Saturday, April 2, 2016

Planning a Trip to Switzerland: PART 2 (When to go? Where to stay? Must-dos )


When to go?


Vacations are usually decided by the convenience of all family members. If there are school going children, their holidays need to be considered.

However, as explained in the previous post, season and weather impact the quality of the holiday in Switzerland.

Be aware of the seasons and the scenery you can expect during a particular period. Day light hours are considerably reduced in autumn/winter and you need to factor that in when planning.

Hotels, restaurants etc are closed in lean season and even cable cars/gondolas to mountain tops are closed for maintenance. 


Frequency of boat trips etc are considerably reduced in winter. 


To check if cable cars etc will be operating in the Berner Oberland region, for example, use the regional pass website for that region:
http://www.regiopass-berneroberland.ch/home-en
In the above link, hover over the 1st tab, Tickets and you'll see the period of operation for all lines in that area --Note dates are written in day-month-year format.

Look for pictures of the same place in summer and winter, analyze the sight seeing options available for the particular season and make your choice.

Switzerland has a lot of micro climates; the weather/season has variations depending on the altitude of the place, ie the mountain areas versus the plains.


For example, April is spring on the plateau and around the lakes. It is still late winter anywhere over about 1500 m.

Seasons:
Winter - Mid November to April in the mountains, December to mid March on the plateau
Spring - May-June in the mountains. Mid March to early June on the plateau
Summer - July, August early September in the mountains June-late September on the plateau
Autumn - Mid September to mid November in the mountains. October and November on the plateau

It can and does rain at any time of the year.  

As a general rule, mid June to mid October (summer) is great for visiting the country.

Winter season in the mountains from mid-December to mid-April sees a huge rush of ski tourists.  In winter the mountain resorts are busy with the skiing crowd who book a week’s stay and it’s tough to get accommodations for just a few days.

Mid December to January first week is the most expensive and crowded time to holiday anywhere. Same way, the week of Easter sees a lot of crowds and is best avoided. (Check when Easter falls for the particular year when you are planning a trip around that period)

The time between summer and winter as outlined above is out of season. Basically mid April - mid June and mid October to mid December is off season.  Many hotels and transport installations (cable cars etc ) are closed during this period (maintenance works, safety checks etc.)

If you can only travel in the lean season, choose a base near a lake, e.g., Luzern or Montreux; check what activities are open/available. Spring around the lake areas in April is lovely though the mountain cables may close mid April for maintenance after the ski season. 


So to summarize, mid June-mid Oct is best for visiting through out Switzerland; July, August is peak tourist season all over Europe with heavy crowds. So late June, September may be the best to enjoy lesser crowd and all the sights Switzerland has to offer.  

Flowers in Gruyeres

Klein Matterhorn, Jungfraujoch, Titlis, Glacier 3000 and Diavolleza always have snow, the whole year round –you can hire sledges or do snow tubing for a nominal charge in these places.

Snow Tubing in Klein Matterhorn

In winter elevations above 1200-1500 m can have snow.


Winter visit:


If you choose to visit Switzerland in winter (December-February), be aware that winter is heavy tourist season in skiing resorts and you may not be able to get accommodation for a day or 2-- they are booked for a week by skiers.


Mid December to January 1st week is the most expensive and crowded time.

As explained in previous post (http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-to-plan-trip-to-europe-planning.html), your day light hours and time for sight seeing will be severely curtailed in winter. 

Don’t attempt skiing unless you are an expert. Swiss slopes have a high degree of difficulty and a beginner can hurt himself and others badly. It takes at least a week’s lessons to get a little hang of skiing and Switzerland is a very expensive place for skiing lessons and equipment rentals.

If you are looking for a little snow fun, Titlis, Jungfraujoch, Klein Matterhorn have snow sports like snow tubing, sledge etc which are well within the scope of the average visitor.     

You’ll need waterproof and insulated jackets, and waterproof shoes with good grip for mountain excursions. 

Some hiking paths, cable cars etc may be closed and you need to check for specifics before you commit to a plan. The official website of the sights have detailed info on closures for maintenance as well as due to lean season


Summer Visit:


Summer sees a heavy rush of general tourists. July, August are very crowded months. Mid June is likely to have less crowds.

May is transition time and snow may be melting in the mountain villages. Hotels, restaurants may be closed after Easter and will open for summer in June. Check for availability before drawing up plans and buying your flight tickets.

September to mid October can be generally great with less crowd and ideal temperatures.

With current global warming, weather patterns are changing everywhere. Monitor current patterns. Pick your time of visit wisely.


Must-dos:


Only you and your family can decide what you’ll enjoy.

Mountain excursion:


In general, in Switzerland, have a mountain excursion to a glacier; enjoy being in the snow and viewing snow covered peaks all round. Klein Matterhorn, Jungfraujoch, Titlis, Glacier 3000 and Diavolleza have glaciers and snow all year round. You can add Aiguille du Midi at Chamonix (to see Mount Blanc) if you are stationed near Geneva in the Vevey/Montreux region. 

Pick on one mountain excursion depending on where you stay. Ride up to the mountain top in a cable car/ gondola /cog wheel train. Enjoy the snow sports available there.




If you are particular about Jungfraujoch stay in Jungfrau region.


From Luzern, Klein Titlis is your best bet.

For seeing Matterhorn, be in Zermatt

 If you are in Vevey for example, don't be fixated on going to the Jungfraujoch just because you have read about it in travel pamphlets. To get to the Jungfraujoch and back you will be spending 10 hrs 20 min on trains in ONE day from Geneva. Is this really worth it? Think about going to the Aiguille du Midi at Chamonix instead.

You can get to Chamonix in 90 mins by shared van transfer from the Geneva airport and from the Aiguille du Midi you have superb views of the highest mountain in Europe - Mt Blanc. If you are in Montreux, train though Martigny to Chamonix. When you go to the Jungfraujoch you spend the last 40 mins of the ride in a tunnel... For Aiguille du Midi you are on cable cars AND you can do the "Step into the Void" - walking out on a glass platform a couple of thousand meters above the valley floor.

Cable cars/gondolas/trains going to uninhabited places  are closed for maintenance in lean season. If you are visiting in November, check the relevant site to see if they are operating. 


Cable car ride



Nordwand (North Wall) of Eiger


Jumping for Joy...On the Jungfraujoch

For any mountain excursion: Wait till you see the weather on the day you plan to do it. If it is raining and there are low clouds - do not go. You will waste your time and money and have no views. Look at the official site for all information including live webcams, whether all cable cars are operating and other important info.


Lake Cruise:


Lake cruise is a great idea in Switzerland. Again, Pick on one depending on where you stay. If you are based in Luzern, a lake cruise all the way to Flüelen is scenic. Near Geneva, if you are based in Montreux/Vevey, take a cruise on Lac Leman (which you may know as Lake Geneva) to Chateau de Chillon. From Bernese Oberland area, the 2 lakes Brienzersee and Thunersee are lovely. You can combine Brienz cruise with Ballenberg museum. You can visit the chateaus when on a cruise on Thunersee.


Boat services are restricted during autumn, winter and spring. You will find timetables on the site devoted to the particular lake, eg, for Lake Lucerne at: lakelucerne.ch/en/timetable-fares/timetable/




Hikes:






A hike on a mountain path seeing wild flowers, snow covered peaks, babbling brooks and hearing the tinkle of grazing cows is recommended.




