Advise for 8 days Swiss itinerary – family travel

  • Shellfish
    Participant
    1 post
    20 September 2022 at 4:05:07 #828383

    Hi All,

    We are a family of 5 with 3 kids below (6, 10, 12) would like to seek advise from the experts here on the following itinerary. We’ll be flying in to Paris and making our way to swiss for 8 days from mid Dec before going back to Paris for a short stay. Is the following itinerary doable? How can we fit in a train ride for glacier express or golden pass line? Feel free to suggest on any change as we are still in the planning stage 🙂

    Day 1 – Paris – Basel – Bern (16th Dec)

    Day 2 – Bern – Thun – Wengen

    Day 3 – Wengen – Jungfraujoch

    Day 4 – Wengen – Zermatt – Gonergrat

    Day 5 – Zermatt – Glacier Paradise -Luzern

    Day 6 – Luzern – Mount Rigi by boat and train

    Day 7 – Luzern – mt Titlis

    Day 8 – Luzern – pilatus Kulm ?

    Day 9 – leave for Strasbourg (24th Dec)

    Thanks!

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    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 September 2022 at 5:10:38 #947092

    Hmm, in my opinion a big rush and not very child friendly. You have too many bases, 1 max 2 would work. Also, your itinerary is rather made for the summer. Skip Lucerne or Zermatt. Skip Mt. Pilatus, not worth in winter. Plus, the weather is another unkown thing.

    Stay longer in Wengen (or for the entire time) and go sleding with the kids.

    Anna
    Moderator
    6382 posts
    20 September 2022 at 18:43:13 #947093

    Hi Shellfish,

    Welcome to MySwissAlps.

    Pilatus won’t be accessible in December so you might have to change your plan on Day 8: https://www.myswissalps.com/pilatus/gettingthere. The rest of your itinerary however is doable.

    If you need more options, you can find useful and practical tips on how to plan a winter trip in Switzerland here: http://www.myswissalps.com/winter

    regards,

    Anna

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 September 2022 at 22:37:48 #947094

    I agree in part with both Anna and Trainliner. I would keep your present itinerary but just use the unavailable Pilatus day as a rest day – your kids will need it…

    And don’t try and add in yet more dashing around in the shape of the Glacier Express or Golden Pass (they are both very well marketed but that doesn’t mean they are ‘must do’ – your itinerary already incudes lots of high mountain views – you don’t need to see yet more of the same.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    21 September 2022 at 3:45:19 #947095

    Pilatus is accessible even in winter, via cable way from Kriens. But all trails on the summit are closed for safety reasons – no panorama views. The best mountain for views in winter is Rigi. Or Titlis, but it is very expensive.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    21 September 2022 at 8:29:10 #947096

    Hi there,

    If you have a Swiss Travel Pass, you can visit Rigi for free. Regarding Titlis, your train to Engelberg is also free and you have to get a 50% discounted ticket to Titlis.

    You can save a lot if you have the right Swiss rail pass.

    Ildiko

    MySwissAlps.com recommends reading this: Validity area of the Swiss Travel Pass

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