2-3 weeks in Switzerland in May 2024
A traveler is planning a 2-3 week trip to Switzerland in May 2024, starting in Zurich and visiting several cities like Luzern, Lauterbrunnen, and Montreux, with a desire for advice on their itinerary and sightseeing options. They are curious about train schedules, hotel bookings, and whether to add more time to any specific locations.
- Consider staying 2-3 nights in Zermatt to fully enjoy the iconic Matterhorn and its scenic charm.
- Train reservations are required for panoramic trains like the Glacier Express and Bernina Express; book these up to 93 days in advance.
- Swiss trains run year-round, but some mountain transport may be limited in early May due to maintenance work.
- Hotels are not overly crowded in May, but it's wise to book shortly to secure good options.
AI-generated summary-
We are planning a 2-3 week trip to Switzerland for May 2024 and would appreciate any thoughts on this tentative itinerary. We are flexible with dates and length as we are retired.
Fly into Zurich and take train to Luzern
Stay in Luzern 4 nights. Potential sightseeing options include Mt. Pilates, Mt Rigi, Mt Titus, Golden Pass, boat cruise Lake Luzern. Also a day trip to Rothrist (my wife’s family was from Rothrist).
Travel to Lauterbruen, stay 4 nights. (Was considering Wengen but Lauterbruen seems more easily connected for day trips. Not sure if Grinderwald or Murren are better options?) Potential sightseeing options include Gimmelwald, Schiltorn, hike to waterfalls, Oeschinen lake.
Travel to Montreux on Golden Pass line, stay 3 nights Potential sightseeing options include deChillon castle, walk along promenade, day trip to Zermatt, Chateau de Gruyeres, lake cruise.
Travel to Brig/Chur on Glacier Express. Stay 1 night in Chur.
Travel to Tirano on Bernina express. Stay in Tirano?
Travel to Venice, Italy, stay 3 nights. Return/fly home from Venice
Does this itinerary sound like a good sampling of various sites in Switzerland and doable?
Should we spend more time in any area listed or other areas?
I listed a few sightseeing options – anything else we should not miss?
Will all the trains be operating in May ( not sure when some routes start operating after winter).
The Glacier express and Bernina express trains need reservations, correct? How far in advance should I plan for those train reservations?
Are hotels/Airbnbs readily available in May (how soon should I start booking hotels?)
Thank you for your help!
-
Hi Ax79,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
This is a good start. You itinerary already includes a lot of wonderful destinations and there really isn’t much I would change. For a trip in May, choosing Lauterbrunnen as your base in the Jungfrau region is a good call, especially if you are planning day trips to other regions. Also you can quickly get to Interlaken where the Golden Pass Express train departs for Montreux.
Swiss trains run regularly all year round. You can use the SBB timetable to check train schedules. The only thing you should be concerned about are mountain transportation such as cable car, gondolas and cogwheel trains, some of which may not operate between April and May due to maintenance work.
In general, seat reservation on Swiss trains is not required except on special panoramic trains such as Glacier Express and Bernina Express. This is explained in detail here: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/reservations. Seat reservations on the panoramic trains can be booked up to 93 days in advance. You can find more practical tips on how train travel in Switzerland works here: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/howtotravel.
Here are further links that might be helpful for your trip:
- Hotels in Lucerne: http://www.myswissalps.com/lucerne/hotels
- Hotels in Lauterbrunnen: http://www.myswissalps.com/lauterbrunnen/hotels
- Hotels in Montreux: http://www.myswissalps.com/montreux/hotels
- Sightseeing in Lucerne: http://www.myswissalps.com/lucerne/activities
- Sightseeing in Lauterbrunnen: http://www.myswissalps.com/lauterbrunnen/activities
- Sightseeing in Montreux: http://www.myswissalps.com/montreux/activities
Regards,
Anna
If you have 3 weeks, you might enjoy 2-3 nights in Zermatt, rather than just a day trip. After a couple of nights in Montreux, you could take the train to Zermatt for a few nights and then take the Glacier Express starting from Zermatt.
Hi again,
I think Lastlook’s suggestion is worth considering. Zermatt is a beautiful destination and taking the Glacier Express from Zermatt would be more convenient.
You can find sightseeing options in Zermatt here: http://www.myswissalps.com/zermatt/activities
Heres’ the link if you’re looking for hotel options: http://www.myswissalps.com/zermatt/hotels
Regards,
Anna
Just chiming in here to also recommend spending a night or two in Zermatt. The iconic Matterhorn and the other surrounding peaks provide such a beautiful and dramatic backdrop to Zermatt, which is a charming village. Seeing the sunrise reflected off the top of the Matterhorn from our hotel room was one the highlights of our trip last June!
Thank you all for the suggestions. I think we’ll add 2 nights in Zermatt.
As far as hotels, is May a busy month where I should start looking at hotels now or can I wait until later this summer to book?
Thanks again!
Hello Ax79,
In case you needed some hotel suggestions for Zermatt, please take a look here.
Here is our “time” guide on visiting Switzerland throughout the year. May is a little quieter than other months. I think you have a little time on your hands for next year but why not reserve something that gives you the option to change your reservation, without any fee. That way at least you have something booked for your stay.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
- The thread ‘2-3 weeks in Switzerland in May 2024’ is closed to new replies.
