Where to go in Switzerland on a short trip: Alps, lakes, and cities
Switzerland is an extremely popular country for those planning multi-stop tours around Europe, yet very few potential first-time visitors actually know specifically where they want to go. Everyone seems to know that it has the most beautiful views of the Alps and some very impressive cities, but there are actually many misconceptions among casual trip planners, so I’d like to clear most of that up below. The places to visit in Switzerland are not obvious until you’ve been there yourself or done many hours of research, so the list below should be a short cut.
I get hundreds if not thousands of itinerary questions for people who are considering a Eurail trip around Europe, and most people just include the word “Switzerland” among a list of cities like Paris, Rome, and Berlin that they want to visit. So where in Switzerland should you go if you can only make a few stops at most? I’ll answer that question below. You’ll mostly want to focus on the best choices for Swiss Alps trips, which I’ll go over below.
Note: This article was expanded and updated in February, 2024.
Switzerland is about outdoor views rather than city visits
The first situation we usually run into is that people who want to visit “Switzerland” assume that the first and best (and sometimes only) stop should be its largest city, which is Zurich. Unfortunately, Zurich is the most expensive city in the world for travelers, and it’s not really very interesting.
Geneva is a very famous city (though not for tourism reasons) on a lovely lake of the same name, but it’s also notoriously dull and lacking distinction. Rick Steves puts it well by saying that “Geneva is pleasantly situated on a lake, like Buffalo or Cleveland.” The point is, you don’t want to go to Geneva unless you’ve got something specific in mind that you want to see there. There are much better places to visit in Switzerland if your time is limited, or even if it’s not.
Switzerland's cities in summary
Zurich – The largest city, very expensive, geared towards business travelers. It’s generally a pretty and very well-run city that you would enjoy if you visited, but it’s not nearly as interesting as the likes of Vienna, Munich, or of course Paris.
Geneva – Second largest city, in the French part of the country, no major sights. Again, if you visited you’d be very impressed by it and get some great photos, but it’s not worth your time unless you know someone there. There’s an impressive fountain in the lake and you can usually see it from the train as you go through the city, but it’s not really worth going there and staying more than an hour or so.
Basel – Bordering France and Germany, no major sights. It has the famous art market each year, and aside from that it’s even duller than the ones above. Again, if you visited you’d be impressed, but if you later compared photos with friends who went to the Lauterbrunnen Valley instead, you’d kick yourself for going to Basel.
Lausanne – Near Geneva in the French part of the country, very hilly, and certainly more interesting than Geneva.
Bern – The capital, compact, on a lovely river, some interesting sights and the best Swiss city to get a feel for the culture. Bern is fairly close to Interlaken (which we will discuss below) and it can be a great day trip from there, especially on a day where it is foggy and/or rainy in the mountains (and this happens a LOT).
How much time and which Swiss cities to visit?
If you have 4 or fewer days in Switzerland I wouldn’t visit any of the cities listed above. If you have 5 or more days and especially if you want to include a proper city then I’d recommend 1 day in Bern or a day trip there from Interlaken. For a longer trip, and especially if you want to visit the French part of the country, then a day in Lausanne could be worthwhile.
Many people (me included) don’t feel as if they’ve scratched the surface of a new country if they haven’t spent at least a day or two in the largest city. Zurich is certainly pleasant and a useful transit hub so spending one or two nights there wouldn’t be a major mistake. But Zurich isn’t even close to being a city like Paris, Rome, Berlin, Amsterdam, or even Vienna. If you skip it in favor of spending more time in the Swiss Alps, you won’t be missing much.
The 2 Best places to visit in Switzerland for short visits
Interlaken – If you want the best possible Alpine views and activities, head to the Interlaken area, which will be described in detail below. This is my favorite of all places to visit in Switzerland and it will probably be yours as well.
Lucerne – The traditional Swiss tourist retreat, Lucerne is a small city with interesting culture and sights, that is gorgeously set on a lake with plenty of top activities surrounding it.
If you have 4 or 5 days and want to see the very best of Switzerland, then divide your days between those cities. They are less than 2 hours apart by direct train, so it’s easy to visit both of them even if you only have 3 days. If you only have two days, I’d pick one or the other.
>>>Interlaken and Lucerne: Which to choose and how long to stay in each?
The article linked above will give you more details on which to choose and how long to spend in each place.
What about Zermatt for Alpine views?
Zermatt is a remote car-free village in southern Switzerland that is famous for being the place to see the Matterhorn mountain. It’s also a busy ski resort area, and aside from that, there isn’t much to see or do here. It’s on a private rail line, so it’s more complicated and usually more expensive to reach than Interlaken.
In other words, unless you’ve irrationally placed “Seeing the Matterhorn in person” on your so-called bucket list, skip Zermatt and head to Interlaken on a shorter visit. You won’t be sorry. If you already have enough time in your visit for the main sights around Interlaken and Lucerne and you want to also see the Matterhorn, then by all means go and you’ll enjoy it. There are quite a few other car-free villages in the Lauterbrunnen Valley near Interlaken, so they are not as novel in Switzerland as one might expect.
