[Removed user]

8 October 2019 at 11:48:43 #824125

Hi

We’re planning to go to Switzerland in Sep2020 and seems like there will be 3 days out of our tour are public holidays which is 20-21.9.20 & 25.09.20. May I know are all the shops closed during those public holidays & what about transportation? Does it rain often & how cold will it be during this period as we’re from South East Asia and don’t get to see snow.

Thank you!

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[Slowpoke]

8 October 2019 at 22:25:32 #923354

Hi Nyap –

Welcome to My Swiss Alps.

<<“We’re planning to go to Switzerland in Sep2020 and seems like there will

be 3 days out of our tour are public holidays which is 20-21.9.20 &

25.09.20. May I know are all the shops closed during those public

holidays & what about transportation?”>>

September is usually an excellent time to visit. Weather tends to be good; tourist density diminishes compared to the summer months.

I was just in Switzerland from September 11th through 26th, and there were no holidays that affected me in any way during my travels thorough various cantons. (Note that most holidays are set by individual cantons, so they can vary around the country). I did not notice if any days were holidays…no evidence of that.

On public holidays the transport system operates, with little or no change from “regular” days. On major holidays, stores and restaurants may be closed…Christmas Day, National Day in August….

Here is a list for 2019. It includes 2020, and 2021, 2022…for the times that you return in future years.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Public_holidays_in_Swi tzerland

In general, I am not aware of wide spread public holidays in September. I’ve been going there in September almost every year since about 2000…..

Where do you see those holidays for 2020 listed? Do you know their names?

<<“Does it rain often & how cold will it be during this period as we’re from South East Asia and don’t get to see snow.”>>

This is not an easy question to answer, especially without knowing when during September you will be there.

September starts out as late summer and ends as early Autumn. On average, it has the best weather of any month. During my recent two weeks I had sunny dry weather every day, including a couple for which showers were forecast, with temperatures ranging form as high as about 30 degrees Celsius to lows on some clear nights as low as about 10 Celsius. I had rain one night.

For comparison, in April, also May and even June, I would expect several rainy days during a two week period.

Temperatures declined gradually and irregularly during the month.

To put my comments in perspective, and give you a better general knowledge of the country, please take a look at the information in all the links under “Getting Started” on the home page. Especially the ones related to weather, such as:

http://www.myswissalps.com/ab outswitzerland

Weather forecasts cover a relatively large area and time, thus are likely dealing with more than one microclimate. A forecast of rain may be 100% true, but only in 10% of the region named for the forecast.

I like this service for good local detail:

http://www.meteocentrale.ch/e n/europe/switzerland/w eather-lucerne/details/N-3515415/#2019-10-11

Finally, as the Forum Rules note,

http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/rules

especially,

<<“Please provide enough information. For example: the question “What can I do in 7 days in Interlaken?” can be answered much better if you include some information about your interests, preferences, when you plan to travel, age of the travelers, etc.;”>>

Here is one simple example of why we ask:

Many tourist facilities have seasonal schedules. Not too many change in September, but this one does:

http://www.lakelucerne.ch/en/ timetable-fares/timetable/

If you are interested in Luzern or the boats on Lake Lucerne, it helps us guide you about such schedule change.

Some regions are at high altitude. Temperatures are lower.

If you want to go to the Alps, weather forecasts are not reliable much more that 24 hours before hand…and the weather can change suddenly. Generalizations about temperatures are a bit more reliable in the “Mittelland” – lower altitude middle part of the country.

So:

http://www.timeanddate.com/we ather/

Not only are the cultures and languages different in different regions, the weather is, too.

If we know your itinerary, we can offer comments that are more meaningful.

The more we know about your trip plans…especially dates, and what you are interested in doing, the better we can give more specific answers, instead of general ones. That is especially important because generalizations are not all that useful in a country where you might be at altitudes ranging from about 400 meters above sea level to about 4000 meters.

