Switzerland trip
 

Hi, I am travelling to Switzerland for complete 8 days trip with my family (includes 7 years boy)
My Itinerary follows and suggestions are most welcome for hotels and transport. Just booked the Air tickets and Hotel for the last day night(July 22) in Zurich

1. July 15th (8:00 AM Zurich Airport)
2. Zurich to Lucerne (July 15 day and night)
3. Lucerne (July 16 day and Nihgt)
4. July 17 early morning to Interlaken Ost to Berner Oberland (BO) (probably I am planning to stay in Murren on July 17)
5. July 18 BO (planning to stay in Gimmelwald over night)
6. July 19th BOB (Palnning to stay either in Gimmelwald or Comeback to Interlaken Ost for the night)
(I hope you can suggest anything strongly on above three if it is not good idea to stay 3 nights in 3 places)
3 days enough in BO area ?
.......

7. July 22nd (Afternoon) back to Zurich (booked Hotel 1 KM to Airport, because I have 7:00 AM flight to Frankfurt on July 23rd. Can I check in
luggage on July 22nd evening ? do you have any Idea ? I have Lufthansa )

The real problem is from July 20th morning to July 22nd afternoon (Almost 21/2days) , I have so many things in my mind but I cannot
do it.
Things in my mind
------------------
1. St. Moritz (What Can I see there after almost 6 hours journey from Interlaken, only item in my mind is Bernina Express,
not GE.) and how many days worth it is ?
2. Lugano or Locarno ( I hope what I understood from the forums is this is an relaxing place in Italy culture, am right ?)
3. Zermatt (Is it really worthy with Kids to see this mountain after spending three days in BO ?)
4. Montreux and Chillon castle
5. Lausanne and Geneva (What is to see more here, I don't know)
6. Last but least Bern while coming back to Zurich
7. Just now I read few things about Appenzel but this is in different region right ?

from the above things in my mind what can I see in 21/2 days , which area I should pick up (I don't want to rush as everybody
suggested). from your experiences in summer what is feasible ?

Thanks once again.
skon

Of the choices to spend your open 2-1/2 days, I would recommend either going to Lugano (w/side trips to Morcote or Gandria by lake boat) and a trip to Bellinzona (where there are 3 castles) OR to Montreux (w/ a side trip to Gruyeres). My sons loved both areas.

Susan

I have one question: Why Gimmelwald?
There is little reason to go there except for a cheap sleep. The village is a dot on the landscape. I don't know what you expect to find, but it probably isn't there!

I am assuming you know how to get there from Steves' book.

3 days in the Berner Oberland?

I have stayed there for a week or more several times and still have not gotten enough.

Bern to me is a minimal attraction.
Lausanne is beautiful.

The best attraction I can think of for a 7 year old is the transportation museum in Lucerne. It is very well done with airplanes, trains, mountain cable systems, autos, and boats.

I think your schedule is a bit rushed because you are not allowing time really for travel.

I never was one to think Switzerland should be rushed through like it was the Daytona 500. Slow up and enjoy the scenery.

Hi Bob_brown,

I'll agree with you . I felt I was rushing and wanted some suggestions and I posted my trip details. Lot of people with experiences can suggest more things , I am still open I haven't booked hotels, please suggest me and I can still change my itinerary. 2 full days is not enough in BO also what is the best place to stay in BO for three days if my option is not correct one, please do give me some more tips.I don't know much about Gimmelwald and I chose from Internet & Rick Steves info. Then what are the places to stay and to visit. I am still open please post your suggestions. Thanks
skon

I can't help with travel itinerary but in Montreux the Castle at Chillon is fantastic & I think would be fun for kids. Also the tram Rochers de Naye (from the train station but different tracks from regular trains) is good if the weather is clear, maps show the route on the tabletops while you ride up the mountain. Classic Swiss. Vevey's Saturday early AM market in the town square right off the lake is great fun. I don't consider Lausanne so much of a destination, though I have friends who live there and it's certainly nice. Geneva's a world-class city so a bit more intimidating to me, harder to kick around in without a plan.

