Zermatt in May 2020 and mountains with 4-year old

  • Ninad
    Participant
    23 posts
    5 November 2019 at 5:34:09 #824378

    Hello We are plan to explore Switzerland for 10 nights in last week of April and first week f may 2020, any problem with 4 years old baby with me? and can we explore Matterhorn and Zermatt in first week of May 2020(i.e around 4th may 2020)i.e cable car etc,, and can we explore jungfraujoch with 4 year old baby?

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    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    5 November 2019 at 6:36:33 #924673

    Hello Ninad and Welcome to MySwissAlps,

    Nice to hear you’re coming along with your little one.

    Yes, you will be able to visit any destination in Zermatt in May as well as the Jungfraujoch in the Bernese Oberland, check the “Route” tab of below links for details:
    http://www.myswissalps.com/go rnergrat
    http://www.myswissalps.com/kl einmatterhorn
    http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch

    You should be fine taking your 4-year old to these altitudes, normally it’s recommended to not take under 2-year olds so high. I will attach the Medical Recommendation sheet from the Jungfraujoch to give you an idea. Generally, that the altitude can affect anyone, so make sure all of you have a good breakfast that day, drink enough water and have some extra snack on you for sugar if needed.

    Enjoy your trip and get back to us anytime for further input.

    Best,
    Steph

    Ninad
    Participant
    23 posts
    5 November 2019 at 7:46:58 #924674

    Thanks a lot for your reply, my further question we like to visit as under

    We plan to arrive in Munich on 24/4/2019 and explore around Munich Neuschwanstein Castle and other places( and depart for Interlaken on 29/4/2019 from Munich,

    now my question is We are allocating 4 Days in Interlaken to explore surround (Titlis, Jungfrougch , bern, Zurich etc ANY SUGGESTION FROM YOUR SIDE) and then go to Chur for Glacier express for Chur to Zermatt and two day in Zermatt and then depart for Geneva and 2 days in Geneva and Montreux and GSTAAD and depart for India from Geneva,

    Kindly Guide us is it good or we have to plan otherwise with my little ones??

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 November 2019 at 7:43:05 #924675

    Hi Ninad,

    If you are in Interlaken it is a great base to visit the Jungfrau region, there are so many things to do: http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion/activitie s. I would say spend there at least 2 days. On your 3rd you could go to visit Lucerne (http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne) and one of its mountains:

    Lucerne could give you much more, so you could spend easily even 2 days there without any hurry or rush.

    For me it sounds quite a travel going to Chur from Interlaken just to do the Glacier Express (http://www.myswissalps.com/gl acierexpress) to Zermatt especially with a 4 years old. Are you planning to do this in 1 day? I think it is too long, have you checked the timetable about the travel times? (http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable) It would take 9-10 hrs to get from Interlaken to Chur and then to Zermatt.

    2 days in Zermatt (http://www.myswissalps.com/ze rmatt) is perfect. You’ll find a nice, small playground along the Gornergrat Express, not far from the station in Zermatt and a big one near Sunnegga (it is lovely, as there is also a beautiful, small lake).

    Allow 1 day to Montreux (http://www.myswissalps.com/mo ntreux/activities), visit also the Chillon castle (https://www.myswissalps.com/chilloncastle) and take a boat ride on Lake Geneva (http://www.myswissalps.com/bo atlakegeneva) with a steamboat. I am not sure if you can do also Gstaad on that day (http://www.myswissalps.com/gs taad/activities), it might be too much.

    I hope this helps.

    Ps.: your small one would love the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne (you could easily spend a half day there): http://www.myswissalps.com/mu seumoftransport

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    6 November 2019 at 11:07:51 #924676

    Hi NinaD –

    Thanks for giving us your exact travel dates. They would be critical if you were to spend several days in the Jungfrau region, because many cableways and trails are closed between the Summer and Winter seasons. Jungfraujoch, as noted , is available. Also, Schilthorn, especially if the James Bond stuff appeals. Cheaper,too.

    Since you are coming from München (which is to the east of Switzerland) and departing from Geneva, in the western part of Switzerland, you might consider a route with less backtracking. Your time….which will be very tight with all of the things that you want to do in 4 or 5 days…is precious. Even with perfect planning, you may have to skip some of your proposed destinations. A good approach might be to start at Chur in eastern Switzerland and finish in Geneva.

    To understand my point, look at a map of Switzerland, such as this one:

    map.search.ch/?pos=727680,178816&z=1

    and look at where your destinations lie. Then, use the timetable, as linked by Steph, to understand how long your journeys between the various destinations.

    Or, here is what I would do if I were a stranger to Switzerland. I know Switzerland quite well, so I have a good feeling for times and distances, but I recently took a trip to the Midlands in the UK, and had no feeling for the times and distances involved. I also had too many destinations. I got a paper map and taped it to a large flat stiff backing, and stuck pins in for each destination. Then, I looked at times for travel and times at locations, and moved the pins around so that my route was as economical of time as I could make it. I listed the times between various locations; although it is not necessary, I chose to use a spreadsheet to organize the information. Just my way of working.

    You might try the map with pins or sticky notes for Switzerland.

    Without having done the detail work for you, I’d suggest a routing something like –

    1.- München to Chur ( about 1 or 1 1/2 hours shorter than the trip to Interlaken Ost).

    2. – Glacier Express to Zermatt.

    From Zermatt, you’ll have to back track to the north and east a bit, and there are various options.

    From a geography perspective, even with some back-tracking toward the east, it makes sense to go from Zermatt to Luzern, Luzern to Interlaken, Interlaken to Montreux, Montreux to Geneva. Luzern is well suited for a side trip to Zürich, and you can go through Bern on your way to Interlaken.

