Weather, Luggage and Train Questions - family travel in Switzerland
 

Hi,

We're 2 adults (DW and I in mid 30s), my parents (mid 60s) and my daughters (3yo and 8mo) spending 6 nights in Lucerne / lauterbrunnen / Zurich during middle of May. My questions pertain around the following:
1. What will the weather be like in Lucerne and Zurich during this time? What about Jungfrau region? We plan to visit Grindelwald / Wengen / Brienz / Thun / Jungfraujoch / First / Bachalpsee - Any chance of rain during this time?
Being part of a 2 week trip (we're spending another week in Costa Del Sol), in all we will have 5 pieces of luggage, plus 2 prams and maybe 2 day backpacks.
2. With the above and karting 2 kids around, how challenging will it be to transfer trains from Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen and return Lauterbrunnen to Zurich?
3. Do stations have baggage handling service or a way where one can check in bags all the way to final destination?
4. We're coming from India (high 30s - 40 celsius), is there any tips on what to pack for the kids / adults from a weather standpoint for Jungfrau region?
5. We're picking up the 8-day swiss pass. Do I need to reserve seats for specific routes and times in advance or can I walk into any station on day of travel and do this before boarding the train?

Sorry these are detailed and long questions but you know how it is - one wants to iron out everything before such a long trip.

I look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions.

Thanks a lot

Sunshank

Sorry just a quick follow up to my question - for weather I was wondering what the temperatures would be in those regions. Thanks

Well, to start with the weather--it can vary widely from year to year and from lowland to heights!
Several years ago, there was a heat wave (for Europe that is) in May 28-30 degrees.
check swiss weather at
http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/e...t_weather.html
Generally, I have found May to be warm, though showers are always possible too!
Train schedules can be found at www.sbb.ch click on EN for english.
Connections for transfers can be tight (less than 3 minutes),
but as long as you are on the right track, and have enough adults to lift the luggage quickly on board, you should be okay...

If you are almost anywhere in europe (except possibly southern Spain) for a week yo are almost sure to get rain at lest once. Depending on the luck of the draw you may get rain every day (very unlikely but possible). The temps in the valleys will be springlike - the higher up the mountains the colder it will be. (The top of the Jungfrau is always snow covered - VERY snow covered - and will be cold- as in winter.) You will need several layers of lighter weight clothing for the trip up the mountain. Also be aware that the air at that altitude has significantly less oxygen- breathing is likely to be difficult for anyone with lung problems or who does/or has smoked. Realize you need to move much more slowly and do less at that altitude (unless you come from a very high altitude location).

Most trains in europe you are completely on your own for handling luggage. I do believe that there may be some sort of storage system at some stations in Swtiz- but we have never seen/used.

To transfer trains you need to be at the door of the arriving train, grab your luggage and move briskly to the next train. Do not take more than you can easily pick up and trot with - or else either leave extra time between trains. Or do what we do and drive- then luggage isn;t an issue. (Oh, and for some trains you have to climb up 2 or 3 steep narrow steps from the platform to the aisle of the train.)

It sounds like you will have an awful lot of stuff. There is not much storage room on the trains and you will have to manage everything yourselves. The main problem I think will be doing it all in a hurry, the trains do not stop long at each stop so if the next stop is yours, you need to be at the door, with all your luggage, ready to get off.

If you wait to gather everything once the train is nearing the station, chances are you will not have time to get off. We nearly missed our stop in Innsbruck because there were so many people (with bags) all trying to get off and people on the platform started getting on first. This led to a crush in the middle of the train and we had to push the doors open once they had closed and literally shove our way off.

The aisles on the trains are often quite narrow too, so leave luggage by the door if you can, but NOT in the way of others getting on and off.

Regarding weather, there are historical weather averages here:
http://www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp

I would think there is every chance of some rain but you could be lucky. It will also be cold at the top of mountains. I'm guessing you'll need scarves, gloves, hats and coats as well as sturdy shoes. We were in this area of Switzerland in early October and it was very cold with some snow still on the ground at higher elevations.

Kay

It seems to me that it's not the fact that you've got five main pieces of luggage but how big and heavy they are. If someone can easily pick up two of them and hoist them off the train, then no problem. If they're a struggle for someone to manhandle a single case, then I suggest you cut back on the amount of luggage you're taking. It really will be worth it. Also, it's easy for a person to sling a fair sized day pack over their shoulder and pick up one of the kids so perhaps consider taking more in the way of packpacks rather than suitcases.

I have heard of a station to station luggage service in Switzerland but never used it.

Also, in Switzerland where one of the delights is walking, I seriously suggest you consider taking a baby backpack instead of a pram. A backpack also means that junior gets a better view than everyone's knees.

Because the weather will be variable, layers are the best option. When we were in Switzerland we had no gloves so the kids wore socks on their hands - no problem! Even if we'd thought of taking them, it would not have been worth carting them for the sake of only a few days. However, they're probably a good idea for littlies and definitely take hats for them. You may never use them but young children, especially if they're not active, will be miserable if their extremities are cold. However, I'm sure you know this already!

