10 day Switzerland itinerary help, 2 adults 2 kids

  • vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    9 March 2017 at 14:05:38 #811016

    Hello,

    We are family of 4 with 2 adults and 2 kids aged 14 & 11 years travelling to Zurich on 2nd May and return is on 12th May late evening.

    I prepared my itinerary as following:

    2nd May: Reach Zurich and stay in a hotel as flight arrives post 7 pm

    3rd May: Visit Rhine falls and if time permits then visit few attractions in Zurich then in late afternoon reach Engelberg where I booked an apartment.

    4th May: Visit Mt. Rigi, visit Lake Lucerne and if possible visit attractions in Lucerne.

    5th May: Go to Geneva as early as possible and do Geneva City Walk.

    6th May: Visit Mt. Titlis and if time permits then do some shopping in Lucerne.

    7th May: Travel through Gotthard new tunnel to experience the deepest and longest rail tunnel. Which route shall I take to travel from Erstfled to Bodio ?

    8th May: Visit Jungfrau and then see Interlaken.

    9th May: Travel to Zweisimmen to catch Golden Pass Panoramic train to Montreux. I booked the reservation already.

    10th May: Reach Zermatt and if time permits see Matterhorn. Night stay in Zermatt.

    11th May: Travelling by Glacier Express to Filisur then reach Davos by 16:30. After a short walk in Davos city then catch late evening train to Zurich. Night stay in Zurich.

    12th May: Spend whole day seeing Zurich city and then catch return flight in late evening.

    Please help me if this itinerary is fine.

    Also please help me with best attractions to visit in the following cities:

    Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Geneva.

    I am buying a 15 day Swiss Travel Pass with Family Card so that my 2 children travels free.

    Thanks in advance for your suggestions and help !!

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    Annika
    Moderator
    7104 posts
    9 March 2017 at 15:45:24 #859822

    Hi vnaskar, welcome to MySwissAlps!

    I think your itinerary looks fine overall, although it does involve a lot of train traveling. If your main aim is to see different Swiss regions and experience pretty scenic train rides, that’s fine of course. I do recommend to adapt some of your days. For example, I definitely wouldn’t travel all the way to Geneva from Lucerne on May 5. It’s a very long trip; did you check it in the timetable? If you like a city visit, consider Bern instead as it’s much closer to Lucerne. Also I’d reconsider May 7. A tunnel may be impressive, but it can be a bit boring too and it does take a lot of traveling time. Instead you may like part of the scenic Gotthard Panorama Express. Furthermore, mind to have some back-up plans such as boat rides and city visits in case weather isn’t good enough to visit mountain tops.

    Please see our Zurich, Lucerne and Interlaken pages for the activities we personally recommend.

    A 15 day Swiss Travel Pass plus a Swiss Family Card seems to be a very good choice. Please find retailers here.

    vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    9 March 2017 at 16:28:05 #859823

    Hi Annika,

    Thanks so much for quick reply !! Yes, I would like to enjoy train travel in Switzerland. Thanks for your suggestions to go to Bern. Since I am travelling by 2 Panoramic Trains, I would prefer to go via new Gotthard Tunnel. How can I go through that ? Is there any train from Lucerne to cross this new tunnel ?

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    9 March 2017 at 18:33:46 #859824

    Hi Vnaskar,

    If you enter Luzern (local name) to Bellinzona in the timetable you get to see all options. There’s a direct train every two hours, but there are more trains if you don’t mind one change. The timetable defaults to the quickest way to get there, so those trains cross the new tunnel.

    vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    10 March 2017 at 14:01:45 #859825

    Thank you so much Arno !! Which place is better to visit Bellinzona or Lugano ?

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    10 March 2017 at 18:35:54 #859826

    Hi Vnaskar,

    What are you hoping to see or do when visiting southern Switzerland (Bellinzona or Lugano)?
    Lugano is right on a lake which I prefer for relaxing and it is the larger town but Bellinzona is a UNESCO world heritage site and is quite special for those interested in culture!

