Switzerland 15 nights 28 March – 12 April

  • Removed user
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    72625 posts
    20 October 2019 at 6:45:30 #824265

    Hello,

    I’m in the midst of planning our first trip to Switzerland for next year – my husband/myself (early to mid 40s) and our 13 year old son. Flying in and out of Zurich (7am arrival time of the 28th March) – I have the following rough itinerary so far but need your help please with the most logical order:

    2 nights Zurich (first and last nights)

    3 nights Luzern (including day trip to Mt Rigi)

    4 nights Zermatt

    3 nights Montreux or Vevey (Chateau de Chillon, Gruyere, Rochers de Naye)

    3 nights Mürren (trip up to Schilthorn/Piz Gloria on best weather day)

    Would it be better to go to the alpine areas first (last few days of March/first couple of Apr) and work our way back up or is there a logical order to travelling between these areas at this time of year?

    Thank you!

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    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    20 October 2019 at 13:06:26 #923978

    Hello Jcgayer,

    Welcome to MySwissAlps!

    I think the rough itinerary you have is good so far. After a long day of traveling in the air, it’s good to shower, settle in a bit before you go full speed into your itinerary. You and your family have one night in Zurich to get a good nights rest before you go to Lucerne the next day. The order you have in your itinerary works. You can plan your trips in detail with the aid of the SBB timetable at http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable.

    I will attach some detailed links with the places you are at to help make your planning easier.

    Zurich:

    Lucerne:

    Here is information about Rigi:

    Zermatt:

    Montreux:

    Montreux has more “sights” from a tourist point-of-view versus Vevey. I find Vevey to have more of a residential feel to it.

    Murren:

    Here is a link about the weather forecast in Switzerland on the days you plan on going to the alps.

    You didn’t mention your mode of transportation while you are in Switzerland. The trains in Switzerland are efficient, safe, and it’s a great way to relax and see the scenery. Please take a look at the links to help you decide:

    I hope these links will give you inspiration and makes your planning easier.

    Best regards,

    Suzanne

    gramels
    Participant
    80 posts
    20 October 2019 at 21:31:11 #923979

    For your Lucerne Rigi trip you could consider to stay 3 nights at Mount Rigi and explore lake, Lucerne and Rigi from there. Lucerne is eg from Vitznau a 1h boat trip. In case you prefer to stay outside the city and with a great view.

    Mark
    Participant
    794 posts
    21 October 2019 at 1:32:16 #923980

    Hi Jcgayer

    Many on this forum would recommend going strait from the Zurich airport on day 1 to you first destination, Lucerne. This will save you a full morning of checking in and out of a hotel in Zurich. Besides you will see some of Zurich on your last day. Many would say a half day in Zurich is enough. A walk and dinner in old town in Zurich is nice but doesn’t require more than a half day: https://www.myswissalp s.com/zurich.

    Mark

    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    21 October 2019 at 2:56:39 #923981

    Thank you Suzanne for your reassurance and all the links to that fantastic wealth of information – looking forward to reading it. I did forget to put that we are planning to get around by train, and the 15 day Swiss Travel Pass is looking good.

    Yes thank you Gramels that sounds like a good alternative – we do love lake views and I’m sure there are some spots handy to public transport. I’ll research it and see how it compares based on what we want to do in and around Lucerne.

    Thanks Mark, I was just thinking that after I posted (and read a few trip reports) – I see it’s only another hour and a bit by train to Lucerne from the airport and that might give us an extra day to see my sister-in-law in Geneva while we are down south so to speak.

    gramels
    Participant
    80 posts
    21 October 2019 at 5:33:37 #923982

    Easy to reach by public transport with a view is Mittlerschwanden and Kaltbad at Rigi. Directly at Rigi Bahn. Mittlerschwanden is approx 5 minutes from Vitznau station, where you also can take a bus or boat to Lucerne. It is about 2h from ZRH airport by train and boat (with an hourly connection direct to Lucerne, so you have not to change until you get to the boat). All covered by Swiss Travel Pass. There are several houses to rent. You can check my homepage (see my profile) for more info.