Hello, skon. Of your options for June 20 & 21, I think I'd go with Montreux/Chillon. Locarno/Lugano is very very warm just now. Montreux will be warm, too, but maybe a bit less. My other suggestion is to stay all 3 of your Berner Oberland nights at the same location. Best wishes for an enjoyable vacation! J.

Hello--looks like you have a fun trip planned. I have a couple of suggestions. In BO, do you really want to move each night? Packing/unpacking and traipsing around, especially with a 7 yr old seems like a recipe for frazzled nerves. Perhaps staying all three nights in Murren would be more relaxing.

Also, having stayed in both Locarno and the Vevey/Montreux area, I found Locarno much more enjoyable. I suppose part of it is that I am part Italian and can speak the language in Locarno. I also like what I perceived to be a slower pace, and the more rural nature of the area; Ascona, for example, is a cool fishing village to visit. Finally, we preferred the shopping in the Piazza Grande area and a couple of the restaurants (Al Pozz on the lake shore; Casa del Populo in the old town) to the options on Lac Leman. Finally, if you take the route through Domodossola to get to Locarno, you take the Centovalli train. This is a stupendous route--high above valleys with awesome scenery. By the way, take a seat on the right side of the train for best views/photos. Enjoy.

Then what is the good base to stay in BO area for three to 4 days. Also it should be reasonable price.
Thanks
skon

A good base for the BO is Lauterbrunnen (transportation hub) although I personally prefer the villages on the terraces above the valley - Wengen and Mürren (but these are in general more expensive).

What do you plan to spend on accommodation?

Also, why don't you go straight to Lucerne upon arrival? I would not spend the first day in Zurich.

For the other days I highly recommend to go to the Montreux/Vevey area, see castle Chillon, doing a boat cruise on the lake, going up to a mountain by cog-railway, strolling through the vineyards etc. It is much closer than Locarno.

Ingo

Thanks Ingo,

Yes, from the begening my plan was go to Lucerne on first day (15th) and spend 16th also in Lucerne. Then on 17th to Murren or Wengen as per hotel availability and I am planning to stay either in Murren or Wengen for 3 nights i.e 17-19 and on 20th back to Interlaken spend 20th night and on 21st to Montreux and visit Chillon castle and 21st night in Montreux and on 22nd back to Zurich via Bern 23 morning is my fligh for return. Do you suggest any good hotels in Murren , Interlaken and Montreux and my limit is $150-$180/night for whole family. I read couple of your suggestions do you think is it enough time to spend in Murren/Interlaken.
Thanks
skon

Can anyone recommend a hotel in Lauterbrunen, not too expensive? Thanks.

I agree with Ingo that you should go straight to Lucerne. It is a very nice city with plenty to do. Make sure you take a boat ride on the lake.

Personally, I absolutely loved Gimmelwald. We were only planning on one night but ended up staying for 5 with a day trip to Grindewald for a hike. We were in Gimmelwald specifically for the hiking and scenery but I don't think a 7 yr old would enjoy it for that long. Interlaken reminded me of a big frat party. I would skip an overnight there. Switzerland is a beautiful country but it is fairly expensive compared to much of Western Europe. Enjoy!

Hi All,

How convenient is second class , if buy a second class saver pass ? Some people said in summer (I'll be there from July 14-23) it is too crowded in second class. Is it same with first class also ? Any body good suggestions ? My travel doesn't exceed 3:00 hours in any leg.
Thanks
skon

Your itinerary sounds much better to me now. But I still don't understand why you plan to stay one night in Interlaken.

For Montreux I highly recommend Hotel Masson. www.hotelmasson.ch They have very interesting special rates for June - August (except the Jazz Festival, don't know if that is when you will be there. In this case you better avoid the area - expensive, crowded).