There are paths of all degrees of difficulty. You can pick one suitable to your family... see the small kid sauntering down the path in the pic above. This is the easy trail to the Gruyeres castle.

Depending on the season/weather, hiking paths may be closed. Check if the hiking paths are open if you are visiting in lean season.


Adventure Sports:


Plenty of adventure sports are available: Paragliding, Bungee jumping, canyoning, ziplining, snowtubing etc can be considered. 

Quite a few of these activities are weather dependent; if you book ahead you are locked into a particular slot and it may be get cancelled/postponed in case of unfavorable weather. You'll have to block a chunk of time reaching the particular place and waiting in line; probably half a day of your vacation time for one activity. In my personal opinion, it's better to hike/ trek on one's own and enjoy the scenery rather than wait in queues for a particular activity


Skiing is to be attempted ONLY if you are an experienced skier; it takes a full day to learn to fall without hurting yourself while skiing; it takes a week of lessons to be a little comfortable on skis; no point risking your life and hurting others on the slope if you are inexperienced!


The links below give a list of all activities on Titlis and in the Jungfrau region; you can google for similar links in the region of your choice: 






Walks:


A walk through quiet mountain villages, historic town centers or a lake promenade is great.





Take a look at the official site of the place you stay and you’ll get all the options available to youwww.luzern.com/en or www.vevey.com/en etc

Where to stay?


There are several regions you can base yourself in. The map below can guide you


MAP 3

International flight from India can land either in Zurich (region 3 in map 3) or Geneva (region 8 in map 3).  If you are taking a train from Paris you’ll come in via Basel (region 3 in map 3) or Geneva as there are direct trains to both from Paris

If you want to cover Rhine falls, Rhine Falls is just an hour plus by train from Zurich airport- if you have time on hand for a half-day trip you could keep your bags at the station, visit the Falls, return and then proceed.


Luzern as base:


Chapel Bridge, Luzern

Many Indians fly into Zurich. They choose Luzern in area 4 as their 1st base. As already said, there is a train station in Zurich airport and it’s a 1 hour journey to Luzern.

Or you can fly into Paris from India spend 4 days there and take the fast TGV train from Paris-Gare de Lyon to Luzern via Basel.  

For the TGV tickets Paris to Switzerland  use www.trainline.eu
 Tickets go on sale 90 days prior to travel.


Also check out www.seat61.com  for good train travel information 

Luzern makes a great base for sightseeing in central Switzerland. If you find accommodation expensive, perhaps stay in  Kastanienbaum or Meggen (both on the same side of the lake as Luzern), or Weggis or Vitznau (on the other side of the lake),  and take the lake boat over to Luzern.

If you are going to be only in Luzern consider getting a Tell Pass. That is a regional train/bus/boat pass that also covers mountain railways and cable cars. www.tellpass.ch

Lake Luzern cruises

There are many different boat trips available at the 38 km long Lake Lucerne. There are round trips from Lucerne to Meggen that take less than an hour, and there are single trips from Lucerne to Flüelen that take close to 3 hours. Whatever you choose, a boat trip is a great way to enjoy the beautiful region at a slow pace.


A lake cruise all the way to Flüelen is well recommended. Around Flüelen the mountains come right down to the lake and the scenery is spectacular.

Luzern: Official sitewww.luzern.com/en 

A well traveled person ranks mountains in the area in the order of their preference (first to last) as follows: Rigi, Stanserhorn,  Brienzer Rothorn, Titlis, Klewenalp/Stockhuette,  Pilatus.

Rigi, Pilatus and Titlis:



Rigi: Official site: www.rigi.ch/en 


Rigi was called by the Victorians "Queen of Mountains" and for good reason. It is a large mountain and you can go up it from several different places. Part of the way up on the cable car from Weggis there is Rigi Kaltbad which is a mineral spring with quite amazing architecture. Probably worth experiencing - take your swim suit or hire one there. From there you can go on to Rigi Kulm - the summit. You have a 360° view over several lakes, cities etc with the alps as a backdrop if the weather is clear.


Here is a great option: From Luzern, take a lake cruise over to Weggis and the cable car to Rigi Kaltbad (Kaltbad means cold bath; but it's basically a hot mineral bath). Then train on up to the top (Rigi Kulm) from there. Train back to Vitznau and then boat on to Flüelen. The lake down there is stunning. Just like a fjord. Of course, check boat, train timings. Easy to execute in summer; in winter, boat schedule can be curtailed.


Pilatus: Official site: www.pilatus.ch/en 


Pilatus is a low mountain - around 2000 m only - and aside from in winter does not have snow at the top. Mt Rigi has better views than Pilatus.
You can use the gondolas and cable car from Kriens (near Lucerne) for a visit of Mt. Pilatus. 
Pilatus is closer to Luzern (get there by bus or train or by lake boat. I would advise going by bus or train and taking the boat on the way back). The cog railway to the top is the steepest in the world. Great views from the top as well.

Titlis: Official site: www.titlis.ch/en 



Highest of the three. Titlis is over 3000 m and has a glacier at the top which means permanent snow and ice up there. So there are snow sports - even for those who don't ski - at Titlis. You are guaranteed snow year round. It also stars in Bollywood films.


You need to go to Engelberg to go up to Titlis. The last stage of the cable cars to the top is the "Rotair" which revolves as it ascends.

For Pilatus and Titlis: planning any mountain excursion in advance before one knows for sure what the weather will be on the day is a big risk. So have a plan B.

If you hit a rainy period - these can last for a few weeks sometimes - you need other options. From Luzern these can include: 

Verkehrshaus der Schweiz (Swiss Transport Museum)

A day trip to Bern. The historic center there has 6 km of arcaded streets, so you stay dry. Lots of lovely little boutiques as well, and the Federal Parliament and the Bear Park (for kids!)

A day at the Open Air museum at Ballenberg - www.ballenberg.ch

A visit to the glass factory at Hergiswil - www.glasi.ch
 

In Luzern the following are recommended:

Museggmauer (Town Walls): Official site: www.museggmauer.ch



In the north side of Luzerne's old town there is an old wall (built between 1350 and 1408), with nine towers in different styles. The part built in1386 is still intact, and you can climb four of the towers - Schirmer, Zyt, Wacht, and Männli - for stunning views across the city, lake, and surrounding landscape. The oldest of Lucerne's clocks, built in 1535, is in the Zyt tower and chimes hourly, exactly one minute before all the other city clocks. Inside the tower, you can see its mechanism at work.

Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument)


North of Löwenplatz is the Lion Monument, a huge figure of a dying lion carved in rock ledge. Designed in 1820, the monument commemorates the death of 26 officers and more than 700 troops of the Swiss Guards, mercenary soldiers who were killed while protecting King Louis XVI during the attack on the Tuileries in the French Revolution in 1792.


There is another war memorial in Löwenplatz, the immense Bourbaki Panorama. The 11,000-square-meter circular painting of1879 depicts the retreat of the French Eastern Army into Switzerland in 1871 during the Franco-Prussian War. As you stand in the middle, figures and actual objects, such as a rail truck, turn it into a three-dimensional scene.

Gletschergarten (Glacier Garden

https://www.gletschergarten.ch/natur-und-poesie-mitten-in-der-stadt/


The adjoining park is a good place for a picnic.

