Lucerne, Interlaken, Montreux, Zermatt, St Moritz in 11 days in Sept
Rick is planning an 11-day trip to Switzerland from September 22nd to October 2nd, focusing on cities like Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Montreux, Zermatt, and Lugano. He seeks advice on fitting Mürren into his schedule and whether there's a smarter way to manage his frequent hotel changes. He is considering the 15-day Swiss Travel Pass for their journey.
- Get the 15-day Swiss Travel Pass; it's better than buying point-to-point tickets.
- Consider staying in base towns like Interlaken or Zermatt to avoid daily hotel changes.
- Train journeys on the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express are highly scenic and worth experiencing.
- Using the Montreux Riviera Card can help save on travel in the Montreux area.
AI-generated summary-
Hi, We will be there Sept. 22nd to Oct. 2nd, 2024…..11 days, but really 9 days to do things. We will get the Swiss Travel Pass-the 15 one, do you offer a 11 day one?
Plan is…Day 1-Fly into Zurich…Day 2- Lucerne-full day and spend night….Day 3- Golden Pass train Lucerne to Interlaken in the morning and go to the Jungfrau mountain for the afternoon-spend night in Interlaken. Day 4- Morning train on Golden Pass to Montreux-afternoon things in Montreux-spend night in Montreux. Day 5- Montreux things all day-spend night Montreux. Day 6- Morning train to Zermatt – afternoon Grongernat-spend night in Zermatt. Day 7- Morning Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz-spend night St. Moritz. Day 8- Morning train Berlina Express from St. Moritz to Lugano.-spend night Lugano. Day 9- Day in Lugano/Como….spend night Lugano. Day 10- Train to Lucerne….spend night Lucerne… Day 11- to Zurich airport.
Questions please.. 1. I see that Murren is a “must see”- where and how would you advise to fit that into this schedule? 2. You can see we are changing hotels almost everyday. Is there a smarter way to do this trip….with some “base towns” ? Your thoughts?
Any other thoughts or advice would be very much appreciated.
Thanks, Rick
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Hi Rick,
Thanks for sharing your itinerary.
Based on your plans, getting the 15-day Swiss Travel Pass is the best option. I think the 8-day Swiss Travel Pass could also work but you would still need to pay for point-to-point tickets and that will cost more than getting a 15-day Swiss Travel Pass. You can find purchase options here: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/
This is a highly-paced travel. If you’re not too keen on spending every night at different hotels, my suggestion would be to drop the Bernina Express and spend an extra day in Interlaken or Zermatt.
Here’s a possible itinerary:
Day 1 – Arrival in Zurich. Rail transfer to Lucerne (https://www.myswissalps.com/town/lucerne/) (1 hr). Overnight in Lucerne.
Day 2 – Excursion to Rigi (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/rigi/) combined with a boat cruise on Lake Lucerne. Overnight in Lucerne.
Day 3 – Travel to Interlaken Ost (https://www.myswissalps.com/town/interlaken/) on the Lucerne-Interlaken Express via the GoldenPass route (1.5 hr). Overnight in Interlaken.
Day 4 – Explore the Jungfrau region. You can check out this Jungfrau in one day trip: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/one-day-jungfrau-region/ Overnight in Interlaken.
Day 5 – Excursion to Grindelwald First (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/grindelwald-first/) or enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Brienz (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/boat-lake-brienz/). Overnight in Interlaken.
Day 6 – Travel to Brig (https://www.myswissalps.com/town/brig/) via the Lotschberg mountain railway (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/lotschberg-mountain-railway/) (1.5 hr). Optional visit to Lake Oeschinen in Kandersteg. Overnight in Brig.
Day 7 – Excursion to Zermatt and ride the cogwheel train to Gornergrat (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/gornergrat/). Overnight in Brig.
Day 8 – Excursion to the Aletsch Glacier (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/aletsch-glacier/) or plan a day trip to Montreux or the border town of Domodossola. Overnight in Brig.
