Switzerland in Nine Days: July Itinerary - Lucerne - Murren - Lutry - Bern
 

My fiancée and I will be in Switzerland from Monday, 02 July- Tuesday, 10 July. We've bought an 8-Day Swiss Travel Pass and will travel exclusively by train bringing only carry-on luggage and one backpack for each of us - traveling light! We plan to do one laundry run during the trip.

Day 1 (Monday) - Land in Zurich at 10am, take train to Lucerne - stroll through Lucerne, perhaps a boat ride on the lake.
Day 2 (Tuesday) - Take train from Lucerne to Murren - we plan to leave Lucerne mid-morning and arrive in Murren early/mid-afternoon to do some short hikes/walks.
Day 3 (Wednesday) - Murren - All our travels in this area will be weather dependent but we would like to do one early morning journey to Jungfrau (we'll have to leave Murren by 6am to catch the 8:00am train from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch) and at least one trip to Schilthorn and include as much hiking as we can squeeze in while we are here. We're still exploring the various hiking trail options in the region. At least we'll have three full days, including the possibility of exploring the Lauterbrunnen valley if weather is inclement on any given day.
Day 4 (Thursday) - Murren
Day 5 (Friday) - Murren
Day 6 (Saturday) - Leave Murren to take Golden Pass train to Montreux and then on to Lutry. We have reservations on the Golden Pass from Zweisimmen to Montreux on the 12:25pm train, arriving in Montreux at 2:15pm. We'll have to leave Murren no later than 9am to catch all the connecting points of transportation to make it to Zweisimmen for the 12:25pm train. Once we arrive in Montreux we're undecided if we should proceed at once to Lutry (where we'll be staying) or wander around Montreux, perhaps visiting Chillon Castle. The Montreux Jazz Festival will be occurring during this time so we're going to wing it and see how crowded the area is during this time. If it's too crowded we'll just head on to Lutry and explore around there with an evening cruise on Lake Geneva.
Day 7 (Sunday) - Lutry - walk among Lavaux Vineyards (we're thinking of taking the morning train to Chexbres and walking back to Lutry with the morning sun on our back) and then take a boat ride on Lake Geneva.
Day 8 (Monday) - Bern - take train to Bern - still working on this day's itinerary but we're thinking of stopping in Fribourg on our way to Bern (I don't think getting to Gruyeres will be practical during our time in Lutry) - explore Bern's old town. Last day of our Swiss Travel Pass.
Day 9 (Tuesday) - Zurich - take train to Zurich for 1:40pm departure.

Any suggestions would be welcome: especially any favorite hikes around Murren, exploring around Lake Geneva and sites between Lutry and Bern. Again, we'll be travelling on the Swiss Travel Pass and would like to keep any extra costs for travel excursions to a minimum (we're aware the trip to the Jungfrau will cost us $$$ even with the Travel Pass).

An 8-consecutive-day Swiss Pass should be a great deal for sure- check www.swisstravelsystem.com for lots on trains - general info BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. I'd reconsider Murren and look at Wengen - Murren is more isolated - Wengen right on Jungfraujoch train route and lots of hiking around it like the famous Panoramic Walk between The Mannlichen and Kleine Scheidegg.

Should be nice!

I wanted a full day for Fribourg and 2 full days for Bern, so you might pick the one that you think you would like best and then see how the time works for you -- it really depends on what you want to see and do.

Hi tollers1,

I would not omit Vevey, if at all possible. I know that seeing Chillon can be a big draw... but if you decide to pass on that because of the crowds, spend some time in Vevey. It's a lovely town with an intriguing old town full of meandering streets. On Sunday, I think everything will be closed, so it would be best on your Day 6.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Here's one who thinks Chateau Chillon though nice was underwhelming once I got there - imposing presence on lake and nice castle but not the 7th Wonder of Switzerland IMO. If in Vevey and have time yeah but I would not spend a whole day around seeing it. Just my opinion of course.

Everything is feasible. Just a few remarks from a Swiss citizen:

Only 1 afternoon (after a overnight flight) at Lucerne isn't enough. You may just see a few places in town, like Chapel Bridge, Glacier Garden, Lyon's monument etc. but will have no time for museums (Swiss Transport Museum, Rosengart Foundation, etc.) or serious boat rides, neither for the famous cog wheel railways around the lake (Pilatus, Rigi).

