We are visiting Switzerland with our 2 year old. We would reach Zurich on 7th Oct at 7am and leave Zurich on 14th Oct at 11am.
Please guide me which places should I visit?
How do I book the tours ? should I book here in Oz or go there and book ?Hhow feasible is it?
Any itinerary anybody can share :
All help is much appreciated.
Note Switzerland is very expensive
I.e. 2 big Mac meals $40+
My first purchase in Switzerland was a large coke from Maccas. It cost me $6+.
Suddenly the price of a Rolex becomes justified….
the fact that people there are hard at work, factories at 6 and offices at 8 and the corruption is better covered up its currency has surged and has to be hammered by brute force.
You would have to be an idiot to get poisoned with Yank rubbish. There is actually real local food.
Food at the supermarkets is much cheaper than here and alcohol is practically free in comparison. Looking at value for money it is hard to beat.
Their grocery duopoly has been properly smashed, Aldi has become 2nd cheapest, Lidl is everywhere and a meal with a beer can be found for a few minutes of work!
Streets are sweeped even if you can't see the dirt. A bit like Japan, patriotic and paranoid are the oldies. The youth are open as.
Agriculture is subsidised at ridiculous levels so the landscape does not reveal much rubbish. Watch a half million tractor plowing a baby sized plot.
The place is half the size of Tasmania, the speeding fines can actually be justified. I did 96 in an 80 zone and it cost me 60 bucks. (unlike QLD)
Trains and busses go everywhere with huge subsidies that means one can get around much cheaper than Japan.
There are officially 4 domestic cultures, Germanic 75%, French 19%, Italian5.8% and Rumantsch 0.2%.
In practice the place has double the foreigners than Australia. Borders are totally open and with all the money being made there there is of course the scum that cant be avoided. Drug dealers from poor areas have an easy life with millions thrown at them for unneeded legal aid. Daytime is very safe.
October is a bit late, if you are lucky you can sit sun-baking in a street restaurant or possible be shivering.
With a kid it pays to plan early. Yes there is scenery and one can get up to good view points.
Toddler food in very safe but health care is been taken to stupid levels so travel insurance got to match.
Let us know your priorities I have spent over 2 decades there
Such a boring place too. Better in the winter and without a kid.
We have been to both Lucerne, with Mount Pilatus, and Interlaken. Both of these would be suitable for travelling with a child, especially if you have a portable stroller. There are a number of different transport options including railways, gondalas, etc.
Interlaken has a great loop railway. We didn't go the Jungfrau but we did go to Schilthorn. From memory it was from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, walking to Stechelberg via the Trummelbach falls (waterfalls inside a mountain) then take the gondalas up to Schilthorn. You can stop at one of the villages on the way up for lunch.
Lucern
http://www.luzern.com/en/pilatus
Interlaken
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-au/interlaken.html
Have a look around the websites and see what is available. There is plenty to do outside the winter months and it is very beautiful but, I agree, it is expensive.
Look into Rail passes, it is a great way to see Switzerland
Have fun.
Thanks for the response..!!
some good advice above, so my thoughts below to add to the confusion - suggest do not try for too much - and maybe ask further advice of Payless69 - us tourists just tend to preach what was good for us, and maybe 10+ years 'out of date'
suggest itinerary:
depart Zurich ASAP by train to Lucerne [use man in seat 61 website for advice on how and when to book trains, cheap[er] fares etc]
stay Lucerne 7 and 8 and maybe 9
Train to Lauterbrunnen via Interlaken, stay 9, 10, 11, 12 at Lauterbrunnen
Train to Zurich on 13, via Bern [maybe stay a night in Bern, one night less at Lauterbrunnen]
stay zurich 13, depart 14th.
Lots to do around Lucurne and Lauterbrunnen, probably arrange when you get there to suit the weather.
For me, must do would be Jungfrau and Shilthorn, both are weather dependent
I would book trains and accommodation from Aus. well in advance [ but that is just me!]
Thanks for the response..!!
how ar the scenic train jouneys has anybosy done it??
any itineray which includes the journey in addition to travel..
Any daylight train journey in Switzerland is a great scenic experience in my opinion.
You are limited by starting/ ending in Zurich.
I think Lucerne to Interlaken is on the "golden ' route, but it is all scenic.[Check man in seat 61 website]
If you go to Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen the 'Jungfraubahn' scenic train is as good as it gets in fine weather.
The Scenic Bernina express and Glacier Express I am sure are fantastic, but maybe do not overreach from your start point of Zurich.
I have trained Lauterbrunnen to Bern,very scenic. If time, there is a boat you can take for part of this trip.
Have a great time.
please comments on this does it sound doable or please suggest any places which I can visit when I am staying at the particular location
7-Oct Zuric to Lucerne (night at lucerne) ——————please suggest things I can view
8-Oct "Lucerne to Zermatt: Lucerne - Göschenen (Gotthard Panorama Express), Göschenen - Andermatt (cogwheel train), Andermatt - Zermatt (Glacier Express).
http://www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress/gettingth… (night at Zermatt)
9-Oct catch train from zermatt to montreux (night at montrux) ——————please suggest things I can view
10-Oct golden express from montrex to interlaken(night at interlaken) ——————please suggest things I can view or should i stay anywhere else??
