MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial 10 Day trip to Switzerland May 2017
-
Hello,
This will be our first trip to switzerland (cant wait), we are 3 couples, no children. We plan to spend total of 10 days sightseeing and 2 days of travel (in & out from zurich).
i have always planned my own trips throughout spain, italy, iceland and other countries and i love doing it, but i would like to consider the option of you doing it for me, my question is apart from the accomodation and rail passes etc, how much do you charge me for actually creating the itinerary for me.
if its not outrageous, i would rather just tell you things i would like to do, and then you can create a custom step by step itinerary for me.
please let me know. Thanks in advance.
Mayur Patel
p.s . This website of yours is amazing and is a gift to all travelers. Great job.
-
Hi Mayur and welcome to MySwissAlps!
We don’t create itineraries for guests here at MySwissAlps.
We aim to make your itinerary the best possible for your needs once you tell us where you want to go and what you want to see – as we can’t tell you what you would like to see and do 🙂Take a look at our Getting started with your trip to Switzerland page to help you on your trip planning.
Further to that, take a look at our what to do and where to go pages so you can see what is available here for you to enjoy.
After that, feel free to post an initial itinerary of towns, regions and attractions you would like to visit and any questions you may have, such as:
- what rail passes are best for your trip
- what towns may be best to base yourselves in if you want to visit Jungfraujoch or take the Glacier Express
- Should I visit Mt. Pilatus or Mt. Titlis
- etc.
Those sorts of things 😉 We do have a page you should read about custom holiday planning here.
I hope this helps get you started, we look forward to helping you as you progress with your planning!
Lucas
Hello Lucas, Thanks for the reply and guidelines. Here is a rough itinerary, that i have came up with, obviously i am going to need your help in making it efficient :). i read all the forums and all the trip reports and its so overwhelming and now i am confused, i really need your help.
May 28th – Arrive in Zurich, catch a train to Lucerne and stay for 2-3 days. Visit Mt. Titlis/Mt. Pilatus/Mt. Rigi. Also ride the Golden Pass line
_ Question : Should i stay in Zurich on May 28th, if i want to visit Rhine Falls, or is it as easy from Lucerne? If i had to skip 1 out of Mt. titlis, pilatus or rigi, which one should i skip?
May 31st – Depart Lucerne for Interlaken/Grindelwald (should i make interlaken or grindelwald or Murren my base?) i would like to visit Junfrauch, Trummelbach Falls, Schlithorn and Bachsee hike that you have recommended in forum. How many days will i need to stay in Interlaken/Grindelwald/Murren.
From there i would like to see the Matterhorn, i would definitely like to ride the Glacier express, can you recommend, how i can accomplish that, is it worth visiting Geneva/St.Moritz?
Please help me out on the questions above and once i receive answers from you. i can recompose another refined itinerary, and share it with you. i would like to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel. Any suggestions for apartments that can accomodate 3 couples?
thank you so much for your help
Hi Mayur,
Personally I think switching base too much takes a lot of time and isn’t really efficient, so from that perspective it could make sense not to stay in Zurich. Even you arrive early you can also consider to visit the Rhine Falls before traveling to Lucerne the same day, while your luggage stays in lockers.
The three mountains you mentioned are all very different. Titlis is the highest and snowiest. Rigi is more gentle, allows for hikes, and is easy to combine with a boat trip. Pilatus is rocky and steep, pretty spectacular. I’d recommend to check the details and make your choice based on that:
I would stay in Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen in your case. Those villages are in the mountains and prettier than Interlaken.
A visit to Zermatt to see the Matterhorn is doable from Interlaken or the mentioned villages. It will be a long day though. The Glacier Express page provides all details about that trip.
You can’t do it all in 10 days. I would skip Geneva. St. Moritz is wonderful and you can easily spend two or more weeks in just that area, but you will have to choose I’m afraid. May is not the best time for St. Moritz if you plan to hike, as it’s in between winter and summer and it’s at high altitude.
Make sure you have a rail pass to save on the traveling and day trips.
