Switzerland for 10 days in May – itinerary help

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    23 January 2018 at 20:36:58 #814126

    We r planning a trip to Switzerland.

    I have a hobby of nature and iconic site photography– please suggest me the places.( please keep in mind we will travel with our 5yrs kid in the last week of May for less than 10 days)

    Is the Bernina express route is more scenic than other part of Switzerland?

    What are the difference between Glacier 3000( mountrex). Glacier Paradise( MATTERHORN), Mount TITLIS EXCURSION, JUNGFRAUJOCH.

    Is there any hotel with Indian restaurant facility in various part of Switzerland?

    Scenic cruise — which one is the best?

  • Effortlessly learn from the questions and answers in the forum. Receive a daily e-mail with new discussions.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    24 January 2018 at 8:26:27 #874965

    Hi Arnabghosh and welcome to MySwissAlps!

    I think you won’t have a problem finding places to indulge your nature photography habit here in Switzerland!

    I would, if your focus is on mountain landscapes for example, look at the Jungfrau region.

    I can’t quantify if the Bernina Express (Chur to Tirano, Italy) route is more scenic than any other – but it does offer great scenery. As does other panoramic trains like the Glacier Express (Chur to Zermatt) and Gotthard Panorama Express (Lucerne to Lugano) – pick the one that fits your itinerary best as you’d be happy with any of them I think.

    To read more about those mountain experiences read through our information pages here:

    All are great destinations. Jungfraujoch is the highest and most popular in Switzerland. You can try to do all of them if you want and it fits in your itinerary.

    I’m not aware of any hotel with an Indian restaurant on the premises. But larger towns will have Indian restaurants for you to use – Zurich and Lucerne for example.

    I like the cruises at Lake Thun or Lake Lucerne the best.

    I hope that helps get your travel planning started!

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    25 January 2018 at 23:59:43 #874966

    >> I have a hobby of nature and iconic site photography– please suggest me the places … we will travel with our 5yrs kid in the last week of May for less than 10 days

    May is a tricky time to travel in Switzerland if you want to see the alps. The ski season ends in most places in April, but the hiking season at higher altitudes does not start in general until the second half of June.

    So April to mid-June is when many mountain transport operations close for 4-6 weeks for maintenance, which means you can’t ascend the peaks for views. Other mountain transport operations close for the winter, and do not start reopening until between mid-May and mid-June.

    Meadows at higher altitudes will have more of a brown or brownish-green look at that time of year, which is less attractive in photos than the vibrant green of summer and autumn. Summer in the alps is essentially July and August (but of course can vary depending on weather conditions in any particular year). September is also a lovely time of year for photography.

    >> Is the Bernina express route is more scenic than other part of Switzerland?

    It’s very scenic, but there are countless other scenic routes and localities in Switzerland.

    As you have 10 days and are travelling with a child, I would pick a maximum of 3 localities to stay in. Use the information on this website, a map, and the Swiss Timetable to help you decide what those localities should be.

    Unless you want to spend the night in St Moritz to connect with the Glacier Express or Bernina Express, I would rule out spending time there, as practically all the mountain transport will be closed down. (The Glacier Express and Bernina Express will, however, be operating.)

    Some regional trains travelling along the same route as the Bernina Express feature a photographers’ viewing area. These trains are identified in the Swiss Timetable with the letters FW.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

    >> Scenic cruise — which one is the best?

    There’s no single answer to that question. Of the lakes I have taken boat trips on, these are my personal preferences (in order):

    • The Vierwaldstättersee (Lake Lucerne): dramatic mountains and traditional villages
    • Lac Léman (Lake Geneva): vineyard terraces (less scenic in May, I would guess), traditional villages, mountains
    • Lago di Lugano (Lake Lugano): Mediterranean feel, some interesting lakeside villages and at least one grotto restaurant.
    • The Brienzersee (Lake Brienz): turquoise water and mountains
    • Lago Maggiore (Lake Maggiore): the boat spends a lot of time far from shore, so in my opinion a boat trip on this lake is not so great for photography; this lake is also not covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.
    • The Zürichsee (Lake Zürich): pleasant, but surrounding hills are comparatively low and heavily built up.

    If you decide to go to Zermatt, these links might come in useful. Please note that some locations might not be easy to get to, or might not be accessible in May.

    http://www.zermatt.ch/en/Attr actions/Photopoints-Wochentipps-Zwischensaison/Photo-points

    http://www.zermatt.ch/en/autu mn/Photopoints-in-the-village

    Alpenrose

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    26 January 2018 at 18:44:10 #874967

    Thanks for reply.

    We r planning at the last week of May.

    So would it be OK for Junfraougch, Mt Titlis, and Matterhorn?

    Otherwise I have to plan for October.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    27 January 2018 at 4:53:28 #874968

    >> We r planning at the last week of May. So would it be OK for Junfraougch, Mt Titlis, and Matterhorn?

    Yes, the train to the Jungfraujoch, the gondolas to Titlis, the train to the Gornergrat and the cable way to Klein Matterhorn/Glacier Paradise will all be operating.

    >> Otherwise I have to plan for October.

    If the first three weeks of October were an option (the earlier, the better), I think I would prefer that time of year for photography, as the summer green will still be around, and you might also get some autumn colour in places.

    Alpenrose

  • The thread ‘Switzerland for 10 days in May – itinerary help’ is closed to new replies.

About MySwissAlps

We’re passionate tourists and locals. We share tips about how to plan a trip to Switzerland. MySwissAlps was founded in 2002.

Get a free account for a worry-free trip

  • Join our 10730 members and ask us questions in the forum
  • Access to member-only promotions
  • Detailed maps and weather forecasts

Planning your first Switzerland adventure?

Get a jump-start with Annika’s 20-minute e-mail course, “Switzerland for beginners”. Subscribe to our newsletter to unlock the course.