Hi,
I can only comment on train travel in Switzerland with luggage. Four of us travelled extensively by train in December - a relatively quiet time. The trains are superb- very efficient but the ticket inspectors can be very officious. You must always have your tickets handy as inspectors come into each carriage after just about every station! As to luggage, we had 4 medium suitcases and a backpack each. It was a often a battle trying to find a place for the cases in the carriage. There are some dedicated luggage racks but they are often full. You have to get on, find your seats and get your luggage sorted pretty quickly as otherwise you hold up others.....We had to put the cases under our feet or,, under the seat or wherever we could find room. Then, when getting off it was always a case of checking that everyone had their luggage and was ready to get off as soon as the train stopped. The trains are great but it would be a good idea to minimise as much as possible, both as to size and number, the luggage items you need to find room for on the carriage. Enjoy the trip. We loved that part of Switzerland,the train system was superb and got us everywhere we wanted, on time and with 'minimum' of fuss.

I was there last May and we needed a jacket all the time. And when we visited Jungrau and Mt. Titlis my husband and I used layers and our jackets. For my daughter I had carried wollens, gloves, socks etc.
To travel on the swiss trains you don't need reservations. With the pass most of the travel is taken care of but for Jungfrau with the pass you get 25% off so you need to go to the station and buy tickets.
You may find it difficult to travel with some much of baggage and then you also have 2 children with you. So restrict the number of changes. We were 3 of us with 2 bags and 3 backpacks and I found it really cumbersome to move around when I changed cities.
Just a suggestion you can stay at Interlaken or Lucerne and then do all these trips from there as the train journeys are very comfortable. This way you will also save on time you spend on transfers.

I was there last May and we needed a jacket all the time. And when we visited Jungrau and Mt. Titlis my husband and I used layers and our jackets. For my daughter I had carried wollens, gloves, socks etc.
To travel on the swiss trains you don't need reservations. With the pass most of the travel is taken care of but for Jungfrau with the pass you get 25% off so you need to go to the station and buy tickets.
You may find it difficult to travel with some much of baggage and then you also have 2 children with you. So restrict the number of changes. We were 3 of us with 2 bags and 3 backpacks and I found it really cumbersome to move around when I changed cities.
Just a suggestion you can stay at Interlaken or Lucerne and then do all these trips from there as the train journeys are very comfortable. This way you will also save on time you spend on transfers.

Looking at the www.sbb.ch schedule I see several options for getting from Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen. The best one seems to be the trains that depart every hour at ##:55, with one connection in Interlaken. There is a 10min connection time to catch the next train to Lauterbrunnen, but fear not.

There are trains to Lauterbrunnen every 30min, so you can just as easily have a 40min layover, use the rest room, grab a bite to eat, etc.

I too have heard about the luggage forwarding service in Switzerland, but have never used it. I'd definitely inquire in Lucerne before departure about this option. You may even be able to ship some of your bags ahead of time so they'd be waiting for you upon arrival. This could lighten your load on the train considerably by offloading 2 heavy / bulky bags. Ditto for the return to Zurich. Send 2 big bags with dirty clothes ahead.

As for weather the description of "spring like" doesn't really help you much if your reference of spring is 30-40C. You should definitely be prepared to wear long sleeves every day, at least in the morning & evenings. A light jacket may suffice, but you should also have long sleeved shirts for those days when it's cloudy or rainy & chilly. You should also plan to have long pants for most days. It's better to doff extra layers if it warms than to huddle on the cloudy mountain top like penguins because you're underdressed.

You may get a heat wave and be able to wear shorts & t-shirts, but you'll have lighter clothes for you Spain trip anyway.

Here's the website for the Swiss rail baggage service.

http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisemarkt/...isegepaeck.htm

Sorry - by spring like I was referring to temperate areas of the US - not the tropics.

Spring like means long sleeve tops - with a couple of short sleeve mixed in, light cotton sweaters versus heavy wool ones, a lightweight jacket/windbreaker and long pants. You don;t need winter wear (wool or cord pants) but with shorts your legs would freeze at night and on rainy/windy days unless you're from Minnesota. Shoes should be well-broken in walking shoes that are waterproofed.

Temps at the top of mountains are likely to be around or below freezing.

Wow - thanks so much for your responses. I'm not feeling very comfortable hearing about luggage on the Swiss trains. So in a sense, I'm a bit relieved as well to have picked the Hotel Roessli in Unterseen - near Interlaken West. Less transfers.

Does anyone know how to get in touch with the sbb customer care? I can't seem to find either a phone number or an email so I can pose my question directly to them. Thanks for the link J62.
Dreamon - thanks for the tip on baby carrier. We have a baby Bjorn that we'll probably take along. Both my girls hate having their heads covered but we'll take hats for them anyways. Ditto for socks / gloves!
Yikes KayF you paint a scary picture on the trains. My wife and I are quite travel hardy and can slug it out but with my parents (mid 60s) and the lil girls, your point is totally valid.
Thanks again for the weather tips. Looks like some shopping for Jungfrau.

Sunshank

Since your hotel is near Interlaken West I recommend you take the direct train to Interlaken Ost, then get a taxi from there to your hotel. No transfers.

From what I can see on sbb.ch the direct train (##:55) originates in Lucerne and terminates at Interlaken, which means you don't need to be too rushed at either end getting on/off the train. You should be able to board 10-15min or so before departure if the train is waiting at the platform, but that's not always the case.

The scenario kay points out doesn't apply to you if you take the train that terminates at Interlaken.

The sbb.ch website has a link to contact them. http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/kontakt_reisen.htm

or phone #0900 300 300 (add the country code & drop the leading 0 if calling from outside the country)