    Another possibility is to go from Zermatt to Interlaken (faster than to Luzern) then Interlaken to Luzern, look around Luzern, then through Bern to Montreux and Geneva. Although the distances may be a bit longer, train travel in the middle/northern part of Switzerland can be faster than in the mountainous areas to the south.

    A third possibility is to travel Chur- Zermatt- Montreux – day trips from Montreux – eventually Geneva. That will make it harder to spend time near Luzern. From Montreux to the Jungfraujoch is a very long trip, 4 1/2 hours but it is fastest if you use the route through Bern or the route through Brig and Spiez (which you will have already been on) than if you go over the mountains on the route through Zweisimmen.

    After seeing Zermatt, you may decide that the Jungfraujoch visit is not as important, since you will definitely have been in the high Alps at Zermatt. And, if you have cloudy weather…not uncommon in Spring, you may not see any of the high Alps.

    (By the way, you will see plenty of snow in during your travels. Winter is really not finished near the Jungfrau, and around Zermatt, until late May or even late June).)

    On some of the sections of those plans, you have an option to take a scenic route, or a fast route. The timetable will give you the fastest route. To consider a scenic route, you must tell the time table to select a “via” point along the preferred route, as explained at the link provided by Steph.

    Scenic routes are listed here, where you can at least check out the panoramic trains:

    http://www.myswissalps.com/ac tivities/scenictrips

    Once you do that exercise with a map, you will be quite frustrated. You cannot do everything that you listed in the time you allow, unless you travel very very long days, and in some cases, get off the train, put one or at most two feet on the ground for each person for a few seconds, and then get back on the train and keep going. Joking, of course, but, you will have to make some decisions about what you want to skip.

    Cities are listed here, with some description of things to do and see. That information can help you decide which to visit. Steph’s suggestions definitely should be considered. As she noted, Luzern deserves time; your 4 year old is likely to enjoy the trains in the transport museum:

    http://www.verkehrshaus.ch/en /home.html

    You might find that Bern, Zürich and Gstaad fall off your plans.

    Finally, and without going into detail, you might consider dropping one of the most time consuming segments…Glacier Express and Zermatt. If you do that, you would come into Switzerland via Zürich, visit Luzern, Bern, Interlaken, Montreux, and Geneva. You could have time to spend at Luzern and Interlaken. Maybe detour to Gstaad. Instead of the famous Glacier Express, you could probably use the Golden Pass route from Luzern to Interlaken to Montreux. Or, at least from Interlaken to Montreux. It is does not showcase as many mountains at the Glacier Express ,but the scenery is quite nice. And, you might be able to do as this poster did:

    http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/i-had-a-vip-front-seat-on-golden-pass-7-april-2019.

    If you can schedule a trip in that special car of the Golden Pass section from Zweisimmen to Montreux, your child might find that a good memory to take home.

    Switzerland is full of nice experiences. Even though you’ll need to skip some of what you listed, you can still have a great trip. There is no away that you can see all of the “good stuff,” even in many weeks of travel.

    Slowpoke

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    6 November 2019 at 22:24:37 #924677

    Ooops –

    I forgot this link:

    <<“Cities are listed here, with some description of things to do and see. That information can help you decide which to visit.”>>

    http://www.myswissalps.com/ci ties

    Slowpoke

    Ninad
    Participant
    23 posts
    7 November 2019 at 10:30:34 #924678

    Thanks a lot for your guidance, we will change the prog as per your guidance, one more thing In Second week of april 2020 around 13/04/2020 can we visit Zermatt to Klein Matterhorn (i.e Zermatt to Furi – Gondola and then Furi to Trockener Steg and Trockener Stegto Klein matterhorn, in crystal ride,) with 4 year old baby and what to do herein klein matterhorn ??? (gondola is open?)or close? and if we can not accessKlein Matterhorn than any meaning of to visit zermatt ?? or visit only zermatt ??? what will be temperature in second week of april approx. ?? whether it will be ok with little ones to travel Zermatt and klien matterhorn?

    pls guide

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    7 November 2019 at 14:00:42 #924679

    Hi Ninad-

    <<“one more thing In Second week of april 2020 around 13/04/2020 can we visit Zermatt to Klein Matterhorn (i.e Zermatt to Furi – Gondola and then Furi to Trockener Steg and Trockener Stegto Klein matterhorn, in crystal ride,)”>>

    Please use the timetable, as previously linked by Idiko, and check your preferred date or dates to get exact timing:

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

    It will tell you if the cableways are open. It works for trains, buses, cableways and lake boats.

    It also works for international travel to and from Switzerland by train, at least.

    The information is also available at :

    http://www.myswissalps.com/ze rmatt

    as previously linked by Ildiko. Then, open the tab for

    What to do, and scroll down to Klein Matterhorn.

    Then open the tab for “Route” and scroll down for instructions and opening dates, where it says:

    <<“Dates of operation

    The cable cars operated all year round.

    Tip: check the timetable before you start your trip.”>>

    Regarding your medical questions_

    Whether or not your child can travel to high altitudes is advice you should seek from your child’s doctor.

    For perspective,

    Zernatt is at 1620 meters.

    Klein Matterhorn is at 3883 meters elevation.

    Jungfraujoch is at 3466 meters.

    The advice that Ildiko provided for the Jungfraujoch is one source of guidance.

    Please read that attachment to her post.

    Temperatures –

    Exact predictions are not possible. The weather can change rapidly and unpredictably in the high Alps, and forecasts are not reliable more than about 24 hours in advance.

    Websites such as this one give averages for Zermatt:

    weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Rainfall-Temperature-Sunshine,zermatt,Switz erland

    For Klein Matterhorn:

    http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=average+temperatur es+at+klein+matterhorn

    Slowpoke

    .

    Slowpoke

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