A weekend in Switzerland? What to see in 3 days
Switzerland is justifiably popular for weekend breaks among those living in Europe and if you’ve only got 2 or maybe 3 days to spend in the country and this is your first visit I highly recommend focusing a weekend in Switzerland on the two places mentioned just above, namely the Interlaken area and especially the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and Lucerne.
One challenge is that neither has an international airport so you’ll either be flying into Zurich or perhaps Geneva.
Train times from Zurich to Lucerne to Interlaken and back
- Zurich Airport to Lucerne: 1 hour 10 minutes by train
- Lucerne to Interlaken: 2 hours by train
- Interlaken to Zurich Airport: 2 hours 15 minutes by train
As you can see with the travel times above, Zurich Airport to Lucerne is a fairly short trip, but once you add Interlaken into the mix (even if you skip Lucerne) the travel time starts to add up for a weekend visit. With this in mind it’s probably best to just choose one of them and save the other one for another trip.
Lucerne is gorgeous, but the Lauterbrunnen Valley near Interlaken is really the star of the show, so I’d recommend going there first and doing Lucerne on another trip.
What about the Swiss Travel Pass?
Easily the most confusing travel or city pass out there, the Swiss Travel Pass seems expensive at first, but is actually a very good deal for many people wanting to take the scenic and panoramic trains. Read our full Swiss Travel Pass review for all the details and information on where to buy.
The bottom line is that if you are coming to Switzerland for at least 3 days and you want to take 2 or more of the amazing scenic rail journeys that the country is famous for, the travel pass is probably a good deal. It also provides 50% discounts on the Schilthorn cable car and 25% off the Jungfraujoch mountain railway. Both of those are quite expensive on their own, but extremely worthwhile, so the discount is helpful.
The Half Fare Card is probably a better deal for most people
The Swiss Travel Pass is a good deal for those who are going to be spending at least 2 or 3 days riding the rails and seeing Switzerland that way. But if you are mostly going to be focusing on Interlaken and Lucerne and the mountain sights, the Half Fare Card is the best option. For CHF120 (about US$134) you get the card that is good for 30 days and gives you a 50% discount on all trains, cable cars, mountain railways, and other sights and attractions. If you are doing either Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch, the Half Fare Card practically pays for itself with just one of those.
>>>Buy the Swiss Half Fare Card
Many people have questions about the Swiss Half Fare Card so I will explain it a bit here. You can actually buy half price train tickets for travel within Switzerland any time you want and you will see that option when you go to buy them online. The only thing is you have to have and present a valid Half Fare Card when you get on the train and are asked to see your ticket. In other words, you can buy a half fare train ticket today and buy a Half Fare Card just before you get on that train months in the future, and you are fine.
How and why visit the area around Interlaken
Even though I keep referring to the city of Interlaken (pronounced inter-LOCK-en) in this article, it’s really the villages in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, just above Interlaken, that you want to visit. Interlaken itself is a pleasant and scenic town that is dominated by tourism and feels more than a little out of date. A longer version with more recommendations can be found on our new article about things to do in Interlaken and the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
You can see everything discussed below by actually staying in a hotel in Interlaken, but it’s not the Alpine experience that you get if you stay in one of the small villages nearby. You can reach those villages in 20 to 40 minutes from the Interlaken Ost (East) train station, and it’s much easier than it sounds.
The 3 best places to stay to visit the Swiss Alps
Lauterbrunnen – A private train line runs from Interlaken Ost station to the end of its line in Lauterbrunnen. There’s a lovely waterfall here and great hiking trails, but you should probably only stay here if you can’t get to one of the villages mentioned just below. It’s a great little transit hub and it’s definitely gorgeous, so it can be worth a night if you’ve got one to spare.
Gimmelwald – THIS is where you want to stay if you can manage it. This tiny village has one of the most stunning natural mountain settings you’ll ever see, and it feels like a time capsule that is twice as wonderful as you thought possible. If you’ve ever seen Rick Steves discussing Alpine villages, this is the one he always refers to, and his readers are some of the only guests.
Mürren – Just one stop above Gimmelwald by cable car, Mürren has a nearly identical mountain setting, but it also has about 20 times more hotels and tourist shops than Gimmelwald. Many people will feel more comfortable here with more choices and a bit of possible nightlife, but Gimmelwald is still the perfect choice for most nature lovers on short visits to the Alps.
Where to stay in Interlaken and the Lauterbrunnen Valley (with pics)
I get so many questions about where to stay in the Interlaken area that I decided to write a longer version of it and load it with huge photos so readers can get a better feel for each option. I also included recommendations for affordable and well-located photos in each area.
>>>Where to stay in Interlaken and the Lauterbrunnen Valley New for 2024!
The unforgettable things to see here (if the weather is decent)
Schilthorn observation deck and restaurant
The cable cars (mountain lifts that carry up to 80 people at a time) from Lauterbrunnen to Gimmelwald and from Gimmelwald up to Mürren are short and fairly cheap, but if you keep going up two more segments to the top, you reach the Schilthorn observation deck. It’s expensive (around US$100 round-trip from Lauterbrunnen to Schilthorn) but if the weather is clear this is very worthwhile and may be your single best memory of Switzerland.
There is a rotating restaurant (with prices similar to normal Swiss restaurants) and a bizarre and anachronistic James Bond attraction based on it being a key location in the 1969 movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The Bond thing is included with the lift, and it’s worth a look.
