Hello, we have an opportunity to be in Zurich for 3 days towards the end of October. Is this a bad time to be there - or can we still do some of the activities I've read people mention?

Thanks - we'll be with our 2 and 7 year old boys.

There is nothing wrong with the end of October. Provided the weather is fine - it can be rainy though - you can basically do any activity.
For cruises on the lake, I'd suggest you check the timetables (ask hotel concierge). They might have already changed to the 'winter' schedule then. But they do run, no problem.

I suggest you pop into the Tourist Office in the hall of the train station (Hauptbahnhof) to get material about Zurich and other places in Switzerland. They are very helpful and speak English, of course.

For your boys, I'd suggest also the Swiss Transportation Museum in Lucerne and the Zurich Zoo with its brandnew rainforest hall (Masaola Hall). It's the big thing right now. Just opened a couple of weeks ago.
Have fun!

Oops,
It's Masoala..
Read more here, if you like:
http://www.zurichtourism.ch/specials...?nav=zurich_az

Your boys might also like a stroll through the famous toy shop Franz Carl Weber on the Bahnhofstrasse.

Sorry for giving you bits after bits...
Just checked the site for the lake cruises.
They run on summer schedule till beginning November.
Find some English info here:
http://www.zsg.ch/english/home.html

I live in Zurich and would agree that October is a good month. Generally, the weather should be in the high 40s to low 50s. It may of course be warmer or colder, so dress in layers. If you go to any mountain areas like Pilatus, it will be quite cold on top with snow, so dress accordingly.

Zurich is a lovely town with lots of charming cobblestone streets, interesting churches and architecture. However, I am not sure your children would enjoy more than a bit of walking around looking at buildings. I have a few suggestions for other things to do:

1. A nice day trip for the kids would be to go to Rapperswil, a town at the end of the lake. You can take the ferry down (about 2 hours, you can buy lunch or snacks on board and there are bathrooms). There is a medieval portion of the town which is very charming and if you climb the hill you will get great views. There is a castle at the top (now a museum on Polish history of not too great interest unless you are Polish. ) However, the real reason to go with kids is to go to the children's zoo (Knie Kinderzoo) and the Circus Museum. Both great for kids, esp the former, as they can feed pets and ride ponies, etc. Take a look at www.rapperswil.ch, click on the UK flag for the English version.

You can then return to Zurich by train (about 30 minutes) rather than taking the ferry back. The train station is quite close to the ferry pier.

If the ferries are not running in October, then you can take the train both ways from the main train station.

2. As mentioned above, Zurich has an excellent zoo, and the tram ride up the hill to the zoo is fun and gives some good views. Take #6 from Central (near the main train station). You can also take Tram #5 from Bellevue but I think #6 has a prettier route.

3. You can take the little train to Utliberg, hike uphill for about 15 minutes and be rewarded with the best view of the lake and Alps. On a clear day, you can see to Germany. The train leaves from the main train station and also makes a stop at the Selnau station in Zurich. The ride takes about a half hour. There is a hotel at the top with a self-service and full-service restaurant. There are also outdoor cafes at the train stop on the top of the hill.

4. You can walk or bike a fair distance along the Limmat river from downtown Zurich and into the countryside. The non-city part starts on the river next to the Hautbanhoff (main train station) walk in the direction away from the lake on the path. Quite pretty, and there are cafes along the way to stop and rest. You should be able to rent bikes for free or a small fee at the main train station, or check with your hotel. I don't know about trail-behinds or children seats. I don?t' believe helmets are required for children in Switzerland, but if they are you should be able to rent those as well.

5. You can take a day trip to Mt. Pilatus or Mt. Titilus and ride the cable car up to the top. Go to www.pilatus.ch for information on Pilatus or to myswizterland.com for other tourist information.

6. Don?t forget that Switzerland is famous for its chocolate. There is the famous Sprungli chocolate shop on the Banhoffstrasse (also has great ice cream.) There are numerous other chocolate shops in Zurich.

Cicerone,
While I think Spruengli isn't bad for ice creams nor chocolate, I definitely prefer Teuscher (Bahnhofstrasse and Storchengasse) or then Honold at the Rennweg. Ever tried?

For hot chocolate, maybe more appropriate at the end of October, don't miss the famous Cafe Schober at the Oberdorfstrasse. Old Viennese-style coffee place.

Right now, I am rather in for ice cream, that's for sure!