Bernese Oberland:


Region 6 in Map 3, Bernese Oberland, or the Jungfrau region is a huge personal favorite to enjoy the beauties of Switzerland.

The options here are very scenic and numerous. Wilderswil, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, Grindlewald are all great places to stay here and good alternatives to Interlaken. Indians find the apartments at Ringgenberg convenient... it's on a lake with scenic mountain views and just 5 minute bus ride away from Interlaken from where all scenic trips are possible

MAP 4: BO (Bernese Oberland) region

The map above shows many scenic peaks in the region. http://jungfrauregion.ch/ is the official site that has all the info. My trip report which is a separate blog covers this region extensively, so I’m keeping it short here

Breathe in the scent of the Alpine flowers, feel the refreshing spray from the waterfalls on your skin in summer, rejoice as the mountain peaks emerge from the sea of mist in autumn and listen to the crunch of snow under your feet in winter – the region at the foot of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau is an invitation to enjoy the mountains with all your senses… says the official site!




gives you info on all the villages in this region and the activities you can undertake from here.


A lake cruise on either lake Thun or Brienz is a lot of fun. On Thun you can get the boat from the Interlaken West station, take it to Oberhofen, visit the castle there and then go on to Thun itself and visit the imposing castle. 

Montreux-Vevey Riviera Region:


Region 8 in map 3 is another personal favorite for us. You can fly into Geneva and take the train to Vevey or Montreux and enjoy this region.

On the shores of Lake Geneva, the thirteen kilometer long quays of Montreux offer not only exotic flowers and palm trees but also a sumptuous view of the Alps

The highlights are the Chillon castle on the lake, the vineyards of Lavaux region, cheese factory at Gruyeres, Maisson Cailler chocolate  factory visit with unlimited chocolate tasting,

Stretching out over 830 hectares, Lavaux is one of the largest vineyards in Switzerland. Numerous charming and picturesque wine-growers’ villages are tightly nestled around their wine cellars and fountains.

An extraordinary fortified medieval castle, on Lake Geneva surrounded by mountains! The Chillon Castle is the most visited historic monument in the country. Built in the 12th century on a rocky island, it offered both natural protection and a strategic position, from which traffic between the north and south of Europe could be controlled. The powerful Dukes of Savoy lived there from the 13th to the 16th century.

Chocolate tasting at Maison Cailler Factory 

Nestlé provides an insight into the very foundations of the company at its birthplace in Vevey. It all started with Henri Nestlé in 1866

Chocolate and Cheese: Departing from Montreux and passing through Gruyères and Broc, you can discover the region of the famous Gruyères cheese and delicious Swiss milk chocolate.

Rochers-de-Naye: A 55-minute cog railway journey takes you from the palm trees of Montreux to the summit of the Rochers-deNaye, at an altitude of 2,042m. This rocky balcony offers a spectacular view of Lake Geneva, the Alps and the Jura! “La Rambertia”: a colourful alpine garden, containing over 1,000 alpine flowers and plants. Summer only with Alpine paradise gardens and marmot paradise

 ENGADIN:


Region 1 in Map 3 is an excellent option in SwitzerlandThere are some absolutely stunning villages in the Engadin. St Moritz is the largest town in the area and is famous. Pontresina, Silvaplana, Sils Maria and Sils Baselgia as well as Bever are just as lovely.

http://www.engadin.stmoritz.ch/sommer/en/activities/engadin-lifestyle/history/the-story-of/
lists all the 13 options in the Engadin valley.

In summer many of the hotels in the Upper Engadin offer a free Engadin card to their guests who stay two nights or more and it is well worth choosing one of these hotels. The Engadin card gives you FREE transport all over the Upper Engadin be it on train or postbus. And the card covers as far as Alp Grum on the Bernina line and in some cases - depends on the hotel - down into the Val Bregagia and up to Soglio. It also includes cable cars.


 this is a great special.

The Bernina massif vis-à-vis the Diavolezza towers above the scenery with eight peaks ranging up to about the four thousand metre mark: a veritable feast for the eyes. It’ll be your glacier experience in this part of the country and you can frolic in the snow! 

If you are staying in this region, you can go on to Venice by train easily.

The trains in the Engadin run via St Moritz to Tirano in Italy. This latter is the Bernina Line, which is world famous and a definite must do.

St Moritz to Venice - you have a few options:
1) Bernina Express train leaving around 0915 to Tirano with connection to Bernina Express bus to Lugano. Lugano is 1 hour by train from Milano Centrale station. This would be a long day however...
2) Bernina Express or normal Bernina line train to Tirano. then local Italian train to Milano and on to Venice. Some connections are also possible via Monza.

3) "Palm Express" bus from St Moritz to Lugano and on to Milano Centrale by train.

The Lower Engadine, which is far from the large tourist destinations, remains a peaceful valley in contrast to the exclusive Upper Engadine. Scuol, Samnaun and Zernez are possible bases

I have included 4 separate regions as bases above. Valais (region 9 in Map 3) can be an option too with a base in Martigny. Zermatt can be a great base if you are a hiker. If the weather becomes inclement, it’s tough to take a day trip out of Zermatt, so you can keep your fingers crossed for good weather when you stay in Zermatt

A choice of one or 2 of the regions above depending on the number of days you have will let you enjoy a true flavor of this lovely country

Choosing your accommodation:


Switzerland is an expensive country.

 If you are on a tight budget the youth hostels are a good option. 

Hostels are not just places for youth but families and older adults too. They are usually located in very scenic and well connected places.


There are 52 in Switzerland. look at the locations from the link below and book a private room if needed for relatively low prices:

These hostels have a communal kitchen you can use for rustling up a meal after buying provisions from the nearby COOP or Migros supermarket.

Check out the facilities in your chosen place... if the bathrooms are shared etc, analyse your needs before you book.

Membership can give further discounts; you may consider getting an e-membership for HI (Hostels International) from your country. Membership fee varies depending on the country of your origin. Indian passport holders can get e-membership for an individual adult at the handsome sum of USD 1 1/2; YES, this is not a typo; for 2 adults, the membership for 1 year is USD 3 currently and it gives 10% discount for all hostels world over for a year!!
  
The next post covers travel passesmoney, safety, clothes and food tips:


78 comments:

  1. Awesome blog!. Can you please suggest me Itinerary for 6Days/6Nights in Switzerland in the last week of April or 1st week of may

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Lalit

      I feel the mountain villages of Switzerland give the best flavor of the beauty of the country. Your choice of vacation time--the last week of April or 1st week of May-- is off season in the mountains. You may consider basing yourself in Luzern. Check if cable cars etc are plying on the specific dates and plan your schedule according to the interests and fitness level of your travel companions.

      Delete
  2. Thanks Bhagvat.. We are thinking about three places - Mountreux, Lucerne and Interlaken. Now we want to select 2 out of these. What will you recommend most. jungfraujoch is something we want to have in our plan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I notice you are posting the same queries on TA forum. I guess my response is redundant.

    ReplyDelete
  4. want to visit lezern, Interlaken and glacier express train ride just the day after labor day weekend 2017 for 8-9 days with at least 8 to 14 adults . May come from Paris to Switzerland and then 5days into Austria. what do you recommend? where should our first base?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Giridhar
    Labor day weekend 2017 is Sep 4 onward and I would think a lovely time to visit ... great scenery and no crowds.

