May 9, 2016 - 11:43 PM
in reply to macyclaire
Hello macyclaire
Welcome to the forum.
I sympathise with your problem A few years ago our daughter joined us for part of our holiday in Switzerland and we had to rethink some of our plans for her stay because she refused to ride in cable cars and gondolas - not a fear of heights so slightly different problem, a mistrust of cable cars! but we still needed to think carefully about our excursions.
Jungfrau - from what I remember (it's a few years since I last did the trip) but I think you will be OK with it - try sitting in an aisle seat rather than beside the window. Are you OK once you reach the top of a mountain? If so there are other good trips using cogwheel trains rather than cable cars. Try the train trip up to Schynige Platte for example. Or the train from Brienz up to Brienzer Rothorn. Again if you feel nervous you don't have to sit by a window. We also took a trip to Montreux where we took the train up to Rochers-de-Naye. You don't say where you will be based so not sure which of my suggestions will be convenient to reach for a day trip. You could possibly do a day trip to Zermatt and take train to Gornergrat for a view of the Matterhorn or go to Lucerne and take train up to Mt Rigi.
If those suggestions are too far then the short gondola ride from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp, train to Murren would be OK for you and there is a funicular to Allmendhubel from Murren you could cope with. - great views of the Jungfrau, Eiger and Moench from there.
If you really want to go up to Mannlichen, the gondola ride from Wengen is much less scary than the cable car from Grindelwald! Stand in the middle of the car - it's big so you should feel safe. First is only reached by cable car I'm afraid! Have you ever tried facing the mountain in a cable car? Especially on the way down - less obvious that you are over the valley. But it would be harder to handle than my other suggestions.
It would be a great shame to visit Switzerland and not get up in the mountains so I hope some of my suggestions will help you to enjoy yourself without fear.
Maggie
Last modified on May 10, 2016 - 6:21 AM by Arno