[Travel2Live]

18 July 2023 at 15:05:30 #830330

SHORT REPORT: Here is my Top 20 list of BREATHTAKING places you don’t learn about in the headlines of the main travel guides/brochures/websites: Rhonegletscher, Albula Pass, Landwasser Viaduct lookout point, Julier Pass and Theatre, Munt LaSchera Tunnel, St John Mustair monastery, Schloss Tarasp, Stein am Rhein, Einsielden Cathedral, 11km of Rte2 between Ingenbohl and Fluelen, a little known backroad from Grindelwald to Meiringen, Sammelausstellung (aka Woodcarving museum) in Brienz, 3.5km of Rte9 between Standsstad and Hergiswil, city of Biel/Bienne, Wenger Factory Tour, Porrentruy, St Ursanne, Abbatiale Bellelay, city of Nyon and GOMS Bridge. #21 is for Balcone d’Italia, accesible from Italy, stradling the Swiss-Italian border but with 95% of the views!!!!! on Switzerland.

I don’t have any overrated locations which is both good news and bad news: Switzerland is 100% beautiful and nothing will dissapoint you but… there is nothing you can cross off your list. Except for one caveat: the panorame trains. The views are beautiful but they are long, boring for some and expensive. If you are short of time or money or both, I think I have a better alternative for you: go to one, two or ten lookout points such as Landwasser Viaduct (did I mention it already?) and watch the trains go by. I rode all 5 of the main cross-country panorama trains (Bernina, Glacier, Voralpen, GoldenPass and Gotthard) and at all times would have more than one passenger asleep around me.

Thanks a lot to all MySwissAlps community for your valuable inputs.

LONG REPORT: Let me start with the obvious: it’s FABULOUS but expensive, expensive but fabulous. Spell S-w-i-t-z-e-r-l-a-n-d and you have already splurged. I have looong waited for this first time last time Swiss vacation, I don’t plan on having another chance. Maybe on another life. I therefore made my plans accordingly: long trip, many days available, extensive research, rent a car, drive everywhere, see it all, sleep little, give up some comfort I otherwise take for granted. Splurge in admission tickets, trains (prior to my rental car), mountain trains or travel passes and city cards, do NOT splurge in hotels or food. And then I went a little extreme.

I enjoy slow travel, I admire slow travelers, I do it myself from time to time. I love to have a flexible schedule that allows time to relax, take it all in, have a beer in some scenic setting, get lost in narrow alleyways and most especially allow time to interact with the locals whenever a chance arises. Not this time though. I planned most of my moves with Swiss precision and I moved FAST.

I am not comfortable with luxury hotels or Michelin restaurants but I do enjoy a cozy family run place in a charming village. Not this time. I camped, I slept in my car, I couchsurfed, I AirBnB-ed, I slept in neighbouring countries. No alpine view from my cozy bed, no private bathroom, no bed and no bathroom at all many times. There is no way I could have done this trip otherwise.

And I also missed on Swiss food. Completely. Even on fondue and raclette. Same reason.

But here is the good news: IT WAS A BLAST!!!! I got to see and experience about everything that makes Switzerland Switzerland. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. I enjoyed every minute of it. I know my travel style will not fit everybody’s tastes. But hopefully you might pick up one idea or two and build it into your plans.

The first thing I did was choose the right season and the right length of time. This required a first research of things of see and do in Switzerland. Of course, there is more than you could cover in one year. I chose June, 40 days or more, a couple days overlapping into late may and more onto the first half of july. Next, I looked for cheap rental cars, economy class of course. I found that in Milano. Then look for flights. Milano it is. Flew in on May 30, left on July 10. Next, I dove into the details. Studied the opening times and days of those many, many, many museums and attractions on my list. Studied travel times from A to B, train schedules and road options. Then built and rebuilt my itinerary about a zillion times. Among other ítems, the choice where to spend my Mondays (and Tuesdays, occasionally) when so many attractions are closed forced me to reshuffle and deal again so many times. I spent 6 Mondays on the Glacier Express, Voralpen+GoldenPass and outside Switzerland.

I traveled my first 19 days by train, then returned to Milano, hired a car and drove around for another 23 days. I made the best of both modes of transport. On my first loop, I took the panorama trains one after another and visited the cities and other car unfriendly destinations in between: Lugano, Bernina Express, Glacier Express, the Jungfrau, Bern, Zurich, St Gallen, Voralpen, Golden Line, Montreaux-Vevey-Lavaux vineyards-Lausanne, Luzern, St Gotthard Express. On my second loop, I visited destinations a little further out of the way, too many to list.

