Suggestion on base town for 10 days in Switzerland
Shajid is a traveler planning a family trip to Switzerland from July 4th to 11th. They want advice on whether to stay in Interlaken or include Lucerne as a base for visiting major attractions by train. Shajid is also considering booking hotels now due to high prices in July.
- Consider your itinerary for each day to decide the best base for your stay.
- The Swiss Family Card is available for children under 16, but you need to purchase a Swiss Travel Pass for the adults to get it.
- July is high season, so it’s better to book hotels now rather than waiting.
- Staying in both Interlaken and Lucerne could offer you access to a more diverse range of attractions.
AI-generated summary-
Hi ,We are a family of four (2 adults and 2 kids (8 Years)) arriving in Zurich on 4th July and departing from Geneva airport on 11th July (10 nights) . I am planning to get a Swiss family pas for 8 days . I intent to stay in Interlaken for 9 nights and one night in Geneva. Will this be a good option if I intent to cover major attractions by train and return to Interlaken each day? or should I stay in Luceren for 3 nights and 6 nights in Interlaken. Or any other suggestions please. Regards,Shajid
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Hi Shajid and welcome to MySwissAlps!
Picking the best base town or towns will depend on what you choose to do and see in Switzerland.
One should first decide on your itinerary for each day – you can then check the timetable to see how long it will take you to get from point A to point B. http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
If you are planning on spending all your time in the Jungfrau region (http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion) then Interlaken or another town listed on my link would work well.
If you have several things you want to see and do around Lucerne as well (http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne/activities) then it might make sense to spend a few nights there too.
Once you have a rough itinerary of where you want to go during your trip, feel free to post it here and we are happy to give you some feedback.
Do note the Swiss Family Card is for children only (under 16). In order to get the Swiss Family Card you must buy a Swiss Travel Pass for the adults.
Hi Shajid –
<<“Picking the best base town or towns will depend on what you choose to do and see in Switzerland”>>
<<“if I intent to cover major attractions”>>
Lucas said it politely. “Major” attractions depend on your interests.
“Cover” depends on how many of the features at the major tourist focused places you intend to try out. Thus, timing will vary.
In general, for a trip in July, we would suggest two bases, perhaps Luzern (German spelling) and Interlaken or one of the alpine villages that are more attractive.
http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion
My 8 year old granddaughter and her mother enjoyed a walk on a trail above Wengen. Do you plan to hike? Or, other interests? Helps us offer ideas. Please tell us what your interests are.
Slowpoke
Hi Lucas and Slowpoke,
This is my planned itinerary.
July 4 : Arrival at Zurich train station from Paris, Check in to Zurich Hotel
July 5 : Train trip to St. Mortiz via Chur and back to Zurich Hotel
July 6 :Mount Pilatus tour and Boat ride in Lake Luzern
July 7 : Check out from Zurich and check in at Interlaken hotel. Trip to Grindelwald
July 8 : Trip to lauterbrunnen, wengen , murren and Jungfrau-top of Europe
July 9: Trip to brig and back to interlaken
July 10: Check out from Interlaken and travel to Geneva. Boat ride in Lake Geneva
July 11 : Departure from Geneva Airport
Suggestions please.
Also, I have observed that the hotel prices are quite high during july. Is it recommended to book the hotels now or wait for another 3 months?
Regards,
Shajid
Hi Shajid,
Looks ok here!
July 8: You may not want to go to Murren from Interlaken and then back track up to Jungfraujoch from Wengen – just a thought as it is a little out of the way (but not too much).
July 9: Why Brig? Not that it isn’t nice, just curious what brings you there. If you do go travel VIA Kandersteg (on the timetable) as that will get you a very scenic train trip and avoid a long tunnel. Read about my trip to Brig (and Blausee lake) here: http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/blausee-and-brig-2-days-1-night
Hotels prices won’t go down for high season I wouldn’t think no. Best to book them now and secure the room. Have a look here: http://www.myswissalps.com/ac commodation
Hi Shajid –
<<“Also, I have observed that the hotel prices are quite high during july.
Is it recommended to book the hotels now or wait for another 3 months?”>>
Indeed, and they may well be higher in August, when many people in Europe have vacations and schools are closed. Summer season in the high Alps runs from late June through August. September still often has some of the best weather, but fewer tourists. Prices can be a bit better,. But, they still won’t be cheap, compared to times when there are few travelers, such as November and April-May in the Alps.
Especially for August, but also for July in the high Alps, hotels will fill up early.
Slowpoke
Hi, Lucas and Slowpoke, Thank you for the
suggestions . I was following the panoramic routes and found thatspiez to Brig is covered byregio express. I was not aware of the tunnels on the route. My understanding is that the routes covered by panoramic trains can be covered by regional trains aswell . Are there any exceptions? Regards,Shajid .
“Regional” trains run on all train routes in Switzerland – some routes also have panoramic trains running on them as well, like these: http://www.myswissalps.com/ac tivities/scenictrips/t rain
There are no routes that only have panoramic trains on them.
Hi Shajid –
<<” I was following the panoramic routes and found that spiez to Brig is covered by regio express. I was not aware of the tunnels on the route.”>>
There are two major tunnels on the two routes to cross the Alps there. One is the relatively shorter one on the original route from the late 1800’s.
It connects Kandersteg above Spiez in the Kandertal with Goppenstein on the the other side of the mountains, via a tunnel a few km long. This is the “Old Tunnel.” The tracks continue to the wall of the Rhone Valley at Hohtenn, where they turn and gradually descend the valley wall, on a scenic route with some spectacular bridges and a few very short tunnels to Brig. There, the tracks join the main line along the floor of the Rhone Valley (Rhonetal).
Since this is the south ramp of the line crossing the Alps there, it is known as the Südrampe in German. There is very nice hiking trail, closed in the Winter, that parallels those tracks. It is called the BLS Südrampe trail. BLS is “Bern-Lötschberg- Simplon” which is the original name of that trans-Alpine line. The scenery from the train is nice, but the scenery from the trail is better.
This link describes the trail:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/bls-sudrampe-trail
Heading south, the train ascends through the Kandertal from Spiez to Kandersteg, on the north ramp of the crossing. That is a nice scenic ride. The tracks have to struggle to get up to Kandersteg. That leads to some interesting rail engineering. There is also a trail along those tracks, I have never walked it.
After the new tunnel was opened through the base of the mountains a few years ago, from Frutigen ( near Spiez) to Visp, using the new so-called “Lötschberg Basis Tunnel,” the train service on the old, upper route was re-established as a local service, stopping at each village that has a station. New cars with panoramic windows are used. The train is called “The Lötschberger.” It starts at Bern, makes a stop at Thun then Spiez, I recall, then begins the ascent, transit, and descent with many stops, finishing at Brig. And the reverse.
It takes about one hour longer to get to Brig or Visp over the top than on the new, fast, boring lower route.
In the timetable, which Lucas linked in his first reply, you will automatically be directed to the faster new route if you seek schedules from Spiez to Visp ( thence to Zermatt) or Spiez to Brig.
To see the old route using the Lötschberger train in the timetable, you must insert “Kandersteg” in the “via” box.
In the time table, if you expand the route information displayed in the timetable far enough, you will see the name Lötschberg Basis Tunnel or Route (for that option), and “Lötschberger” for the upper slower option.
Maps are useful. This one has details but shows the routes clearly at the right zoom level.
Look for the faint dotted lines which show the tunnels.
map.search.ch/?pos=619240,149128&z=64 &poi=zug
Slowpoke
Hi Slowpoke
,Thank you for thedetailed explanation . Much appreciated. Shajid
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