Murren: I second Palenque, if you want to go to Jungfraujoch (incredibly expensive, even with Swiss Travel Pass), stay at Wengen. The hiking trails around Wengen can easily keep you busy during 3 days.
BTW: If you want arrive at Kleine Scheidegg at 7.49, you will have to leave Muerren at 6.36.

" We'll have to leave Murren no later than 9am to catch all the connecting points of transportation to make it to Zweisimmen for the 12:25pm train."
Your timetable:
Muerren BLM dp 9.58 - Lauterbrunnen 10.17/10.32 - Interlaken Ost 10.53/11.00 - Spiez 11.21/11.37 - Zweisimmen 12.19/12.25 - Montreux ar 14.13.
Connecting boat to Chillon castle: Montreux dp 14.40 (the boat continues to Villeneuve - St. Gingolph - Vevey ar 16.00 - Montreux ar 16.32
Historic paddle steamboats to Lausanne:
Chillon castle dp 16.03 - Montreux dp 16.16 - Vevey dp 16.40 - Lutry ar 17.25 - Lausanne ar 17.45 (- Geneva ar 22.10)
Chillon castle dp 17.05 - Montreux dp 17.20 - Vevey dp 17.45 - Lausanne ar 18.33 (- Lutry ar by train 19.05)

Places between Lutry and Berne:
Gruyeres would be perfectly feasible, for example Lutry dp 8.05 - Gruyeres ar 9.52, change at Vevey and Chatel-St-Denis;
Gruyeres dp 13.05 - Berne ar 14.26, change at Bulle and Fribourg. Trains every hr
Allternatively you could go by train to Neuchatel, by boat to the walled medieval city of Murten and finally by train to Berne

Day 8: I would go to Zurich as long as the travel pass is still valid. May be Berne dp 22.02 - Zurich ar 23.02 - Zurich airport ar 23.19. Trains run every 30 minutes until 23.02
You can't do anything of interest on day 9 as you must be at the airport around 11am.

BTW: Jungfraujoch is such expensive because all non Europeans want absolutely go to this place (more than 1 million last year). There are tons of much cheaper Swiss glacier destinations popular with European people.

In lieu of taking boat Montreux to Chillon you could also do a lovely few-kilometre walk there along lakeside esplanade. Swiss Pass I believe valid for castle entry as well as boats.

Not sure about Lake Geneva boats but other boats I've taken had first class in the openair front deck and 2nd class in rear or inside front - may be worth it to payn upgrade on boat to sit in first class if you have 2nd class pass, especially if it's a nice day.

I enjoyed going by boat over to Evian-les-Bains too for a taste of France and to savor a swank lakeside mineral water resort (with casino).

I love the ways in which travelers differ in their experiences! FWIW, I loved an hour strolling through Vevey, but would have easily sacrificed that time to ensure having sufficient time to savor the Chateau de Chillon.

Yes, kja, we are much alike but vary in a few ways in our travel! I usually spend half a day -- around 4 hours -- when I'm in Vevey. For myself, an hour wouldn't give me enough time to browse the shops in the old town, wander around the market square, get lost in the winding streets, wander along the lakeside promenade up to La Tour-de-Peilz, and then enjoy a nice meal in one of the cafes or restaurants (always a struggle to choose between one with a view of the lake or a cosy one tucked into a corner of the old town).

s

Ah! I think swandav has given some information that might help the OP understand the differences between what she and I think: I readily admit that I have absolutely no interest in shopping, other than walking through an outdoor market for its photographic opportunities. And because I found it easy to take a leisurely stroll through many of this charming town's streets in just an hour or so, I felt no need or desire to stop at a cafe, lakeside or otherwise. I don't think there's a right or wrong choice here -- just different preferences.

Well... browsing the shops isn't really shopping. I've only bought something one time on my Swiss trips, a purse, from a boutique in Vevey. That was about 8 years ago. Oh wait, I did buy some Gruyere cream from a dairy in Vevey once, but then I found it in the grocery shops.

But I like to look in the shop windows just to see what kinds of things they're selling ... what kinds of bedlinens are popular there... throwpillows and blankets. I like to see what dresses are in fashion, if there are hats.... scarves.... gloves....coats. I love reading the titles in the bookshops and try to determine if they are French or Swiss authors or English/American in translation... and I love looking at the maps in bookshops. And the small leather goods stores can keep me entertained for a good quarter hour.