    If you have 8+ days, Luzern as 1st base coming in from Paris.
    For the Jungfrau area, instead of Interlaken choose a mountain village as base

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. first base will be Luzern for two days. second will be Jungfrau area in some village. will see Interlaken wherever we stay.
      Will it be cheaper to stay in some villages in Luzern and Jungfrau region after labor day? or since the less croud after labor day , may be Interlaken or Luzern ok?
      Where we should take GE from ? Zermatt or St Moritz? We could get down in Chur and take a bus or train to Innsbrook if possible instead of going to ST. Moritz.
      your help is required.

      Delete
    2. You seem to have a wrong idea of Interlaken as a plum destination and villages as some secnd rung places. Mountain villages like Wengen, Murren or Lauterbrunnen,the village in the valley surrounded by mountains, are top notch destinations with high prices to match.

      Interlaken is in the plains and is a concrete jungle in comparison.

      In septermber we found Luzern hot , crowded and unpleasant, Interlaken is likely to be hot as well. It was very pleasant in the mountain villages.

      For our September vacation we had booked accommodation by January to get the best options!

      Price depends on amenities as well as precise location; you need to plug in your dates and do a comparison.

      Delete
  6. Hello,

    This blog is very helpful. i will read it! I am 34 years old

    I will be in Geneva earlier for 3 days meeting 24th - 27th April. My wife will arrive in the afternoon of 27th April.

    Thereafter, we will have 10 days starting from 28th April - 7th May 2017.

    Day 1 - Geneva
    Day 2 to 3 - Lausanne
    Day 4 to 5 - Zermatt, Matterhorn (**IMPT**Can ski? I miss skiing so much, only did once in my life in Korea, will be a dream to ski in the Alps)
    Day 6 - Wengen and Jungfraujoch
    Day 7 to 8 - Lucerne
    Day 9 & 10 - Zürich (fly out)

    Any suggestions on the itinerary? Where should we based out from? Worth to get Swiss Travel Pass? and for the destination, any hotels/resorts to recommend? 3-4 stars (if got some must-try 5 stars), please do recommend.
    Going to use expedia.

    Best regards,
    Eugene

    PS: We have never been to Switzerland and will listen to your opinion to get the best out of this 10 days! and i really like skiing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Eugene

    If skiing is such a priority, enroll as a learner and give it a shot. Rental and lesson comes at a cost but that's the only way you won't injure yourself and others.

    I think the skiing closes by April end in Zermatt fo 2017, by mid April in other areas.

    You can still have snowfun like tobaggon etc year round Klein Matterhorn, Jungfraujoch, Klein Titlis etc

    One day in Wengen is not enough in case you strike bad weather. I'd ecommend cutting out Lausanne and adding to Wengen. Check if hotels/restaurants are open... many close at that time.

    Book direct with the hotel, not expedia

    For Jungfraujoch, swiss pass gives only 25% discount, you may be better off with Half fare card. Do your math

    Have a wonderful vacation!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Bhagvat

    Thanks a lot for putting up entire information at one place.

    We are planning for 3 weeks europe trip in June which we splitted across London/Scotland/Switzerland/Venice/Slovenia.

    After following your valuable suggestions i found that above itinerary is reasonable.
    London/Scotland - first week in June.
    Then fly to Basel as flights are cheaper to Basel from London and i can again fly out to Venice from Basel again because of cheaper fare.
    Basically i am planning to spend only 3-4 days in Switzerland because of budget constraints :) as i heard switzerland is most expensive place.
    we are couple and more interested in scenic beauties like lakes/mountains etc.
    As you said we will do one mountain trip and visit some lakes .
    So from Basel which would be the right base for me if you consider my interests and it should be of lower budget as well.

    ReplyDelete
  9. By the way we usually dont like crowded places and that is the reason i avoided paris/germany/italy.
    Going to Venice as Slovenia is very close to that place where i can do rideshare or go by some bus.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello Eshwar

    You've mentioned budget constraints but I find your plan unsuitable for several reasons:
    1. You'll need separate UK visa ((£87/Rs7500/pp) and Schengen (€65/Rs6500pp).
    2. Flying is not budget friendly as there are additional baggage fee, taxi to/from remote airports, time wasted for checkin/luggage collection etc. Trains take you city center to city center and are efficient use of time/money.
    3. Not good logic to say Paris, Germany, Italy are crowded and hence to be avoided... all famous places attract tourists. Hitting places early is the way to avoid crowd
    4. I have an eidetic memory and saw your post in Tripadvisor forum. pore had given you good advice on base. Why are you asking me too?
    5. Better be wary of rideshare in East European countries and for that matter anywhere in general.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Bhagvat

      Thanks for your reply.
      Yes i posted in tripadvisor but i am not very clear about the destinations/plans at that time.
      i did some homework later on and to be frank i am clear after reading your blog which is very well documented.
      I am aware of the fact that UK would need separate visa but we wanted to cover scotland and some places in London specifically .
      Since my relatives are there so accommodation would be free and we wanted to dump our luggage over there when we head out to switzerland then we will carry required things in cabin/hand baggage and head back to London while leaving as our return flight would be from London.

      I found that flights are pretty cheaper compared to trains.
      London->Basel (40$) where train would be atleast 100$
      Basel->Venice (50$) where train would be atleast 100$
      Ljubljana->lONDON(50$) where train would be atleast 100$

      Please correct me if am wrong here.

      So i am more worried about opting the base in switzerland if i reach basel and again need to connect to venice .
      Considering the amount/time i need your inputs.
      Thanks in advance.

      Delete
    2. Here are some comments:


      1. One week for both England and Scotland is way too little.

      London alone will need minimum 4 days, Tower of London, Victoria and Albert, British museum, St Paul's, Westminster Abbey etc. Gardens are terrific too..Kew gardens etc

      Windsor castle and Hampton court palaces are AWESOME and must-do day trips from London.

      It'll be good to include some picturesque villages like Lavenham or castles like Leeds castle etc.

      2. So 1 week for England and then train to Edinburgh. Minimum 2-3 days there (royal yacht, Edinburgh castle, royal Botanical gardens etc),

      You have to drive to enjoy the awesome scenery in Scotland...head for Skye, via Glencoe, Fort William, and the Mallaig - Armadale ferry (which you should book in advance). Stay two nights on Skye and then return to Edinburgh via the Skye Bridge, Glen Shiel, (detour via Fort Augustus if you must see Loch Ness), and then back to Edinburgh via Spean Bridge, Loch Laggan and the A9.

      So total 1 week minimum for Scotland.

      3. Are you flying from Edinburgh to Basel?

      4. From anywhere in Switzerland, you can train to Milan and transfer to Venice. I personally think the BO region is the most scenic as base.

      Delete
    3. Thanks Bhagwat for the detailed plan.
      I thought of flying from London but i think flying from edinburgh make more sense even if flights are bit expensive as i can save some time and airport transit costs.

      if it is from edinbburgh i can fly to geneva as well as that is cheaper compared to basel.
      london to basel (25$)
      edinburgh to geneva(50$)
      but again london to edinburgh would be extra so i will opt to fly from edinburg.

      What is BO region by the way and also we cannot withstand temperature under 10 degrees as we are coming from India so June 2nd/3rd week in switzerland would be okay i guess.

