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Hi,
We are young couple and planning to visit Switzerland for the first time. Here is our itinerary, please share your expert advise:-4 Nights / 5 Days
Day 1: Geneva to InterlakenDirect Train to Interlane and Overnight in InterlakenNote: Will be flying in from Athens to Geneva (Arriving: 1830 local time)
Day 2: Interlaken – Jungfraujoch – InterlakenOvernight at Interlaken
Day 3: Interlaken / LucerneRail Trip traveling from Interlaken to Lucerne. On arrival into Lucerne. Check in & relax. Overnight in Lucerne
Day 4: Lucerne – Mount Pilatus – LucerneEnjoy a cruise on Lake Lucerne from Lucerne to Alpnachstad, then up to the Pilatus by the steepest cogwheel railway in the world. Overnight in Lucerne
Day 5: Lucerne – ZurichNote: Flying out from Zurich to London around 2130 local time
I have few questions on mind:
1) Should i overnight in Geneva for my first night ?
2)Which travel pass should be buy?
3) Do we have too much bases? Shall we make one base?
4) Since i will be traveling to Jungfrau and Mt Pilatus, Which travel pass I should take?
5) Is it possible to slot in chamonix before Interlaken?I was told that chamonix is a must visit.
6)For first timer,which one is more convenient and less expensive?
At this moment,I have not book my return flight to London yet. (Estimate travel date 22/5 /15 to 25 or 26/5/2015)Perhaps I may fly off from Geneva instead of Zurich. Do share your expert advice We are open to any option or suggestion
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Welcome to MySwissAlps.com, wslee! Let’s address your questions:
1) If you want to maximize your chances of visiting the Jungfraujoch, you’d better travel to Interlaken right after your arrivel in Geneva. It’s about a 3 hour train journey, which is quite demanding after your flight from Athens. But skies tend to be more clear in the morning, so it’s best to be able to start off early on day 2 and head for the Jungfraujoch straight on (only if weather forecasts are favorable of course).
2) and 4) Which travel pass is best, depends on your final travel plans. If your itinerary won’t undergo any major changes, a Swiss Half Fare Card will probably turn out to be the cheapest option. An alternative is a 4 day Swiss Travel Pass (with a regular ticket from Lucerne to Zurich on day 5, if there is a day 5 in your itinerary). These tips help you do the math.
3) Given your plans, staying in Interlaken for one night and in Lucerne for the remaining nights is fine. It wouldn’t be convenient to base in one of them only.
5) No, your schedule is too tight to visit Chamonix as well. But don’t worry, you’ll definitely get to see some of Switzerland’s highlights during your stay.
One note on your return flight: flying out from Zurich would be easier, as that’s much closer to Lucerne than Geneva is. You would manage to return from Geneva if you had a fifth day that could be spent on traveling to Geneva. Your flight would have to take place in the late afternoon or evening though, if you want to make sure you arrive in time.
I hope this helps you prepare for your holidays!
Hi Annika,
Thanks for your reply.
Going through your answer, i have few more question to add on:-
1) Instead of rushing the first night to Interlaken, will it be wise for me to overnight in Geneva on the first night then traveling in the evening to Interlaken on the 23/5/2015? Most of the 5 days 4 night itinerary that i refer to, neither they have suggested to overnight in Geneva
2) U were suggesting for one night stay in Interlaken, does that mean i stay on 22/5/2015 then from 23rd onwards, i stay in lucerne until my flight out from Zurich to London?
Looking forward to hear more from you
HI Anna,
i had booked my return flight to London from Geneva, just realized the mistake.
Do i need to make any major changes as a result of new booking?
Thanks
Hello wslee!
If you fly back from Geneva, it would be easier to adapt your schedule, e.g. by spending the first and last night in Geneva and spending two days in between in Interlaken only. Otherwise you’d be traveling and switching hotels a lot in those few days. Please check the timetable I mentioned to find out for yourself what amount of traveling is acceptable to you.
If you want to see the Jungfraujoch you should be able to leave from Interlaken early in the morning. If that’s still your goal for day 2, you should travel to Interlaken right after arrival on the evening of day 1. I’m not sure if I understand your question correctly and what you mean with “Most of the 5 days 4 night itinerary that i refer to, neither they have suggested to stay overnight in Geneva”.