But the main thing you come here for is the 360-degree view from one of the highest peaks in Europe. Again, the weather here is key, but fortunately all the locals track the visibility on a minute-by-minute basis. If it’s clear up top while you are in the area, it would be a terrible shame to skip it based on the high price. But even if it’s cloudy up top, there are still plenty of wonderful things to see and do in the villages below.
Jungfraujoch observation area
This is famously the highest railway line and station in Europe, and it’s another privately-run line that is priced as a tourist attraction rather than as transportation. The train leaves from Lauterbrunnen and takes about two chilly hours to get up to the top, including a change of trains halfway up in Kleine Sheidegg.
The views from the top are similar to the views from Schilthorn, from the other side of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Once on top you can have lunch, hike, or even go sledding. It’s also quite expensive at nearly US$200 round-trip unless you have a Swiss Pass or a Eurail Pass for discounts, and it takes most of your day, but you’ll never forget the views from the top.
Harder Kulm mountain and Two Lakes Bridge Observation Deck
Interlaken is named after the fact that it’s located between two lakes (Brienz Lake and Thun Lake) and the best way to see them both at the same time is to take the funicular up 10 minutes to Harder Kulm and the Two Lakes Bridge Observation Deck. It costs CHF20 each way so you can take it up and walk down or vice versa to save a bit of money and have a memorable hike.
There’s a revolving restaurant about 10 minutes’ walk from the station at the top, which is definitely an unforgettable place for lunch if you’ve got time. It’s not as expensive as you might expect, at least compared to normal restaurants in Switzerland.
The Harder Kulm Railway goes from early April through late November each year. If you are only in Interlaken for one day and/or you are on a strict budget, this is the fastest and best way to get amazing Alpine views in the area.
Getting from Interlaken to Gimmelwald and Mürren
Getting up to these villages sounds complicated and time consuming, but it’s actually fast and easy once you get there. This little guide should help.
Arrive in Interlaken
Interlaken has two main train stations, one in the west (closer to Bern) and one in the east (closer to Lucerne). If you are staying in Interlaken itself then most hotels are closer to the Interlaken West station, but if you are going up the mountain you’ll want to get off at the Interlaken Ost (East) station. All trains stop at both stations, and if you are staying at a local hotel then you get a card that allows free trips between the two.
Once you arrive at the Interlaken Ost train station, head for the ticket windows in the office and buy a ticket to your final destination (Lauterbrunnen, Gimmelwald, or Mürren). Eurail passes are good for 25% discounts on the rest of the trip, but not for the whole thing.
From Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen
The private train leaves Interlaken Ost every 30 minutes and arrives in Lauterbrunnen 20 minutes later. If you are staying in Lauterbrunnen then you are probably walking distance from your hotel when you reach the station.
From Lauterbrunnen to Gimmelwald
If you are going to Gimmelwald then your combined train ticket will include the price of a shuttle bus that is waiting for each train as it arrives. Show your ticket to the driver and enjoy views of the waterfall as you pass it. A few minutes later you’ll arrive at the base of the mountain at the cable car station.
Again, the ticket you bought in Interlaken covers the whole thing, so just show your ticket at the cable car entrance and walk on in. A few minutes later the cable car will begin its fast ascent, and 5 minutes later the car lets everyone off at the base of the village of Gimmelwald. From here you are within a few minutes walk of literally the entire village and all of its hotels. The famous Mountain Hostel is directly up the path in front of you so it’s hard to miss.
From
Gimmelwald to Mürren
If you are staying in Mürren then you hop out of the cable car in Gimmelwald and then walk directly into the cable car across the platform, which is about to leave for Mürren. Once the door closes, you’ll be in Mürren in about 5 minutes. There is also another private rail line that goes to Mürren, but it’s slower and less scenic than the cable cars.
Recommended hotel and hostel in Gimmelwald
I get asked all the time about where to stay in Gimmelwald, so here it is:
Hotel: Esther’s Guesthouse
When you step off the cable car in Gimmelwald, look a little bit to the right and you’ll see a path going slightly uphill. Even if you go in the wrong direction, you’ll hit a dead end in 15 seconds, so it’s impossible to miss the road. The first thing you’ll see on your right is Esther’s Guesthouse, which is also arguably the best hotel in lovely Gimmelwald.
It’s run by Esther, as you might guess, and she is very friendly speaking excellent English. Each room is different and the place feels like a mountain cabin, because it is. She offers an excellent buffet breakfast in the morning, which you have to order the night before. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it because it’s hearty and there are no other good options nearby.
Book as early as possible because this place is often the first place to sell out in Gimmelwald.
Hostel: Mountain Hostel Gimmelwald
If you’ve ever wondered which hostel has the best view in the world, Mountain Hostel Gimmelwald would be at least in the Top 5, if not #1. Follow the path to Esther’s Guesthouse (above) and walk a few steps past it, and then look to the left for the short path down to Mountain Hostel. They offer fine dorm beds that are the cheapest accommodation in the village, and it’s quite a fun place in general.
You won’t believe the views from this place, which are the same as from Esther’s except a bit lower and more unobstructed. This place also has a busy bar and restaurant that is basically the only “nightlife” in Gimmelwald. Many hikers get to bed early in this tiny village, but if you want to have a couple drinks and order a pizza or some local options, this is the place to go.