Day 9- Travel on the Glacier Express (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/glacier-express/) from Brig to Chur (5.5 hr). Overnight in Chur.
Day 10 – Rail transfer to Zurich (1 hr). Optional visit to the Rhinefalls (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/rhine-falls/). Overnight in Zurich.
Day 11 – Rail transfer to Zurich Airport. Depart Switzerland.
I think spending extra nights in Lucerne and Interlaken and using Brig as a base for 3 nights will give you more time to explore the Swiss Alps and enjoy a more relaxing trip.
Hope this gives you options to think about.
Regards,
Anna
Hi Rick
Anna is right your itinerary is quite full. I would keep in mind that changing hotels nearly every day will consume a fair amount of time and effort. Consider each time you will need to pack, check out, transport luggage to the train station and carry on the train. Then transport luggage to new hotel, check in, and unpack again. In my experience this often takes up half a day or longer and is mentally and physically demanding. Of course it can be done and packing very light and staying close to the train stations would help.
At least for me it is more enjoyable to concentrate on maybe 2 areas and base towns and see and enjoy the sights and activities that interest me, usually hiking. You don’t mention which activities most interest you as that might influence your choices if you decide to narrow your focus some. Of course that would mean not seeing all of Switzerland but it might still make the trip more enjoyable with plenty of things to see and do.
Mark
Keep in mind when choosing a travel pass – if you decide to stay in a Montreux hotel, you will be given a Montreux Riviera Card which covers a lot of travel in the vicinity as well as some entry fees and discounts. We used it extensively along with our Half Fare Card to save on travel in the area. Enjoy wherever you stay!
Hi Anna and Mark,
Thank you very much for responding….very much appreciated!
1. 15 day Swiss Travel pass- I see the estimated cost in Sept. is 459 Swiss francs. I see on your “promotions”…the website “Headout” offers a 5% discount. To get that discount, I must book direct on their website, correct? https://www.myswissalps.com/promotions/
2. Thank you for your advice on the towns to use for “Base” towns.
3. Day 4- on your itinerary…..Do the one day trip, see itinerary. But I don’t see the itinerary they suggest? can you help with that?
4. Grindelwald First….Is that Murren?
5. Day 9- Glacier Express- Brig to Chur. Does that cost the same as taking the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz?
6. With all these train trips and to make best use of time….I am not finding/understanding how to find the train schedules, so we can plan ahead. Help/advice please?
Thank you again for all your help.
Rick
Hi Rick,
- Headout is basically a marketplace for travellers. To enjoy the discounts/ promotions, you have to register as a member and purchase directly from the platform.
- The Jungfrau-in-one-day itinerary is a self-guided trip you can plan on your own. You can find the details here: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/one-day-jungfrau-region/#directions
- Grindelwald First is near Grindelwald. You can find more information here: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/grindelwald-first/
- The Swiss Travel Pass is valid on the Glacier Express. All you need is a seat reservation. I think the price of the seat reservation is the same for Zermatt to St. Moritz and Zermatt to Chur. You can find out more details from this link: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/glacier-express/#price
- Information on how to use the Swiss timetable to check train schedules and plan your routes is available here: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/public-transport/timetable/. You will probably need some time to digest all the info but once you know the basics, you will be able to plan your trip easily.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Anna
Hi Anna and All,
Thank you again for responding.
1. Regarding Interlaken as a base….How do you feel about Wildersol as a base instead? The pro’s and con’s ?
2. We were hoping to get to Lugano…and I know we are short on time to do everything. The Glacier Express from Zermatt or Brig to St. Moritz is a full day-8 hours. Then Bernina from St. Moritz to Lugano by train and bus is another full day. Are these two train rides “once in a lifetime” things to not miss in your opinion?…or is it smarter for us to go from Brig to Locarno/Lugano ? Your thoughts?
3. What in your opinion…..Are the top 5 most beautiful towns/villages that should not be missed?
4. What in your opinion ….Are the top 3 “Lake Boat” rides ?
Thank you again for all your help and thoughts.
