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Hi,
Our family with 2 teen boys (age 16 and 13) will be going to Switzerlandin late Nov. Need some advice as we’re still deciding places to visit and understand that some of the transportation will not be operating during this period. Also taking into account the weather which may not be the best.
Day 1 (24 Nov) Lucerne – exploring town
Day 2 Lucerne – excursion. We’re contemplating of either Mt Titlis, Pilatus or Rigi. Can we do 2 out of 3 in 1 day? What’s the main difference between Pilatus and Rigi? We’re also considering to go to Glacier 3000 later from Montreux and hence may consider to skip Titlis if necessary. Which one is better for glacier, views, and snow activities?
Day 3 Leaving Lucerne, stop by Interlaken? If we’ve done boat ride in Lake Lucerne (assuming it’s open), is it still worth it to do boat ride in either Lake Brienz or Thun? Is the boat ride operating? If not then I’m thinking to skip Interlaken altogether unless if there is anything else worth seeing? Then go straight Lauterbrunnen or Wengen or as it’s just near by and explore the town in the afternoon.
Day 4 Excursion to Jungfrauchjoch or Schilthorn. Or is it worth to do both? What are the difference in terms of the views during the journey and when we reach there?
Day 5 Leave Lauterbrunnen to Zermatt, explore Zermatt town upon arrival
Day 6 Excursion to Gornegratt to see Matterhorn.
Day 7 Leaving Zermatt to Montreux, or maybe it’s better to leave the day before after our excursion to Gornegratt? Explore town and visit Chateau de Chillon
Day 8 Excursion to Glacier 3000 (if we skip Titlis). Or any other recommendation on nearby town if we don’t go to Glacier 3000?
Day 9 Leave Montreux to Basel as we will be flying from Basel to London
We plan to use 8 Days Swiss Travel Pass starting from Day 2 (excursion from Lucerne). Any suggestion or recommendation would be highly appreciated!
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Day 2 theoretically you can 2 excursions mt rigi or mt pilatus can be done. But I would one preferably mt pilatus. Lake cruise can be done
Day 3 You can skip Interlaken. You can do boat cruise on day 1
Day 4 schilthorn is included swiss travel pass. Trip to jungfraujoch is the most expensive mountain excursion and very crowded. Each mountain excursion is unique for its view travel experience
Day 5 6 7 are ok
Day 8 other options Chaplin world, Olympic museum , calliers choclate factory, lauvaux wineyard
Why not activate swiss travel pass on day 1. On last day you can use local transport for travel to basel airport if base on day 8 is in basel
Hello Melzacho3,
Your itinerary sounds very nice and covers lots of hotspots in Switzerland.
You will find input on practically all the destinations you mention by typing them into the search bar of this page.
For detailed planning of traveling days, timetables, etc. use the timetable below, a fabulous tool for finetuning your itinerary:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metableFor details on the Swiss Travel Pass, incl. validity, purchase options, etc. in each according tab use.
Your older boy will get a 15% discount on the pass. Also make sure you check out the (free) Swiss Family Card, which allows your younger to travel along with you for free.
– http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass
– http://www.myswissalps.com/sw issfamilycardTo check out tickets for your first day please use this link:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/tr aintickets/switzerlandAnd for your departure via Basel:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ai rports/baselHappy finalising of your trip and feel free to get back to us anytime.
Best,
StephThanks Shroffchetan and Steph for your reply and suggestions! My worry now is that some cable car rides are on maintenance during my visit (24 Nov – 2 Dec). For example, Schilthorn cable car seems not operating looking at this information: – schilthorn.ch/en/Infos /Timetable__and__Tarif f#
Is there any other way I can go to the top of Schilthorn?
And what would be the weather like in late November. Will it have a lot of low fog and cold?
Thanks again!
Hello Melzacho3,
The Schilthorn can only be reached by the cable car which is under maintenance in the mentioned time, unfortunately. See:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/sc hilthorn/gettingthere, dates of operationFor input about the weather please use below links:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/we ather
– http://www.myswissalps.com/be sttimetovisitAutumn can be foggy but doesn’t have to be, it can also be a very colourful and nice time, so fingers crossed in your (and my) favour!