Again, book early because this place is always sold out.
Lucerne and what to do there
Luzern, as it’s spelled locally, is the other traditional holiday destination in Switzerland. Unlike Interlaken, Lucerne actually qualifies as a small city rather than a small resort town, so it’s a very nice contrast and very worthwhile. We have a new article with advice on where to stay in Lucerne and it should be helpful.
The area around Lucerne is surrounded by small mountains, but it’s not in the Alps and it doesn’t have the sort of amazing views you get in Interlaken. The main attraction here is Lake Lucerne and the various small towns on its shores. There are excellent hikes that are mostly not too challenging, and some wonderful views from nearby peaks. Here is our recommendation for things to do in and near Lucerne.
However, unlike Interlaken, the town of Lucerne itself is a great attraction and worth at least a day of exploration. This has always been a rich area so you can expect to find all of the high-end shops and boutiques along the small streets just north of the lake, but there are also many traditional shops and things to see that will appeal to anyone.
Recommended hotel in Lucerne
>>Hotel Des Alpes (3 stars with an amazing location and view)
Hotels in Lucerne are not cheap, but you’ll probably spend only one or two nights there, so it’s worth paying a bit more for one of the hotels overlooking the prettiest part of the lake and the famous Chapel Bridge itself. The 45-room Hotel Des Alpes has rooms right on the water, in the heart of everything, and it’s a short walk from the train station and cruise dock as well. This place gets excellent reviews and is worth paying a bit more for unforgettable views from your bed.
If this place is booked, which is often the case, then book a hotel as close to it as you can find or afford. The whole historic part of town surrounding it is lovely, with restaurants, bars, and high-end shops. There are also a couple of nearby supermarkets where you can buy inexpensive alcohol and picnic supplies to keep other costs down.
Spend a day in Lucerne itself
The covered wooden bridge (Chapel Bridge) that is the signature sight of Lucerne looks just as lovely when you are near it or walking across it, but there are several other historic wooden bridges just a bit upstream as well. On the north bank of where the lake becomes a river, you’ll find a string of restaurants and bars that each have excellent views. Food and drinks all over Switzerland are expensive by most standards, and fortunately the prices of the waterfront restaurants are within the normal range even though they could charge more.
Most of the interesting part of Lucerne is in the area behind those restaurants, and it’s certainly worth doing a self-guided walking tour if not a guided one. Heading farther east you’ll come to another older part of town where the famous lion statue is located. You can’t visit Lucerne without having a look at the lion, and fortunately it’s easy and quick to reach (and it’s free).
Take a lake cruise of some kind
The main lake-cruise boats leave from just in front of the train station, and at the very least it’s worth doing the simple round-trip of about one hour where you don’t even leave the boat. If you have most of a full day you have up to 35 different options of stops to disembark and walk around before catching another boat back to Lucerne.
Especially in nice weather, even the short lake tour is lovely, and if you have more time you can jump off at Vitznau and do the scenic hike up Mount Rigi. There are also small lakeside villages that are ideal for a stroll and lunch stop. Long story short, there are dozens of interesting sightseeing options that are available using part of the boat tour, and the views all around are wonderful.
Visit Mount Pilatus
The tallest mountain around Lucerne is just behind the city, and it’s also extremely popular for hiking, although you don’t actually have to walk up or down if you don’t want to. You can take the steepest cogwheel train in the world up to near the summit (except in winter), and there is also a gondola and cable car going to the same place all year round.
You can take the cogwheel train up and have a more or less flat hike around the summit area, and then take the gondola and cable car back down again. You can do them in the other order, and the cost is the same either way. At around US$65, this is not a cheap hike, but like most everything in Switzerland, the quality is high so it doesn’t feel like a rip-off. You can reach the cable car in 10 minutes on a public trolly bus from Lucerne.
Visit Mount Rigi
Not technically part of the Alps, Mount Rigi overlooks Lake Lucerne and is the easiest peak to reach in the area. The boat tours that leave from Lucerne include stops in both Weggis and Vitznau where you can hop on or off. There is a cable car from Weggis that goes up to the Rigi summit and a train that goes between Vitznau and the summit. Many people take one up and the other down.
Unlike the other peaks mentioned in this article the Swiss Travel Pass covers both ways to get up and down for free. The others are 50% off with the Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card, except for Jungfraujoch, which is only 25% off with the Swiss Travel Pass and still 50% off with the Half Fare Card.
Visit Mount Titlis
A bit south of Lucerne, Mount Titlis is an Alpine peak that is the most dramatic in the area. Once up at the top you can experience the Titlis Cliff Walk, which is the highest suspension bridge in the world. It’s a free pedestrian bridge over 3,000 meters up that allows for amazing views of the area, as long as the weather is clear.
You can reach Titlis by taking a 43-minute train ride from Lucerne to Engelburg and then taking the cable car up from there. As with the others, it’s wise to check the weather immediately before you are going to depart because it can be foggy or cloudy any time of the year, but usually not for whole days at a time.