I know this site recommends public transport instead of driving. For environmental reasons, which I fully endorse (and WILL pay my CO2 compensation as soon as I am past my largest credit card installments) and for cost-time-enjoyment balance which is where I may have a different view. There is no substitute to a ride on the Bernina Express (even a summer ride is no equivalent to a winter ride experience). Likewise, Bernina is no match to driving over the Furkapass. Without a car it is too time consuming to access fantastic spots like Grottes de Vallorbe (50km away from Lausanne, almost stradling the French border) Landwasser Viaduct viewpoint (viewing the viaduct is not quite the same as riding across it), Juliertheater (13km away from Skt Moritz), Hotel Belvedere and nearby Rottengletscher ice cave (near Furkapass) or monasteries like St Johann Müstair (SE tip of CH). Last but not least, a 30 to 90 minute drive around the hoods of Lugano, Luzern, Zurich, Bern, Bienne, Basel, Lausanne and more was the closest I got to having an insight of the environments where 50% of the Swiss people live, work, study, shop, heal and whatsnot. It also was my small allowance of time to wander with no itinerary, get lost and expect the unexpected. At times, I would hang an argentine flag on my rear window, smile at people waving at me and be approached on two occasions with congrats for last year FIFA World Cup. I invited both of them to take a seat in my car, grab some argentine deli I carried around exactly for that purpose and show me around town a little. They politely refused, unfortunately, but still worth the shot.

I covered all corners of Switzerland except Geneve, North, South, East and West, German, French, Italian and Romanche, Alps, Central Valley and the Jura. I also tiptoed into all 5 neighbouring countries (Italia, Osterreich, Lichtenstein, Deustcheland and France) and I hope to tiptoe into Geneve on a future trip around the southern half of France. Free unchecked movement across countries is one of the perks of Schengen Agreement and I try to exploit it in my favour as much as possible.

I will not torture you with my day-to-day details. Just a broad-brush outline and a little more detail for just two locations I cherrypicked for you: the Jungfrau (on foot and public transport) and the Jura (self driving).

Day 1-5: Lombardia & Ticino: Bellinzona castles and Monte Bre, Monte Salvatore, SwissMiniature and Gandria in/around Lugano.

Day 6-7: Bernina Express, overnight in Chur, Glacier Express, LotschbergBahn across Lotschberg Tunnel to Spiez, overnight in Leissingen (10 min away from Interlaken).

Day 8-9: Jungfrau Region. Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn are as awesome and as expensive as you can get in Swiss Alps, and I wanted next to perfect weather to make that investment. I was ready to stay up to two additional days waiting for perfect weather (at the expense of my Bern and Zurich time) which is further complicated because forecasts are never 100% reliable. My compromise was to book transport and accomodation with cancellation clause, and a last minute update of weather forecasts at Spiez train station. Fortunaley the weather behaved and the forecast came out accurate. I showed up at Leissingen train station at 5:45am. 90 minutes later, I climbed into the first car of the Eiger Express up to Eigergletscher followed by the first funicular train to Jungfraujoch. By midday sharp I was on my way down after completing all of the Top of Europe activities including the hike to Mönchsjochhutte out&back, 45 minutes later I was starting the 7.2km long Eiger Trail. I had to hurry a Little and make sure to arrive in Alpiglen on time to catch the 15:15 train down to Grund followed by a walk to the cablecar up to Mannlichen and the 4.5km long Panoramaweg to Kleine Scheidegg. But my day did not end yet: I next rode the train, bus and cablecar to Gimmelwald and short strolls around Wengen, Lauterbrunnen and Stabbauch Falls along the way. The next day was equally hectic: Schilthorn summit, Birg Thrill Walk, Northface Trail to Allmendhubel, Flower Trail back to Murren, cogtrain to Grutschalp, cablecar to Lauterbrunnen and then catch one train after the other all the way to Bern. And pick up the bulk of my luggage I had left behind in a locker in Interlaken station.

Day 10-12: Bern and Zurich. Train to Konstanz.

Day 13: Lake Constance.

Day 14: Train to St Gallen, quick visit of the historic center and the Abbey/Library, Voralpen Panorama train to Luzern, followed by Golden Pass all the way to Montreux and on to Lausanne. I completed 80% of Switzerland’s width in one day.