In Murren I can recommend the hotels Alpenruh or Blumental, or the Jungfrau with a relatively cheap 3-bed room (guess this is what you need).

No idea for Interlaken. (and still hope you skip that town)

IMO it is not worth to splurge for 1st class. I alway found available seats in the 2nd class.

To P_M: not too expensive is the Staubbach. Haven't stayed there personally, but from what I have heard it is quite good.

We traveled to Switzerland 2 years ago. We loved Lucerne and the old town section of Bern. Zermatt was another of our favorites and the ride up to Gonergrat to see the Matterhorn and 30 mountain tops was magnificent.

skon, I have to agree with Ingo and the others about skipping Interlaken -- you'll be passing through there on your way to and from the BO area and can see enough by planning a quick walk through. Also, make sure you do take some of the boat rides on at least one of the lakes and make sure you wonder around to the engine room -- your son will love to watch those huge highly-polished pistons working (I had to tear the hubby away from this) I also agree with going straight to Lucerne, it is a lovely city and well worth spending a full day. As an alternative you could go straight to the Berner-Oberland and unpack for 4 days and take a day trip to Lucerne. Gimmelwald is grossly over-rated unless you really want cheap sleeps. If you stay in Murren you can take the cable down there to see it in 15 minutes and get a beer at Walter's and be done with it) Are you planning on using an 8-day Swiss rail pass? We have found them worth the money (assuming you aren't planning on renting a car)as the Swiss public transportation system is very convenient and easy to use. The pass will also get you discounts on rides/places not completely covered by the pass. You'll be able to ride funiculars, cable cars, narrow-rail trains, etc. -- all will be a great adventure for your son. And there should be no trouble with 2nd class seats at all even in July. Eight days is a short trip for such a lovely country -- while the travel time is enjoyable since the scenes are so lovely -- you still don't want to spend all the time on the road. Zermatt is very lovely, but may be too far out of the way to be worth the trip. Same with St Moritz (also these places are expensive.). Bern is lovely and I wish I had taken more time to explore it -- but again, unless you just have to see pet bears in a pit, I'm not sure it is worth the travel time. As for the other choices it is a toss up for me. I would be VERY tempted to spend all 8 days in the Berner-Oberland area.

Hi skon, You're receiving good advice from Ingo. I certainly agree that there is no need to spend a night in Interlaken. Instead, add it to one of your other locations.

If you add it to Montreux, you can walk in the vineyards of the Lavaux (or rent bicycles). There are paths from village to village. Or you could spend part of a day riding the lakeboats on Lac Leman.

If you add the day to Wengen/Murren/Lauterbrunnen, you might want to come down the mountains to visit the outdoor museum at Ballenburg. It is quite interesting. Maybe someone who has been there recently can tell you if your 7-year-old would like it. There's also a waterfall on Brienzersee.

If you really want to spend one night on Brienzersee, consider Brienz instead of Interlaken. You might be able to visit the woodcarving school. But call ahead for reservations in a hotel. (Ballenburg is near Brienz.) There are a couple of Bed and Breakfast houses in Brienz; you can copy their phone numbers at bnb.ch.

Your trip plans sound wonderful. J.

Misspelled Ballenberg.

Thanks to everybody for your valuable information. Special thanks to Ingo also.
Here is my final Itinerary
July 15 and 16th in Lucerne
July 17th to BO and spend 3 nights ( I have already booked hotel Alpina in Murren CHF 160/night for all three people,)
July 20 th to Montreux spend 2 nights
July 22 nd to Zurich spend one night (Hotel Park Inn , 1KM from Airport) to catch next day 7:00 AM flight. Still I didn't book hotel in Lucerne (2 nights) and Montreux (2 nights). If anybody with any comments are welcome on Itinerary or hotels or places to see.

Thanks alot for your time
skon

Hi Ingo, one more question for you since I'll be taking public transport (not driving) how far is this hotel Masson from train station.

Thanks
skon