3 days in Switzerland in May – best places to go?
A traveler is planning a three-day trip from Paris to Switzerland, arriving on May 11th and flying to London on May 14th. They are considering visiting Lucerne, Interlaken, and possibly doing a hike, but need help creating a tight itinerary that maximizes their short stay. The traveler is looking for recommendations on places to visit, transportation options, and accommodations.
- Consider staying in Lucerne for a mix of town and mountain activities, as there’s plenty to see and do.
- For a scenic experience, plan to take the Golden Pass train; it connects Lucerne to Interlaken and Montreux.
- Look into the Swiss Travel Pass for convenient train travel; it could simplify your journey between cities.
- If you prefer mountain stays, Murren is ideal for hiking, but check the accessibility of trails beforehand.
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Hi! My family of 5 adults will be traveling from Paris on the morning of May 11th, and flying to London the evening of May 14th (haven’t booked the flight home yet but planning to fly out of Zurich or Geneva) = 2 half days and 2 full days. This is such a short time, but I would really like to see as much as possible while we’re here.
I’ve done lots of research but am at a loss on where to go. Thinking of doing Lucerne and Interlaken and one other place – would like to visit the town and mountains, do a half-day hike somewhere, take the Golden Pass Train (don’t know much about this yet). Will take any and all suggestions for a 3 day itinerary with the best place to be on May 14th for our return flight to London, including places to visit, how to get there, and where to stay. Thanks!
Please let me know if you need any other specifics to be more helpful!
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Hi rachgo729, welcome to MySwissAlps!
You could have a wonderful time by just staying in Lucerne. There enough to do there for weeks. You’ll be close to the mountains but also to museums.
Another option is to stay in Lucerne, then take half the Golden Pass line to Interlaken and stay there. Or, take the full Golden Pass line to Montreux and they there (makes sense if you fly out or into Geneva).
A 3-day Glacier Express tour would be an entirely different option.
The links will give you lots of additional information.
Hi Arno! Thank you for your reply. I’ve done more research and am thinking that we should go to the Interlaken, Murren, and Gimmelwald areas. Can you tell me if my itinerary makes sense and any changes or updates you would suggest?
May 11th – take train from Paris to Interlaken (spend the day here and stay in Interlaken)
May 12-13th- take train (not sure which?) from Interlaken to Murren (stay in Murren on nights of May 12th and May 13th); do an easy hike from Murren (North Face trail) to Gimmelwald and take train back to Murren
May 14th – take train to Zurich to fly out
Would you suggest staying in Gimmelwald instead of Murren? Any other suggestions you would make?
Thanks!
Hi again rachgo729,
If you want to stay in the mountains, then go straight to Mürren. Interlaken is more like a gateway to the region: easy train connections, lots of shops, but it’s not in the mountains, nor is there a lot to see in the town itself (check the link I gave you before). I would not recommend Gimmelwald. It’s not more than a few houses. A beautiful place, but not very convenient.
Don’t count on doing the Eiger Trail in May. It probably won’t be accessible because of snow. It opens in mid June on average. Trails below 2000 m should be accessible, but you won’t know for sure until you’re there. Please find suggestions on the Interlaken page.
A Swiss Transfer Ticket Combi might be the best rail pass for you. In that case you only need a ticket from Paris to Basel as the rest is covered by that pass.
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