JoMark

After 3 days in Paris, we (family of 5 with 3 teenage daughters)will be travelling to Italy via Switzerland in July. Our time in Italy consists of 3 nights at Menaggio (Lake Como), Venice, Lucca and Rome. We also have 3 nights to spend in Switzerland and would really appreciate some help. We live in sunny Queensland (Australia)so our children would like to see snow (even better if they could have a brief go at skiing/ tobogganing for under US $30 per person). Also high on the list is to see (?stay) at a 'cute Swiss house'& take a cable car. My original plan involved entering Switzerland from France and via Lausanne/ Geneva passing through Montreux (Golden Pass) to Interlaken & then to Lauterbrunnen for 2 nights (possibly stay in campgroung there- they have cabins for 5+). Travel to Chur, and then take the Bernina Express route to Tirano,Italy. From Tirano we can continue by train to Varenna and take the ferry across to Menaggio.
We will have a Swiss Pass (these represent good value given both our 13 & 15 year olds will travel free), but this route is rather a lot of train travel. We could forgo the first part of the scenic tour and get to our 2 night stopover a bit quicker (probably via Berne), but what shouldn't we miss on our single(effectively) day of touristing in the ?Lauterbrunnen area. Suggestions for areas to visit as an alternative (especially if less busy) would be welcome-though we would like to retain the Bernina Express route as part of the overall plan (hoping to travel standard train and maybe stop overnight somewhere for our 3rd night in Switzerland).

JoMark

The problem with posting evening time in Australia is that the rest of the world is abput to go to work, rather than respond to info requests. Any help here would be really appreciated.
We have just about excluded flying from Paris to Basel or Zurich as the trips are similar in time (by the time you factor in wait time at the airport etc), and I'm hoping to purchase some 'Prems' tickets (I've marked the appropriate day in the diary)- is this unrealistic in July?

nessundorma

All the help I can offer is that I once travelled from Spiez (which is about 20 minutes from Interlaken) to Varenna in the same day. I took the train to Lugano, where I caught a bus to Menaggio.

I left in the morning and was in Menaggio by 3pm, but I took a scenic route through Switzerland, and I don't know how long it added to my trip.

You should ask your hotel in Menaggio to supply you with information about when the bus leaves from Lugano. The bus stop is about a quarter mile walk from the train station.

As to actually touching snow in July, I can only suggest you look into the special tourist trains that go straight up from Lauterbrunnen (or Interlaken) into the Jungfrau. For a cable car ride and many cute Swiss houses (complete with men who look like Heidi's grandfather, but are real) there is a marvelous cable car that leaves the floor of the Lauterbrunnen valley and asenceds to the picturesque town of Gimmelwald, where you can catch another cable car to Murren, and yet another cable car to Piz Gloria, a treeless stupendously high peak which has a panoramic view of Europe (and a revolving restaurant to take in the view).

I believe your Swiss rail passes give you signficant discounts on those cable car rides.

Hope that helps.

enzian

Hi JoMark--- I had a lovely time in Australia and will try to help you out in exchange. From Paris you can take the TGV to either Bern or Geneve as quickly as flying, and a lot less hassle. Your children are free on Swiss trains if you have a Swiss train pass and get the family card. On the Jungfraujoch train, however, they wil still have to pay 50%. There are other scenic places in Switzerland you could go, but with limited time the most accessible high-mountain region is the Bernese Oberland. Your teens can play on snow, do some sliding (on saucers, free use) and walk out to a mountain hut on a glacier, all at the Jungfraujoch. If they want to stay in a "cute Swiss house" we like this one in Mürren: http://www.muerren.ch/fontana/index.html It is a B & B run by an Englishwoman, Denise Fussell, and very reasonable. Ask for a double room and a triple (for the girls). All rooms share a hallway (and a bathroom). Mürren is above Lautebrunnen and you will get there by cablecar ---fulfilling half of the girls' wishes. This would be instead of the 2 nights in Lauterbrunnen.

nessundorma

Oh, I know that place in Murren! It's really sweet. I think I took pictures of it. And it's very close to an excellent rosti joint. (By the way, if you stay in Murren, the Chinese food is some of the best in town.)

JoMark

Thanks nessundorma and enzian, I will look further into these options. Switzerland is so scenically beautiful, but with limited time, a desire for a 'snow' experience and Lake Como to follow, I think your recommendations to actually stay the 2 nights further up the mountains rather than Interlaken or Brienz is very sound. That B&B sounds just the thing- we are alternating between budget and memorable (though still not really expensive) accomodation to try and keep that component down on our 5 weeek trip.
I have come across a site that mentioned problems with transportation to Murren- they are taking out the old cable I believe- at the time I didn't pay enough attention. As Switzerland is such an expensive place with respect to accomodation , (and given their may be some issues with transportation to Murren) does anyone have any comments about camp grounds in that general area (fixed cabins/ caravans as we aren't carrying a tent)? The requirement to be somewhere that has good proximity to achieving our original goals is the major consideration.
The Swiss pass we are considering buying mentions 50% discount on private rail- has anyone actually used a Swiss pass on the Jungfrau train? Your input, especially if it relates to using the family card (our 2 younger children are 13 & 15)would be very helpful,Thanks again.

enzian

Hi JoMark---

You can still get to Mürren; you just have to take the gondola up from Stechelberg, at the end of the Lauterbrunnen valley. You can take the postbus from Lauterbrunnen (both the bus and the gondola are covered with your train passes). The old funicular that went directly up to Mürren is indeed being taken out of service.

There is a campground in Lauterbrunnen if you prefer that. But you should check the prices at Chalet Fontana---it is very reasonable.

I think even your children will pay 50% on the last leg of the trip up the Jungfrau. There is a full discussion elsewhere here of the new Swiss pass coverage.

Nessundorma, if you read this---that Chinese restaurant in Mürren is really OK? I've seen it, but never went inside. Since we plan to return to Mürren on our next trip, I'm looking for new restaurants to try. Chinese food with lots of vegetables sounds like a welcome change.