Additional photo credits
Jungfraujoch by cupweuro on Flickr, Pilatus by Tony Fernandez on Flickr, Rigi by Kosala Bandara on Flickr, Titlis by PaulSchliebs on Flickr
thanks roger for replying so quickly and so precisely and yes your comments are very very very helpful 🙂
following your expert advice i have devised some routine and would love your comment on it .and sorry for the spelling mistake the town i referred to was indeed wengen.and i further checked for the early morning low rates for jungfraujoch the early rates are applicable for the morning trains but are available only from some date in may .and roger i am not so very keen on indian resturant or veg food.non veg and swiss food would be fine with us.the only concern is our young son who is 4 year old and would it be advisable to stay at wengen/murren with him for the 5 nights.( i am planning to keep the base at one place only interlaken/murren/wengen, and i hope this is not a mistake).plus i am planning to take a small apartment instead of a hotel room which would give my son some space to move.
plan A
……..
1st april :-start from frankfurt around 8 am reach interlaken at around 1300 .Check in in the hotel and roam around one of the two lakes.
2nd april :- sky diving in the morning and paragliding in the evening ( for wife) me and son would do some kid activity .( can u please suggest some activity .is there a boat ride available in the lakes or some short scenic hike which i can do wiht my young son some other activity to keep my kid engaged for the time wife is away )i am keeping this activity early on the trip because they say that it is weather dependent and if weather is not ok they would reschedule.so want to keep some days in hand for the same .
3rd april -jungfraujoch
4th april schilthorn +rigi-lucerne
5th april titlis+bern
PLAN B
…….
1st april :-start from frankfurt around 8 am reach interlaken at around 1300 .Check in in the hotel.drop luggage and either depart for lucerne do the rigi trip see the city and come back to interlaken around 2100 pm, or do the titlis trip and come back.
2nd april :- sky diving in the morning and paragliding in the evening ( for wife) me and son would do some activity .
3rd april -jungfraujoch
4th april schilthorn +titlis/lucerne-rigi
5th april- go to bern in the morning and come back in the evening .
which of the plan looks better to you and i would love yr inputs to further fine tune it .
Manoj,
Both of your plans look pretty good, but I’d go with Plan A, mainly because in Plan B you’d spend almost the entire day on the train. Even though the trains are quite nice, it still tends to be tiring after 5 or 6 hours of looking out the windows.
I can’t really recommend a specific activity for your child, but I’m confident you’ll find some really good options. The Interlaken area is the adventure capital of Switzerland, and there are many family activities and things for the young ones.
If you want to base yourself in one apartment for 5 days, then I’d do it in Interlaken. Those other towns are much smaller and it might be hard to find a good place. Also, Interlaken is the transport hub for the whole area, so you can easily get anywhere from there. It would be best to find an apartment that is close to one of the two train stations in Interlaken. Both stations have a large supermarket right next to them, and plenty of restaurants as well. All trains stop at both stations, so getting between them is easy. The Interlaken Ost (east) station is where trains to Lauterbrunnen and Wengen leave from, but Interlaken West has more restaurants and shops nearby. Have a great trip. -Roger
hi roger,
i would be in Bonn /Frankfurt along-with my family ( wife and 4 year old son ) from 25th march to 31st march.after that we intend to visit Switzerland. we have to take return flight from zurich on 6th april at 1215
.after reading your article above we had decided that we would like to concentrate on interlaken area and lucerene as suggested in your article.. i have some queries for u :-
1) what would be the best possible way to come to interlaken from frankfurt /bonn.
2) i have a 4 year old son and presently the place we stay is tropical.u have strongly advised gimmelwald, and in few other articles few other authors have suggested wareen . i could not see any accomodation from 1st april in gimmelwald on any of the sites.hotels are available in murren and warren .but considering the fact that i have a 4 year old son and also the fact that there are many Indian restaurants in interlaken and none in other places, would it be advisable to stay in murren/wareen or interlaken ?
3) initially i thought of staying there for 3 nights(1,2,3) and 2 nights(4,5) in lucerene. but after going through the reviews it appears that many of lucerene charms are not available in april..like the cog wheel train to pilatus and even the boats on the lake are very few.there is a cruise with a Indian buffet dinner but that is also not available in april.also another points was that after seeing the famous jaungfraujosch and schilthorn points would pilatus or titlis or rigi hve any charm that too in the month of april.hence i am thinking of spending the 3rd night also in interlaken area and on 4th april make my wife do some skydiving and paragliding (one in the early morning and one in the evening .there prices are high but i guess it would be worth it,do they give any discount if one has swiss rail pass??),.so my rudimentary itenary is :-
1st april- arrival at interinklaken, i think around 1600 hrs
2 nd april- jaungfraush railway train which takes most of the day.planning to take the early morning train.are the rates of early morning train cheaper??( seen this information on some website please confirm wether it is correct or not)
3rd april :-schilthorn via cable then while returning get down at murren walk down till gimmewald and then again take a cable down .
4th april-paragliding and sky diving..