Apartments are mostly rented for at least a week and from Saturday to Saturday. There are exceptions but you would need to search for them. Please see myswissalps.com/rental s.
Hey Arno,
Thanks for the reply, Do you think, staying 3 days in Lucerne, 3 Days in Grindelwald/Interlaken and 2 days in Zermatt is good idea, that way i can have a base for everything i want to sightsee, coz as you said, it will be a long day from Interlaken to Matterhorn.
(Although there is a train from Interlaken that leaves at 6am, and gets me to Zermatt at 8:15am) with changes in Spiez and Visp?? Can you please confirm if i am correct? if it is correct, i wont have to switch my bases too much as you advised, and i can just stay in Lucerne and Grindelwald/Interlaken. This way i can just spend 1 long day for matterhorn .
sincerely
Mayur
Hi Mayur,
Sure, each itinerary is fine as long as you’re enthusiastic about it! A day trip to Zermatt from Interlaken/Grindelwald is pretty long, but certainly doable if you leave early and return in the late afternoon. If one day in Zermatt is enough for you, it would indeed be more relaxed to just divide your time between Lucerne and Interlaken/Grindelwald. That way you’ll be switching base towns/hotels only once. Please find hotels below:
Hello Annika/Arno/Lucas,
Sorry it took long to get back on, planning this trip has been really confusing, All the places in your country are so beautiful, so trying figure out what to do and what not..is a nightmare 🙂 Here is what i have come up with, please let me know if this is doable.
May 28th – Arrive in Zurich, customs/baggage, Catch a train to St.Moritz (need advice to get there fastest way possible in train). Stay night in St Moritz.
May 29th – Take Glacier Express to Zermatt. Stay Zermatt
May 3oth – Matterhorn/Gornergrat. Stay Zermatt
May 31st – Chocolate Train – Stay Zermatt ( is it worth spending this day in Zermatt, or should i take the golden pass line from Montreux to Interlaken??)
June 1st – Montreux to Interlaken – Golden pass line .Finish Junfrauch. Stay Interlaken
June 2nd- Schilthorn – Boat trip on lake Brienz/Thun (which lake is better?) Can i do Schilthorn & a boat trip in one day? Stay Interlaken.
June 3rd- Interlaken to Lucerne – Golden Pass line. Stay Lucerne
June 4th – Mt.Pilatus trip/ evening in city. Stay Lucerne
June 5th – Rigi & other sightseeing. Stay Lucerne
June 6th – Lucerne to Zurich. Rhine Falls and zurich.
June 7th – Fly back home
Questions are
1. Does the itinerary make sense?
2. Is it worth staying extra day in Zermatt to do the chocolate train, or should i allocate that day for lucerne/zurich.
3. what train should i catch to get the fastest way possible from zurich to st moritz?
Thank you for your help
Mayur
Hi again Mayur,
Trip planning for Switzerland is kind of a good nightmare right? 🙂
I like your itinerary except for June 1:
I wouldn’t try to do the Golden Pass and Jungfraujoch on the same day. Keep the day open and do Jungfraujoch if the weather there looks good. Perhaps add a day in Interlaken from Zermatt to allow for better weather chances (if you want to skip the chocolate train – your call!).
Schilthorn and a boat trip is possible in one long day yes.
From Zurich airport you are look at 3.5 hours give or take 10 minutes. this includes a change in Zurich main train station and another in Chur. Take a look at the timetable here.
Lucas
Hello Arno/Annika/Lucas
Planning is definitely a sweet nightmare. Thanks for the suggestions on my itinerary.