Best,
StephThanks again Steph for the information, appreciate it!
What would be a good alternative to The Schilthorn considering my itinerary and timing? Is it going to Jungfraujoch? We’re looking for experience going up the mountain with great views possibly by cable cars with some activities at the top. I understand there is a cable car to First. What is the route to go there and is it open during the period I’m visiting?
Also, what would be a good town as a base for my after Lucerne as I understand Lauterbrunnen can be very quiet at that time? Is it better to be base at Wengen? I’m thinking of skipping Interlaken as mentioned above.
Hi Melzacho3,
If the weather is good, Jungfraujoch would be wonderful too. More expensive though. The First cableway will be closed late November.
Wengen is bigger than Lauterbrunnen, and Grindelwald is bigger than Wengen. You’ll find details about all towns here: http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion.
Thanks Arno. Where can I find the operating dates for the First cableway? I tried to search in their website and it says Operating date is 24 November 2018 continuously until 27 October 2019. Does it mean they close entirely in Nov?
And if I go to Jungfraujoch without the going to the First cableway, is it still worth it?
Hi Melzacho3,
These are two different, unrelated trips. Each is worth is by itself as well. The First cableway will reopen on November 30 on a limited schedule (10 AM – 3:45 PM).
On a clear day, Jungfraujoch will be wonderful: http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch.
Hi Arno,
Thanks for the info! I might revise my itinerary to catch the First cableway on Nov 30. Is it reopen only on that day or for that weekend (Nov 30 – Dec 1) or is it daily starting Nov 30?
So after Lucerne in Day 3, we may go straight to Montreux and stay there until Day 5 as the Christmas Market is already open
Day 6 Zermatt – Gornegratt. So far I haven’t found anything on restricted operation. Can you pls advise if anything I’m missing? Is the cable car in Gornegratt worth it if we already do it in first?
Day 7 and 8 Grindelwald – First, then go to Basel at end of Day 8.
Hi Melzach03!
As far as I can tell, the First cable cars start running daily from November 30. You can find them in the timetable mentioned by Steph.
The Gornergrat trains run all year long indeed: myswissalps.com/gorner grat/gettingthere. I’m not sure which cable car you mean.
<<“Will it have a lot of low fog and cold? “>>
Likely. December will be worse..
Slowpoke
Hi Anika,
Thanks for your reply! I’m referring to this cable car ride I found in the Gornergrat website: http://www.gornergratbahn.ch/ en/summer/special-offers/peak2peak/
This is what it says: “Discover the two Zermatt must-see perspectives at Gornergrat and Matterhorn glacier paradise on one excursion day with the Peak2Peak Ticket. Your excursion begins with a trip to the Matterhorn glacier paradise (3,883 m), the highest mountain station in Europe. Once you have absorbed that, you take the cable car to Riffelberg and reach the Gornergrat (3,089 m) with its idyllic cog railway. The Gornergrat Bahn transports you in great comfort back to the centre of Zermatt in the immediate vicinity of the train station. Of course, this excursion may be done in the reverse order.”
I noticed in their schedule, it’ll start operating again on Nov 30 so I need to arrange my schedule to fit if it’s worth it. Wondering how is it compared to the First cable cars?
Hi Melzach03,
Thanks for explaining. That’s about the Klein Matterhorn cable car. You can find its details at http://www.myswissalps.com/kl einmatterhorn. It’s a certainly different experience from the cable car ride to First, as you’ll reach significantly higher altitudes at Klein Matterhorn and will see different views.
<<“If we’ve done boat ride in Lake Lucerne (assuming it’s open),”>>
Check here:
http://www.myswissalps.com/bo atlakelucerne
and, here:
http://www.lakelucerne.ch/en/ timetable-fares/timetable/
Slowpoke
Thanks Anika and Slowpoke for your replies.