Day 15-16: Laussanne, Lavaux, Montreux, Vevey and Lausanne again. Train to Luzern.

Day 17-19: Luzern and environs incl the Old Town and Kapellbruecke, Swiss Museum of Transport, Mt Pilatus, Mt Rigi, Engelberg & Mt Titlis. Late afternoon St Gothaard train to Lugano (no Luzernsee sailing to Fluelen) and on to Milano.

Day 20-22: rent a car and drive around Lombardia, Italia.

Day 23-26: drive southern and southeastern Switzerland, Simplonpass, Furkapass, Splugenpass, St Moritz, AlbulaPass, Landwasserviadukt, JulierPass, Munt LaSchera, Val Mustair, Engandine, Davos, Maienfeld

Day 27-28: Lichtenstein, Osterreich, Deustcheland and Rhine Falls.

Day 29: Schaffhausen, recap of Zurich, Rapperswil, Einsielden, Schwyz and evenning drive across Sustenpass.

Day 30-31: Jungfrau Region again this time by car: Trummelbachfälle, hike from Schnygge Platte to First, Thun, Niedehorn, Harder Kulm, Brienz, Ballenberg Museum, Luzern

Day 32: Entlebusch, recap of Bern, cities of Biel/Bienne, Delemont and Basel.

Day 33: Deustchland and France

Day 34: The Jura Mountains. Kindly encouraged by my Couchsurfing host in Montbeliard (FR) I started the day before the break of dawn and drove the long backcountry road to Chaux de Fonds via Porrentuy, St Ursanne, Berlincourt, Gorges de Pichoux, Cortebert, St Imiers, Dombresson and Vue des Alpes. I reached my first destination of the day in time for a 45 minute walk around before standing in line to wait for the opening of the Musee Internationale. I next visited Espace urbanisme horloger, then moved on to Le Locle to check out its own Musée d’Horlogerie, the Moulins Col des Roches and a short winding strip of road that went 50metres into France. Next I backed into Switzerland and drove more beautiful backroads to Neuchatel, with a late lunch stop on the way. I only had time for a quick driving tour (without stepping out of the car) of Neuchatel, then Yverdon les Bains, then Vallorbe. I was 5:45pm when I parked near Grottes de Vallorbes and 6:50 when I ended my visit to than astounding place. The weekend crowds had fortunately thinned out and I ended the day with a fantastic 150km long evenning drive along the shores of Lac de Joux,up the Col de Machairuz, down to Nyon up to La Cure where I was kindly invited into Hotel Arbezie that stradles the border between France and Switzerland. I slept in Montperreux, FR.

Day 35: recap of Lausanne, Lavaux & Vevey, Gruyeres, Château-d’Oex and fast drive to Stalden in Central Valais

Day 36-38: early morning drive to Tasch or Randa and on by train to Zermatt. Rothorn, Gourmetweg and Zermatt on one day, Gornergrat the next day, Kleine Matterhorn, Hornlihutte and Gornerschlucht and drive out of Switzerland on the last day.

Day 39-40: Italia.

Thanks a lot to Anna, Annika, Arno, Peterli, Slowpoke and Yolanda. And grazie Svizzera, engraziel Svizra, danke Schweiz, merci Suisse!

[Anna]

18 July 2023 at 15:41:28 #956624

Hi travel2live,

This is amazing and a very extensive trip report.

Thank you for sharing so many useful tips and information.

Regards,

Anna

[hockeyfan]

19 July 2023 at 13:02:20 #956625

Oh, WOW! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful and memorable trip.

[Jers]

19 July 2023 at 22:16:34 #956626

Hello Travel2Live,

Wow, how impressive! That’s great! We’re going in September. I’ve got a lot of activities planned, but I want to do a beautiful bus trip and see things I couldn’t from a train ride.

I am Very interested in an activity you mentioned that you loved …”a little-known back road from Grindelwald to Meiringen,”

I am so interested in this …Could you please tell me the name of this road? I will not have a car, but hopefully a Bus will drive this route or something similar. Any info. that will identify, maybe a bus route or something?

Thank you so very much! Jers

[Travel2Live]

20 July 2023 at 1:43:54 #956627

Hi Jers, sure, it’s the Rosenlui Route. It’s a beautiful meandering road that feels quite an adventure.

