Switzerland Itinerary Help
 

Hi there,

I would be travelling to Switzerland from the 2nd January to 8 of January 2017 for a total 7 days and 6 nights. I have rented out a car from Hertz in Geneva and planned to return it at Zurich Airport. I am travelling with my family and there is children so it would be a hustle to walk and carry luggages to train station. The SBB luggage service is not a good idea as it is expensive and takes one day for the luggage to processed.

We prefer driving compared to using public transport as I would be travelling with my family as it would be a hassle to board trains, carry luggages, etc. Do you have any tips regarding the driving in winter for Switzerland? Are there toll roads? If rented out a All Wheel Drive Vehicle would I still need to rent snow chains?

I live in Australia where we have very light snow conditions. I also have driven on the right hand side and I am somewhat familiar.I am still planning to driving in Switzerland as we like the freedom of driving. We got a pretty good deal for an all wheel drive car which I booked already

Our Itinerary Are as below - Please do comment and give suggestions :)

Day 1 Geneva (Arrive at Night)

Day 2 Geneva - Chamonix (Mont Blanc Gondola Rides)

Day 3 Chamonix - Montreux - Brig (Nearby Hotels that are cheap) What do you guys think?

Day 4 Brig - Zermatt (Using Glacier Express)

Day 5 Zermatt (Gondola Rides) - Lötschberg car train - Interlaken

Day 6 Interlaken - Jungfraujoch/Titlis - Interlaken

Day 7 Interlaken - Lucerne - Zurich

Day 8 Zurich Airport

(1)We would probably be only sightseeing, peak walk, etc on the mountains but considering to not ski. What do you guys think of the places we're visiting? Do you guys have any recommendation regarding the places. Will this Itinerary cost too much?

(2)In terms of Zermatt and Mont Blanc (Chamonix) I am still confused on where to find the prices for the gondola rides and attraction at the top of the mountain (non ski/snowboard activity)

(3)Also for the car do you guys have any recommendation regarding the roads (what passes/road are usually close). Also is it okay to travel with a Swiss rented car to France but return it back to Swiss as I am Non-EU Citizen.

(4) Can you give recommendations on places to visit in Geneva, Montreux, Geneva. What places are worth a visit?

Thanks in advance! I hope that is not too much questions :)

Thank you ;)

My Switzerland experience is all summer-related, but I do have a few suggestions that might be helpful.

Your itinerary has a lot of travel to pack into 6 days, especially with children. You will spend almost as much time in transit as you will visiting the places you list. I would cut the Brig-Zermatt leg and probably Chamonix. The area around Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen will have enough mountain excursions and gondola rides to sate your appetite.

I would land in Geneva and hop on the train to Montreux for 2 nights. Then to Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen for 2 nights, to Lucerne for 2 nights, and finish in Zurich on the final night.

In Montreux, especially for the kids, visit the Chateau Chillon castle.

Consider staying in Lauterbrunnen instead of Interlaken because the former is much closer to the mountain attractions.

Finally, I would reconsider the plan to drive. If it were a summer trip it would be a great idea. But since you have no experience driving in snow/ice, and you would be on strange roads in a strange country, there is an element of actual danger in your plan. I'm from Florida with zero winter driving skills, and I'd never do it.

Swiss rail is so easy to use. A half-fare card probably makes it cheaper than renting a car.

Aiguille du Midi (actual temperature 15 degrees below zero centigrades):
Standard RT fare: 60 EUR/pax
Kids up to 14 years: 51 EUR
Family packet (2 adults and up to 5 kids of the same family): 186 EUR

Brig - Zermatt by standard train (the Glacier Express cannot be boarded for such a short leg): 70 EUR pax/RT, half fare for kids).
Matterhorn Paradise (actual temperature 11 degrees below 0 degrees centigrade)
Standard RT fare from Zermatt: 95 EUR, kids half fare
Jungfraujoch (actual temperature 13 degrees centigrade below zero)
standard RT fare from Grindelwald: 175 EUR, kids half fare

Note that the actula noon temperatures mentioned above are rather high for the season, as today it's a spotless sunny all over the Alps.

