Swiss trip in March, 2014

Hi!

We have been to Switzerland two different times but only in June, staying in Lauterbrunnen and Luzern. We now have the opportunity to return to Switzerland for 5 days but it will be in early March. Will there be enough to do if we don't ski? We loved the two areas we have stayed at but is there another area we should consider staying at? We will be coming from Milan and plan on using the Swiss Pass.

Thanks for your help!
Mary

Hi Mary! Well, it will be very different in March. There probably won't be snow in Lucerne; whether there will be in Lauterbrunnen is hard to tell. There will still be lots of snow on the mountains of course and you'll be visiting in the winter/ski season. It won't be hard to enjoy yourselves with activities other than skiing though! Some regular hikes can be made in the lower valleys, but winter or snow shoe hiking in the mountains is possible too. You can visit lots of viewing points by cable car and mountain train from both Lauterbrunnen and Lucerne and enjoy the winter scenery up there. Boat and train trips are another option, especially since you'll be having a Swiss Pass. Consider the William Tell Express when coming in from Milan for example; it's a scenic start of your trip. If you add some back-up plans for bad weather, such as museums, you'll be good to go.

An entirely different option would be to visit the Upper Engadine. The valley floor is at 1600 metres above sea level, so you'll have good chances of snow down in the valley. If a winter experience is what you're looking for, you may give this region a try.

Thanks Annika!
I don't know anything at all about the Upper Engadine area. What town would you recomend for us to stay that would have good access to a bus or train? How many days should we stay here?

Also, how about the Ticino? Would you recommend staying in this area and where? Or would that be better when it is warmer?

Thanks for the William Tell information. That sounds like fun:-)

Hi Mary. You can read about the Engadine here and here. Suitable towns, all with their own railway staion, would be Celerina, Samedan, Bever and Zuoz. How long you'd like to stay is up to you. You can easily spend your entire stay here and visit many viewing points, hike in the valley, make train trips, and so on. Personally I wouldn't prefer Ticino in March. Chances of snow aren't that high and it's too early in the season to enjoy Spring nature.