Switzerland 8/9 days - please give itinerary feedback
 

Hi - I have a rough itinerary planned for my upcoming trip. Please take a look and provide feedback as I'm trying to iron out the days and locations first, before planning all activities.

Relevant details:
-Visiting during the 1st week of July
- Late 20's, early 30's, we like a balance between being active and having time to relax on vacation. More drawn to nature rather than cities and museums.

Day 1: arrive in Zurich
Day 2: fiancé in meetings during the day, (should we leave for Lucerne that afternoon or stay in Zurich?)
Day 3: train for Lucerne, hang out in Lucerne, visit lake, Mt. Pilatus
Day 4: (not sure) not big fan of museums, should we stay in Lucerne or move onto OB area?
Day 5: leave for Bernese Oberland, settle in, explore Murren, Grindelwald and whole area
Day 6: Jungfrau, Lauterbrunnen, hiking, bikes, maybe paragliding
Day 7: everything we didn't get to do the previous day
Day 8: leave for Geneva (?) or should we visit/stay in Montreux
Day 9: morning flight out of Geneva

Travel-wise an 8-consecutive-day Swiss Pass would be a great deal for you - good on not only trains but lake boats, city transports, postal buses and good for entry at 470+ Swiss museums and sights - for lots of info on Swiss transports and passes, etc check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Pretty nice itinerary - Montreux would be nice but it is an hour or more from Geneva airport - what time is your flight?

Don't plan on a particular day for Jungfraujoch, just go the first clear day, and juggle the days to get the best from the weather.

If you do get to Jungfraujoch then make it a round trip, go up via Lauterbrunnen and Wengen and back via Grindelwald and spend some time in both Wengen and Grindewald.

If you go to Murren again make it a round trip go up from Lauterbrunnen to Grutscalp and perhaps walk from there to Murren and then take the cable car up and back to Stechelberg, unless you really want to explore Gimmelwald go straight down and then again you can walk along the valley floor back to Lauterbrunnen, or get the Postbus from the cable car station. You could also visit the Staubbach Falls (free) on the way back, or the Trummelbach Falls (there is a charge).

If staying in Murren a Swiss Pass will cover all the conveyances tipsygus talksabout to and from Murren and probably not sure but probably cover entry to Trummelbach Falls.

Thanks everyone
- Yes we will definitely get a swiss pass

The flight is at 9am on the last day. So I guess staying in Montreux doesn't make sense? We should stay in Geneva or Lausanne?

What does everyone think about Day 4? Based on interests is there anything else to see in Lucerne or should we just get to Interlaken area then?; the whole itinerary would move up by a day.

You just noted the most the incredible mountains that I have seen. Wear hiking shoes, poles perhaps, med jackets. Enjoy

. So I guess staying in Montreux doesn't make sense? We should stay in Geneva or Lausanne?>

Well Lausanne is about 5 minutes by train from Montreux and I always do suggest staying in your departure city the night before your flight - problems with trains can always pop up -line closed for some reason and that old law that says when something rarely happens i happens at the most important time.

I guess if the itinerary is moved up by a day, so we only spend one night in Lucerne that leaves time for Montreux at the end.

Day 1: arrive in Zurich
Day 2: fiancé in meetings during the day, train for Lucerne in afternoon or night.
Day 3: hang out in Lucerne, visit lake, Mt. Pilatus. overnight in Lucerne
Day 4: leave for Bernese Oberland, settle in, explore Murren, Grindelwald and whole area
Day 5:Jungfrau, Lauterbrunnen, hiking, bikes, maybe paragliding
Day 6: everything we didn't get to do the previous days
Day 7: leave Bernese Oberland for Montreaux. Spend the day/night there
Day 8: leave for Geneva, spend last day relaxing. overnight in Geneva
Day 9: morning flight out of Geneva

Or, I could completely cut out Lucerne and go straight to BO after Zurich. That would give me 4 nights in BO and then 2 in Montreux.

Hi ebuni,

The internationally famous Montreux Jazz Fest takes place this year 1-16 July, so that might impact your plans for Montreux.

While Montreux is normally a zoo in July & August, it becomes a real nightmare (for crowding, I mean) during this Fest. However, if you like the energy of lots of people and you love music and you'd like to hang out with musicians, then it would be a good time to visit Montreux. If you don't . . . then stay in Vevey or Lutry.