    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    21 October 2019 at 8:57:04 #923983

    Hello Jcgayer,

    Thanks for your reply. I think it’s great you have the Swiss Travel Pass! It will certainly allow a lot of freedom and the hassle of not purchasing a ticket each time you board the train. When you arrive in Zurich, you can decide whether or not you want to go to Lucerne directly, or even go to Geneva to visit your sister-in-law! The flexibility is yours with the Swiss Travel Pass! I have attached some links pertaining to the Swiss Travel Pass for you:

    I wish you and your family a fabulous time in Switzerland! Please write to us about all the wonderful things you experienced in Switzerland; we would love to read it!

    Best regards,

    Suzanne

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    22 October 2019 at 8:14:52 #923984

    Hi JCGayer –

    Late March-early April is the tail end of the ski season in the Jungfrau region. A lot of hotel and restaurants close sometime in early April to reopen in early to mid June. Even in the lower altitudes, you can expect a fair amount of rainy weather, although there can be many periods of beautiful days. Hard to predict, but it is not the driest time of year. One benefit- few tourists.

    So, I am afraid that I do not agree with Suzanne about the order of your trip.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/be sttimetovisit

    The trail conditions for this special walk may be poor or impassable for walking:

    http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/maennlichen-kleinescheidegg

    Although I recall that the trail is groomed in the Winter, that practice stops sometime in March, I recall.

    If Ii were doing it, I would either put the Jungfrau region first, or, spend a fair amount of time looking at websites of hotels and restaurants in the area to see if they will be open when you finally get there.

    Here is one example, taken at random:

    The Hotel Schönegg in Wengen is one of the nicer ones. I checked their website and the last day that they are open is April 11th. Skiing is not so good. Can’t hike. No customers.

    Schilthorn will likely be open.

    In 2019 it was-

    <<“The cable car from Mürren to Schilthorn does not operate from 23 to 26 April 2019 and from 11 November to 6 December 2019.”>>

    Slowpoke

    I don’t know Zermatt. The peaks and trails may be at higher altitude, thus open longer.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    22 October 2019 at 8:54:15 #923985

    Hi JCGayer-

    I’ll add a couple of thoughts in addition to my other note. I come from the east coast of USA.

    Mark has offered opinions that mostly agree with my own experiences.

    If I choose to travel by car, I spend the first 2-3 days in and around a Zürich base, or on short train trips, then, after jet lag is diminished, I rent a car. That is easier to do in Zürich than Luzern.

    If I am traveling by train, whether I stay in Zürich or Luzern depends to some degree on my arrival time. If I get in on a flight from the USA that arrives in the early-mid morning, I often go directly to Luzern. Train to Luzern from the airport takes 1 hr 3 minutes at xx46 or 1 hr 10 minutes at xx15 ( direct, no changes). Several trains per hour to Zürich main station take 10- 20 minutes.

    We usually recommend going directly to Luzern because most tourists find that the great variety of things available to do in and around Luzern is a better match to their interests. Suzanne gave you the links.

    I’ll add one more:

    http://www.myswissalps.com/ce ntralswitzerland

    However, to refine that perspective… the devil is in the details.

    Zürich is my favorite city in Switzerland. I have a couple of friends there, so I have learned the city. I did not have that benefit, I’d probably feel differently. It is not a “tourist” city, but it is a city that works well and is comfortable to be in….for me at least. Great museums, a wide range of excellent restaurants, superb intra-city transport by trams and buses, nice short hikes up on the Uetliberg or Zürichberg. Excellent train connections to all parts of Switzerland. Sometimes on jet lag days I take the train down the lake to Hurden (36 minutes) and walk to Rapperswil, the take the train back.

    Images from Hurden and nearby attached.

    Lake Lucerne:

    Gramels has recommended time in or near Vitznau. It is one of many very nice, relatively peaceful, very scenic, and usually cheaper (than expensive Luzern) places all around the lake. I have stayed at several. As with all such locations, you would be an hour or more from Luzern main station. So, if travel from a Luzern base is in your plans, it is not a convenient location.

    Slowpoke

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