5th April ???
that would leave me with just one day..so i am really confused what to do ?? go to Bern for the full day and come back to interlakn in evening? or titlis or may be a city tour of lucerene with rigi/pilatus via cable car.should i move to lucerene or should i maintain my base at interlaken area for the entire trip.
i am not planning to take the swiss rail pass (if they don’t give any discount in paragliding and sky diving ) .i plan to take the tickets as n when required and i intend to take the junior pass( seen somewhere that it is available for around 35 usd ) and after that my kid can travel free with us.just one mow more thing this junior pass is valid for how many days?
earlier had considered panaroma train but based on your advice above on earlier post have dropped that idea.had considered zermatt and glacier express but lack of time and our advice on posts above have has allowed me to drop them from my list.
i have not yet booked my hotel or finalized my itenary so advice from a seasoned and experienced traveler like you would be of immense help to me
Manoj,
I’ll try to answer your questions in order…
1. From Frankfurt Airport to Interlaken it’s best to go by train. It takes about 5 hours with a change of trains in Basel, Switzerland.
2. I’m not familiar with Wareen or Warren. Do you mean Wengen? If so, that’s another very nice mountain town. But if you really prefer Indian restaurants then I’d recommend staying in Interlaken itself. There are several popular Indian restaurants there, and the city has many vegetarian visitors.
3. Rigi and Titlis are both exceptional views and I think they are worthwhile if you have time. Each of those peak experiences is quite different, and while Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch are the most dramatic, they are all very good. I wasn’t aware that some things shut down in April like that. I don’t believe those adventure sports offer discounts for the Swiss Travel Pass, but I’m not sure.
The Jungfraujoch trains might go up in price after some seats are sold, or it’s possible that some departures are more expensive than others.
You can do Schilthorn and walking from Murren to Gimmelwald in around 5 or 6 total hours, or even less. So you might be able to do something else that day.
I think I’d go to Lucerne if I were you. The train ride itself is lovely, and the main town of Lucerne is really wonderful. Interlaken has a more interesting setting at the base of the Alps, but the town of Lucerne is nicer.
Hopefully this is helpful. Let me know if you have any remaining specific questions. -Roger
Hi Roger,
First of all, please accept my sincere appreciation for helping so many people selflessly with unbiased important suggestions and making their trip better. You rock man, keep it up. I am another wanderer who needs your expert advice.
I will be arriving Switzerland from Amsterdam on 14th may 8:30 AM. I will be landing in Geneva airport as it is showing significantly cheaper price compare to other cities. I will be leaving Switzerland on 20th May for Austria so total 6.5 days I have for Switzerland. After that I will be visiting Austria for 4 days. I know you don’t recommend to spend time in Geneva, but my wife wants to just have a look on the city briefly. To have a peaceful trip I have to fulfil this wish of her (or you know the result :P). Also there is a dream of mine to drive in a scenic alpine road. We both are nature lover, not a party/clubbing lover.
1) To fulfil my partner wish, I am thinking to book some 2/3 hours city trip in Geneva so that by 12 noon we can leave Geneva. Can you suggest something of that sort? Any travel agency can you recommend? I can’t walk around with the luggage, hence wanted to book some city tour deal sort of thing.
2) As per your suggestion I will divide my trip 3 days in Interlaken, 2 days in Lucerne, not sure where to stay for 1.5 days. Please suggest.
3) Where to stay for 3 days in Interlaken? Do you suggest 2 days in Interlaken and 1 day in Mürren/ Gimmelwald? Or all three days in Interlaken only and making day trip to Mürren/ Gimmelwald?
4) Is 2 days too much for Lucerne? Do you suggest to stay in Lucerne for 2 days and visit 1 day Lucerne and 1 day some other place?
5) Can you suggest any place to drive around on a picturesque alpine road, then we will rent a car only for that day? If you would not suggest us to rent a car at all, then also it is fine as anyway we are going to Austria after that, we will do all driving there as it also has the same Alps and scenic Alpine road.
6) Where to stay for remaining 1.5 days? Can you suggest where should we book a hotel for last 1.5 days and what all to visit before we take a train to Innsbruck (Austria).
Regards
Roy
Roy,
Thank you for the kind words. I enjoy trying to help. I’ll tackle the questions in the order they came up…
1. Geneva has a lovely setting and it will be nice to see for at least a few hours, so I understand. There is a 2.5-hour city sightseeing tour of Geneva that is partly on a bus and partly a walking tour of the Old Town. That should be ideal for you. Every train station has luggage lockers and many of them also have a Left Luggage office, so you should be able to put your bags away easily enough.
2. You could add a day to Interlaken or Lucerne, or you could spend one night in Bern, which is not only the capital but also the most interesting and photogenic city in Switzerland. You could use that extra day doing most of a scenic rail trip such as the Goldenpass. The most interesting part is the section west of Interlaken, and you’ll be doing much of that coming from Geneva.
3. I’d suggest 2 nights in Interlaken and 1 night in Gimmelwald, or Murren if you can’t find something you like in Gimmelwald. That tiny village is really wonderful and spending a night there is an experience you’ll never forget.
4. Lucerne is a place you could spend many days. The city itself has great restaurants and shopping and views of the lake and nearby mountains, so it’s just a generally charming place to hang out. And if you take the boat you can tour the lake and stop at any of the little villages along the way, and get back on a later boat. Doing that is a very nice day, or you can just stay on the boat and be back in about two hours.
5. The whole area around Interlaken and anywhere in the Alps is really scenic. I’ve not driven in that area myself so I can’t suggest something specific. But I can say that the roads are all in great shape and traffic isn’t too bad outside of the city centers, so it should be fun.
