Help me plan my 10-12 day Switzerland-Austria trip

Hello,

My family of 5 adults and 1 child (4 year old) are planning a 10-12 days vacation to Switzerland-Austria in Early May. We have kept 6 days for Switzerland so far. We are flexible.

We would like to -

1. We want to visit Jungfrau and stroll around in Interlaken for a day
2. We want to hike around the Grindelwald and the Gimmelwald area. Shall we shift the base from Interlaken to Grindelwald ? Which hiking trails would you recommend for best views?
3. We would like to do Mt Titlis - Is it possible to do a day trip and come back to Interlaken the same day or should we stay there for a night?
4. Paraglinding is something which we would like to do as well. Any recommendations are helpful
5. Since we have taken Golden Express scenic train before, we were hoping to take the Glacier Express this time - Bern to Chur, and Bernina Express from Chur to St Moritz - Is it worth it ?
6. What is the best possible route to go to Innsbruck from St Moritz?

May you please suggest an itinerary based on our preferences.

Thank You In Advance

Kaj.

Hello Kaj,

Let's take a look at your questions.

1. The combination of the Jungfraujoch and Interlaken is perfectly suitable for one day. Note that Interlaken itself may not be that interesting. You may prefer exploring the direct surroundings, for example by a boat trip over Lake Thun or Lake Brienz, instead.

2. Some of our favourite scenic trails in the Jungfrau region are listed here. Mind that not all of them will be accessible yet in early May, due to snow. It can't be predicted which trails will and will not be open. You'd best inform at the local tourist office once you're there. Shifting base to Grindelwald is an option, but Grindelwald is pretty close to Interlaken, so it's not a necessity. Generally, if you prefer a central location, Interlaken is best. If you prefer to stay closer to the mountains, Grindelwald would be a better option.

3. A day trip to Titlis will make for a long day, but it is possible. There are alternatives in the Lucerne area that require less traveling time though, such as Pilatus (and other options in the immediate surroundings of the Jungfrau region). The timetable helps you to plan all details of your day trips.

4. You'd best take a look at the Interlaken Tourism website for trusted paragliding companies, and contact them to inform about the options.

5. The Glacier Express doesn't run between Bern and Chur. The route is described at our Glacier Express page. If you want to enjoy a (large) part of the route, you'd have to get to Zermatt, Brig or Andermatt first and board the Glacier Express there. You can travel as far as St. Moritz and do the Bernina Express route from here (the leg Chur-St. Moritz belongs to both the Glacier and the Bernina Express). This all would be way too much for one day though. If you're interested, I suggest you spend an extra night in Switzerland, for example in St. Moritz.

6. The timetable I mentioned shows all options. The one via Chur and Sargans makes most sense.

Once you have an itinerary, I suggest you look into rail passes to save money.

Does this get you started?

Hello Annika,

Thank You for your response. This definitely helps to plan out the days better. If we decide on doing the below three hikes, a few follow up questions about the trails I have are :

1. DAY1 - Can we do Junfroujoch (top of Europe) and "First - Bachsee - First" on the same day and return to Interlaken ? We can go to Jungfrau and then on the way back get down at Grindelwald and hike to Bachsee

2. DAY 2 - Shift base from Interlaken to Grindelwald. Can we do Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg - Take return train to Lauterbrunnen and then do Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg on the same day?

3. DAY 3 - What is the best way to hike to Gimmelwaldfrom Lauterbrunnen ? Can we get back to our base on the same day ? If we want to do Gimmelwald, shall we sleepover in Lauterbrunnen ?

I hope these are not too ambitious knowing that we have a 4 year old with us. If we can break it down, please suggest an alternative.

Best`K

Hi Kaj,

It's unlikely you can walk to the Bachsee in early May. Too much snow. But you can ask about the conditions at the local tourist office. Likewise for Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg. Although they clear the snow in winter for hikers, early May is low season so I expect this to be inaccessible as well.

You'd better pick trails below about 2000 m. And check about the options when you're there. I expect Lauterbrunnen to Gimmelwald to work. Mind that it's a 550 m ascend! Sounds like a lot with a 4 year old. The Interlaken link Annika gave you provides more options (click "What to do"). With a 4 year old, I would pick easier trails, like Grütschalp to Mürren.

Like Annika suggested, I would not shift base either. Stay either in Interlaken or Grindelwald. Grindelwald is more scenic. Shifting base takes a lot of time. I would not do so with just 3 days in the region.

Thank You Arno!

We are flexible to go in late June as well. Do you think these hikes will be possible in late June or early July ?

will it be then possible to do these two?

1. DAY1 - Can we do Junfroujoch (top of Europe) and "First - Bachsee - First" on the same day and return to Interlaken ? We can go to Jungfrau and then on the way back get down at Grindelwald and hike to Bachsee2. Can we do Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg - Take return train to Lauterbrunnen and then do Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg on the same day?

Hi Kaj,

Yes, that's a much better time for high altitude hikes. You can do the Bachsee walk in the afternoon after Jungfraujoch, but do start your day early. The gondola back down from First to Grindelwald is probably around 5 PM/6PM. And you don't want to rush around Jungfraujoch because a) it's too beautiful too rush and b) the air is too thin to rush :-)

The other two trails can indeed be combined on one day as well.