      Switzerland is my wife's dream country :) otherwise i could have spent entire time in UK.
      Since anyways am taking Schengen visa so just wanted to add 1 or 2 more countries.
      I will check on train options to Milan.
      I hope Venice and Slovenia are reasonable options if i wanted to fly to London from Slovenia.
      Please correct/advice me if am wrong here.

      Delete
    4. My relatives doesnt drive car in London so i need to drive.
      I am not sure if i can manage driving in other country as rules are more stricter and even the fines will be expensive.

      I am planning to hire vehicle for Scotland trip but not sure if it is okay to hire from London or within Scotland.

      Delete
  11. Hi Bhagvat..great blog..I'm planning to go to Europe in late June with my wife. Paris , Amsterdam and Switzerland are places on our wishlist.. But being doctors we can get only 8-10 days holidays. Our budget is roughly 1-1.25 lakh per person. Can you suggest an itinerary??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Unknown?!

      I'd advise you to stick to 2 places for a 10 day vacation, your wishlist will be just rushing from one place to another.

      You need to do your own reading and shortlist places of interest per your preference. I can't waste my time designing an itinerary without knowing what the individual is all about!

      Delete
  12. Hi Bhagvat,

    me & my wife are planning to visit Paris+Switzerland from 2-10 July,2017 from India and below is the itinerary what we have planned.
    Day1- Land in Paris around 8.30 AM, take rest and eve planning to take guided walk/bike tour to get the glimpse of the city.
    Day2- Local sight seeing (planning to skip Louvre visit as it ll take long time) and in eve Siene River cruise
    Day3- Local sight seeing (planning to skip Versailles as no time) and eve any show (Lido/Mouli Rouge/Crazy Horse)
    Day4-Take TGV to Basel and reach Grindelwald to stay by 17:00
    Day5-Check the weather and plan for Jungfrajouch if its cloudy/rainy then may be train trip to Montreux
    Day6- Check the weather and plan for Schilthron if its cloudy/rainy then may be Brienz cruise with Ballenberg museum.
    Day7-Checkout from Grindelwald and reach Luzern by 13:00 and plan for any evening guided walking tour for local sight seeing.
    Day8-Check the weather and plan for Mt Titlis,if its cloudy/rainy then may be daye trip to Bern.
    Day9-Check the weather and plan for Mt Rigi, if its cloudy/rainy then may be any lake cruise or any other suggestion?
    Day10- Checkout from Luzern early morning to catch 11 AM flight from Zurich

    Can you please review this itinerary and suggest if any addition/removal/modification needed ?

    Thanks,

    ReplyDelete
  13. I feel it's such a pity when people opt to skip gorgeous palaces and fabulous museums!

    I notice your several posts in TA ... when you post on many sites you'll get multiple opinions. Guess I'm wasting my time adding to the responses!

    So... how have I become a super detective to trace the ID of a person posting as Unknown??

    Easy...

    Though some people choose to post their query as Unknown here, their registered names are revealed when clicking on that... not so unknown anymore!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hello again Bhagvat, I just posted on your main blog and commended you on such an amazing write up. You've certainly done your homework. I do have one question though. Our trip will be in early June. Landing in Geneva, taking the train right away to Montreux, then Lucerne, then Bern. I was wondering if you could recommend some villages around Lucerne for accommodation? I apologize if you are repeating yourself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Loretta Moniz

      Yes, I saw your comments on the other post... made me feel good!

      Weggis, Meggen are beautiful villages near Luzern... I have mentioned these in the post... no probs about you missing it.

      Both Montreux and Luzern are on lakes but with great options for trips around. June should not be too hot. If Bern is another base, you may be better off eliminating it and just going there for a rainy day when other options are not viable.

      Hope you have a terrific vacation.

      Delete
  15. Hello,
    I am a newbie at planning a Europe trip and just came across your blog. It is simply fantastic, it has been really helpful in clearing up a few things for me.
    So we are a group of 4 adults and 5 kids planning a trip to Switzerland for 5/6 days in mid July of this year. I have narrowed it down to Bernese Oberland region or Luzerne, can you please recommend where should we base ourselves for BO?
    Also, we will be arriving from Frankfurt, Germany and I have tried to google but I cannot figure out an easy entry point into Switzerland for BO, any ideas? Thanks so much. Hope it's not too much of a bother. Best Regards

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Sarah Pervez

      You won't go wrong with any place in BO... choose wherever you can get accommodation for the whole group in close proximity. Not many places will have options for all to stay together.

      Regarding entering from Frankfurt, it's definitely not the most convenient option...it'll be a long train journey.The kids may find it tedious... I don't know what their ages are?

      On www. bahn.de look at Frankfurt airport to Basel line. You can consider scenic stops at a couple of places on the way...Heidelburg or Freiburg im Breisgau. Spend the night at Heidelburg for instance and continue onto Basel and BO ...or Luzern.

      Book your tickets early for discounts... now bahn.de tickets are available more than 6 months ahead.

      I'm happy to see your comment on finding my blogs useful.

      Your query is polite and well worded and not a bother at all for me to give my 2 cents worth!

      To be frank, I do feel uninclined to offer answers when people just throw their requirements at me with not a word of acknowledgement for the effort I have put in...it has become a very self centered boorish world!!

      Happy travels!

      Delete
  16. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Bhagvat!

    Very useful blog. I am happy that I could find your blog before finalyzing my itinerary. Please can you help with how we can plan a day scenic trip to Jungfrau region (Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Grindelwald, Muerren, Kleine Scheidegg). Where should we get off from the train and the sequence of places? fyi, we (5 adults + 2 kids) will be based out in Lucerne for 4 days and plan to buy a Swiss travel pass.
    Thanks, Anurag

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anurag

    Your wishlist is not possible to accomplish in one day trip from Luzern because the pesky albeit beautiful Alps are in the way between these villages in Jungfrau region.

    Zoom in to the map in my post http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/04/switzerland-report-of-our-10-day-trip.html and you'll see Lauterbrunnen is the valley in the middle and Murren is to the west and Wengen to the east.

    You can train in to Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald directly from Interlaken ost. On the train from Interlaken Ost, if you are in the front car(s) that part of the train continues on to Lauterbrunnen once you get to the Zweilütschinen station. The back car(s) continue on to Grindelwald at that point. No need to transfer trains. The cars should be clearly marked.

    If you choose Lauterbrunnen, there are high cliffs and many water falls in Lauterbrunnen valley. Walk into the village and see the Staubach falls and then take the post bus to Trummelbach if interested.

    Or take the cable car right near the train station, go to Grutschalp, then train to Winteregg and then to Murren. You'll get lovely views of all 3 peaks on a good day.

    Or take a straight train to Wengen enjoy the views, if you want you can go to go to KS it's another train, but only 25% discount by swiss pass. It'll be a scenic option.

    There are options galore, make your chioce based on weather after seeing pics/videos.

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is brilliant, Bhagwat. Kudos to your patience and articulation in drafting this post (and many others) and responding to readers. Glad I stumbled across this post. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Tamanna

      Yes, it takes a lot of effort to draft these posts. When I see the numerous hits from all over the world daily, makes the hard work worthwhile.
      Of course, appreciative comments like yours are most welcome!
      So how did you stumble onto this site?
      Happy travels!

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. Saw the mail in the account. You are welcome!

      Delete
  20. Hello mate! First of all kudos to what you are doing! Really lot of best wishes from the bottom of my heart for sharing your knowledge on several topics.