6. I don’t have a specific hotel to recommend because it obviously depends on what you want to see. And recommending hotels is tough because some of them fill up and then raise prices, so it may not be as great of a deal the next time. One last thing though, Innsbruck is a pleasant town that is mainly a ski resort area. But if you want to spend time in the best Alpine tourist area in Austria then head to Salzburg instead.
Best of luck with all of this. -Roger
Thanks for the perfect and detailed answer Roy. You are great.
Hi Roger,
Me and my husband are planning for a Europe trip in May for 10 days (tentative dates – 11th-20th).
Planned to cover Paris(2 nights) -> Italy(5 nights -Rome(2) – Florence(1) – Venice(1) – Milan(1)) -> Switzerland (3nigts – Interlaken(2) – Lucerne(1))
Haven’t finalized the plans yet hence need suggestions as how can we cover these places meaning the route plan where to enter and where to exit from saving travelling time. Should we do Paris ->Italy-> Switzerland or the other way around?
We’ll be flying from Mumbai, India and considering the flight cost and frequency Paris seems to be the right option.
As we’ve planned 2 nights in Interlaken, could you please suggest how can we cover most of it – Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch or both along with 1-2 scenic trains or whatever we can cover in those 2 days.
Do you suggest Switzerland for 4 nights? and replacing Italy with some nearby country or whatever we have planned is doable? I’ve read all your posts for Switzerland and absolutely loved them. Sorry for posing too many questions but wanted to check with someone experienced to simplify things further.
Thank you!!
Manisha,
Thank you for the kind words. My normal recommendation is to spend 3 nights in each city that you visit, except for a few smaller cities such as Venice that can be covered in only a day or two. With that in mind, I wouldn’t recommend you rush so much to squeeze in so many places. The main problem is that on a day that you travel from one city to another, you’ll have very little opportunity for sightseeing. After you check out of your hotel and get to the train station and take a train and then check into the hotel in your next city, most of the day is gone. In other words, you’d be spending most of your trip on trains and in train stations and checking in and out of hotels.
I’d recommend Paris and Italy or Paris and Switzerland, but not both. Stay in Paris for 3 nights and then take a flight to Venice and stay 1 night (Venice is quite small). Then take a train to Florence for 3 nights and then Rome for 3 nights. That is your 10 days in 4 amazing cities with time to see all the highlights.
Or you could do Paris in 3 or 4 days and then head to Switzerland to see Interlaken and Lucerne. Please think about that and I’ll be happy to help you more if you need it. -Roger
Hello Roger,
First of all thanks a lot to you for such detailed and useful information. You are a savior. I went through multiple websites on planning a Switzerland trip, but, this page finally came to my rescue.
So I am travelling from Paris into Switzerland on 11th April. I wish to stay in Switzerland for 3 nights/4 days max and then travel to Venice Italy. I would definitely visit Interlaken area based on your wonderful reviews and I wish to take 1/2 scenic trains as well. (I am considering buying a Swiss Pass). How should I best plan my travel?
So far my plan is to travel fro Paris to Lausanne (or Montreux?). Take a Swiss chocolate train round trip an stay in Montreux for the day. Next day I plan to take the GoldenPass Line and de-board at Interlaken. I wish to stay in Gimmelwald/Murren for 1 night(2 days) and see around. Next I am thinking to getting to Zurich (whats the best option?) and then to Chur and finally take the Berina Express to Tirano. I a preferring this to enter Italy as close to Venice as possible. And thereafter travel to Venice.
Could you please give suggestions/comments on my plan. Thanks a lot in advance for your time. Appreciate it.
Mohit
Mohit,
I think your plan looks quite good. It will be a shame to only spend one or two days in Interlaken, but those other things you are doing are also very worthwhile. Most people agree with me that the Alpine sights around Interlaken are far more dramatic than the Lake Geneva views from Lausanne or Montreaux. On the other hand, all of those towns along the lake are very photogenic and not disappointing at all.
From the looks of things, a Swiss Travel Pass would be good value for you. The 3-day pass should pay for itself with those scenic train trips, and a 4-day pass might be an even better deal since you could use it for the trip to the Swiss border on your way you.
It would allow you to take all of those normal trains on your list as well, and all will be covered. You could even use the pass to save 50% off either the Schilthorn cable car or the Jungfraujoch train, both of which would be the absolute highlight of your trip.
As for going to Zurich and anywhere else, you’ll want to take the trains, of course. If you buy the Swiss Travel Pass you can just hop on board and show it to the conductor. However, I don’t really recommend Zurich as a tourist destination unless you’ve got something specific you want to see there. It’s a pleasant enough of a city and the central part looks nice, but it’s incredibly expensive and the natural sights and views are the reason to visit Switzerland. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger,
I have tried to put together an itinerary based on your very useful recommendations above but I am missing bits which I am expecting you will help me fill.
13-Apr reach Zurich by 1000 and travel to Lucerne and visit Mount Pilatus
14-Apr visit Engelberg and spend rest of the day in Lucerne
15-Apr Lucerne to Interlaken via Titlis; go to Gimmelwald and stay at Esther’s
16-Apr visit the Schilthorn observation deck and restaurant AND Jungfraujoch observation area; stay at Esther’s
17-Apr ??