Here are a few links for you:

http://www.postauto.ch/en/leisure-offers/excursion-tips/2023/rosenlaui-route

alpen-paesse.ch/en/alpenpaesse/grosse-scheidegg/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfokcTFsRgo

(if you don’t appreciate spoilers, please don’t watch the youtube vid)

Enjoy!!!!

[Yolanda]

20 July 2023 at 12:28:01 #956628

Thank you Travel2Live,

I really enjoyed reading your trip report – so very entertaining too!! An impressive amount of traveling in 40 days both by train and car.

Thank you again.

Kind regards,

Yolanda

[Jers]

20 July 2023 at 18:55:43 #956629

Hi Travel2Live,

I very much appreciate your information on that beautiful Bus ride! Very nice and informative of you – I will definitely be doing that!

Happy Travels to You!

Jers

[hockeyfan]

20 July 2023 at 19:38:44 #956630

Jers, while on that bus ride consider stopping for lunch at the Historic Rosenlaui Hotel for lunch. This, along with the bus ride, is one of our favorite lazyday activities. Have a wonderful trip.

[Jers]

20 July 2023 at 20:05:52 #956631

Hello HockeyFan!

Thank you very much for your really great suggestion on lunching at the Rosenlaui Hotel! Appreciate the tip! I LOVE tips like this! I love this lovely old building and it’s charm. I’d love to eat lunch here. (Our Hotel is 140 years old… one of the reasons we’re staying there).

However, I just Googled the Rosenlaui and it looks like they don’t serve Lunch – just Breakfast (ending at 10:00am) and Dinner (beginning at 6:30), which won’t work me. Did you eat lunch recently there, if so, what time? Maybe if I make a lunch reservation ??

If the Rosenlaui doesn’t work out time-wise, any other suggestions?

Thanks, Jers.

[hockeyfan]

20 July 2023 at 21:01:51 #956632

I believe those times are for the guests of the hotel. You could email them to check. We have had lunch there 5 or 6 times in the last 10 or 12 years. We have also had lunch at Gross Scheidegg; busy with hikers, but good mountain food.

[Jers]

20 July 2023 at 21:14:15 #956633

Sounds good, Hockyfan! My email has been sent to them. Thank you very much and also for the info re. lunch at Gross Scheidegg.

Jers

[Jers]

20 July 2023 at 22:55:42 #956634

Hello HockeyFan,

I got email back from Rosenlaui Hotel – they DO serve lunch! Yay! Warm food from 10:00 to 4:00.

Yes, you were right, the other times are for hotel guests. Many many thanks.

Warm Regards, Jers

[traveljet]

25 August 2023 at 11:20:04 #956635

Hi Jers,

We did a trip to Rosenlaui which you can read in my trip report (link at the bottom) when we were based in Meiringen and Wengen. The AARE GORGE (also in the report) is a great walk on a nice boardwalk and it’s easily accessible by dedicated train from Meiringen. We skipped the Rosenlaui Gorge but from what I read, it has more steps than Aare Gorge. If you have kids with you, then Aare Gorge would be my recommendation. However, my concern is whether you have time for both Aare Gorge and Rosenlaui.

For Rosenlaui, we took a bus 164 from the Meiringen bus station to the GSCHWANDENMAD bus stop. It’s a lovely walk from Gschwandenmad to Rosenlaui hotel.

On the sbb mobile app, for your return trip from Rosenlaui, Hotel back to Wengen: Key in Rosenlaui, Hotel as the starting point and Wengen as the destination VIA Lauterbrunnen.

You will see 2 options : (1) in the direction of Meiringen or

(2) in the direction of Schwarzwaldalp. From what I read, the bus from Schwazwaldalp down to Grindelwald is a scenic but winding trip and may be interesting provided you don’t have motion sickness. The scenery in this direction means you get to see Grosse Scheidegg in front of you. We didnt take this option since we were staying in Meiringen during the visit.

Please do check the sbb app for the times to ensure you catch the buses from Rosenlaui or Schwarzwaldalp in time.

Here’s my trip report of our Bernese Oberland trip:

http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/trip-report-4-23-june-2023-bernese-oberland-pt1#yQSKOKDW9mqS6v8AAFcRTQ

[traveljet]

25 August 2023 at 11:26:17 #956636

Wow Travel2Live, what a speedy gonzales trip you had! I am breathless just reading it. 😁. It’s great that you managed to do all that and saw whatever you wanted to see in that 40+ day holiday. Congrats on achieving this trip, something people at my age couldnt or wouldnt be able to do.

Thanks for sharing your adventures!