    Lucas

    vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    13 March 2017 at 15:22:29 #859827

    Thank you so much Lucas for your suggestions !!

    Vivek.

    vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    17 March 2017 at 11:38:00 #859828

    While travelling by Glacier Express, I would like to go to Davos instead of St. Moritz. Do I need to change train at Filisur to reach Davos ? I want to reach Zurich from Davos in the same evening. So please suggest what would be to best way to see Davos in 3 hours time. Where do I catch the train from (which station in Davos) to reach Zurich’s central railway station Zurich HB ?

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    17 March 2017 at 16:53:44 #859829

    The Glacier Express doesn’t go on to Davos (that is the Bernina Express from Tirano). You can take a regional train easily however from Chur or Filisur to Davos (Platz) and then on to Zurich HB.

    What to do in 3 hours in Davos, I’m not sure. It’s a very small town as a base for a ski resort so I suppose you could manage to get to the top of one of the mountains there for a quick peak around – great views certainly! but three hours isn’t a lot of time before jumping on a train and leaving What makes you want to go to Davos?

    You can check all schedules for these trains on the timetable here.

    Regards,
    Lucas

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    18 March 2017 at 7:50:00 #859830

    Hi Vnaskar,

    I wouldn’t spend too much time on Davos as a town, but if the weather is good you may have just enough time to visit a viewing point. The options in May (off season) will be limited though, please see http://www.davos.ch/en/summer /mountains/summer-operating-times/.

    vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    18 March 2017 at 17:23:38 #859831

    Thank you so much Arno !! What kind of boot shall we use for Mt. Titlis, Jungfrau, Mt. Rigi and Matterhorn during 1st and 2nd week of May ?

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    19 March 2017 at 13:23:50 #859832

    Hi vnaskar,

    I would use sturdy hiking boots or at least good hiking shoes for those attractions. It really depends on how much hiking if any you plan to do.

    Regards,
    Lucas

    vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    19 March 2017 at 15:29:51 #859833

    Thanks so much Lucas !!

    vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    19 March 2017 at 17:41:00 #859834

    Hello,

    We will reach Montreux at 3 pm by Golden Pass train. Would like to see Chateau de Chillon and do a boat ride also. What would be the best way to both since we have to return to Luzern in the same evening ?

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    19 March 2017 at 19:57:21 #859835

    Hi vnaskar,

    That really is not much time to visit the castle and get back to Luzern. You can find schedules for the boat to Chateau Chillon here. You could take the 16:40 boat to Chillon and explore until closing at 7pm (last entrance at 6pm) then train back to Luzern but it is about 3 hours.

    Regards,
    Lucas

    vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    26 March 2017 at 11:02:05 #859836

    What would be the best way to get mobile data connection in Switzerland? My main objective is to get data, calls are secondary.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    26 March 2017 at 13:26:41 #859837

    Hi Vnaskar,

    You could look at either a local SIM Card or the “TravelersWiFi” which is also very popular. Read more about both options here.

    Regards,
    Lucas

    vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    28 March 2017 at 14:45:20 #859838

    Thank you so much Lucas !! Many thanks to Annika and Arno !!

    vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    9 April 2017 at 17:40:32 #859839

    Hi, I will reach Zermatt on 10th May by 12 noon. What is the best option to visit that area? I understand that Matterhorn is closed during that time. Is there any possibility to get similar experience like Matterhorn on that day? Thanks in advance !!

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    9 April 2017 at 17:47:55 #859840

    Hi vnaskar,

    The train to Gornergrat operates all year round and offers a wonderful view of the Matterhorn.

    vnaskar
    Participant
    19 posts
    10 April 2017 at 5:19:58 #859841

    Thank you so much Arno !! I will check the train schedule. Is it good to buy ticket one day in advance after checking the weather condition ?

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