15 days itinerary for summer 2020 in Switzerland
-
GrovesiaParticipant4 posts7 July 2019 at 0:11:06 #822696
Hello
I am planning a summer trip for next summer around 15 days. First question, we would be traveling in either July or August. I realize this is high season. However, weather wise, is there a particular time in those two months where chances of good weather on the mountain is more likely?
We were planning the spend a week in Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Wengen (exact town TBD). Question – how truly realistic would it be to make a day trip from this area to Montreux? There is a particular attraction that is a must see there for us. i have generally checked out the time tables, but looking for a human opinion. If it’s not reasonable, we would be adding one night there before going to Zermatt.
My next question is really around how to split up our next week in Switzerland. We love to hike and be in nature. We were thinking to spend 3 nights in Zermatt, take the Glacier Express to St. Moritz, spend a night there before heading to Zurich to fly home. In your opinion, is it worth breaking up some of the time in Zermatt and spending more time near St. Moritz having spent a week in the area mentioned above? We are really open to suggestions.
Thanks in advance,
-
SlowpokeParticipant7567 posts7 July 2019 at 1:03:47 #917092
Hi Grovesia, and welcome to My Swiss Alps!
<<“However, weather wise, is there a particular time in those two months where chances of good weather on the mountain is more likely?”>>
Yes. September. ;-(
July and August are both “Summer” with similar weather issues.
Especially in the Alps, forecasts are notoriously inaccurate.
http://www.myswissalps.com/we ather/forecast
<<“My next question is really around how to split up our next week in Switzerland. We love to hike and be in nature. ……..”>>
You are not leaving much time for serious hiking. Are you, indeed, serious about hiking? Or, do you wish to primarily visit those nice (and famous places), with hiking a secondary aspect of your planning?
http://www.myswissalps.com/be sttimetovisit
If you wish to hike, how experienced are you at high altitude hiking, and do you have any hiking preferences or restrictions?
Slowpoke
rockoysterParticipant8889 posts7 July 2019 at 8:11:04 #917093“Question – how truly realistic would it be to make a day trip from this area to Montreux?“
Perfectly realistic. Depending of course on what you intend to do in and around Montreux once you get there.
Use the timetable on the SBB website (bit.ly/2HH1U7B) or the highly-recommended SBB Mobile app (bit.ly/2ICIUHi) to plan your travel, find fares* and buy tickets if required. If you are not familiar with using the timetable it will pay to first read the instructions on this page – http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable. *SBB website shows half-fare prices by default, mobile app allows you to nominate full or half-fare and is also smart enough to offer you the Saver Day Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/sa verdaypass) if that offers the best fare.
Based on whatever itinerary you finally decide on you should read “How to choose the best travel pass” (http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass), download the handy spreadsheet calculator and do the math. The spreadsheet also includes links to all the available passes.
Removed userParticipant72625 posts7 July 2019 at 11:24:24 #917094Hello Grovesia,
Nice to hear you’re coming along to Switzerland.
You can make a nice day trip to Montreux from the Interlaken area but of course an additional night would also give you some more time to explore. See below for inspiration:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion
– http://www.myswissalps.com/in terlaken
– http://www.myswissalps.com/go ldenpass
– http://www.myswissalps.com/mo ntreux
– http://www.myswissalps.com/la kegenevaUse the timetable provided by Rockoyster to find out detailed traveling times.
Find input about the Glacier Express as well as available activities/hikes in both St. Moritz and Zermatt in the following links:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/gl acierexpress
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ze rmatt/activities
– http://www.myswissalps.com/st moritz/activitiesHope this provides some input to help set up your itinerary.
Also make sure to read:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/hi kingGet back to us anytime for further input.
Best,
StephGrovesiaParticipant4 posts7 July 2019 at 13:55:31 #917095Thanks for the replies.
Slowpoke, I have a couple follow up questions. Would you please elaborate on similar weather issues? we must travel during those months as my daughter is in school otherwise.
Regarding serious hiking, that is why we have a whole week in the aforementioned area. I’ve planned out several hikes. Do you have suggestions for the second week to maximize both hiking and seeing different areas? It is not cheap or easy for us to fly for us to Europe, so we do try to maximize our time when we visit between hiking and sightseeing.
We usual do a two week hiking/sightseeing trip per year in the mountains. We are a fit family.
Thanks
Thanks,
SlowpokeParticipant7567 posts7 July 2019 at 14:48:46 #917096<<“Would you please elaborate on similar weather issues? we must travel during those months as my daughter is in school otherwise. “>>
Sure. First some background:
http://www.myswissalps.com/ab outswitzerland/nature
especially:
http://www.myswissalps.com/we ather
Weather in detail is unpredictable in the Alps more than about 24 hours ahead. And, it can change rapidly and frequently.
