breathe

We are flying into Frankfurt, because it is a direct flight, and then heading to Switzerland for one week and Austria for one week. First trip to both countries. I have read many posts, but cannot decide. I know I want to see Luzern and Grindewald, but what else? Can we take the train everywhere, or should we rent a car? What would be be fun for the teenagers? Please help with a sample itinerary. You people are amazingly helpful. My husband worries that I am having an affair,as I spend so much time reading all of these posts! Ha!

teacherlady

Okay, I know I am going to get blasted for this, but I am the resident person-not-thrilled-with-Luzern. It really is just a big city with a large shopping section and a reasonably pretty but not spectacular lake. (You have to understand that I live near Lake Tahoe and nothing else measures up...) I think your teenagers would like something that fits the mold of Swiss Alps, and that means, in my opinion, Zermatt and Wengen, not Grindelwald. Those traffic-free villages are so charming and spectacularly beautiful, that I wouldn't waste a week doing anything else. Austria is also very very beautiful...Salzburg and its surrounding area is so so pretty. That's my two cents anyway. Your kids would love the hiking and the salt mines and the Matterhorn and the castles...ahhhhh...

maryintwin

Breathe-
I lived in Vienna for 6 months. Don't miss this city!!! Great shopping on the KartnerStrasse. Visit the concentration camp of Mauthausen (outside of Vienna)- very educational and moving for all and I think especially important for teenagers to see and experience.

Visit Grinzing outside of Vienna for outside dining, music & "sturm" - the new wine; Durnstein, Austria - monestary overlooking along the Danube; The Natsch Markt in Vienna (very fun Farmer's & Flea Market combined)

U4 - I think is still around and a great night/dance club. You can go and get a drink and just hide in the corner!

Vienna - The Hofburg & Spanish Riding School also the Catacombs below St. Stephan's.

Innsbruck - very traditional Alpine town. Good glacier skiing and fun to see the old Olympic village and the HUGE ski jump ramps.

Hope this helps a bit... Just DON"T SKIP VIENNA - many do because it is so "far east".

breathe

Teacherlady, Thank you for the info. Can you tell me why Zermatt and Wengen would be better than Grindewald or gimmewald?

Maryintwin, I want to go to Vienna, but I only have a week and then on to Lake Como. Maybe we could take an overnight train. Has anybody done that?

teacherlady

Dear Breathe, quite simply, Wengen is the most beautiful place in the world. The views are so awesome you may never want to leave. It is a traffic-free village so your kids can wander and you can stare out the window. I thought Grindelwald was way too commercial and full of traffic. Wengen is idyllic because it is so quiet. Take your kids on a hike from Manlichen to Kleine Scheidegg and they will swoon all the way. Zermatt is very lovely too, if you can see the Matterhorn you will know you are seeing one of the wonders of the world. I'd really hate to see you miss these places for a big traffic-choked city like Luzern. I know there are many Luzern-lovers on this board but I thought it was a whole lot of litter, McDonald's and touristy shops, plus traffic jams. I was very disappointed.

Grasshopper

First of all, take trains! You will have such a good time and will meet lots of other young people on the trains.

If I were a young adult I think I'd be looking for less of the scenic, tiny village side of Switzerland (that I enjoy at my advanced age!) and a little more action. Consider the Montreux/Vevey/Lausanne area. Lots of action on the promenade, plenty of scenery and the ability to take boats or the train to other towns along Lake Geneva. Other places you might have fun would include Lucern, Basel, Bern. I think a trip that included one of those towns with a trip to Interlakken and Thun would be great!

PalenqueBob

Your teens might like to patronize Switzerland's many legal marijuana shops where pot in sold over the counter in small bags. You'll see these shops everywhere as indicated by their huge marijuna leaves out front. On the other hand, you may wish to supervise your kids more than you were thinking. Note that though the Swiss shops legally sell pot, they only do so as an aromatic plant like those in room fresheners and meant not for smoking. Use or possession I think is illegal and may result in problems. If you look at enough gardens you'll not uncommonly see pot plants growing, even in such hotty-totty resorts like Murren.

breathe

Maybe it is worth mentioning that my teenagers are 13 and 14.