    I am planning a trip from 17-24 June with my parents (62 and 55 yr old) from Milan to Switzerland.
    Can you please suggest me what is best plan according to your experience ?
    We are not much into hiking or air/ice sport activities. We would like to visit Jungfraujoh mountain, do a cable car at a mountain, take a boat ride, enjoy Swiss culture from their villages and any Castle/Palace/monumental things to see.

    Can you please suggest what would be best to do? Which base to choose? Do we have liberty to choose 2 bases ? Which trains should I book from Milan to Switzerland? I arrive Milan at 9:50 AM on 17-June at Bergamo airport and depart at 10AM on 24-June from Milan Bergamo airport.

    Waiting to hear from you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Abbas Hitawala

      Yes. It takes a lot of time and effort to do these blogs and answer questions! Please do read and understand your options, so that you can make your own choices.

      A few points here:

      So your focus is Switzerland but your flights are from and to Milano... you've made your life complicated.

      Also your travel dates are so near, you'll have a tough time to book hotels, discounted train ticket from/to Milano on  www.trenitalia.com are available 90 days out. You've probably missed out.

      Re your plan, there are options depending on where you are flying in from, the fitness level of all concerned.

      If you are risk averse, stay in Milano on arrival day as well as the day before departure and use the middle 5 days for the Swiss part.

      Your wish list can be done with one base in Jungfrau region. (Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Wengen, Murren etc)

      You'll need to train Milano Centrale to Domodossola- Brig-Speiz and then on to Interlaken and your chosen base. Many changes but the trip is scenic...Milan to Brig is a very pretty ride, especially the section from Varese to Domo along Lago Maggiore and Domo till you enter the Simplon tunnel.

      With Jungfraujoch excursion, half fare card will be your best option. Buy the HFC and tickets on SBB site. http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html

      I think you are too late for discounted fares on www.trenitalia.com

      Check the weather daily and choose your activity. You have lake cruises on Thun with castle visits, and many cable car options and lovely mountain villages in the Jungfrau region.

      Enjoy!

      Delete
  21. Thanks! What about Bernina trains with open roofs from Milan to Interlaken? Can you suggest travel routes from Milan to Switzerland?
    I am ok too book high rates for that since I had a lot of factors in mind with Visa restrictions for parents and last minute travels etc. so extra money was expected to be spent.
    Which city in Switzerland should I target for? Interlaken ?
    From Milano Centrale, I am able to see that Brig and Domodossola are two different train stations.
    Kindly advise. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Note: We are flying from Cyprus to Milan via Ryanair and not directly from India. So we would like to continue our onward journey from Milan to Switzerland directly and not waste a day in Milan. If 5 days are more than sufficient in Switzerland then we might want to come back 1 day in advance from Switzerland to Venice and stay a night in Venice and then reach Milan from Venice early morning to catch the flight that departs at 10AM from Milan Bergamo airport.
    The reason we choose Milan as entry point was due to Schengen visa as the Switzerland embassy in Cyprus would issue only Swiss visa for me (my parents issued their visas from India), thus I needed to show itinerary in Italy and Switzerland both.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello again Abbas

      Regarding where to base yourself, there are many options . I would advise you to check out available hotels with restaurants of your choice in vicinity and choose a base. Your dates are too close. You'll have to go with what's still available.

      You mentioned Jungfraujoch in your wishlist. Interlaken region (not just Interlaken but the lake towns and mountain villages nearby such as Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Wengen, Murren ) is a good base for all you wish for. The region is stunningly beautiful and will please all 1st timers. Plenty of things to see and do... a huge variety of scenery with lakes, mountains and castles etc

      The route I mentioned Milano Centrale to Domodossola- Brig-Speiz and then on to Interlaken and your chosen base is some 4 ½ hours. It's scenic as I mentioned.
      You've to add the time from the airport to Milano Centrale, which will be more than an hour. Also the final part of the journey to your chosen base.

      Bernina express will take you to another region, the Engadin valley. It is another option for you, then you train from Milano centrale to Lugano- Tirano from where BE starts and go onward to your base. You need to reserve ahead.

      Look at the transfers and availability and decide what is right for your family.

      Open out a map, plug in your base in sbb site and see the routes, then you'll know if it's OK for you..

      Venice is indeed lovely but needs at least 3 days.

      My advice will be to judge the comfort level of your parents re hectic schedules and take a call

      Delete
    2. Hello, thanks a ton for your replies! Very helpful.
      Would you please be so kind to send me your contact phone via email so I could reach out to you personally over the phone in order to discuss more questions? A quick call would be better.
      I would like to explore the options for Milan-Lugano via normal train, and then Bernina Express to my base. I would like to know which city should I be looking for my base - Is it Interlaken City? I have to start doing train bookings and hotel reservations and thus your guidance would be appreciated. It will be faster to be able to call you and discuss this rather than back and forth via comments here on this site. Let me know if you are comfortable with it?
      My email address is hitawala.abbas@gmail.com. You may send me your phone number on this mail (if you dont want to share it via reply comment on this site for public-visibility) and I will give you a phone call.

      Regards,
      Abbas

      Delete
  23. I don't get why Italy had to be included for Schengen visa from India as the Swiss embassy also issues the same. Anyways a moot point now.

    Lake Como will be the obvious option from Milano, as it's so close and lovely.

    Again these regions are so full of choices. Go with your heart.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you want Bernina express, stay in Engadin valley.

      If you want Indian food, stay in Interlaken. The mountain villages nearby and lake towns in Jungfrau region are definitely more scenic than Interlaken.

      You can't use BE to go to the Jungfrau region.

      I'm really uncomfortable with giving out phone number or corresponding on personal emails.

      Even this site is anonymous, our family likes to be private, Bhagvat Kripa is just a nick name meaning God's grace!

      Delete
    2. Look for good accommodations and book at once.

      I think you are overthinking this and reducing your options as time goes by

      Delete
  24. Hi Bhagvat,
    Your blog is excellent. I took most of your suggestions and visited Geneva region and BO region in June/July 2018 for 7 days. I want to add a few minor points:
    1. In Lauterbrunnen, the Trümmelbach Falls, a series of ten glacier-fed waterfalls inside the mountain made accessible by a tunnel-funicular
    is not to be missed.
    2. During the Cruise on Brienz lake, there is waterfall on the way to Brienz called Giessbach Falls you can get down there and enjoy. You can walk behind the falls. Really amazing
    3. We took the train from Montruex to Wengen with the usual heavy luggage. We had to change trains 4 times. It was very hard with no elevators in stations like interlaken and lausanne. I would advise people to have this in mind and reduce the number of luggage pieces.
    4. We found swiss travel pass (which you can buy from India from the Euro rail website) was extremely convenient, eventhough expensive. This pass eliminates the need for thinking whether to go or not to a particular spot and avoids shelling out money every time. We also got 50% off for Klein Matterhorn ride.

    Thanks for all your helpful writing, Bhagvat. Because of your blog, we enjoyed our first trip to Switzerland better !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Good to know our blog was useful.
      On your points...
      1.Yes, Trümmelbach Falls is lovely, I've written about our visit there with pics and video in our report:
      http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/04/day-7-switzerland-trip-schilthorn.html
      2. Geissbach falls is great too.
      3. I have written about the transfers. Contrary to what you say though, There are ramps in all stations. You have to look for it. Usually at one end of the station.... if you disembark from a middle coach, you see only stairs, but look out for the ramp at the end.. I've also written about how to pack light. Our report is here:
      http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/04/sep-1-2014-day-4-switzerland-trip.html

      covers our trip on the Golden pass panoramic train to Lauterbrunnen,
      4. swiss travel pass is better bought online on the official website sbb.ch. I've written about this too... here: http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/04/switzerland-part-3-passes-food-safety.html

      Anyways, very glad your vacation went well! Very happy to be of help to you!

