Quick trip to Switzerland. Suggestions ???
May 30th, 2015, 02:21 PM
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Quick trip to Switzerland. Suggestions ???
Hi,
We will be visiting Switzerland in mid-October and going through lot of posts, along with wonderful suggestion on different threads. But with different suggestions and my limited time, I am getting more confuse. My rough plan is like this, where I need help :-
10-Oct: Reach Paris in noon. Same day leave for Switzerland in noon or evening. Night stay at hotel in Switzerland.
11-Oct: Switzerland
12-Oct: Switzerland
13-Oct: Switzerland and leave for Paris in evening. Night stay at hotel in Paris.
Should I keep same base for all three nights or split them to cover/see maximum ? What do you suggest ?
I am also concerned about my last day (13-Oct). Can I leave some place for last day and I can cover/see that while going back to Paris. I will have time till evening before catching Paris train.
What day I should see on other two full days ? How should I device places among days ?
Regards
We will be visiting Switzerland in mid-October and going through lot of posts, along with wonderful suggestion on different threads. But with different suggestions and my limited time, I am getting more confuse. My rough plan is like this, where I need help :-
10-Oct: Reach Paris in noon. Same day leave for Switzerland in noon or evening. Night stay at hotel in Switzerland.
11-Oct: Switzerland
12-Oct: Switzerland
13-Oct: Switzerland and leave for Paris in evening. Night stay at hotel in Paris.
Should I keep same base for all three nights or split them to cover/see maximum ? What do you suggest ?
I am also concerned about my last day (13-Oct). Can I leave some place for last day and I can cover/see that while going back to Paris. I will have time till evening before catching Paris train.
What day I should see on other two full days ? How should I device places among days ?
Regards
May 30th, 2015, 02:34 PM
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Can I leave some place for last day and I can cover/see that while going back to Paris.>
Lausanne (or Montreux or Castle Chillon - all three near each other) or Geneva - take a boat ride
or Basel (lovely Rhine city - town center a short walk from train station
or Zurich
or Bern
All of the above have some kind of TGV train service to Paris - Basel and Geneva and Lausanne the most frequent I believe - spend the day take a late afternoon train back to Paris.
You should check out the Swiss Transfer Card that gives you a train trip from any border (France in your case) to anyplace in Switzerland and back out to any border (again France in your case) and also allows you to buy a half-priced Half-Off Pass ($65 total at half off p.p.) - if going to the fantastic Jungfrau Region - my absolute recommendation as the finest most convenient and easiest place to experience the high Alps you may be dreaming of - sheer cliffs rise thousands of feet to glacier-girdled Alpine peaks - toylike trains and thrilling aerial gondolas go off in all directions - hiking paths for all energeis - no special gear needed (though in October it can be wet) - anyway the Half-Off Pass would be well worth its price as it gives 50% off pricey trains to mountain tops - like more than pay for itself it used on the train to the Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest train station and a Top of the World scene of glaciers and snow and Alps...
For lots of great info on Swiss trains, things like Swiss Trasnfer Ticket (or consider 4-consecutive-day Swiss Pass too) check these very nice sites: www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com and www.swisstravelsystem.com.
I would base the whole time in the Jungfrau Region and perhaps on a wet weather day do a day trip to nearby Bern or Lucerne - two of the most nicest comeliest cities in Switzerland.
Lausanne (or Montreux or Castle Chillon - all three near each other) or Geneva - take a boat ride
or Basel (lovely Rhine city - town center a short walk from train station
or Zurich
or Bern
All of the above have some kind of TGV train service to Paris - Basel and Geneva and Lausanne the most frequent I believe - spend the day take a late afternoon train back to Paris.
You should check out the Swiss Transfer Card that gives you a train trip from any border (France in your case) to anyplace in Switzerland and back out to any border (again France in your case) and also allows you to buy a half-priced Half-Off Pass ($65 total at half off p.p.) - if going to the fantastic Jungfrau Region - my absolute recommendation as the finest most convenient and easiest place to experience the high Alps you may be dreaming of - sheer cliffs rise thousands of feet to glacier-girdled Alpine peaks - toylike trains and thrilling aerial gondolas go off in all directions - hiking paths for all energeis - no special gear needed (though in October it can be wet) - anyway the Half-Off Pass would be well worth its price as it gives 50% off pricey trains to mountain tops - like more than pay for itself it used on the train to the Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest train station and a Top of the World scene of glaciers and snow and Alps...
For lots of great info on Swiss trains, things like Swiss Trasnfer Ticket (or consider 4-consecutive-day Swiss Pass too) check these very nice sites: www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com and www.swisstravelsystem.com.
I would base the whole time in the Jungfrau Region and perhaps on a wet weather day do a day trip to nearby Bern or Lucerne - two of the most nicest comeliest cities in Switzerland.
May 30th, 2015, 03:05 PM
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- Lausanne or Montreux seems more like city rather than ntural scenic. Am I assuming it incorrectly ?
- When you suggest Jungfrau Region as base for all 3 nights, I should hotel in which area ? Lauterbrunnen or Murren or Wengen ? I will be using sites like hotels.com or booking.com
- How should I divide places among my day-1 and day-2 (in both cases, good weather and bad weather) ?
- When you suggest Jungfrau Region as base for all 3 nights, I should hotel in which area ? Lauterbrunnen or Murren or Wengen ? I will be using sites like hotels.com or booking.com
- How should I divide places among my day-1 and day-2 (in both cases, good weather and bad weather) ?