How about instead of taking a train from zurich to st. moritz. i take a train from zurich to chur, spend a night in chur? Are there activities to do in Chur?
sincerely
Mayur
Hi Mayur-
Switzerland tourism has a good site for learning a bit about Chur:
http://www.myswitzerland.com/ en-us/search/index.cfm?phrase=Chur
http://www.churtourismus.ch/?&L=4
Slowpoke
Hello Arno/Lucas
Thanks for all the suggestions, i am now working on my refined itinerary, i’ll post that once i am done with it. I am sure i’ll have questions about transfers and times :). But as of right now, is there a place i can find list of vegetarian restaurants in Chur, Lucerne, Zermatt etc. i have been on trip advisor for hours and majority of the restaurants dont have their menu posted, most of them are in german or dutch. If you can help, it would be greatly appreciated.
sincerely
Mayur
>> is there a place i can find list of vegetarian restaurants in Chur, Lucerne, Zermatt etc.
Hi Mayur,
This might help.
http://www.happycow.net/europ e/switzerland/
Alpenrose
Hi Mayur,
Many restaurants offer vegetarian dishes. Nearly all in fact. So no need to search for vegetarian only, although they will offer more variety.
We are also planning a trip to Switzerland(first time in Switzerland) the first of May. I wasn’t sure whether to join this thread or start a new post. I will start here. This is our itinerary:
- Day 1: Arrive in Basel – Half day in Basel, overnight Basel
- Day 2: Train to Montreux from Basel – Chateau de Chillon and walk the Lakeside Promenade????? – Take the route along the Jura and if possible the last part by boat.
- Day 3: Vineyards of Laveaux/Vevey ?????
- Day 4: Train to Lauterbrunnen area, stopping at Gstaad, Glacier 3000 to spend time (1/2 day Lauterbrunnen – depends on how much time is needed for Gstaad) —- Golden Pass
- Day 5: Lauterbrunnen area – Day trip
- Day 6: Lauterbrunnen – Day trip (Schilthorn/Murren excursion one day)
- Day 7: Lauterbrunnen area – Day trip
- Day 8: Train to Luzern 1/2 day in Luzern
- Day 9 Luzern area (cable car to Mount Titlis, weather permitting, maybe the Golden Route) I have copied the following links and I have not yet read/researched.
Day 10: Train to Zurich for morning flight
I have lodging in these areas. I know I need a rail pass for this period of time, haven’t read all I need to on that. In this thread I read about the early bird discount for rail passes. I’m a little nervous about figuring out the route and trains online, but I will start reading and getting more comfortable with that. We are also in shoulder season there, I’ve been reading to see what is closed during this time.
Please review my itinerary and offer any advice that you see is obvious.
Day 1 – Basel -Only 1/2 day but we can explore – Advice or suggestions?
Day 4 – We plan to use the baggage option to take our bags on to Lauterbrunnen. I don’t know how much time we need at Gstaad/ Glacier 3000. Even if we get to Lauterbrunnen late, I think that is okay. I have not checked the rail times yet. Advice for Gstaad?
Days 5-7 – Day trips from and around Lauterbrunnen, any suggestions or advice is appreciated.
Days 8 -9 Train to Luzern (1/2 day to explore and a full day there the next day). I have looked at the Golden Route, but also read it was less expensive just to plan your own train trip. Any advice for this full day in Luzern or a better plan?
Day 10 – We will take an early morning train to Zurich to fly home.
Any details/ advice you can offer is appreciated. Thank you for your time and help! Also, I can start a new thread with this if you think that is advisable.
Welcome to MySwissAlps travelplannr,
Please post this in a new thread. That’s easier for everyone reading this and yourself as well. Thanks!
Thank you so much for that link. That really helped 🙂
Hey Arno,
i have some questions about names of Main train stations and about reserving tickets on GE and GPass Line. Do i ask you here or do i need to start a new thread in the Rail forum?
sincerely
Mayur
Hi Xandercage13,
Go ahead and start your own post in the rail forum.
Have a look through the website though as we have pages on the Glacier Express and Golden Pass lines that explain everything you are wondering about. Also, main train stations typically aren’t “named” it is just translated as Hauptbahnhof (IE Zurich Hauptbahnhof)…if that’s what your question was referring to.
Perhaps I’ve answered your questions already!
Lucas
- The thread ‘10 Day trip to Switzerland May 2017’ is closed to new replies.
