MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial September Swiss trip, 17 days: itinerary check
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First a thank you to Anna, Annika, Arno, Yolanda, and all the others who have contributed to this website. We are 2 active senior couples (60’s and 70’s) and will be travelling by train this September for 17 days. We’ll purchase a Swiss Travel Pass Flex 15 days and will stay at hotels near the train station. Below is a detailed itinerary of what we plan to do each day, but I’m not sure how realistic it is. It would be very helpful if you could advise what you might do differently, if there are better options, etc. Thank you once again 🙂
Sep 9: Arrive Zurich. Take train to Schaffhausen. Explore old town, hike Munot Fortress.
Sep 10: Boat ride to Rhine Falls, adventure park, miniature world, old town guided tour.
Sep 11: Train to Stein am Rhein – explore town.
Sep 12: Arrive Lucerne. Walk to Glacier Garden & Museum, Lion Monument, Bourbaki Panorama.
Sep 13: Train to Alpnachstad, cogwheel up to Pilatus. Gondola and cable car down the other side to Kriens. Try the luge/toboggan run.
Sep 14: 2-hour English walking tour of old town. Food and flea markets along the river on Sat. Fortress Furigen (open weekends), Rosengart Collection Museum, Museggturme lookout towers, Yacht Saphir one hour lake cruise.
Sep 15: Swiss transport Museum in morning, then train to Lauterbrunnen.
Sep 16: Ride Grutschalp cable car up to Grutschalp. Transfer to scenic train. Take Schilthornbahn cable car from Murren. Change cable cars at Birg. At Schilthorn Summit, head outdoors to Skyline View Platform. Do the 007 Walk of Fame. Eat lunch at the revolving restaurant. Down the stairs and inside, visit the Bond World 007 exhibit. On the way down at Birg, do the Skyline Walk and Thrill Walk. Take cable car back to Murren.
Hike the North Face trail in afternoon. Ride the Allmendhubel funicular up from Murren. Head back to Lauterbrunnen lodging (train from Murren to Grutschalp, cable car to Lauterbrunnen).
Sep 17: Visit Hotel Giessbach with Giessbach Falls for lunch on Lake Brienz. From Interlaken Ost (Interlaken East), take the scheduled passenger boat (ferry 59) for 1 hour to the “Giessbach See” landing stage. After lunch, take short ferry from Giessbach to Brienz and then bus or train (9 mins) to Ballenberg to visit its open-air museum. Take bus back to Brienz and then 50 min train to Interlaken. Then 20 min train to Lauterbrunnen.
Sep 18: Mannlichen-Kleine Scheldegg Hike. From Lauterbrunnen, take WengenalpBaahn cog railway to Wengen. Take gondola lift or cable car to Mannlichen. Leave lift station and follow around left/east side of ridge. Follow signs for Kleine Scheldegg. From Klein Scheidegg’s train station, go back down to Wengen and Lauterbrunnen. Do this in morning and Lauterbrunnen Trümmelbach Falls in afternoon. Bus from Lauterbrunnen to TrummelbachFalle. Note: we’re intentionally skipping Jungfraujoch.
Sep 19: Hopefully, we can reserve the “MOB Belle Époque” from Zweisimmen to Montreux. Arrive Montreux and visit Château de Chillon, Vevey (Charlie Chaplin museum), stroll the promenade, the Freddie Mercury statue. Can also do some of this on the morning of the last day.
Sep 20: Take train to Gruyeres. Train or bus from Gruyeres to Broc and visit Maison Cailler-Nestlé Chocolate Factory. In Gruyeres visit HR Giger museum, La Maison du Gruyere Cheese Factory, Chocolaterie of Gruyere, Tibet Museum.
Sep 21: Would like to visit one of the vineyard/winery, but must be accessible by train from Montreux. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Here’s what I found: Domaine Croix Duplex à Grandvaux – Famille Vogel – Vigneron encaveur à Grandvaux, Lavaux (croix-duplex.ch). Or tour at Domaine Jean-René Germanier in Valais | Winetourism.com. Or Domaine de la Crausaz à Grandvaux en Lavaux | Oenotourisme.
Sep 22: Arrive Zermatt. Visit Matterhorn Museum.
Sep 23: Ride Gornergrat Bahn to Gornergrat observatory. Take train from summit back down to Rotenboden station. Follow the official Riffelseeweg trail. When you get to a fork in the road, take left fork downhill to the Riffelberg station. Take train back to Zermatt.