SWISS ALPINE PASSES IN WINTER

closed for sure:
Gd St-Bernard
Grimsel
Furka
Susten
Klausen
Nufenen
San Gottardo
San Bernardino
Spluga
Albula
Forcola di Livigno
Umbrail
Stelvio
Bieler Hoehe

open for sure (sometimes some snow after heavy snowfalls):
Pas de Morgins
Col des Gets
Mont Blanc road tunnel
Gd St-Bernard road tunnel
Col de la Forclaz
Les Mosses
Pillon
Saanenmoeser
Bruenig
Simplon
access roads to Loetschberg car trains
access roads to Furka car trains
San Gottardo road tunnel
San Bernardino road tunnel
Maloja
Julier
Bernina
Aprica
access road to Vereina car trains
Ofen
Era
Foscagno
Arlberg road tunnel

There is no doubt that the all by rail solution would be much cheaper (kids don't pay if the parents have a Swiss Travel Pass and the latter grants free rides on most trains and buses and usually 50 per cent reduction on most mountain railways).

Be very aware that the rail station at the Geneva airport is near the baggage claim area. That meas that it is going to be considerably LESS hassle for you to "carry luggages" to the train that the carrying you are going to do to get to the rental car.

And like it or not, if you drive up to Zermatt you are going to have to park that car in Tesch and "carry luggages" over to the train that takes you into Zermatt itself.

You may want to still get a Family Pass- free or for a small fee at any Swiss train station then all kids under 16 travel free for anything you pay for -like gondola rides, trains to mountain tops,etc. Check www.swisstravelsystem.com for details.

Way too much traveling between places IMO. We will be in Switzerland from Jan2-8 also. (We leave from JFK on Jan 1st.) We are flying into Zurich and taking the train to Bern which we've been in before and love. It's the capitol but is small. Medieval. The next day we take a train to Zermatt for 4 nights. Then to Zurich for one night and then fly home the following day.

You said you want to get a car because of luggage and kids. I would respect your wishes. Consider that the Berner Oberland and Zermatt are both mountain areas and perhaps you don't need to go to both, as they are not close together. Give you more time to relax and play.

And, yes, Zermatt is car free so you would have to park the car in some other town and get to Zermatt another way. If you want to take a car, perhaps only go to the Berner Oberland.

You could ditch the car once you got to Interlaken and take trains and gondolas the rest of your days in this largely car-free region- then take the train to Zurich -you can send your luggage ahead on trains right to the airport if you don't want to hassle with it.

Or just park the car in lots on the edge of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen - last places drivable in the Jungfrau Region.

For lots on Swiss and BO trains check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Agree that Zermatt could be skipped - especially if going there largely to see the Matterhorn which is not unusually shrouded in fog or clouds. In any case drive up to Zermatt and park your car a few miles before town and take the shuttle train in - No reason to park in Brig - all trains on that route go by the same scenery - GE or not.

No reason to park in Brig - all trains on that route go by the same scenery - GE or not.>

Meant to add the road also pretty much parallels the train line - nothing special about the Glacier Express here -any train would be good or why not drive?

Visp is the better place to park if taking a train to Zermatt as all Brig-Zermatt trains stop there after leaving Brig. And drive -save about $60 or so I would suspect p.p. -more if on official GE trains.

If there is any chance that you will have jet lag, I would strongly encourage you to take public transportation for your first night or two. 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.

And as Edward2005 has noted, you would be facing additional real danger from trying to drive on unfamiliar roads in what could, unpredictably, prove to be snowy or icy conditions. Swiss rail is, truly, incredibly easy and convenient.

Yes kja especially in winter with chances of dicey roads where you just have to get to your pre-booked accommodation.