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Greetings All:
My family (me, my wife, my daughters (17 & 18) and my 74 year old mother-in-law) will be in Switzerland for 8 days (arriving 23.06 / departing 30.06) this coming June. Our current itinerary is as follows:
Saturday, 23 June: Train from Paris to Bern , changing trains in Basel. Drop luggage off at apartment and tour Bern for remainder of day
Sunday, 24 June: Train from Bern to Lucerne. Bus to Kriens and take gondola to top of Mt. Pilatus. Cogwheel train down to Alpnachstad and boat back to Lucern. Walking tour and dinner in Lucern and then train back to Bern
Monday, 25 June: Early train from Bern to Montreaux. Walk or boat to Chillon Castle, tour castle and back to Montreaux. Golden Pass train from Montreaux to Interlake. 5p Chocolate Show at Café Schuh. Dinner in Interlaken then back to Bern
Tuesday, 26 June: Open day. Possibilities: Murten / Gruyere / Zurich…open to additional suggestions
Wednesday, 27 June: Early departure from Bern, Arrive Murren. Drop luggage at apartment and take funicular to Allmendhubel, hike Blumental Panorama trail back to Murren
Thursday, 28 June: Early gondola to top of Schilthorn, brunch at Piz Gloria then back down to Lauterbrunnen via Ginnelwald and Stechelberg. Visit Trummelbach falls and tour Lauterbrunnen.
Friday, 29 June: Cable car to Mannlichen via Lauterbrunnen and Wengen. Hike from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg. Short tour in Kleine Scheidegg then hike to Wengernalp. Train from Wengernalp to Wengen then back to Murren.
Saturday, 30 June: Early departure from Murren. Train to Zurich via Bern. Afternoon departure from Zurich back to USA.
I’d love to get the community’s thoughts on our itinerary, specifically as to whether the hikes that we are planning are easy enough for my mother-in-law (assuming that we take plenty of time to smell the flowers and take in the sights along the way) and whether the Monday itinerary is too aggressive.
Also, we plan to purchase Swiss Travel Passes for each of us but I am having difficulty deciphering exactly which cable cars/gondolas are covered by the STP. I’ve seen sites that say that the gondolas from Kriens to Pilatus and from Murren to the Schilthorn summit are completely covered and I’ve seen other sites say that the are only partially discounted. Any assistance that you can lend in clarifying would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your feedback…Switzerland has been on my bucket list forever and I’m super excited to finally be planning this visit!
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Hi Dargarov, and welcome to MySwissAlps,
Thank you for sharing your detailed itinerary. Looks like a great trip.
My first thought is that the Monday is a stretch. I assume you’re taking the fast way (via Lausanne) to Montreux? It is doable, and in the end it is a personal choice. Some people don’t mind sitting on the train a lot. And traveling by train in Switzerland is relaxed.
I find the Sunday heavy as well. So that’s two days in a row where you travel a lot. Not sure if you have used the Swiss timetable? I use it to plan my trips as it tells me how long I need to travel.
Unfortunately I can’t give you advice on the hikes. I hope another forum member can.
To understand what is included in the Swiss Travel Pass, please visit this page.
Hi Dargarov –
I share Chantal’s concerns for the specified days, but it is because I don’t know how able your mother-in -law is, and whether she will handle the hikes.
I assume that you will not be jet lagged, since you are coming from Paris?
Monday 25th-
What you propose is possible, but you should look carefully at the timetable to figure out options and timing for various choices.
Here are some examples-
At the start –
The fast trains at xx04 and xx34 take 1 hour and 34 or 37 minutes from Bern to Montreux..
In the middel –
On the way to Interlaken, If you leave Montreux on the 1144 Golden Pass train ( MOB Panoramic) you’ll get to Interlaken Ost at 1449.
I don’t know how long it takes to get to the chocolate place.
Other options for Montreux to Interlaken –
If you take the regular train on the same route, you can leave Montreux at 1253 and get there at 1628.
Other routes are faster. The one through Bern is probably the fastest. The one via Brig and Kandersteg has nice scenery on the leg from Kandersteg.. Don’t use the still faster tunnel from Visp.