11-Oct Jaungfr (travel to lucerne)(night at lucerne) ——————please suggest things I can view
12-Oct rigi (lucerne)(night at lucerne) ——————please suggest things I can view/ can i combine rigi and pilatus or should i go anywhere else?
13-Oct pilatus (zurich)(night at zurich) ——————please suggest things I can view
14-Oct depart in morning
the kid will be the anchor. We took a 14 month old to NZ and got to see half we would have without.
I guess you will be after scenery. October is the off season no crowds, no clogged roads plenty of space just risky weather.
Lucerne: Pilatus is our favourite. The city is clean and full of tourists as usual nowadays full of Chinese.
Zermatt is famous for skiing but for a family take either the train to Gornergrat or the cable car to the little Matherhorn.
Montreux is just magic. Famous for one of the most cultured music festival so see the Freddie Mercury statue on its foreshore. Lotsa rich folks drive prices up.
Interlaken is full of rich Arabs. Endless mountains one could spend years sight seeing.
Just on the off chance should you prefer hiring a car: October has no traffic jams. Suggest to fly Ethihad BNE to Geneva and hire a car on the French side. (much cheaper) Driving is very safe. Some mountain passes might close due to snow fall. There are more train tunnels. Trains are conventional, half travel backwards.
Just in case you are crazy for cycling: 500km of perfect cycle ways with accommodation on farms from 25 bucks inc healthy breakfast. A 2 year old might ride on back, no helmet laws.
One drawback: Mobile phone calls are costly, same as here 3 carriers with more useless airtime sellers. Sim cards can be bought before you leave and data is overpriced but most places have free wifi. Oz mobiles are fully compatible. You need to bring warm clothes just in case but clothes are also cheap if you are not fuzzy.
We find the Rigi rather ordinary. (a bit like Mt Tambourine)
The Swiss are very efficient at selling tickets. They do not take forever to muck around counting change. All 3 cards widely accepted but Amex might still get a sour look. ATM's hardly ever go down take all cards but of course hit you with fees. Nobody is going to rob a family at daytime. Everybody has change. Buying a lolly with a 1000 Franc bill is usually no problem but not recommended past midnight in big cities. English is fast becoming a de facto language as French or German are harder to learn.
thanks for the detailed reply….
i will probably drop Rigi i have seen enuff og tambourine :D
another change maybe— stay at grindelwald….instead if interlaken…
Please guide me which pass should I buy as we land in
7 Oct - Zurich that day I want to travel to Lucerne.
8 Oct - Mt Pilatus trip
9 Oct - Rigi or any other place which is better
10 Oct - Lucerne to Zermatt: Lucerne - Göschenen (Gotthard Panorama Express), Göschenen - Andermatt (Cogwheel Train), Andermatt - Zermatt (Glacier Express). — this is not sure***
11 Oct - travel to Interlaken - Matthern trip
12 Oct - Mt Jaunfr
13 Oct - Schilthorn (travel to Zurich)
14 Oct - depart Zurich
Could you help me which pass should I buy. Should I buy regional pass/ tell pass/ half fare/ Swiss travel pass.
which would be more economical?
We've got around 3 days in Switzerland, flying out of Zurich 1St May. Could enter via Zurich or Geneva, on 27th or 28th April.
Thinking one day sight seeing train ride to Lucerne (via golden pass -not sure if this is doable in a day from Geneva? But feeling is it cheaper to head in one direction?
One day exploring Mt Titlis or Rigi / Lucerne.
Half day in Lucerne, then catch train to Zurich, half day explore of Zurich.
Fly out next morning (Like a cruise style short experience of Switzerland).
Is this doable? And would you enter via Geneva or do a round trip from Zurich?
*edit- Further influences. flights UK to Zurich $250ea UK to Geneva $60ea, or maybe even UK to Amsterdam/ Munich $60each as well then on then into Switzerland.
Cheers
OK, stayed in Zurich for a week and liked the place very much though something was lost in translation when booking and so had to book on the spot and that cost money.
My advise, book accommodation and pay before you leave, lock it in.
Near the train station there is a place you can book day trips (bus station for tourism).
Did Jungfraujoch Top Of Europe and that was great apart from a lot of Indian tourist. A Bollywood movie was shot there. Still a great place.
Mt Titlis would have been great but was white out on the day.
There are many other spots, I remember seeing some dome with a war painting that was amazing, same spot as the statue of the lion, day trip there.
Good thing about Zurich, it isn't as touristy as Lucerne but you can do day trips there with ease using the bus system.
Oh hey just looking at the wall, do the train journey (short and easy with Switz rail)… Reinfalls.. That was awesome. kids will love it. Train stops right in front of the place.
Have fun.
Note, flying back from Zurich with Singapore we had a long stop over, make sure you choose your airliner carefully and plan the stop over.
Google : "things to do in Switzerland "