Best itinerary 6 nights August, 5 adults&3 yr old

31st July – 6th August

5 Adults and 3 year old are visiting Switzerland on 31st July- 6th August. We are interested only in nature beauty and famous train rides. We were planning to stay in Zurich for 1 nights and then go to Interlaken or Lucerne depending on what you all suggest for 5 nights. We would like to cover Golden Pass/Glacier Express and Bernie Express. Please suggest otherwise and anything else that we should not miss. Travel dates are fixed. Itinerary is not. Any suggestion on accommodation are welcome…..However we need to arrive at Zurich on 6th afternoon. Thanks

I have not studied your itinerary yet, but ,with such a short stay, I'd nt spend time in Zürich.

If you expect to be jet-lagged, head for Luzern upon arrival.

www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne

It is also a good time of year to visit the Jungfrau region.

www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion

Have you looked at the timetable?

www.sbb.ch/en/home.htm l

Beyond that, no comments at the moment.

Slowpoke

Welcome kidda83!

Indeed, do study the timetable and the scenic train pages:

• myswissalps.com/ goldenpass
• myswissalps.com/ glacierexpress
• myswissalps.com/ berninaexpress

These trips are long and best done while transferring from town to town. If you prefer to ride these scenic trains as a day trip from one base, count on 8 to 12 hours of sitting in trains. I'm not sure if that's a good idea with a 3 year old.

Once you have an itinerary you can start looking into rail passes: myswissalps.com/ train/ticketspasses.

Hi Kidda83 -

I forgot to welcome you to My Swiss alps - but Arno did. You have picked a busy time to travel in the mountains, just at the beginning of the main tourist season in August. It's nice to get up in the mountains where the air is cool at night. Sometimes it can get quite warm in the cities at lower altitudes, such as Luzern or Zürich, during July and August.

Forgot to mention that this link give useful information about how to use the timetable:

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

as well as a link to it.

Slowpoke

Would like to seek advice on the below itinerary if it's doable.......and suggestions on hotel bookings. Thanks

D1 -31 July Landing at 10AM at Zurich then off to Lucerne

D2 -1 Aug Bernina Express (By train to Chur/Bernina Express train to Tirano and Bus to Lugano and by train back to lucerne)

D3 -2 Aug Lucerne - Interlaken by Golden Pass line

D3 -2 Aug Interlaken - Jungfrau

D4 - 3 Aug Interlaken - Zermatt

D5 - Aug Zermatt- St Moritz on Glacier Express

D6 - Aug St Moritz to Zurich by 6 PM

Hotel bookings: Based on above travel itinerary.....Still to be done

D1 and D2 at Lucerne

D3 an D4 at Interlaken

D5 -Zermatt

D6 - St Moritz

D7 Fly out of Zurich in the evening by 8 PM

Thank you in advance for advice.

Hi kidda83,

It's certainly doable. Whether it matches your expectations is up to you. It's mostly scenic trains with little time for exploring the towns and regions along the way (Lucerne, Zermatt, St. Moritz). Which is fine if that is what you want to do!

Note that there's some overlap in day 2 and day 5. Be sure to travel via Sagliains on day 6 to prevent seeing the St. Moritz to Chur leg for a third time.

A Swiss Travel Pass would cover most of your trips: myswissalps.com/ swisstravelpass. Be sure to order it in time (about a week before your trip) so you can print it at home and save time upon arrival. All options are listed here. Also I recommend to book your seats for the Bernina Express and Glacier Express as soon as your itinerary is final. It's high season and these trains (and the bus) can book out.

You'll find hotel suggestions here: myswissalps.com/ hotels.

Hi Kidda83-

I have reviewed your proposed itinerary and Arno's comments.

As he notes, you have planned many very long days on the trains, and not much time to look around the cities or countryside. Would you or your three year old like a bit more time to get some exercise, or look at something besides mountains?

If I were doing the trip, i would skip either the Glacier Express or the Bernina Express. Please check out those routes on the timetable to see just how long they will be. Note that with your plans you will travel the section from Chur to St.Moritz 3 times, unless you take the longer route via Davos instead of direct from Chur.

I'd spend the extra time around Luzern and the lake, possibly on a boat ride.

Or, I 'd use it to explore some of the area around the Jungfrau. Not sure if your child is old enough to appreciate playgrounds, but there are nice ones in Luzern, and at Männlichen.