Google maps says it is a 42 minute walk from Montreux train station to Chillon. Buses take 12 or 13 minutes and may include a 7 minute walk. Mix and match, if you wish, and check out all connection times in the SBB timetable. That’s the advanced one at this page ( useful explanations).
http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
or direct :
It is a fairly steep 33 meter descent from the station to the lake level:
So, if you catch the 0804, you get to Montreux at 0943. That gives you 2 hours to get to Chillon, look around, and get back to the station. That’s what you’d be able to do, but you’d be pushing. Catch an earlier train…0743 0r 0704 and gain time at Montreux. or, don’t take the panoramic Golden Pass train at 1144, and gain leeway.
Use the SBB timetable, and test with and without Zweisimmen in the via box.
At the end, there are frequent trains back to Bern, taking 1 hour from IO. Evey half hour until 2000, the once per hour on the hour.
I’d do it.. You children are old enough to move fast when needed. You can do the whole route with minimal walking, by making choices.
Sunday , the 24th-
I think it all fits together acceptably. You can be flexible at Luzern, and take the train instead of the boat from Alpnachstad, if you have to shorten the times.
Luzern Altstadt (old town) is fairly close to the station…if you go to the Lion (Löwendenkmal on this map):
you’ll have about a 1 km walk, sort of skirting the old town. There are buses or trams for some part of it…don’t have details at the moment, but they’re available on line. You can shorten your time by not going to the Lion. It’s the furthest thing from the station.
Trains to Bern – 1 hour, on the hour. Longer trips at intermediate times.
Friday, the 29th –
You are wise to put the BO at the end. Mid june is a bit chancy for high altitude walks, and they;ll be plenty of snow pack this year. The Mannlichen hike rarely opens before the 15th and it may be days later. It’s also good to have a few days in the region, as you are doing, to accommodate the changeable weather.
By the way, the choice of villages is a highly personal thing, but I like Wengen, as do many other forum members:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/tips-about-wengen-and-the-jungfrau-region-by-kim
On the 29th, the first hike you list is easy and no problem. A local nickname for the walk Is the Grannies’ Walk.
http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/maennlichen-kleinescheidegg
Of course, Swiss grannies do it uphill ( from KS to M) and at a pace that would leave me panting.;-)
It’s a beautiful walk. Photos attached.
There is nothing to see that especially distinguishes Kleine Scheidegg; of course the views and the scenery are really nice.
The stretch to Wengernalp mighty be a bit hard on the knees….Since it is a 187 meter descent in about 2 km of walking. However, if your mother in law walks regularly, she’ll probably be OK. I’d not recommend walking all the way to Wengen. We did it once when we were not in shape, on our 50’s, and our knees were really tired at the half way point, and sore for a few days afterward. That descent is 800 meters… much more than going to Wengernalp.
the 26th-
Probably not Zürich unless you are interested in museums and shopping.
The other two are nice. I’d also consider Fribourg. The old town by the river is compact but nice. The restaurant au Sauvage is extraordinary. Reservations are desirable, but a Tuesday may be light.
The 30th –
I like to be closer to the airport on the night before I leave. However, my flights to the Sttes always leave in mid- to late morning. aturday means that the morning rush hour will not make problems on the trains, but I’d set my schedule to get to the airport at least 3 hours ahead of flight time. Then you’ll not be worried if there is some complication slowing your journey. You’ll make with 2 hours at the airport
Slowpoke
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Hi Dargarov
i agree with Slowpoke on the hiking. Panorama walk to Murren is easy enough. The walk from Männlichen to KS is rated by the Swiss as a 1.2 hr walk. The trail is paved and gentle. The walk from Wengeralp to KS is rated at 2 hrs. Of course this direction is uphill but the Swiss don’t adjust much for uphill vs downhill. I also found it to have a significant downhill component but the scenery is very nice and the trail well maintained and not aexcessively steep. But might be a challenge for a 74 yo after already hiking from M to KS. Of course depends on the 74 yo. Mark
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