      Delete
  25. Good Day,

    I’m travelling for a family vacation in last week of May’19 to Switzerland.

    I'll travel to Paris and then from Paris to Zurich.

    May plan is to stay 3 nights in Lucerne (covering Mt. Titlis, Mt. Rigi and Lucerne city which will include Lion Monument, Glacier Garden, Lakeside Promenade, Boat ride at lake Lucerne)

    From there 3 nights at Interlaken (including Bern, Mt. Schilthon)

    My questions:

    1. I'll like to cover mountain slide (anyone you can suggest). More detail on that from where i should I take it.
    2. Feedback on my overall plan.

    Regards,
    Ajay

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll also seek you views whether I should go to Mt. Schilthorn or Mt. Jungfrau. This is because I've read somewhether that Mt. Schilthorn is also equally good. As free I'll be buying Swiss travel pass that will give Mt. Schilthorn complementary hence I'm more incline toward Mt. Schilthorn than or Mt. Jungfrau

      Delete
    2. Hello Ajay, Good day to you as well!

      From Paris travel direct to Luzern, no need to go to Zurich. Buy heavily discounted train tickets 4 months in advance from SNCF site.

      Overall, plan looks fine!

      Delete
    3. Thanks Bhagvat for your revert. I've booked flight from Paris to Zurich and got the same at very discounted rate.

      As I'll be in Switzerland for 8 days, I'm planning to buy Swiss Pass. Read lot of recommendation for the same at various blogs. Hope every you recommend the same.

      Please provide more information on mountain slide as I'm traveling with 10 year old kid he will love to do the same.

      Also, do you recommend any 3* good hotels? As I'll be out doing sight-seen for most of the time not very keen to spend big money on accommodation.

      Delete
  26. Hello again Ajay,
    Both Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch are great. Choose according to weather forecast for the day. No point going up if the weather is cloudy.

    For Jungfraujoch, half fare card will be better, with Swiss pass you get only 25% discount

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hello Ajay
    does your airfare include luggage? which airport in Paris? it takes more time for flights because of commute to airport which is always much outside city center, checkin, security, collecting bags etc. No such hassles for train and you can enjoy scenery also.

    In Jungfraujoch and Titlis, there is sledge, tobaggon etc. Also in Matterhorn. We have enjoyed those. Our pics/videos are in the respecive blog. There are mountain slides also... for eg http://www.appenzell.ch/index.php?id=281&L=1
    There's always the danger of others bumping into us. In Newzealand, Queenstown mine stopped midway.

    No point referring to stars for Europe hotels. System is different.... restaurant onsite adds a star though it may not be a good one.
    I personally think half fare card with SDP bought ahead 30 days before for heavy travel days is the most cost effective

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hello Bhagvat, I've booked Multi-city flight from Mumbai to Paris then Paris to Zurich and Zurich to Paris.

    My baggage allowance is 23KG per person for entire trip, which is quiet sufficient.

    Flight is of early 7.30 AM from Paris to Zurich which will land at Zurich at 8.50 AM. Paris airport CDG. I'm planning to buy Swiss Travel Pass and move to Lucerne directly from airport. Early morning flight save almost a day of my trip and on that day I can do Lucerne – bridges, full city wall walk, Lion monument, Glacier garden, Lakeside Promenade, Take a Boat Ride at Lake Lucerne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Train is just 4 hours, city center to center, no checkin security hassles.

      For flight you've to be at airport 2 hours early, paying more for taxi probably 70euros instead of usual 50. You are overshooting and anyway have to take a train to Luzern.

      Anyways, no point arguing I guess. I'm giving my opinion since you asked.

      Delete
    2. Thanks Bhagvat. Appreciate your time for assistance on the same. I may revert if have any further questions on my Switzerland trip.

      Delete
    3. You are welcome. Be sure to catch the Paris flight, if it's missed, the rest of the ticket will get cancelled

      Delete
  29. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi

    Thanks for such an informative blog..It contains mostly all the information for first time travelers. We are planning at trip in April so will u recommend to reconsider the dates as there will be few closures? Will all the cable cars and gandolas will be closed?If not then can you pls suggest which mountain will be accessible?


    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Ashi

      Many Hotels, restaurants in mountain villages close after Easter in April. NOT all cable cars/ gondolas will be closed.

      Depends when you are traveling in April and what vibe you are looking for.
      Till Easter there will be ski crowd in mountain villages.

      Delete
  31. Hi Bhagvat,

    All of your blogs' contents and organisation structures are amazing! Thank you for the informative blogs!

    I and my parents (from India) plan to visit Switzerland for 7 days at the end of May. Although Switzerland has many beautiful cities to stay, we wouldn't prefer checking in and out of hotels many times. Hence, we would like to live at atmost two bases and travel around from there. I am confused between choosing bases from Lucerne, Interlaken, Zermatt and Montreux. What would you suggest to get the most of Switzerland in 7-8 days?

    Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1st base: If you are flying into Geneva, choose Montreux. If ino Zurich, Luzern.

      Interlaken area (the mountain villages and above has typical beauty of Swiss Alps). May is between seasons and restaurants etc may be closed and snow may be melting. I still feel it'll be great as 2nd base. All the mountain villages are pretty bases , Interlaken in itself is not that pretty.

      Do mention your name, in case you need further help, so i'll know where to see background for answering better

      Delete
  32. Hi Bhagwat,

    I posted the last comment. Thank you for your response. We'll be flying from Zurich so our first base can be fixed as Lucerne(2 days). Now I have three other doubts.

    For the next base, which mountain village would you recommend to stay at, given that my parents eat only Indian vegetarian food. I know that Interlaken itself has many Indian restaurants, so I was thinking of choosing Interlaken city as the second base. But as you say that we should consider the mountain villages near Interlaken, would you know of villages that would have Indian vegetarian food restaurants?

    Also, which glacier experience would you personally consider better? Matterhorn or Jungfrau region? If we'll have to make a choice.

    Because of DDLJ, I think Jungfrau is popular among Indians but I wanted to visit Matterhorn as well, given it's international hype. Do you think it would be possible to visit Matterhorn from Interlaken area? Or do you think we should skip it, considering we'll already be having a glacier experience anyway? Note that we plan for a 7 day trip.

    Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Rahul
      There are no Indian restaurants in Jungfrau region mountain villages. Interlaken has a few. If ambience and beauty is important, you can stay in mountain villages and take a train and back for meals.
      I don't know about Hindi movies but i think Titlis is famous for DDLJ. I personally felt Matterhorn was more beautiful than Jungfraujoch. A day trip from Interlaken to Zermatt will take a little more than 2 hours and then of course you need to go further to Gornergrat or Matterhorn glacier paradise.
      If you are in Interlaken area, it's sensible to just enjoy that region... it's really lovely.
      Happy travels!