Sep 24: Take funicular up to Sunnegga, gondola to Blauherd, cable car to Rothorn. Hike from Blauherd station to Fluhalp Mountain Hut & Restaurant, then back again.
Sep 25: Train from Zermatt to Zurich airport.
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We have around the same amount of time but more into October.
My comment is about the wine tasting in the Lavaux as we are also staying in Montreux (https://www.myswissalps.com/town/montreux/) . I will look at your suggestions, but another one for you to look at is the Lavaux Vinorama in Rivaz. It is easily accessible by direct train from Montreux with only a short walk. We plan to visit a couple of villages and then walk the vineyards and end up with a tasting here before returning by train.
Thank you Deb 🙂
Hi andym98,
Welcome to MySwissAlps and thanks for sharing your itinerary. This is certainly well-planned and includes many of the major attractions. Here are my personal suggestions but you’re not obliged to change your plans (your plans are great as it is).
- I would combine trips to the Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein in one day, then spend the extra day just exploring Zurich and the lake
- The GoldenPass Belle Epoque train only runs twice daily so I would definitely recommend reserving your seats in advance: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/goldenpass/#price
- To visit the Lavaux vineyard from Montreux by train – an easy option would be to take a train to Vevey (less than 5 mins) then ride the “wine trains” to Chexbres or Puidoux.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Anna
Hi Anna,
Thank you so much – as I appreciate your feedback! I’ve been planning this trip for 2 years now, but it’s hard to know what’s realistic, how long it takes to get from point A to point B, etc. My main concern is Sep 16, 17, and 18. Do you have any suggestions, or would you make any changes?
Thanks,
Andy
Hi Andy,
16 Apr does seem to be a very hectic day, but that suits some people!
Personally, I would not start an alpine hike in the afternoon, especially after such a busy morning. I have not done that particular hike though (but there are people on the forum who have). Check the weather forecast (https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/practical/weather/forecast/) of course, before setting off.
The last funicular down from Allmendhubel is at 17:00, so keep that in mind.
You might need to book the Piz Gloria restaurant, especially if you want a window seat. The downside of that is lack of flexibility. You could take your chances if it’s not super important to you though. I rather like the bistro at Birg. Not fancy, but relaxed and with outdoor seating with a view to die for if the weather is suitable. If you can’t get a table at Piz Gloria, you could consider that instead.
https://schilthorn.ch/21/en/Bistro_Birg
Your plans for 17 Sep seem OK. You can adjust the amount of time you spend at Ballenberg to suit.
Sep 18 looks OK as well, assuming suitable weather. Towards the end of your walk, you could stop for lunch on the terrace of the Grindelwaldblick restaurant.
https://www.grindelwaldblick.ch/
However, if the weather for 17 Sep looks better than for 18 Sep, I would swap the days around, as your plans for Giessbach and Ballenberg aren’t so weather-dependent.
You do seem to be packing quite a lot into your holiday, but as I mentioned before, that does suit some people. It’s a good idea to have a backup plan for days when the weather is not suitable for your planned activities.
I must admit I do tend to plan more activities for my holidays than I manage to fit in when I’m actually there. I prioritise according to the weather and what I most want to do. When I was in Luzern for 4 days one September, the mountains were in the clouds for the entire 4 days, so my backup plans had to kick in for my entire stay! A similar thing happened when I spent a week in Saas-Fee one September. The mountains were in the clouds, and the cable cars were shut down for 3 days. I never wasted any time wondering what to do instead though, as I already had backup plans.
By the way, I note you are intending to take a cruise on the Saphir on the Vierwaldstättersee (Lake Lucerne). The boat looks fantastic, and if the luxury yacht experience is your priority, that’s a good choice. However, it circulates in quite a small area, and not in the most scenic part of the lake, so if views were your priority, one of the scheduled lake boats might be a better option (and free with the Swiss Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/ )).
Have a great trip!
Alpenrose
Thank you Alpenrose!
You’ve “been there and done that”, so I will implement most all of your suggestions (at the age of 73 this is my first trip to Switzerland)! All very helpful. One thing you point out, and I NEVER accounted for, is several days of bad weather. I guess I was being optimistic and planning on sunny days 🙂 So I need to create a backup plan as you did. Are there resources that you’ve used that have suggestions for rainy day activities in each location? For example, Sept 16-18 might be difficult to find stuff to do in Lauterbrunnen – unless we end up in Interlaken exploring the city. Can you share some of your backup plans in Lucerne, Lauterbrunnen area, Montreux, and Zermatt? That will provide me with a good start!