Nidwaldner_Chris

Just want to point out in case you don't already know that with the free Swiss Family Card or the Junior Card (20 sfr)your kids, as long as they are traveling with you, get to travel free on all the trains/buses and most mountain transport-this is a tremendous savings. Consider that on the Jungfraujoch excursion from Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald alone you would save over 300 sfr.

breathe

Wow, thank you! I will look into that!

rach

breathe:
What time of the year are you going?
Yes, you can take the train everywhere--buses and many boats are included on most train passes. And kids ride free!
I have never rented a car in all of my seven trips to Germany and Switzerland, and never once regretted it!
Luzern is very nice for a long day trip, but I wouldn't want to stay there either. Wengen/Lauterbrunnen (Valley of the waterfalls), Thun/Spiez or Brienz are my ideas of great home bases for exploring the mountains. They are convenient to all rail lines and the major mountain sights and have just enough 'stuff' to do to keep teens happy. I took my 15 year-old nephew to Sw. a few years ago; its easy to bore them in too small a town. I too would skip Grindelwald, unless it was part of your day's hike. Zermatt is excellent too, primarily for hiking, but it would be either-or, as Zermatt is too far southwest to do both comfortably.
Brienz has an excellent open-air museum set over several acres on a high forest. It also has a swimming beach and a wood-carving school. An excellent mountain to visit (less than an hour from Luzern) is Mt. Titlis at 10,000 feet, snow all summer and a 'fun-park' with tobogganing at the top.
You can check sample rail schedules for ideas of the time it will take between destinations at www.rail.ch
Happy planning!

ceb1222

I have only been to Interlaken in Switzerland. Go. Although I can't speak comparitively, it's exactly what I imagined Switzerland to be and more. Take the train to the Jungfrau and then the cog railway up to the half-way point ( I am sorry, I'm so bad with names...). Here you can catch a gondola to an even higher location - I got there too late to do this and was very disappointed. The highlight of this trip for me was the gondola ride back down from the half-way point. I took the gondola rather than the cog railway back, and the...view...is...absolutely...breathtaking. As you glide down off the mountain, suddenly, the snow and ice falls away to a green valley with mini-waterfalls shooting off the cliffs (if you visit in Spring). Also, they have the ice caves there and all kinds of interesting activities that the kids will most likely enjoy.

breathe

rach, I'll be there in June. Will it still be cold??? Thank you all for the great info. It is very helpful. Anybody have any hotel suggestions?

Nidwaldner_Chris

I believe ceb122 is referring to Mannlichen, which really isn't the mid-station. There is so much for families to do in Switzerland (don't miss taking one of the summer "Bob" sleds) especially if you are at all interested in hiking. I live just south of Luzern (on way to Engelberg where Mt. Titlis is located) and can name dozens of charming mountain villages. And of course a ferry ride on the Lakes is a must (though I think a shorter 1 hr or so trip is sufficient). And I disagree that there is no time to visit Zermatt and the Jungfrau Region within a week (stopping in Kandersteg to visit Oeschinensee on the way). I think they are both must-do's for a first time visit and everyone loves seeing the Matterhorn! I also disagree that one should skip Grindelwald-IMHO the views from the Faulhorn/First ridge "above" are a highlight.

June can be very hot, but it is the mountains of course and very unpredictible. In June it is usual to have late afternoon thunderstorms.

Here are some links to get some ideas:
http://www.firstbahnen.ch/default_e.htm
http://www.engelberg.ch/en/index.php
http://www.grindelwald.com/index-uk.php

http://www.jungfraubahn.ch/english/pages/RE/RE.htm

http://www.zermatt.ch/index.e.html

http://www.wengen-muerren.ch/flashno...brunnen-e.html

http://www.pilatus.ch/

http://www.kandersteg.ch/kandersteg.html

http://www.interlakentourism.ch/

http://www.oeschinensee.ch/

http://www.rail.ch/index_e.htm