MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial 8 Day Switzerland trip around Christmas
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Greetings everyone. I have spend a lot of time going over the message board and I wanted to bounce of my itinerary. What originally started as a 5 night trip has now morphed into a 9 day trip. My family of 5 (3 Kids all girls aged 7 and twin 3 year old) are planning a vacation around the Holidays. Me and my wife are train buffs and we would like to do as much train travel as we can covering all the major routes.
Without much further ado here is my plan, I know it is ambitious and I can extend it by a day if I need but not more. We will be coming to Luzern on Christmas eve.
Day 1 – Arrive at Luzern from Paris via Montreux/Interlaken. Stretch our legs and do see the local sights for an hour or so (Transport Museum if open)
Day 2 – Christmas day Is anything open? If Trains run then Mount Rigi
Day 3 – Luzern – Mt Titlis if it is clear or Pilatus. I read Pilatus trip in winter is not as exciting as the other two. and leave for Gimmelwald in the afternoon
Day 4 – Gimmelwald – Schilthorn – Depending on Weather
Day 5 Gimmelwald – Jungfraujoch – Depending on Weather
Day 6 – Long Day – Gimmelwald to Brig to catch the GEX to St Moritz
Day 7 St Moritz
Day 8 – BEX from St Moritz to Tirano onto Milan
Day 9 – Take a flight to Paris
While there is a lot of train travel which we like, I planned on spending 2 nights each at Luzern, Gimmelwald and St Moritz. We can always cut off a local trip if the kids want to stay put. Other than day 6 and 8 I think rest of the travel is short and manageable.
Any critique or comments on how to improve the trip is appreciated. This is our first time in Switzerland and we want to hit all the highlights and then come back in summer and spend more time in one of the mountain regions we visited. We are coming from Minnesota on a month long trip to Europe. I still haven’t worked out the best pass option but I think it most likely will be a Swiss Half Fare card plus the Free add on Childrens pass. I will finalize that after nailing down my itinerary. If I have to add a day where would you add it and what would you do that day?. Coming from Minnensota we can understand winter weather can be unpredictable
Thanks in advance for your suggestions and help
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Hi Mavericky –
Welcome to My Swiss Alps –
Unless you go outside at Jungfraujoch, the weather will feel like that one day every year in Minneapolis that you call Spring.
Jut joking, but at the lower levels of your stay you’ll not get anywhere as cold as Minneapolis in the middle of Winter.
I haven’t got a lot of time at the moment, so ‘ll just give you some quick impressions –
Switzerland pretty much shuts down on Christmas Eve afternoon and all day Chrismas Day. Public Transport runs, and, if there is snow, the Swiss will be skiing on Christmas Day.
Gimmelwald – others on the forum, especially our Canadian moderator Lucas always put it more politely than I. I’m a Yankee, and we are sometimes a bit brusque, as you surely know.
My take is – Why do you want to go to Gimmelwald? There is nothing there but a few houses and a bunch of tourists with Rick Steve’s book in their pocket. Or, in their hands. Similar excellent views from Mürren.
Mürren- one stop higher on the chain of cableways – has a lot more to offer.
Stechelberg, below, in the valley even has a lot more, and that’s damning with faint praise.
Check out these links:
http://www.myswissalps.com/be rneseoberland
Lots of good sub-links there.
Also-
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/tips-about-wengen-and-the-jungfrau-region-by-kim
Not just about Wengen, it is full of useful tips.
Have you learned to use the timetable? It will tell you what transport is running on Christms Day and the schedules. The instruction page with this link is useful:
http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
Day 6 will be shorter if you are staying in Interlaken, but there is no other good reason to stay there if you want mountain village atmosphere.
Slowpoke
PS-
This may interest you:
Thanks for the quick response. So true about Minneapolis, my six year old says it is too hot when it is in the high 20’s and wants to be in short sleeves.The only reason for Gimmelwald is that Ester’s Guest house has availability around Christmas, most of places are filled. I’m not set on the location but the place I stay is dependent on availability of a place for 2 0r 3 nights. I will keep researching your other suggestions..
Thanks for your help…Appreciate it
Hi Mavericky,
Indeed, I would guess with the Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare Card would be best (along with the Swiss Family Pass (for the 7 year old, your 3 year olds need no pass or ticket for travel).
If you need help with choosing the best rail pass, we have a spread sheet to help with calculations here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/train/ticketspas ses/practical/choosera ilpass
https://www.myswissalp s.com/swisstravelpass
https://www.myswissalp s.com/swisshalffarecar d
https://www.myswissalp s.com/swissfamilycardWhen buying the passes (online by clicking the price tab on the above pages, you can add on the free family card at time of purchase. The passes will then all be emailed to you to print at home.
As Slowpoke notes, don’t make any plans from 12pm on Dec.24 to Dec. 27 except for mountain trips – most everything will be closed.
You can read more about the mountains here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/activities/natur alsites
and about the Glacier and Bernina Express trains here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/activities/sceni ctrips/train
It is too early to reserve seats (90 days in advance) but they are mandatory on those trains. Links for that can be found on the packages tab.
<<“Ester’s Guest house has availability around Christmas, most of places are filled.”>>
Skiers
Slowpoke
<<“<<“Ester’s Guest house has availability around Christmas, most of places are filled.”>>”>>
Actually, even without snow, which could be skimpy at lower altitudes in December, a lot of people like to get away into the alps at Christmas. There out to be snow at high altitudes, though.
<<“We are coming from Minnesota on a month long trip to Europe.”>>
Middle European winters are notoriously grey, damp, cloudy and depressing. The Swiss deal with the depressing climate by going up above 2000 meters for some sun.
Slowpoke
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