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Hello,
My husband and I are traveling to Switzerland for the first time from June 12th-16 and are very excited, and also overwhelmed with all the amazing places to see. We have our itinerary set and I am looking for some guidance as to whether or not this is doable and possible other recommendations
Day1: Travel from Stresa to Zermatt. Our train arrives in Zermatt just before noon. I wanted to go up to Gornergat but didn’t know if there was also time to visit Klein Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. The Glacier palace ice grotto and walking to Gondegg sounded like fun. We have the Swiss travel pass and understand that either would be 50% off.
Day 2: Travel from Zermatt to Montreux and arrive just before noon. We want to Rochers de Naye and possibly a short hike at the top. We wanted to know if it is possible to have time to see Chillon Castle or take a boat trip on Lake Geneva.
Day 3 and 4: Travel from Montreux to Grindelwald (partway on the Golden Pass) and arrive around 13:30. We are hoping to do a longer hike the first day saw First to Schynige Platt, and maybe see Trummelbach Falls. We found one of your links for Jungfrau in one day and wanted to do that on Day 4 as it looks like an amazing time! My main question is regarding going up to the top of the mountains on day 4 and whether we need to make sure it is done earlier in the day to get a better view, or if anytime is good on a nice day. If it is bad weather, would going on a boat ride be worth it?
Day 5: Grindelwald to Lucerne. We arrive just before noon and wanted to do Mt. Pilatus (the Golden Round Trip). We also wanted to walk to see the Chapel Bridge and we didn’t know if it made sense to take a boat ride to another town on the lake and if so, where is recommended? Any other recommendations in this area as we know we cannot do Pilatus and Rigi in the same day.
Day 6: Lucerne to Bellagio……
Kind regards,
Michelle
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Hi Michelle!
Your schedule is pretty full, but most of it can be done. Let’s have a look at some details:
- day 1: I’d do either Gornergrat or Klein Matterhorn in the afternoon, not both;
- day 2: you will have time for Rochers-de-Naye and either the Chillon Castle or a short boat trip. All three would be too much since you can’t start early in the morning. Please refer to Arno’s tips in your previous topictoo;
- day 3: you definitely shouldn’t do First to Schynige Platte. This requires a start early in the morning with plenty of time for breaks and setbacks. There are many other, shorter yet very scenic hikes; please find options at myswissalps.com/jungfr auregion/activities and scroll down;
- day 4: in most cases yes, skies are clearer in the morning. This is just an average though, and you’d best check weather forecasts shortly in advance;
- day 5: a trip to Pilatus and exploring downtown Lucerne would suffice for one day. A short boat ride can still be incorporated. There are many options; please find a link to the timetables at myswissalps.com/boatla kelucerne. Note that the Golden Round Trip to Pilatus also includes a boat ride;
- day 6: you could use the Gotthard Panorama Express route when heading from Lucerne to Bellagio.
I hope this helps!
>> If it is bad weather, would going on a boat ride be worth it?
Mostly, yes. “Bad weather” in relation to visiting mountain tops can simply mean that the mountain tops are in the clouds, obscuring the views. A trip on the lake would not be affected by high-level clouds. Even in the rain, as long as visibility around the lake is reasonable, a boat trip would still be worth it.
>> we didn’t know if it made sense to take a boat ride to another town on the lake and if so, where is recommended?
As you have planned a number of activities that will take up most of your day on Day 5, there is a nice round trip by boat to Beckenried, that you can do in the evening.
On the dates you are there (June 12-16), the last round trip leaves Luzern Bahnhofquai (wharf opposite Luzern railway station) at 19:12, and reaches Beckenried at 20:31. Stay on board for the return trip leaving Beckenried one minute later at 20:32 and arriving back at Luzern at 21:47. (This is the last boat back to Luzern). Sunset will be at 21:22, so during the last 20 minutes or so, you will enjoy the view of town and city lights as darkness falls. As you will have a Swiss Travel Pass, this trip will be free.
On Tuesdays to Saturdays, this trip is operated by steamship. On Mondays and Sundays it is a normal ship.
Dress warmly, including a scarf, as it can be chilly out on deck in the evening!
I did this trip on my last visit to Luzern, and I would like to thank Slowpoke for making me aware of it!
Alpenrose
Dear Annika and Alpenrose, thank you so much for your reply and suggestion of both the boat ride on lake Lucerne and the Gotthard train to Belagio. They both sound nice and I will most definitely look into them!
Again, thank you so very much!!!!
Hi Alpenrose,
Do we need to have reservations for the boat ride on Lake Lucerne before or can we get them the day of?
Thanks again for the suggestion!!
Hi Michelle,
You can’t make reservations on the lake boats in Switzerland. So you can just buy tickets prior to the departure you are wanting – 15 minutes before hand is typical.
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