I’m revising my itinerary based on the opening of the cable cars.
Day 1 (24 Nov) – Lucerne, explore town and Lake (boat ride)
Day 2 – Lucerne, Mt Titlis
Day 3 – Pilatus/Rigi, leave to Montreux in evening
Day 4 – Montreux, Christmas Market
Day 5 – Montreux, Glacier 3000? Still considering if it’s worth it since we already go Titlis and Gornegratt?
Day 6 – Leave to Zermatt in the morning, explore town
Day 7 (30 Nov) – Gornegratt, take Klein Matterhorn cable car. Do you know if the Toboggan/Sledge there open already?
Day 8 Grinderwald/Wengen. Which town is better as a base? Planning to go to First and visit Lauterbrunnen. Leave to Basel in the evening.
I need some advise if we’re taking too many similar experiences with Titlis, Glacier 3000, Gornegratt, First. In terms of priority and considering the timing in late Nov, how do you suggest to prioritize them? If I understand correctly, Pilatus/Rigi will offer something different so we will still go there.
Thanks again!
Hi Melzach03.
Good timing. The Montreux market opens November 21, and is one of the better ones in Switzerland:
http://www.brunnvalla.ch/chri stmasmarkets/switzerla nd.html
Day 8 –
Hard to say which is best. Going to First can be time consuming (compare to a look around Lauterbrunnen, which is small) , depending on what you do up there and whether you get off at Bort for a look around, so maybe Grindelwald will be the better base. Personally, I think Wengen is more charming than Grindelwald.
A check of the SBB schedule for December 1, 2019 does not show that you can go between Wengen and Grindelwald by cableways up and over Männlichen. That surprises me. I though that the new cableway from Grindelwald would be running by then.
If it is not running, then you go between the two valleys either by cograil through Kleine Scheidegg or the lower level regular trains via Zweilütschinen. Neither is fast.
Slowpoke
Hi Slowpoke,
Thanks for your reply! What you’re referring as cableways that are not running is to go from Wengen to Grindelwald via Männlichen? This different from the First cableways, right?
So if this not running and I’m based in Wengen, then would be time consuming to go to Grindelwald and First by cograil or regular trains. Might as well spend the time to explore Wengen and Lauterbrunnen only? Is it worth it to spend a day just to explore Wengen and Lauterbrunnen at that time of the year considering it may be quiet?
I’m just not sure if we’ll be missing much if we forego First considering we already have Titlis, Gornegratt, and Glacier 3000?
Hi Melzach,
How about visiting Rochers-de-Naye instead of Glacier 3000 (http://www.myswissalps.com/glacier3000)? It’s much closer to Montreux, so that leaves more (spare) time on day 5: http://www.myswissalps.com/ro chersdenaye.
I think your plans for day 8 are pretty ambitious. Do you mean to spend the night in Grindelwald or Wengen between day 7 and 8? In that case it should be doable, but if you have to arrive from Zermatt first, and then head to Basel in the evening, that will be a long and full day.
As for the cable cars between Männlichen and Grindelwald: I can’t find them in the timetable either. I checked the Männlichen website and they don’t seem to have published a winter timetable yet. Maybe they’re not sure whether the operation on the new cable cars will be finished in time, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Anyway, you can always travel between Wengen and Grindelwald using the railway line over Kleine Scheidegg, or using the valley line via Lauterbrunnen-Zweilütschinen.
<<“Thanks for your reply! What you’re referring as cableways that are not
running is to go from Wengen to Grindelwald via Männlichen? This
different from the First cableways, right?”>>
Right.
And, I assumed that you would be sleeping in the region, not coming from Zermatt
Slowpoke
The aerial cableway Wengen-Männlichen is closed from 28 October until 13 December 2019 due to maintenance.
The gondola cableway Grindelwald-Männlichen remains closed until 13 December 2019 due to reconstruction.The brand new Grindelwald Grund-Männlichen (GGM V-Bahn) is schedule to commence operation 14 December.
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