MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial 4 days Bernese Oberland & Lucerne by car in April
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My partner and our toddler son will be traveling for 3-4 nights in Switzerland in early April. We’re coming from Italy (Como) and heading to Strasbourg. I know Switzerland is done best by rail, but the areas we are coming from and those we are going to are best seen by car. I’m hoping some experts here can help me out planning my itinerary.
We’re likely going to focus the Bernese Oberland area and maybe spend half to a full day in Lucerne. I’m thinking to leave Como early and drive to either Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen to stay for 2 nights and then spend another night in Lucerne on the way to Strasbourg, something like the following:
Day 1: Early departure from Como to Bernese Oberland, arriving at mid-day. Do a half-day activity (maybe a Lake Thun cruise). First night in BO.
Day 2: Schilthorn & either Wengen or Murren. Second night in BO.
Day 3: Hike Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg. Head to Lucerne for the night.
Day 4: Explore Lucerne for the day. Head to Strasbourg for the night.
Does this seem reasonable? Should we add more activities and if so are there any suggestions?
We’re not going to be moving very fast due to having a toddler. My partner has never seen or been in snow, so a mountain with snow is very high priority. Other than that we simply want to enjoy the beauty of the area. Depending on the weather/clarity at the time, the daily activities are interchangeable to ensure we get a clear day on a mountain.
Will we need snow tires or chains for any part of this trip? We’re renting the car in Nice, so it will not likely be equipped for snow.
Lastly, if we stay a bit outside of Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen in a chalet, how easy will it be to drive into town for meals/groceries? Will parking be an issue for short durations?
I appreciate any info you can provide!
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Hi cjeuro, and welcome to MySwissAlps
You will not need chains, and probably not require snow tires. You’ll drive through the Gotthard tunnel. Between Lucerne and Interlaken you’ll pass the Brunig Pass, that’s the section on your itinerary that might be hectic if the weather is bad, but in April snow on the road is unlikely.
It is usual to have to walk a bit between car park and grocery stores, everybody does that. Parking issues are not linked to the duration of your stay, but to the crowd (Easter week-end, etc.).
Hi and welcome to MySwissAlps!
Your itinerary seems feasible and not too packed, this will let you enjoy the areas and take it all in!
Like snowman said, the weather around that time of the year tends to be nice and the roads good, therefore you definitely won’t need any snow chains and very unlikely you’ll need snow tires! For extra safety, I would take a cable car / train journeys when you need to go up high, which you’ll do anyway if you want to see some snow and if you go to Wengen or Mürren which are car free.
Here are some links to read up on the areas you are visiting:
- Lake Thun cruises: http://www.myswissalps.com/bo atlakethun
- http://www.myswissalps.com/sc hilthorn
- http://www.myswissalps.com/we ngen
- http://www.myswissalps.com/mu rren
- Lauterbrunnen valley hike: http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/lauterbrunnen-stechelberg
- http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne
If you want to see snow up close, this can be done in Schilthorn, Wengen or Murren (these areas are all next to ski resorts which remain open until end of April usually, and easily accessible by cable car for pedestrians).
Regarding parking, finding parking shouldn’t be an issue. I would just suggest you check when booking accommodation that free parking is specified and check it is not far from the place you are staying!
Have a great time!
Maria.
Thanks for your help Snowman and Maria!
Is the following too much for one day? Early morning cable from Lauterbrunnen to Murren to spend a few hours and lunch. Cable to Schilthorn. Cable to Stechelberg. Then hike Stechelberg to Lauterbrunnen. I see the route here (schilthorn.ch/cmsfiles /tariffs_schilthorn_20 19_english.pdf) option “C” is Lauterbrunnen – Grütschalp – Mürren – Schilthorn – Stechelberg, which seems to connect all these points to the one-way hike. Is it possible to get off where you want and explore using this option or do you have to continue the route without stopping?
For that route and the cruise on Lake Thun/Lake Brienz I see the total cost would be 105 + 35 for a total of 140, which wouldn’t justify the cost of either the Bernese Oberland or the Half Fare pass. Is there something else to add to a 2-day itinerary that would justify buying a pass?
Day 1 and Day 4 look stressful to me especially as you mention a toddler. A day visit in Luzern followed by a drive to Strasbourg the same day could be pushing it.
Doing it to other way round would help, as you reach Luzern first when driving from Como to the Berner Oberland
“Early morning cable from Lauterbrunnen to Murren to spend a few hours and lunch. Cable to Schilthorn. Cable to Stechelberg. Then hike Stechelberg to Lauterbrunnen. I see the route here (</a>…) option "C" is Lauterbrunnen – Grütschalp – Mürren – Schilthorn – Stechelberg, which seems to connect all these points to the one-way hike. Is it possible to get off where you want and explore using this option or do you have to continue the route without stopping?"</em></p><p>Both the itineraries you state are fairly standard round tours for a whole day in that area. You can stop wherever you like. All the elements of the transport system are separate so you can pause between each element. Some bots can be done on the train or on a walking path (ie <a href="/hiking/gruetsch alp-muerren">Grütschalp – Mürren)
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