September Swiss holidays – what to expect
Marty and his wife will arrive in Geneva on Saturday, September 15th, and are concerned about how the upcoming holidays will impact their travel plans. They plan to visit attractions like the Olympic Museum and Chateau de Chillon on Sunday and travel to the Jungfrau region on Monday, seeking advice on train schedules and restaurant availability during this time.
Train schedules will generally remain the same as a typical Sunday, though you might see more passengers on Bettagsmontag. Most tourist attractions are open, but check in advance, as grocery stores will be closed on Sundays, with a few exceptions at major railway stations and tourist areas. Restaurants usually operate as normal for Sunday, but consider trying a piece of plum pie for a local treat.
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My wife and I plan to arrive in Geneva on late on Saturday Sept 15th- we will stay in a hotel near the airport that night. I recently discovered we will be present for the following Holidays:
Sunday September 16 Swiss Federal Fast All regions except Geneva.
Monday September 17 Bettagsmontag Bern, Neuchâtel, Vaud.
We had planned to stay in Vaud on Sunday night (Lausanne or Vevey), and take the Golden Pass from Montreux to Jungfrau region (Lauterbrunnen, Murren) on Monday and stay there several nights. I’d like to know how these holidays would effect our trip.
1) Will train schedules be different than a normal Sunday/Monday? Are trains likely to be more or less busy because of the Holidays?
2) We would probably plan things like this for Sunday: Olympic museum, Chateau de Chillon, boat ride. The castle is apparently open as usual. What about other usual tourist sights? Will most restaurants be open? Grocery stores?
3) Same questions for Jungfrau region on Monday.
Thank you, Marty
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1) The days you mention are standard sunday and monday. There could be a bit more passengers on the Betttagsmontag.
2) As the Bettag is a public holiday on a sunday (yes!) hardly anyone notices. Some people avoid “binging”, but restaurants would be run as on any sunday. If you want to follow the local traditions, order a piece of plum pie for dessert. That’s all. Tourist sights also like on any sunday. Maybe a few more people attending church service? Grocery stores are usually closed on any sunday. There are exceptions, in the large railway stations, in petrol/gas stations, and in tourist areas like Ouchy near the Olympic Museum.
Hi Marty and welcome to MySwissAlps!
Do note, that while everything may be operating as per a normal Sunday….that still means a lot of places are closed – so check ahead before going somewhere for the day (tourist attractions are usually open). Trains, boats etc aren’t affected and you can check schedules now for your dates: https://www.myswissalp s.com/timetable
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