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Hello,
My family (myself, wife and 3 teenage sons) are visiting Grindelwald and Lucerne at the start of August.
It’s our first visit to Switzerland and the aim is to enjoy the scenery and walks plus a few activities.
Thank you for all the advice here already. After reading many articles and threads my plan is as follows:
– Day 1: Late flight to Zurich. Stay the night
– Day 2: Walk around Zurich in the morning. Train to Grindelwald in the afternoon. Glacier Gorge if time
– Day 3: Maennlichen, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Staubbach falls and Panorama trail
– Day 4: Jungfraujoch
– Day 5: Grindelwald-First, cliff walk, zipline and walk to Bachalpsee. Late afternoon train to Lucerne
– Day 6: Mt Rigi – Boat to Vitznau, Cogwheel to Rigi Kulm, Walk to Rigi Kaltbad, Cable Car to Weggis and boat back
– Day 7: Explore Lucerne
– Day 8: Mt Pilatus and toboggan. Early evening train back to Zurich airport
Any comments or suggestions with the plan?
Being August should we book Jungfraujoch and/or Grindelwald-First in advance? And if yes, how late can I book to allow the best weather forecast?
I’ve found all the different travel passes available a bit confusing!
By my calculation our cheapest option seems to be the Swiss Half Fare Card and the Jungfraujoch Top of Europe Pass. Does this sound correct?
And if yes, does this mean we won’t need to book tickets in advance for the longer train journeys, and can just turn up and buy half price tickets whatever time works best for us?
Finally any restaurant recommendations in Grindelwald and Lucerne?
Many thanks in advance for any responses.
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Hi 2ndhandshake,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
I think you have a well-planned itinerary. Generally seat reservations are not needed for the excursion to Jungfraujoch. But if you are travelling during a busy period and in good weather, it’s best to book your seats in advance. Details here: https://www.myswissalps.com/jungfraujoch/tickets.
Seat reservation to Grindelwald First is not necessary: https://www.myswissalps.com/grindelwaldfirst/tickets.
Regarding railpasses, the Swiss Half Fare Card could definitely work if you don’t mind buying tickets for each trip: https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard. You can buy the discounted tickets from any train stations but buying online saves time. You can buy the tickets in advance here for example, or at the spot.
For useful tips about how to choose the best railpass, please refer to this quick guide: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Anna
Thank you Anna
Just wanted to add that the cable car from Rigi Kaltbad to Weggis was not in operation for whatever reason when we were there on June 26th. Always good to stay flexible with transportation plans!
Thanks for your input EASW! I just double-checked the Weggis-Rigi Kaltbad cable car timetable, and it should have been up and running on June 26: https://www.myswissalps.com/rigi/gettingthere. There must have been unforeseen circumstances. That’s very unfortunate.
I hope you managed to find an alternative route, and that it didn’t impact your plans for that day too much.
You’re right, being flexible while traveling is always important.
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