[My_Doodles]

5 September 2022 at 23:49:40 #828272

HI. My husband and I leave a week from today for Zurich.

I am overthinking the passes required and what to pack. Here’s our Itinerary. Please give advice if you think we are doing too much or haven’t thought of something.

We are both 61 in good physical shape and plan to hike mostly easy trails with a few moderate thrown in for adventure’s sake. We are coming from below sea level (Houston) and plan to acclimatize. Our base camps include Luzern (5) Wengen (5) and Lausanne (3)

Tuesday, 13th – Arrive Zurich and head straight to Luzern. We are here for 4.5 days and 5 nights. Hotel = Cascada Boutique Hotel (located on Bundesplatz 18). We will be in Operation Stay Awake mode so we will check in hotel and then go for a swim at Luzern Seabed Lido. Watch the sunset and eat dinner and early to bed. Q: Is this doable or even a good idea in mid September?

Wednesday, 14th – Mt. Titlus (cliff walk, Ice Flyer, Zipline, alpine flower park. We might even try a scooter bike. Q: Am I missing a good hike? Q: Can we include Stanserhorn on this day as well?

Thursday, 15th – City tour of Luzern (self-guided), leisurely eat lunch, etc. Include Summertime Bars Voliere. Q. Should we add a boat trip on this day?

Friday, 16th – Mt. Pilatus taking the Golden Pass in reverse or Mt. Rigi. Hike Rigi Staffelhöhe – Freibergen. Q: If you had to choose between Rigi, Titlus, or or Pilatus. Which two would you choose?

Saturday 17th – Bauen – Seelisberg Hike (moderate) or Engelberg – Ober Trüebsee – Trüebsee hike

Sunday, 18th – Train to Wengen. Is there any reason to go early in the morning as we can’t check in until 3, I assume. We are staying at Alpenrose for 5 nights; 4.5 days. There seem to be loads of popular hiking opportunities but if you had to pick the top 3 which would they be? I am intrigued by Niederhorn – Waldegg (Lake Thun)

We want to tandem paraglide and it seems Lauterbrunnen is a good place. We would add the Falls hike. We would also do Schilthorn and hike the North Face Trail. Have you heard of the Skyline Chill? We thought we would do on one of our half days.

Saturday, September 23 we train from Wengen to Lausanne. Our final 3 nights ; 2.5 days are based here. I haven’t decided about hiking the vineyards. We would do Montreaux and walk around Old Town. Q: Is there anything else I am missing? We plan to leave for Geneva airport at about 5 a.m. since our flight to London at 7:00 a.m. Is that enough time? Canyon still swim in the Ouch. We like the idea of drinking and eating at Bridge Bursar Le Flon.

My last questions concern attire and passes (of course): Q: should we plan for dressier outfits at night when eating out? Should we plan to bring a Fleece (September). Are there spas you recommend? I seem to have researched Swiss Travel Pass, etc until I am blue in the face so I was planning on buying the Swiss Half Fare card with the BO Regional Pass. Should I add a Tell Pass?

Many thanks for offering such a wonderful forum. I read it daily!

Charli from My Doodles.

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[Anna]

6 September 2022 at 9:55:34 #946535

Hi Charli,

Thanks for reading our forum daily.

I think you have a well-planned itinerary. So here are some personal feedback:

1. Tuesday 13th Sept – A swim in the lake at Lucerne Lido. Yes, why not if the weather permits. I think the temperature is still warm enough in September to go for a swim. Otherwise, you can use the heated swimming pool onsite.

2. Wed, 14th Sept – There are various easy trails you can do during your trip to Mt Titlis. My favourite is the loop around Trubsee, which is a lake you can find at the middle station. There are also various activities you can do at Trubsee in addition to hiking. Might be a good idea to plan this excursion as a whole day trip as there is so much to see and do in Titlis and also in Engelberg.

3. Thu, 15th Sept – Explore Lucerne on foot and by boat, certainly possible in 1 day. Here’s a link to a self-guided walk: http://www.myswissalps.com/hiking/lucerne. Tips on how to combine this with a boat trip here: http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakelucerne

4. Fri, 16th Sept – Mt Pilatus is closer to Lucerne. And doing the the Golden roundtrip could take more than half a day.

5. Sat, 17th Sept – I would do the Trubsee hike during the trip to Titlis on Day 2.

6. Sun, 18th Sept – If you want to maximise your trip, you can check out early and plan a side trip such as to Brienz or Interlaken enroute from Lucerne to Wengen. You can store your luggage at the train station and pick them up later.

7. Indeed there are plenty of wonderful you can do during your stay in Wengen. You might find this guide, written by a forum member useful: http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/tips-about-wengen-and-the-jungfrau-region-by-kim

8. The Skyline Chill is just a relaxation area at the top of Allmendhubel above Mürren. You’ll definitely pass through it if you’re doing the North Face Trail.

9. There are direct trains from Lausanne to Geneva Airport. If your flight leaves at 7am, I think you need to be at the airport at least 1-2 hours before departure. Be sure you have enough time to check-in. According to the timetable, the earliest direct train to the airport leaves at 3.50 am thereabouts.

10. Based on your plans, you might want to think about getting a Swiss Travel Pass as this is valid throughout Switzerland. You can travel for free on Swiss public transport and get discounted tickets on mountain transportation. The Swiss Half Fare Card provides discounted travelling on both public and mountain transport but you will have to get tickets for each trip. Additionally, a regional pass such as the Regional Pass Bernese Oberland and Tell Pass would provide a better value and convenience if your itinerary is focused on one or 2 regions and include numerous mountain excursions. If you haven’t, be sure to read our quick guide on how to choose a railpass.

Hope this helps you to firm up your plans.

regards,

Anna

[My_Doodles]

6 September 2022 at 15:14:32 #946536

Thank you so much Anna for the thoughtful reply.

Would it be a good idea to get off the train at Bern and walk around for the day (storing luggage of course) on our way to Lausanne?

Charlie

[Anna]

6 September 2022 at 15:57:06 #946537

Hi Charli,

If you have time, I think making a side trip to Bern enroute to Lausanne is definitely a good idea. Bern is the federal capital and is a nice city to explore.

regards,

Anna