Thanks, Andy
Hi Andy,
Here are a few suggested back up plans in case of bad weather in the Jungfrau region
- Lauterbrunnen – visit the Trummelbach Falls. I think this is doable even when it’s raining a little.
- Boat cruise on Lake Thun and visit the St Beatus Caves: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/boat-lake-thun/
- Join a chocolate workshop at the Funky Chocolate Club in Interlaken 🙂
Regards,
Anna
Thanks Anna. If I tell my wife about the Funky Chocolate Club, we’ll have to include it as a mandatory visit in our itinerary!!!
Andy
Hi Andy,
There are some suggestions in case of bad weather for Zermatt in the below link, scroll to “Bad-weather activities”
For Montreux, I think based on your plans on September 19th & 20th, you’ll be fine to still plan ahead with these visits, if it’s raining 🙂
Having the Swiss Travel Pass, you’ll have the convenience of still being to travel around if plans change. I saw you are intending to run with the Swiss Travel Pass Flex. In case you have not found our guide, here’s the link: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass-flex/
Also, very handy is the Swiss timetable, you can use this to plan and gauge journey times: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/public-transport/timetable/
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Hi Andy,
Unsuitable weather can be all sorts of conditions, including, but not limited to, persistent rain.
For example:
1. The mountains are in the clouds, but the weather is still suitable for outdoor activities – in this case, lower altitude walks, visiting another village, town or city, or visiting other attractions such as gorges are good choices.
2. The mountains are not visible from the village/valley etc due to low cloud, but the mountain tops can sometimes be above the cloud cover, bathed in bright sunshine. In this case, I think it’s still worthwhile going up a mountain, especially if you won’t have another opportunity. You won’t get expansive views, but seeing mountain tops sticking out of the cloud deck is (in my opinion) a special experience in any case, and the ride up is always fun. Checking the mountaintop webcams can show you what it is like on top.
3. Persistent rain. Train trips, bus trips, boat trips and museums are an option. You can get a list of the museums that are free with your Swiss Travel Pass from here:
https://www.museumspass.ch/en/where-to-use-my-museum-pass/
With a Swiss Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/) , you also have the opportunity to simply jump on a train or bus and go somewhere else where the weather is better. A 15-day Swiss Travel Pass would offer a lot more flexibility than a Flex Pass, so might be worth considering.
I suggest you get the Meteoswiss and meteoblue apps – they are the most reliable for weather, and can give you a forecast not only for a particular day, but show how the weather is forecast to change during the day, which can help with planning your day. But note that forecasts – especially for the mountains – are only reliable 24-48 hours ahead of time.
In the Meteoswiss app, when you tap the “+” icon to add a place, you can tap on “towns” or “mountains” at the top of the screen and then type the name of the place you are interested in. Having added the place, it will show the weekly forecast, then if you tap a day, it will show how the weather is forecast to change during the day.
Most mountains have webcams and weather forecasts on their websites, for example the Gornergrat:
https://www.gornergrat.ch/en/stories/webcam
https://www.gornergrat.ch/en/pages/wetter
You can see what conditions are like on top.
Anna and Yolanda have given you some good ideas for the Jungfrau Region and Zermatt. Here are some bad weather options for Luzern. I haven’t been to the Rigi Kaltbad Mineral Baths and Spa, but I have done all the other things.
1. Check all the other mountains if your preferred one is in the clouds. One day when Rigi (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/rigi/) was in the clouds, Bürgenstock (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/burgenstock/) on the other side of the lake was in the clear with good views for example.
2. Boat trip from Luzern to Flüelen at the far end of the lake (and return by train from the station adjacent to the boat dock at Flüelen). This is a magnificent trip, and I do it every time I go to Luzern.
3. Rigi Kaltbad Mineral Baths and Spa
Swimwear, bathrobes and towels can be hired.
4. Train trip to the Oberalppass and maybe on to Sedrun.
I wrote a trip report about this some years ago:
https://www.myswissalps.com/community/thread/train-across-the-oberalppass-on-a-gloomy-day/
5. Boat across to Weggis and/or Vitznau and stroll around the village/s. After that you can take a scenic bus ride on bus #502 along the lakeside to Brunnen boat dock or railway station, from where you can get a boat or train back to Luzern. If choosing the boat, check the boat timetable first, as they are not as frequent as trains.
