable by responsible drivers), I am happy to recommend car-free options. Enjoy your exercise (as I try to do) whatever the weather, swandav!

swandav2000

Well, I disagree that a car can be useful and that one's plans merit a consideration.

As I said, I see the damage of climate change on the mountains just outside my window -- our winters are growing shorter & shorter and warmer & warmer. Scientists say that all Bavarian glaciers will be gone in about 20 years.

IMO, saving the glaciers is worth a bit of inconvenience. Ok, a lot of inconvenience. What, shall we say, "oh, I miss the snowy mountain landscapes, but at least I wasn't inconvenienced on my vacation ..."

It's not that convenient for me to walk 30 minutes in the cold rain, and it's certainly not convenient for me to use a taxi to take my cat to the vet & back again (managing the timing to call the taxi and to wrestle the cat into the cage is nerve-wracking).

But it is worth it.

s

swandav2000

BTW, I don't add my voice when a poster has decided to drive, but if one asks, then I do give my opinion. And here I gave my opinion because mokka4 mentioned me.

PalenQ

@ PalenQ: Thanks for adding the link to the sbb site!>

Thanks for the suggestion! And I also do not detour folks from driving if they say they really want to but may point out that in certain areas it is not practical nor even possible- depends on where they are touring.

steph03

Thanks PalenQ for the Murren/Schilthorn Loop idea. That's exactly what I intend to do.

Now will go compare price if I should also get the Jungfrau Pass in addition to the half card Swiss card.

I very rarely rent a car for holiday.. and the reason for car is purely because we have young children, and have an awful lot to carry with the travelling.

Appreciate all your input and suggestions in my planning. I felt so accomplish for my first forum participation...

Thank you and have a great day