      Delete
  33. Hello Bhagvat Kripa,

    I really appreciate your blog. Its quite detailed and informative. You have also put in minute to minute details. Great effort. I am planning for a 12 days (24th July - 04th August) trip to Paris & Switzerland. I will be spending 3 nights in Paris, 3 in interlaken (Lautenberg or Grindelwald), 3 in Lucerne & 1 night in Zurich, last night zurich to Doha (Home). I am travelling with my 2 boys (8 yrs & 4 yrs) & Husband. we are planning to travel from Paris to Interlaken via Geneva. So finish Geneva on the way & reach Interlaken only by night. In the 6 days in Interlaken, Lucerne, I would like to cover Matterthorn, Mt. Titlis, Jungfrauh, Lion Monument, Chapel bridge & Rhine falls on aug 1st for Swiss International day Light show. I would need ur help if my planning is in right direction or not. many thanks in advance for looking into this. For train travel, we are planning for Swiss Half Fare Card. Kindly help us plan our first euro trip better & hassle free.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Bhagavad, My self priyasravan. I posted the above query. I dont know why it got posted as anonymous.

      Delete
    2. Hello Priyasravan

      Couple of comments.

      Instead of taking Paris-Geneva route, you may be better off doing Paris-Basel and then onward to Interlaken. Otherwise it'll be a VERY LOOONG trip that day.

      Swiss Half Fare Card seems a good choice for you. Also combine with saver day pass for heavy travel days and definitely discounted ticket for Paris to Interlaken for the TGV.

      You have a wishlist of Matterhorn, Jungfraujoch and Titlis... be aware mountain weather is fickle. Matterhorn will be a LOONG day trip from your base

      Delete
    3. Good that you put in an entry for your name. It becomes tiring to answer posts signed Unknown!!

      happy travels!

      Delete
    4. Hi Bhagavat, priyasravan, here again. The reason, y i was saying as Paris Geneva Interlaken is that, we can finish off,geneva that day and end our journey @ Interlaken. It would be like a break journey from Paris. We will put our luggage in the luggage store in Geneva before proceeding to Interlaken.

      Delete
    5. You are asking for my opinion and I feel it's not worth it with 2 kids to Go thru Geneva when your final destination is Interlaken.

      If you book the TGV you'll reach Interlaken with 1 transfer at Basel (3 hours Paris-Basel; 2 hours Basel-Interlaken)

      Paris-Geneva is 3 hours. then Geneva-Interlaken (fast route with 1 transfer at Bern , NOT scenic Golden panorama)is 1.45 min+ 45 min, so total 2 1/2 hours

      Delete
  34. Hi Bhagvat - Thank you for very detailed and informative posts about visiting Switzerland. Unfortunately I got to this site late in my planning as I have already made some of my hotel and air flight bookings so not sure how much flexibility I will have to change my plans and take advantage of your recommendations. I am flying from Paris to Milan and then taking a rental car to visit Switzerland for 4 days and back to Milan and Venice. I am based out of Houston, TX. Do you recommend driving around in Switzerland/Italy if you are visiting Europe for the first time? I like the advantage of driving in terms of unlimited stops, taking pics or creating your own schedule. I will be visiting Switzerland in late May and can still cancel my rental car reservation. Appreciate your response. - Raj

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Raj

      The easier way will be to take a TGV from Paris into Switzerland ... just 4 hrs, spend your 4/5 days using public transport and then move into Italy again by TGV.

      car will be more of a hassle ... you'll anyway need to take cable cars/gondolos to go to mountain tops.
      I get your concept of driving at your own pace and we've done that in Iceland, Germany, Norway etc in Europe.

      But in Italy you've to be very careful of ZTLs , fine is very high, same is the case with Switzerland. We used only public transport in these 2 countries.

      what exactly is your current plan? How many days and what bookings are fully done?
      May be I can suggest a workaround if precise dates and schedule is given.
      All the best

      I don't

      Delete
  35. Thank you for getting back so promptly. I have a morning flight from Paris to Milan on May 28 and I plan to drive and stay in Zermatt for a day. Planned to stay at Interlaken for 2 days and then drive to Lake Lucerne stay overnight and drive back to Milan late morning May 31 or Jun 1. My flight back from Venice on Jun 3 could be modified so I am open to alternate options and skipping Italy. Appreciate your insight and recommendations, Bhagwat.

    Thanks,
    Raj

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thank you for your prompt response. I am reaching Milan via Paris on May 28 morning. The plan is to get the rental car and head to Zermatt (Matterhorn) and stay overnight. Then stay next 2 days in the Interlaken area and complete the loop and visit lake Lucerne before driving back to Milan on May 31 or Jun 1. I would appreciate your inputs or recommendations on alternate route via train.
    Thanks in advance,
    Raj

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hello again Raj
    Does your car rental in Italy allow taking the car into Switzerland? What are the extra charges?

    Simplon pass is the scenic way to drive from Milan into Switzerland. It's open all year, but occasional harsh conditions may close it.

    You can't drive into Zermatt... it's a car free village. you have to park in Täsch and take a train. Parking is expensive in Switzerland.

    Same way, there is nothing to see in Interlaken and you have to go up to the mountain villages there for nice sights... Wengen and Murren there are also car free. You can roam around the mountain village of Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald etc but the full fun is in taking a cable cra to the nearby mountain tops and enjoy all round views from above. You'll need to buy a half fare card for these as full price is quite high. Might as well use trains all the way and use the pass in stead of driving. Buy a saver day pass ASAP for heavy travel days... for 29 CHF you can take any transport anywhere excepting cable cars ... earlier you book, you can get this price, otherwise it keeps rising.

    Have at least 2 full days in Venice. Go to Murano/Burano in their vaporetti boats. Very scenic and pretty. You can read our report on this blog. https://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/05/venice-trip-report-day-3-murano-burano.html

    From Milan take a train into Zurich and onward into Luzern or Interlaken. Stay in the same place for 4 or 5 nights and enjoy the sights around that area after checking the weather is clear where you want to go. Previous evening forecasts will be accurate. Use meteoblue site.

    Trust this helps.
    [we are just using the term Bhagvat Kripa meaning God's Blessings for this blog... not using real name as our pics/videos are here. HaHa! ]

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Forgot the link for saver day pass

      https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/day-pass/saver-day-pass.html

      Delete
  38. Hi Bhagat Kripa. I plan to travel from Paris (entry point) to Switzerland (exit point).
    I read your blog and it's so useful but I am still confused on the different locations of Switzerland.

    June 1st or 2nd week is my target date, 3 days in Paris and 6 days in Switzerland.
    Can you suggest what train ride I should take from Paris to Switzerland?
    What base I should be in Switzerland for the total days we will be there?
    Since it will be summer, my must visit is the snow mount which is Jungfraujoch to see snow.

    Where can I also check the information oif the cable rides or trains rides are operating?

    Thank you in advance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello
      answers for all your questions are in the post above. I'm copy/pasting again
      Can you suggest what train ride I should take from Paris to Switzerland?
      TGV to Basel to be booked in advance. For the TGV tickets Paris to Switzerland use www.trainline.eu

      Tickets go on sale 90 days prior to travel.
      What base I should be in Switzerland for the total days we will be there?
      Since it will be summer, my must visit is the snow mount which is Jungfraujoch to see snow.
      Bernese Oberland area

      Where can I also check the information oif the cable rides or trains rides are operating?
      Official website of that particular ride.

      Delete