Everyone has different interests, so these comments reflect my personal opinions. Certainly, yours may be different.

Slowpoke

Thanks Slowpoke and Arno's for your inputs ......more i read more confused i get....Can you please edit the below itinerary which you think is the best to get on to all 3 trains(Golden/Glacier/Berniina)......i reach Zurich 10 Am on 31st July and leave on 8 PM on 6th of Aug. i am flying in from Amsterdam so no jet-lagged...... Thanks

D1 -31 July Landing at 10AM at Zurich then off to Lucerne

D2 -1 Aug Bernina Express (By train to Chur/Bernina Express train to Tirano and Bus to Lugano and by train back to lucerne)

D3 -2 Aug Lucerne - Interlaken by Golden Pass line

D3 -2 Aug Interlaken - Jungfrau

D4 - 3 Aug Interlaken - Zermatt

D5 - Aug Zermatt- St Moritz on Glacier Express

D6 - Aug St Moritz to Zurich by 6 PM

Thank you in advance for advice.

Here is one idea. I have not checked it against the timetable. You can reduce your confusion by looking at a map and the timetable. It is not the only possibility, but is the first thing that comes to mind.

<<"Can you please edit the below itineraryry which you think is better......

D1 -31 July Landing at 10AM at Zurich then off to Lucerne">>

Will you be jet lagged?

How much energy will you have to explore Luzern on Day 1? Will your child be exhausted from the travel? Time zone change? or, are you coming from Europe? If exhausted, consider taking lake boat ride.

D2 -1 August -All day in and near Luzern, boat ride and cograil to the top of Rigi or to Pilatus. Perhaps explore the city thoroughly, depending on what you did on Day 1. Possibly go to Interlaken in the late afternoon via Golden Pass Route (Luzern to Interlaken Express.)

D3 -2 Aug Lucerne - Interlaken by Golden Pass line early in the day, or, if already in Interlaken,explore some of Wengen/Männlichen, or go up to Schilthorn, include easy walking in the area. Details available with further discussion. No long walks due to 3 year old.

<"D3 -2 Aug Interlaken - Jungfrau

D4 - 3 Aug Interlaken - Zermatt

D5 - Aug Zermatt- St Moritz on Glacier Express

D6 - Aug St Moritz to Zurich by 6 PM">

To see the scenery from the Jungfrau requires clear weather, or else you spend a lot of money and look at the inside of clouds. The weather changes frequently and suddenly in the Alps and the detailed forecasts are only good for about a day ahead of time.

So, don't get your tickets to the Jungfrau until the last minute. Consider adjusting your arrival time in Interlaken based on consultation with the tourist info by track #1 in Luzern.

Consider exchanging day 2 and day 3, based on weather - also stay in Luzern on day 2 or go to Interlaken based on forecast for the Jungfrau .

That is what I would use a starting plan. If I had time on my trip to Zermatt on Day 4, I would definitely take the higher and very scenic route via Kandersteg and Brig, rather than the faster and boring route through the new, lower "basis tunnel" from near Spiez to Visp. Check the time table.

Slowpoke

Thanks Slowpoke for all you Inputs....I am satisfied with itinerary below.

D1 -31 July Landing at 10AM at Zurich then off to Lucerne

D2 -1 August - Possibly go to Interlaken in the late afternoon via Golden Pass Route(Lucerne to Interlaken Express.)

D3 -2 Aug In Interlaken, explore some of Wengen/Männlichen, or go up to Schilthorn.

D4 -3 Aug Interlaken - Jungfrau

D5 - 4 Aug Interlaken - Zermatt

D6 – 5 Aug Zermatt- St Moritz

D7 – 6 Aug St Moritz to Zurich

What is the next step.....book hotel or buy 8 days Swiss pass or reserve seats on the trains........Thank you again in advance....

Hi kidda83-

Looks like a much calmer itinerary.

Arno and Annika can help with travel passes ads accommodations.

Slowpoke

Hello kidda83

I would book hotels as soon as you can - it is high season and many hotels may already be fully booked. You should reserve seats on the Glacier express too for same reason. Other trains do not need reservations or buying any tickets in advance.

Maggie

The next steps would be to:

• Purchase the Swiss Travel Pass from any of the websites listed here.
• Purchase Glacier Express reservations. The site you buy the pass from may sell them. If not, please see here.
• Book hotels. Please see myswissalps.com/ hotels for lots of suggestions.