Everywhere in Switzerland, there are microclimates, driven by the mountains ( and the lakes). Forecasts for a part of a day for any region will show rain ( for example) if there is any of it anywhere in the region for any time. If you are in the region, you may not be in the small portion where there is rain. Or, you may. So, even accurate forecasts usually lack precision.
So, when I look at a forecast for an area where I wish to hike, (unless there is a major overall weather pattern controlling), if the forecast has any hint of sun, or shows no precipitation I just go there. Usually, it’s fine. Sometimes, it’s not.
I have found this site to deal reasonably well with local weather:
The “Summer” pattern of clouds and scattered storms or rain developing in the afternoons on some days is common all over Switzerland, but is more noticeable in the Alps when you are above the tree line on a hike. It holds through July and August in general. By September, the weather has usually stabilized in a Fall pattern…Typically the best weather, and that is the only time that I go to the Jungfrau region. Since I am retired and my kids don’t drive my travel schedules anymore, I can pick my times. In September, tourist density is lower than in July and August. Especially in August, school holidays and company shut downs allow more people to take vacations. So, from that perspective, July can be a bit better than August.
With all that said, if you have a couple of weeks, you’ll find good weather somewhere on most days.
Add to that the extensive well marked trail network (die Wanderwege) , and good transportation, and you will find a place to hike on most days.
Steph linked you to the Jungfrau region. On tha page, under what to do, you’ll find a lot about hiking:
http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion
Hiking in General –
<<“Do you have suggestions for the second week to maximize both hiking and seeing different areas?”>>
Lots of details on some nice trails here:
http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king
The single best topo map:
Trails are color coded:
http://www.alpenwild.com/stat icpage/trail-signs-in-the-swiss-alps/
These data are from SchweizMobil…the site for all personal transportation:
Switzerland Mobility uses the same topo map for its base. It has a useful way of offering named trails. On the map on this page look at national routes, regional routes……
http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en /wanderland/hiking-in-switzerland.html
the trails with heavy green lines have names, stages are discussed in detail, altitude profiles are available, etc. Click on a heavy green line to get to the info pages
Other trails ( light lines) have no supporting data).
The search function is useful. Use the name of a town or mountain… and it will often lead you to named hikes.
Hikes in the Jungfrau region include:
http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en /hiking-in-switzerland/routes/nat ional-routes/route-01.html
Weather patterns are such that the regions south of the Alps often have different weather from those north of the Alps.
So, this hike in the Valais could take advantage of that:http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en /hiking-in-switzerland/routes/nat ional-routes/route-06.html
I do this less adventurous but scenic one when there is rain in the North. It is almost always dry and usually sunny:
\http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/bls-sudrampe-trail
It is easily accessible from the Jungfrau region.
There is nice hiking around Lake Lucerne, of various difficulties. Look at that topo and shift to Luzern.
Here is a regional route:
http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en /hiking-in-switzerland/routes/reg ional-routes/route-099.html
I mention it in this thread:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/the-swiss-path-and-southern-lake-lucerne
<<“We are a fit family.”>>
I assume that means that many of the nice hikes at 2000-2500 meters will cause you no problems with altitude?
Slowpoke
SlowpokeParticipant7567 posts7 July 2019 at 18:54:06 #917097Just saw this-
http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en /new-route-reports-at-switzerlandmobility.ht ml
Looks useful.
Also forgot to mention that there are smart phone apps for the topo maps and Switzerland Mobility.
In particular:
shop.swisstopo.admin.c h/en/products/maps/Swi ssMapMobile_Abo
And,
http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en /wanderland/more-wl/switzerlandmobility -app-e.html
Slowpoke
GrovesiaParticipant4 posts8 July 2019 at 0:32:58 #917098Thank you so much Slowpoke. This information is extremely helpful for planning.
SlowpokeParticipant7567 posts8 July 2019 at 8:23:38 #917099Hi Grovesia-
I ducked your question about a region other than the Jungfrau region, by providing a way to find interesting and well described hikes all around Switzerland.
I favor the area around Lake Lucerne for its variety, but as you can see from those links to Switzerland Mobility numbered/named routes, there is really almost no area of Switzerland without some good hiking….in various terrains, of course.
In another link, for a photographer, I posted a bunch of pictures from all over Switzerland, just to show that you can get interesting photos in them.
I just searched for that link and go some funny results.
The title of the threads is :
7 days of Switzerland photography based in Geneva, first post on June 30, by Bsphoto22.
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/assistance-please
Something odd there.
<<“We usual do a two week hiking/sightseeing trip per year in the mountains. We are a fit family. “>>
May I assume for further recommendations that you mean that many of the nice hikes at 2000-2500 meters will cause you no problems with altitude?
Slowpoke
- The thread ‘15 days itinerary for summer 2020 in Switzerland’ is closed to new replies.