[Anonymous]

21 September 2022 at 15:04:57 #828397

Greetings,

My family has decided to plan a (very last minute) 2 week trip to Switzerland and Italy in mid-October. This will be our first time in Europe as a family and we have a 9 month old and 3 year old. Looking for suggestions re itinerary, accommodations, and any other advice for this upcoming trip. Especially for Switzerland, we would like to see as much as easily possible with kids in 5-7 days. Thank you in advance!

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[pvonk]

Reply 1 of 4 • 22 September 2022 at 2:13:57 #947174

It would help the readers here know what your interests are. Trains, boats, museums (probably not with young kids, but then again, …), hikes or leisurely walks in towns, visit sleepy mountain towns or experience city life.

As for accommodations, just follow the link at the top of the page on Where To Sleep.(With your trip a month away, finding certain accommodations may be a challenge.)

I suggest you spend time reading through other posts where readers ask the same questions. There are many replies that should help you get ideas.

Do you want to move to numerous bases or do you want to concentrate in a specific area? 5-7 days is a short period, so you might focus on one area, like Luzern.

Mid November is pretty quiet in the mountain towns as this is the change over season between summer and winter. Many hotels and restaurants are closed. But that won’t be a problem in larger towns and cities (like Luzern) at lower altitudes.

[User]

Reply 2 of 4 • 22 September 2022 at 13:55:10 #947175

Hi rikh and welcome to MySwissAlps.com!

As pvonk mentioned, it is difficult to recommend anything as we do not know your interest, your budget your travel habits.

First time travellers usually are interested in Zermatt (http://www.myswissalps.com/zermatt), Lake Lucerne (http://www.myswissalps.com/lakelucerne) and the Jungfrau region (http://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrauregion).

I recommend these pages, you can start your planning here:

• How to plan your trip: http://www.myswissalps.com/plantrip/doityourself
• About the Swiss weather: http://www.myswissalps.com/weather
• Towns and cities: http://www.myswissalps.com/wheretogo/towns
• Swiss natural sites: http://www.myswissalps.com/activities/naturalsites
• Practical information: http://www.myswissalps.com/aboutswitzerland/practical
• Best time to visit: http://www.myswissalps.com/besttimetovisit

As pvonk already mentioned, some of the cable cars and other mountain transport won’t operate during October, but you can still find others for other mountain tops that they do in the same region. Just one thing that is good to have an eye, to avoid disappointments.

In addition to that be aware that under 2 years old high altitude is not always recommended, before visiting areas over 2500 m, you’d better consult your doctor. See more practical information on this page under “Preparation”: http://www.myswissalps.com/jungfraujoch.

You’ve mentioned that you are travling to different countries, so have a look at the Eurail Global Pass: http://www.myswissalps.com/eurailglobalpass. What other countries are you planning to visit?

Your kids travel for free by trains, buses, mountain transport etc. in Switzerland. You do not need any pass for them.

We have a list of recommended accommodations here: http://www.myswissalps.com/hotels.

If you have a bit more specific questions, we can help you better.

Regards,

Ildiko

[User]

Reply 3 of 4 • 23 September 2022 at 5:47:52 #947176

Thank you both for your reply. I understand that I should’ve provided more information. We have decided to do Zurich, Lucerne, and Interlaken and only focus on Switzerland for 7-10 days.

As it’s our first time, we’d like to visit the typical tourist highlights including some city life and small town/village. We would love to explore using the trains and take in all the beauty while keeping in mind baby and toddler needs.

I realize it might be cooler weather in a few weeks so also have to keep that in mind along with high altitude with baby. Any further suggestions? We’re looking to stay in Lucerne the longest as a base.

[Anna]

Reply 4 of 4 • 23 September 2022 at 11:43:37 #947177

Hi Rikh,

Travelling with an infant and a toddler can be challenging so it’s good that you’ve decided to focus on just a few places in Switzerland for this trip.

For a 2-week trip in October, I think Lucerne is an ideal base for 1 week or longer. Then you might want to pick another location as a base to experience a different Swiss region- maybe somewhere in the Berner Oberland or the Swiss-French side e.g. Montreux or Lausanne..

There are plenty of sightseeing options in Lucerne and surrounding areas. Also, Lucerne has a central location and excellent transport network, and you can easily plan day trips to Zurich and Interlaken. With small children, I recommend you keep your itinerary simple and flexible. Try stick to one activity or destination per day. For instance, day 1 – spend the day exploring Lucerne old town and maybe visit the Swiss Museum of Transport. Day 2 – excursion to Mt Pilatus. Day 3 – excursion to Mt Titlis. Day 4 – day trip to Zurich. Day 5 – day trip to Interlaken, and so forth. You can find more sightseeing and activity options here: http://www.myswissalps.com/lucerne/activities

If you plan to have a second base in Montreux or Lausanne, you can use the following links to plan your itinerary:

• Lausanne: http://www.myswissalps.com/lausanne/activities
• Montreux: http://www.myswissalps.com/montreux/activities

I hope this will get you started.

Regards,

Anna