Annika
Hi Annika,
So based on my new booking,I should only based Interlaken and Geneva? You wouldn’t recommend Lucerne in between?Should I add in Lucerne,will it be too rush?
What question meant was,I had referred to common suggested itinerary for 5 days 4 night; majority will have Interlaken and Lucerne as their based while Geneva/Zurich will their entry and departure point
Hi wslee,
It’s a personal choice, really. There’s not a single plan that’s recommended for everyone. As you have quite a long trip from the airport to Interlaken and back, I suggested to stay there for the few days you have available. There’s plenty to do and see. If you want to see Lucerne too and don’t mind switching hotels again, that’s perfectly fine.
Hi Annika,
Thanks for answering my question. I’m much clearer now. Will re-organize my itinerary again.
I will post it again when i’m done.
Hi Annika,
We had decided to stay in Interlaken for two nights and Lucerne for two nights.
Just wondering if you could recommend us must eat food in both places?
During May, what sort of weather will we expect for both area
Thanks
Hi wslee,
You can try any Swiss dish in both places, and consider a local beer (e.g. Eichhof in Lucerne and Rugenbräu in Interlaken). Both Interlaken and Lucerne are near a lake at a low altitude. The weather will be more or less the same, but it can be anything: warm Spring weather or chilly or rainy. As soon as you go up in the mountains it will be colder and possibly more cloudy. If you dress in layers as explained here, you can easily adapt to any circumstances.
Hi Arno / Annika,
Here is my updated itinerary,
Day 1(22/5/15): Geneva to InterlakenDirect Train to Interlane and Overnight in InterlakenNote: Will be flying in from Athens to Geneva (Arriving: 1830 local time)
Day 2(23/5/15): Interlaken – Jungfraujoch – InterlakenOvernight at Interlaken
Day 3(24/5/15): Interlaken / LucerneRail Trip traveling from Interlaken to Lucerne. Lucerne – Mount Pilatus – LucerneEnjoy a cruise on Lake Lucerne from Lucerne to Alpnachstad, then up to the Pilatus by the steepest cogwheel railway in the world. Check in & relax. Overnight in Lucerne
Day 4(25/5/15): Sight Seeing around town center before heading to Geneva.
Day 5 (26/5/15) : Check out from Hotel, Stroll around Geneva. Flying back to London around 2130.
I have some question during my Lucerne trip, just wondering possible to go to both Mt Titilitis and Mt Pilatus or i have choose either one.
I need some of your opinion. Anyway we had bought Swiss Travel Pass for 4 days.
Looking forward to hear form you soon.
Cheers,
Kelvin
Hi Kelvin! Your itinerary looks fine, in my opinion. The 4 day Swiss Travel Pass is a perfect fit.
Personally, I wouldn’t like to visit both Titlis and Pilatus in one day. It could be done, but you would be traveling a lot (since you also have to get to Lucerne from Interlaken first) and you wouldn’t manage to also include a boat trip over Lake Lucerne. The combination of Pilatus and a boat trip is doable and more diverse than visiting both mountain tops.
Hi Annika,
Thanks for the follow up reply.
If based on my current itinerary, how much roughly do i need to use in Switzerland?
Currently i have yet to change to Swiss Franc. Thought about using left over from Greece trip(5 Days 4 night)Any cheapest money exchange shop you can recommend in Either Geneva/Interlaken?
Hi wslee,
How much you need is really difficult to tell as it greatly depends on the choices you make. Some people spend CHF 100 per day, others spend CHF 500. I don’t know which exchange office would be cheaper. My advise would be to get your money from ATM’s and don’t carry around too much cash. Credit cards and debit cards are widely accepted, but you do need some cash just in case.
Hi Arno,
I agree with you but if average per meal, how much roughly i will be expecting?
Anyway regarding for swiss travel pass, do i still need to reserve my seat for all my destination?
Hi wslee,
I would spend about CHF 50 on a dinner I guess, but that’s nothing fancy.
You don’t need seat reservations in Switzerland, apart from a few exceptions. Please see here for all details.
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