May 31st, 2015, 09:56 AM
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Yes I would base the whole time in the Jungfrau Region - many folks rave about Wengen - car-free carefree and awesome views of the glacier-girdled peaks - Murren is similar but more isolated from day tripping to other sites whereas Wengen is perfectly located - on the train line to the Jungfraujoch for example.
I only suggested your idea of taking a look at some other place on the day of your Paris TGV - you could take the Golden Pass scenic train from Interlaken to Montreux, not a big city but a smallish one on a lovely lake and then put your bags in a station locker and walk around a bit - lovely lakeside walks - go to nerby Lausanne to hop a late TGV train to Paris
I only suggested your idea of taking a look at some other place on the day of your Paris TGV - you could take the Golden Pass scenic train from Interlaken to Montreux, not a big city but a smallish one on a lovely lake and then put your bags in a station locker and walk around a bit - lovely lakeside walks - go to nerby Lausanne to hop a late TGV train to Paris
May 31st, 2015, 10:43 AM
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PalenQ, based on your suggestions, I tried to make a rough plan. Please, can you review this, if it looks ok or I should add/remove anything on this ?
10-Oct: Paris to Lauterbrunnen for night stay.
11-Oct: Trummelbach Falls, Lake Lucerne. Will I have little time to give Weggis, Vitznau, Kastanienbaum and Engelberg before returning to base (Lauterbrunnen) in evening ? If it looks too much for a day, what should I remove/add here ?
12-Oct: Take the train up to Wengen, walk around, ride the cable car up (straight up) to Manninchen. Then take the train down to Grindelwald and return to Lauterbrunnen by evening. Any suggestion on this day ?
13-Oct: Leave early from hotel. Leave for Montreux/Lausanne. Spend some time till evening and then leave for Paris.
I am just little concerned about October month. Since this shoulder season, so if weather is non-ideal, few other posts suggested to stay in Lucerne instead of Jungfrau Region. should I book hotels at both places and cancel one before arriving depending on weather predictions ?
As of now, nothing is booked, so please feel free to change part/complete itinerary. I really appreciate your help here.
10-Oct: Paris to Lauterbrunnen for night stay.
11-Oct: Trummelbach Falls, Lake Lucerne. Will I have little time to give Weggis, Vitznau, Kastanienbaum and Engelberg before returning to base (Lauterbrunnen) in evening ? If it looks too much for a day, what should I remove/add here ?
12-Oct: Take the train up to Wengen, walk around, ride the cable car up (straight up) to Manninchen. Then take the train down to Grindelwald and return to Lauterbrunnen by evening. Any suggestion on this day ?
13-Oct: Leave early from hotel. Leave for Montreux/Lausanne. Spend some time till evening and then leave for Paris.
I am just little concerned about October month. Since this shoulder season, so if weather is non-ideal, few other posts suggested to stay in Lucerne instead of Jungfrau Region. should I book hotels at both places and cancel one before arriving depending on weather predictions ?
As of now, nothing is booked, so please feel free to change part/complete itinerary. I really appreciate your help here.
May 31st, 2015, 12:44 PM
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well offhand I guess since you want to see several things in Lucerne area amnd it is better to do those things in potentially foul weather maybe base first two in Lauterbrunnen - do the Mannlichen and the famous super easy Ridge Walk to Kleine Scheidegg = neatly seeing down into both the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the Grindelwald amphitheatre then yes take the train down from Kl Scheidegg to Grindelwald - look around there - can walk to aglacier there fairly easily and take train back to Lauterbrunnen via changing at Zweilutchenen or go all the way down to Interlaken if interested in the fancy casino or just to have a look.
Then maybe relocated to Lucerne - so you can do a boat tour and see Lucerne itself and its famous ancient covered wooden briges and few major sights - then take a train to Spiez via Bern to join the Golden Pass or just stay the whole next day in Lucerne and hop a TGV from either Bern or Zermatt to Paris.
On a day trip from Lauterbrunnen you probably could not see Lucerne itself and all the rest - I'd aim for say Vitznau - taking train up to Mt Rigi - celebrated lookout point and cable way back down to Weggis for bus or boat back to Lucerne.
I think as this is off-season for this area if you wanted to cancel the Lauterbrunnen hotel and change to Lucerne it would not be hard - lots of vacancies in these areas at this shoulder season between the summer hiking period and the winter sports periods.
But yes keeping both options open and keeping track of weather could be the best things. If not raining October could be fine for the things you are planning to do.
Then maybe relocated to Lucerne - so you can do a boat tour and see Lucerne itself and its famous ancient covered wooden briges and few major sights - then take a train to Spiez via Bern to join the Golden Pass or just stay the whole next day in Lucerne and hop a TGV from either Bern or Zermatt to Paris.
On a day trip from Lauterbrunnen you probably could not see Lucerne itself and all the rest - I'd aim for say Vitznau - taking train up to Mt Rigi - celebrated lookout point and cable way back down to Weggis for bus or boat back to Lucerne.
I think as this is off-season for this area if you wanted to cancel the Lauterbrunnen hotel and change to Lucerne it would not be hard - lots of vacancies in these areas at this shoulder season between the summer hiking period and the winter sports periods.
But yes keeping both options open and keeping track of weather could be the best things. If not raining October could be fine for the things you are planning to do.