Yes, I'm really a slow traveller. I can barely get settled in an hour.

s

I'm glad you enjoy browsing, swandav. I don't. To each his / her own!

More importantly, I think knowing something about why we differ in our estimates of how much time to plan for Vevey (or any other location) is useful information.

Exploring the Lauterbrunnen Valley is nice yes in any weather (well...) and a wonderful easy-peasy walk from Murren goes along the cliff edge to Grutschalp for the cable car down to Lauterbrunnen, or do a resonably gently descending footpath to the valley since you are into hiking -then walk to Trummelbach Falls (Swiss Travel Pass valid for entry I believe) - the famous water cascade inside the mountain drains melting ice from the Jungfrau Massif high above.

Then waltz up the canyon-like valley to Stechelberg and either hike up along a rather demanding but awfully scenic trail to Gimmelwald (now famous farming hamlet seemingly out in the middle of nowhere but awesome Alpine scenery). Then, finish off by taking the paved walkway along the cliff up to Murren.

And, don't neglect the famous Panorama Walk from The Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg - take train up from Lauteerbrunnen (100% covered by Swiss Pass) - The Mannlichen is a renown vistplace with fab views all around, especially over Interlaken perhced far below wedged into between the two lakes bookending it) and the wide path then descends gently to Kleine Scheidegg.

Do the Jungfraujoch train and perhaps walk down from Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen in about an hour on a wide track.

Walking to and from Kleine Scheidegg will also save money as Swiss Passes only cover trains above Wengen or Grindelwald 25% - ouch!


You could also do the walk down from Eigergletcher on the Jungfraujoch railway to Kleine Scheidegg - again saving money and having an ethereal hike down.

Hi Tollers, If you have a choice, stay in Wengen. I've stayed in both Murren and Wengen, and they are quite different. Wengen has the Mountains (Jungfrau/Monch) towering over the village, with the huge plateau just above Wengen, easily accessible by lift from center of WEngen. Murren is a tad closed in with mtn walls near the village. Should be a very nice trip. Sue

Murren closed in? You thinking of Lauterbrunnen perhaps - Murren is perched on top of the cliffs with frontal views of Jungfrau Massif - perhaps better even than those from Wengen.

LOL, PalenQ, every time Sue81 mentions that she found Mürren closed in, you suggest that she's confused her place names, and every time I add that I agree with her, you say you'd never heard it before. So once again: I fully agree with Sue81 that in certain lights, at least during certain times of year (I was there in June), that wall of mountains across from Mürren can seem darkly and rather unpleasantly oppressive. In contrast, when I was there, the Lauterbrunnen Valley was drenched in glorious sunlight, with the ONLY dark place being the train station, with it's rather low ceiling.

OK Palen and jka, I think it must have been the location of the cabin, which seemed to face a wall of stone off in the distance, in Murren. We only had a few days there, and took the lift up to the Schilthorn (I think that I got it right here). It just seemed a bit dark, compared to Wengen and the amazing Mannlichen. Perhaps we did not explore it as much as we did in Wengen. We did have about 12 waterfalls off in the distance in Murren, springtime as
I recall, and that was nice. It wasn't raining, but seemed a bit dark. Maybe it was the time of year? Who knows? It definitely was Murren. Sue

@ Sue81: ??? I just agreed with you -- as I have many times now! And even if you want to back off from your comment, I stand by mine: At least at certain times of year and in certain lights, that wall of mountains across from Murren can seem quite oppressive.

Hi Kja/Paleln, Who is backing off? I simply said that we all see things a tad different at different times and different seasons, and for different reasons.. Poor person who asked for info on this,, has to figure this out. I loved Murren, until I went to Wengen, just different. places. I want to go back. Sue

Yes different seasons perhaps different locations but in general I would say Murren - the name means walls I think - is about as unclosed in by cliffs as anyplace since it sits on top of them with front view of Jungfrau Massif from most of Murren I walked thru. I do not think it is a valid generality - Lauterbrunnen could fit that perhaps. But if the wall of mountains opposite is dark yes I can see why one would feel hemmed in by cliffs.