Here's the website to see the program & to buy tickets:

http://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/en/program16

BTW, Lausanne is 40 minutes from Montreux by train, not 5 minutes. Vevey is about 10 or 15 minutes from Montreux by train. Geneva airport is 90 minutes.

If you decide to see the Lake Geneva area, I strongly recommend taking the Golden Pass route from Interlaken to Montreux, via Gstaad and Zweisimmen -- it's one of the prettiest scenic trains in Switzerland.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Thanks so much for the recommendation for Vevey, I think its a great contrast to BO and like you said, will be less crowded than Montreux.

I'm sort of leaning towards cutting out Lucerne and just doing:

Zurich -> Bernese Oberland -> Vevey. Is is crazy to skip Lucerne?

Any specific recommendations for lakefront hotel in Vevey or Lutry? Or any other lakefront hotels?

Since we leave from Geneva in the morning, what about staying in the lake towns further south? I'm seeing Nyon, etc?

Hi again,

Well, I didn't see Luzern until my 4th trip to Switzerland . . . but when I did, I was totally blown away with its beauty. The mountains are nearer/higher around Luzern, so the scenery is more dramatic, but because Montreux/Vevey lie in the French-speaking part of the country, it would offer more contrast with the Oberland area. Only you can tell which one will give you more pleasure. Maybe spend a few hours in a library looking at picture books or at google's images.

What is your price preference for a hotel? In Vevey, I like the looks of the 3-star Hostellerie Bon Rivage because it lies right on the lake in a quiet area (it's actually in the suburb of La Tour-de-Peilz, but it's right at a bus stop). It's about a 10-15 minute walk from the Vevey train station. I haven't ever stayed there though.

There is also the Guest House Le Charlot that has lake views and sits right at the market square in Vevey, but I haven't stayed there either.

In Lutry, there is only one lakeside hotel that I can find, the 3-star Hotel le Rivage Lutry.

Unfortunately, I always stay in Montreux, so I don't know these hotels.

I've been to Nyon a few times, and it's too big of a city for my personal liking. However, I do like the Roman museum there, and there are a few standing Roman artifacts that are interesting. Nyon is about 30 minutes from the Geneva airport.

Morges is a town that I adore, though, and it's 40 minutes from the airport. It has a very sweet pedestrian street lined with cafes and shops, and it has a very beautiful lakeside area.

Hope you work it out!

s

Zurich -> Bernese Oberland -> Vevey. Is is crazy to skip Lucerne?>

Lucerne is to me more awe-inspiring than anything on Lake Geneva, nice as those towns Vevey and Montreux are - I'd spend a couple of days there - one day for the city itself and a day out on the lake - save the mountain treks for the Jungfrau area where they are much more impressive all in all.

I am on the fence about Lucerne because we love beachy/sun vacations - Lake Geneva seems like the closest we can get to that - I saw tennis courts and pools in a lot of places. Without being able to fly to another country, I thought this was a good compromise as we stay in Switzerland. Really just a place to relax after the Bernese area.

The main reason I'm hesitating now are the prices -- I am no stranger to high cost of living but Lake Geneva - wow!

We are not "city" people and won't really go to museums - having said all of this, does Lucerne still make sense?

We are not "city" people and won't really go to museums - having said all of this, does Lucerne still make sense?>

Lucerne has a few museums but they are not must sees - the town itself is and even if you stop for just a few hours between Zurich and Interlaken that will be enough time to get a look at this gorgeous town - which is also very expensive and also has a beach of sorts.

What do people do with their luggage when they "stop in for a few hours"?

Hi again,

With your additional comments about not being city people and wanting a warmer, more relaxed vacation, I am thinking that you could skip Luzern this time, too.

Yes, stop for a few hours in Luzern to see the scenery, at least. Folks put their suitcases in luggage lockers at the train station when they stop by for a few hours.

Oh, the prices at Lake Geneva -- well, you are coming at the peak of high season, during an internationally known festival. Of course the prices are at their peak ;).

Your train tickets will be good all day, so you won't need separate tickets for Zurich airport - Luzern and Luzern - Lauterbrunnen. You only need to be sure that your routing from the airport to Lauterbrunnen includes Luzern enroute.

Have fun!

s

You only need to be sure that your routing from the airport to Lauterbrunnen includes Luzern enroute.>

From Lucerne take the scenic route to Interlaken - via the Brunig Pass - part of the Golden Pass scenic train routing and not go via Bern, missing this really scenic trip.