6. Boat to Treib. Get off at Treib and get the connecting funicular up to Seelisberg at the top, then the connecting bus to Stans railway station. The bus ride has some elevated scenic views across the lake. From Stans station, you can get the train back to Luzern. If the restaurant at Treib is open, you could stop there for refreshments.
7. Visit the Altstadt (old town) of Zug. Take the train via Arth-Goldau, which is the long way around, but you get some lovely elevated views as the train travels along the eastern shore of the Zugersee (Lake Zug). While in Zug, be sure to visit Treichler and try the famous Zuger Kirschtorte (Zug cherry cake).
https://www.treichler-zuger-kirschtorte.ch/
Hope something above will appeal to you should you need to put Plan B into action in Luzern!
Alpenrose
Hi Andy,
I forgot the most obvious choice for a rainy-day trip from Luzern: Bern!
The Bern Altstadt (old city) is beautiful and has colonnaded streets that provide good shelter from the rain.
https://www.myswissalps.com/town/bern/
On the way there or back, it’s nice to go via the scenic Emmental (valley). To bring this route up in the SBB timetable, put in “via Langnau i.E.” (Langnau im Emmental).
Alpenrose
Thanks Deb. This would be the easiest to do from Montreux. After taking a closer look, it appears that a walk thru the vineyard is 235CHF per person, or the small train ride (45 minutes) is 350CHF per person. This seems exorbitantly high (there are 4 of us)! Am I interpreting this correctly?? Maybe I’m just spoiled by all the great inexpensive winery/vineyard options in California and Washington 🙂
Hi Andy,
Private guided tours usually cost quite a bit and charged per group.
But you are welcome to visit and walk through the Lavaux vineyards on your own – a lot of visitors do this free of charge.
Last time I was in Montreux for a day, I took a train to Rivaz and walked to St Saphorin (a quick hike), then back to Montreux by train. If you have more time, I suggest you take the train from Montreux to Lutry (25 mins). In Lutry, you can ride the Lavaux Express tourist train which will bring your around the vineyards (Lutry – Aran – Grandvaux – Lutry). It costs about CHF16 per person (adult price). You can also hike from Lutry to Epesses: https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-lutry-epesses/
Regards,
Anna
Andy we are certainly not planning on spending that sort of money!
We plan on a similar itinerary to what Anna suggested, train from Montreux to St. Saphorin, walk to Rivaz through the vineyards, then walk to the Lavaux Vinorama where we will do a tasting – we prefer red wine and of course most Swiss wine appears to be white, but we will do this one. Still not cheap, but nothing like those private tours.
- “CONNAISSEUR” package: tasting of 3 white wines from Chasselas and 2 red wines, (bread, butter flutes, water): CHF 26.- per person
I hope this helps.
Thanks Deb (and Anna)! Somehow, I missed that on their website. We’re going to copy your itinerary for this mini excursion. Sounds like a nice way to see the vineyards and taste the local wines!
Hi Andy,
If there are particular wineries you are interested in visiting – just check the opening hours, as some of them have limited hours and require reservations.
The below do not require reservations:
Vinorama (Rivaz), Les 11 Terres (Epesses), Le Verre Gourmand (Epesses), Domaine Gaillard (above Epesses), Les Frères Dubois (Cully),Domaine de la Crausaz (Grandvaux), Terres de Lavaux (Lutry)
(You can click on the highlighted text for further information on these wineries)
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Thanks for that list Yolanda, very useful.
Andy, we won’t be in Montreux until 11th October, so if you get a chance it would be great if you could post what you think of actually doing the walk and the tasting.
Thanks in advance.
Deb
Will do Deb!
And thank you Yolanda for that helpful list.
Hi Anna,
How much does the train ride cost? Is it covered by Swiss Travel Pass? I can’t seem to find the information. When can I buy the ticket if it’s not covered by STP?
Regards,
WK1786
Hi WK1786,
Yes, the Swiss Travel Pass is valid on the wine train between Vevey and Chexbres and in fact on all public transport to get to the Lavaux vineyards.
But the Lavaux Express is a tourist train run by a private company therefore not covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.
You can view and download the Swiss Travel Pass validity map here: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/#downloads
Regards,
Anna
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