Rick
Hi Rick,
- I’m pretty sure you meant Wilderswil. I think it’s also a great base for exploring the Jungfrau region especially if you’re planning an excursion to Schynige Platte (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/schynige-platte/).
- If you don’t have time for the Glacier Express, I think travelling from Brig to Locarno via the Centovalli railway might be a good alternative. The Centovalli route is also considered very scenic: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/centovalli-railway/. From Locarno, you can travel to Lugano and if you like, continue on the Bernina Express bus and train to Chur. That will be a long journey too but might be a better option than the Glacier Express. You can find information about the Bernina Express route here: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/bernina-express/
- If you’re looking for typical Swiss villages, you’ll definitely find them in the Bernese Oberland (https://www.myswissalps.com/region/bernese-oberland/) and the Jungfrau region (https://www.myswissalps.com/region/jungfrau-region/).
- Boat cruises on Lake Thun (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/boat-lake-thun/) and Lake Brienz (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/boat-lake-brienz/) are considered some of the best in Switzerland.
Just click on the links to get more information.
Regards,
Anna
Hi Rick
naming the most scenic towns in Switzerland is pretty subjective. My vote would be Murren if your staying on the mountain side of the street with a view of Lauterbrunnen valley and Jungfrau. However it is somewhat difficult to get to and then travel to nearby destinations. I would say the most common suggestion from longtime contributors, including myself, is Wengen. Both Wengen and Murren are car free and have a very Swiss small village feel. But Wengen is considerably easier to get to and travel from.
I was also very pleased with the views and ambiance of the historic Waldhaus Hotel in Sils En Engadine next to Sils Maria. It is very close to St Moritz.
Third on the list would be for me Locarno. We stayed in Villa Orselina just above Locarno with beautiful views of Locarno and Lake Maggiore.
If your interested you can Google these places and of course this website will have lots of info as well
Mark
Hi Mark,
Whether green view in the backdrop of snow mountains is found in September? I want to stay in the Jungfrau region.
Hi Chalo-jai,
Jungfraujoch is covered in snow all year round. September is as good as any other time. With fine weather and clear skies, you’ll be able enjoy the views so do check the weather forecast if you were thinking of visiting the Jungfraujoch.
More information can be found here: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/jungfraujoch/ and for the Jungfrau region here: https://www.myswissalps.com/region/jungfrau-region/
I hope this helps, if you have any additional questions, best you open up a new thread.
Many thanks.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Hi Mark,
Thank you very much….great stuff! I am still trying to figure this site out….and I am computer challenged.
Towns/villages-Thank you very much for the direct opinion regarding Murren, Wengen and Locarno. Then your hotel placement in Murren… name of hotel in Locarno and name of hotel right outside St. Moritz. This is “real” good information for me. Very much appreciated!
With us trying to do a lot in 11 days… we are wanting to see the best places to see and experience….and have good hotels in all these cities.
Thanks for guiding us in the right direction.
Separate question for you….regarding Como….Lake Como. I know this question is not about Switzerland…but maybe you know and have an opinion. We are trying to make it to Lugano, as I mentioned. In your opinion is Lake Como and staying in a hotel in that area worth the time?….as compared to staying overnight in Locarno/Lugano.
Thanks, Rick
Hi Rick,
From Lugano, you can easily make a day trip to the Lake Como area. The most convenient way would be to take the train from Lugano to Como San Giovanni, in the southern part of Lake Como. The journey takes about 45 mins to an hour. Another option would be to take the Palm Express bus from Lugano to Menaggio (about 1 hr journey) and then a quick hop on the ferry to Bellagio, in the northern section of Lake Como. Lake Como is big but if you have just one day, I would focus on just one town or area to explore.
You can find useful information on how to travel from Switzerland to Italy here: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-guide/italy-switzerland/
Regards,
Anna
Hi Anna,
Super…..Thank you very much for responding and the great information. Very much appreciated!
Thanks, Rick
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