pranathi

Hi all, we (2 adults and 2 kids -13 and 10)have booked our stay in a chalet in lauterbrunnen from march 20th to 24th. Can someone suggest family friendly easy trails during our stay over there? We have planned for jungfrau, schillthorn . Also plans to visit lucern and a mounain there. If have made the trip to jungfrau, can we again visit mt.titlis or visit mt rigi?
Is it possible to make the glacier express partly from Brig to chur? (we'll be staying in lb only )planning to make day trips from there.
Heard about markets in Bern on saturdays and tuesdays are nice for small purchase. I f so, will it be there by the time we are there?
thanks.

crckwc1

ttt

macanimals

The obvious would be from your location up the valley to Trummelbach Falls--a fantastic channeling of a waterway through the mountainside with large pools and drops inside the mountain. A second idea would be the hiking trail from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidigg, but this will depend on snow and trail conditions. March should be pretty early for mountain hikes.
Also consider the lift up to First and possibly the trails from there.

nytraveler

You do realize that in March you may be facing a lot of snow - esp once out of the lowest valleys?

PalenQ

that stretch of the Glacier Express IMO is nothing to go out of your way for and just is not nearly as scenic as trains you will take in the Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald valleys - not nearly and it would take all day IF you could even do it.

To me the GE is one of Europe's most overhyped things - highly publicized but again not even as scenic as trains you will take to Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Jungfraujoch, etc.

With kids that age investigate the Swiss Pass whereby kids under 16 get a free Family Pass and never pay a dime to travel on any transport in Switzerland - even aerial gondolas, trains to mountain tops, etc - not a dime and the pass covers travel in full to Lauterbrunnen (and Wengen) and also to Murren, Gimmelwald and Grutschalp - places on top of the cliff from Lauterbrunnen.

great info on Swiss transports and passes (and Half-Fare cards which may be good for you too, depending on travel plans) I always highlight these superb IMO sites - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

pranathi

Thank you everyone.It was of much help for my planning.As per PalenQ, read in many forums that GE is over rated..and thinking to skip it...considering my stay in Switz for only 6 days.

PalenQ

In any case a day trip on that portion of the GE just cannot easily be done unless you want to literally be traveling all day

PalenQ

Can someone suggest family friendly easy trails during our stay over there?>

Yup take the train to Wengen and then the aerial cable way to Mannlichen - one of the most raved about viewpoints in the whole region - down over Interlaken, lovingly wedged between the two lakes that bookend it and also over both the Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald valleys - then take the easy flat two-mile or so walk to Kleine Scheidegg - the famous Ridge Walk, again yielding views over both valleys - even baby carriages can do this 'hike' - and the views of so so awesome. At Kleine Schiedegg take the train back down to Wengen or up to the Jungfraujoch.

If doing Jungrfraujoch - take train Lauterbrunnen via Wengen to Kl Schiedegg and do Jungfraujoch train then on return from Kl Schiedegg do the Ridge Walk to Mannlichen and then take cable down to Wengen and train back to Lauterbrunnen.

Anyway a really easy walk that is famous and really popular.

Marti324

I will be in Lauterbrunnen when you are there - we will probably pass on the street and not even know it. This will be my first time to Lauterbrunnen in March, so not sure how much snow there will be. Check out the my Lauterbrunnen .com website for live cams and weather forecasts. The valley should provide great walks, as well as the trail from Mannlichen to Kleine Schdeigg. You can also take the cable car up fromLauterbrunnen and then walk to Murren - which is a lovely walk.
Martha

pranathi

hi PalenQ and Marti324, thank you .That has given me an idea about the trails in LB.Yeah as you said Martha, we may be in the same roads on LB during our stay over there.Can the trails be done alone as a family..or normally people used to be there during that season?If so what will be the time of a day that we can find some people doing trails? Because we are Indians normally not used with such hikes and all.But want to try it definitely in such a beautiful place.
Thanks.You people really give valuable tips to the new comers.

Kaneohe

I'm going to piggy back on this thread...
I'm considering stopping in Lauterbrunnen/Interlaken in mid-September and will be traveling alone--are the "easy" hikes do-able alone?

PalenQ

another easy hike in Lauterbrunnen area is up on top of the cliff - take the cable car up to Grutschalp and then you can walk along the course of the railway that goes to Murren - a flat trail that is very very popular with walkers since it goes along the cliff with astoundingly awesome views the whole way - there is a famous restaurant about half way - but you can always get on the train if you tire en route.

Pepper_von_snoot

Well, K, if you are walking from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg in mid-September (an ideal time to go to the BO because the summer crowds have dissipated--BUT check to see when the Jungfrau Marathon takes place because THOUSANDS head up to KS on that Saturday) you will never be alone. There are always people about on this walk.

Another beautiful walk is through the Alpine Garden at Schynige Platte and up to the look-out over Interlaken. One of the best views in all of the BO. You can see both Lake Thun and Lake Brienz below.

Another easy walk is from Murren down to Grutschalp.

You can also walk right in front of the Jungfrau if you travel on foot from Kleine Scheidegg to Wengernalp. You can then continue on by foot to Wengen or take the train back down.

You could walk from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg, past the Staubach Falls, and then take the cable car up to Gimmelwald.

I would never go to the BO in March. Many trails could be closed and covered with snow and mud.


Good luck!

Tschuss,
Pepper

Pepper_von_snoot

Oh, this is for the Indian family.

Be sure to use proper footwear (hiking boots) on the trails. I have seen Indian families (many, many Indians come to the BO) in sandals on the trails and that will cause problems with walking.

Boots and walking poles. Everyone in the BO has their boots and walking poles.

Tschuss,
Pepper

FlyFish

I've skied in the area several times, always in mid-March. There will almost certainly be snow on the route from Mannlichen to KS, particularly this year, which has been a big snow year for most of the ski areas in Europe. Almost equally certainly, there will be many hikers making the trip at that time - the route crosses a few of the pistes and there are always hikers for the skiers to be on the lookout for (and vice versa). So, the route should be well trodden and easily negotiable, assuming you heed the boots (for sure) and poles (good to have) advice. It's definitely worth doing - the views are indeed magnificent.

Kaneohe

Mr/Ms Von Snoot,
Thank you! I suspected that the easy-rated trails were popular and busy, and probably didn't require hiking with someone else and your suggested re-affirmed that.
Aloha
K

pranathi

hi all, thank you so much for all your valuable advice and tips..Will consider all of those tips and try to make our trip memorable in the beautiful Switzerland!

dreamon

You don't have to buy a Swiss Pass to get a cheap pass for your children. Even if you don't buy a pass for yourselves, you can buy one for the children at 30chf each which gives them free travel. I've bought this twice, once when I had a half fare card and once when I was buying point to point tickets.

You may need boots in March but we only needed joggers/runners in early October for the walks around Lauterbrunnen, which incidentally are all well marked.

PalenQ

30 Swiss francs or about $35 each makes $70 and you get that $70 free with a Swiss Pass - so factor that savings into any cost comparisons.

PalenQ

Boots and walking poles. Everyone in the BO has their boots and walking poles.>

No I have been going to Berner Oberland for years and not nearly everyone will have walking poles or boots - most indeed have athletic shoes like they wear the rest of their trip - I have hiked nearly all the main trails in the whole area, including some rugged ones with my running shoes - indeed the only ones with poles seem to be Germans - older and often it seems rather plump Germans.

You do not need a hiking pole or boots on the type of trails you want.