December in Switzerland - Zurich-Zermatt-Geneva

Kinkee
Participant

12 posts

31 May 2018 at 15:44:24 #816352

I will be travelling into Zurich on Dec 16, 2018 with 3 kids in tow (14, 9 and 6 years old). Planning to do following:

1) Stay 2 nights in Zurich to visit Christmas market and day trip to Lucerne and Mt Rigi for sledding

2) then onward to Zermatt using one of the panaromic trains. Taking the Glacier Express will be too long a journey

3) 3 nights in Zermatt for Wolli Park and Gornergrat

4) Then 2 nights in Geneva for a day trip to Maison Cailler

5) Back to Zurich for final night before catching 10.30 am flight home

Appreciate some advice to fine tune above itinerary. Thanks.

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Removed user
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72625 posts
31 May 2018 at 19:24:23 #886936

Hi Kinkee and welcome to MySwissAlps!
1. You might find it easier to stay in Lucerne rather than Zurich (it has Christmas markets as well).
Have a read about Christmas markets here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/activities/chris tmasmarkets
1. From Lucerne (or Zurich) to Zermatt you can travel to Montreux on the Golden Pass route or go to to Zermatt via Kandersteg and Brig for a scenic route as well (not a panoramic train). The fastest trains take about 3-3.5 hours. The 2 routes above are more like 5 hours. This timetable link can help you plan out all trips https://www.myswissalp s.com/timetable
2. I’d choose Montreux over Geneva. I think it is a prettier town and also closer to Maison Cailler.
3. If you are traveling by train you may want to read our page on choosing the best rail pass as well: https://www.myswissalp s.com/train/ticketspas ses/practical/choosera ilpass
Peterli
Participant

1206 posts

1 June 2018 at 4:02:34 #886937

Hej Kinkee !

If you are interested in Christmas Markets in Switzerland, you might want to bookmark this site: http://www.marches-noel.org/marche-de-noel-a-geneve/# In the right column you can click on many cities and cantons, including Montreux, Lausanne, and Geneva, with Christmas Markets, known as Marchés de Noël in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.

At that time of the year, I think you will find the area between Lausanne and Montreux much more picturesque and, as Lucas has mentioned, it’s much closer to the Maison Cailler in Broc. And very close to Broc is photogenic Gruyères.

Kinkee
Participant

12 posts

2 June 2018 at 6:46:12 #886938

Thanks so much Lucas and Peterli for the tips. I have more questions though on the Swiss Travel Pass. Does going up the mountains counted as a travel day using the Pass with discounts for the cogwheel trains? For example, going up Rigi, Gornergrat?

Thanks.

Removed user
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72625 posts

2 June 2018 at 8:20:41 #886939

Hi Kinkee,

Yes it does. With the Swiss Travel Pass you have it valid for consecutive days so it doesn’t matter what you do or don’t do really.

With the Swiss Travel Pass Flex you must use a travel day to get free or discounted travel.

You can find the discounts and route coverage of the Swiss Travel Pass here:
https://www.myswissalp s.com/swisstravelpass/ validity

IE Rigi is free and Gornergrat is 50% off from Zermatt.

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