Slowpoke

[Removed user]

9 October 2019 at 5:02:46 #923355

Hi Nyap,

there are many public holidays the same within Switzerland but it can vary from cantons to cantons, where are you planning to do on those dates? Although I am not aware either about long holidays next September, for example there is only one public holiday in my canton (Vaud) in September, and next year it will be the 21 September. On that day the shops are closed but tourist attractions and restaurants remain still open, transportation is similar to transportation on Sundays. See also: http://www.myswissalps.com/ab outswitzerland/culture history/publicholidays.

Weather in September is usually very nice. You will be able to find snow only on high level altitudes like Jungfraujoch or Klein Matterhorn. Read more about the weather at http://www.myswissalps.com/we ather and the forecasts at http://www.myswissalps.com/we ather/forecast. See also: http://www.myswissalps.com/be sttimetovisit

[Removed user]

9 October 2019 at 11:57:09 #923356

Dear Ladies

Greetings from Singapore!

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my queries. Regarding the public holdings I googled “public holidays in Switzerland ” the two holidays in Sep are Bettagsmontag & St Nicholas of Flue.

We’re planning to go around 19th of Sep for 8 nites and our base will be Interlaken Ost. Currently, we have not really sat done to plan yet. Just an outline – would be go to Jungfraujoch. Take The Golden Pass Line & The Glacier Express and also boat trip but not sure which one to go for. We’ll be going to Zermatt, Lucerene, Geneva it will be day trip & back to Interlaken Ost for the nite. Btw, we’re in our fifties & sixties so definitely not going for hiking or skiing. It’ll be more of a scenic tour

Thank you.

[Slowpoke]

9 October 2019 at 13:00:57 #923357

Hi Nyap

Here is a map showing the Cantons of Switzerland:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Cantons_of_Switzerland

The holiday in honor of St. Nicholas of Flüe ( “Bruder Klaus) is observed only in the Canton of Obwalden.

His hermitage is in Flüeli-Ranfft, above Sachseln.

It is the west of the Lake of Lucerne.

map.search.ch/Kanton-Obwalden?poi=default&pos=668670 ,187328&z=8

Areas of particular tourist interest include Alpnachstad and Pilatus, as well as Engelberg, with the access points for Titlis. Its boundaries just miss the Brienzer Rothorn. The boundary with Canton Lucerne passes through Pilatus Kulm, so the access from Kriens lies in Canton Luzern.

I would be surprised if those major tourist attractions are closed, but, you could e-mail the tourist information office for Kanton Obwalden:

http://www.obwalden-tourismus.ch/de/

( unfortunately only in German), so, try:

http://www.luzern.com/en/

For Engelberg:

http://www.engelberg.ch/en/to urist-center/tourist-center/

Ildiko wrote:

<<“for example there is only one public holiday in my canton (Vaud) in September, and next year it will be the 21 September.”>>

In German, that is Bettagsmontag:

http://www.officeholidays.com /holidays/switzerland/ bettagsmontag

Consulting the chart and its footnotes –

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Public_holidays_in_Swi tzerland

you ‘ll see that most stores are closed on that day in Cantons Vaud (where it is an official holiday), as well as Cantons, Bern, Neuchatel and Valais. Interlaken and the Jungfrau Region are in Canton Bern.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Cantons_of_Switzerland

When you have your itinerary worked out, you could check with cantonal tourist offices, the tourist office at Interlaken Ost;

http://www.interlaken.ch/en/p oi/interlaken-tourist-information-office

or Switzerland Tourism to learn details:

http://www.myswitzerland.com/ en-us/

Slowpoke

[Removed user]

10 October 2019 at 11:28:16 #923358

Thanks for link!

[Removed user]

10 October 2019 at 11:40:38 #923359

Hi Nyap,

I have been in the Jungfrau region once at “Bettagsmontag” and we could use everything we wanted, as it is not a public holiday over there. But my experiences are that tourist attractions and cable cars, funiculars etc. remain open on public holidays. I do not think you should worry about this. 🙂

[Slowpoke]

10 October 2019 at 12:20:33 #923360

<<“But my experiences are that tourist attractions and cable cars,

funiculars etc. remain open on public holidays. I do not think you

should worry about this. :)”>>

That is certainly my belief, as well. And, public transport runs with little or no change on public holidays. Even Swiss National Day in August, when most stores are closed.

Slowpoke