18-Apr ?? (fly back to UK – I can take flight back from Zurich or Geneva or Bern; flight from zurich is at 2100 hrs, so I have almost whole day)
Can I make a trip to Rhone Glacier (should I ?)
Can I fit in a Panoramic train journey ( I love to)
Please feel free to move the places around, if that can help me fit some other useful attraction.
Thanks a lot in advance
Ankit
Ankit,
It looks like your trip is already very well planned. I’ve not been to the Rhone Glacier and it looks like most people get there by car, so it may not be easy to reach without one. There are so many wonderful hikes and views and places to see close to Interlaken that I think you’d be best off staying closer on your free day. I can’t really plug in one thing for you on that day. You might check some online travel guides such as lonelyplanet.com and wikitravel.org for advice on things to do in Interlaken or Switzerland.
It looks like you are scheduling the best attractions with Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch. As mentioned before, you might try to stay flexible on the exact time you do those just in case it’s foggy or cloudy at the top while you are there. I’m sure once you start reading a proper travel guide that you’ll find many choices that you will fill in those days. If you have any other specific questions I’ll be happy to try to help. -Roger
Thanks Roger.
A few more please:
– If I take the Golden Pass and/or the Bernina express, is it worth me taking the Swiss Rail pass for 4 days ?
– Can I take the Glacier express for shorter distance, I don’t think it worth spending 8 hrs on a scenic train, will eventually get bored ? If yes, what would you recommend ?
– Lastly. even if I take these scenic trains, I can always come back using a faster train journey, don’t suppose these trains are not the only ones plying on these routes.
Once again, thanks a lot for your article, it has helped me a lot.
Regards,
Ankity
Thanks a lot Roger. I am now planning to stay 2 nights (3days) in the Interlaken area. The hotels/hostels are very expensive in Gimmelwald and Murren, so now I am thinking of staying in Interlaken (Balmers Hostel) and taking day trips to Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch. Also, I am dropping my plan to take Berina exress. Instead I will stay 1 night in Lecerne. Following day I wish to travel from Lucerne-Lugano-Milan-Venice.
I think the trip is in much better shape now. Let me know if you have any additional suggestions.
Thanks again for all the help. – Mohit
Hello Roger…
Read your posts and they are very informative and useful….Great job….
I am from India and planning my first Europe trip with wife and two kids(18 & 14) in the second half of May 2017.My plan is to spend 9 to 10 days in Europe and vist Switzerland and Paris/Disneyland.
My questions are
1)Is my choice of places to visit is okay for a first time traveller or any more destinations should be added? or should visit some other countries other than the mentioned here as a first time traveller to Europe.
2)From where should I start my trvel…from Paris or from Switzerland?
3)What is the best and economical mode of travell between these two countries?
4)Suitable travel itinerary
5)Is it possible to make a base at one place in switzerland and then take day trips? and is it a good idea to rent a service apartment in switzerland so that some cooking can be done….
Thanks…..
Manish
Manish,
I’m always happy to hear that people find this useful.
1) Switzerland is magnificent and certainly the most beautiful scenery in Europe, but its cities are duds compared to the great ones like Paris, London, Amsterdam, Rome, and Venice. So I’d recommend maybe 3 or 4 days in Switzerland and the other 6 or 7 days elsewhere. Paris for 3 or 4 days is perfect, not including the day you’ll be spending at Disney.
2) It’s probably easiest to fly into Paris and then visit Switzerland after a few days. If you could get a flight into Zurich and out of Paris it would be even better. Those flights are sometimes the same price as flights into and out of the same city, but other times they are much more expensive. Zurich has some pretty good fares considering it’s such an expensive city.
3) It’s best to take trains between Paris and Switzerland, and trains within both of those places as well. They are fast, punctual (especially in Switzerland), and the fares are reasonable if you buy online at least a month or so in advance. Buy from the official rail site of the country you are starting in.
4) Your itinerary will depend on where you’ll find into and out of. I’d recommend 3 or 4 days in Paris, 3 days in Switzerland, and 3 days in London. You can take the Eurostar train from Paris to London in a bit over 2 hours. You could instead go to Amsterdam from Paris in a bit over 3 hours. It depends on what interests you. Once you have your cities chosen and know the airfare situation, I think it’ll be easy for you to sort out an itinerary. I’ll be happy to help if you need it.
5) You should base yourself in Interlaken while in Switzerland, but only for a few days. The best sights are in that area and the other places you want to see on a first trip to Europe are much too far away for day trips.
A serviced apartment can be a good idea and you should find many options on airbnb. That will also be a good and economical option for finding rooms with 3 beds in them, which are rare in most European hotels. Aside from that, you’ll be happy to know that there are several Indian restaurants in Interlaken and countless Indian restaurants in Paris, London, and Amsterdam. Finding vegetarian food should not be much of a problem in any of those places. Let me know if you have other questions. -Roger
Hello everybody!
I’m planning a girls trip to Switzerland April 26 – 28th. We originally planned on staying 2 nights in Grindelwald (or Murren or Wengen), however, after reading some past forums in regards to unpredictable weather at that time in the interlaken area, I thought I’d post the question for more advice.
We were looking forward to picturesque scenery and doing a lot of outdoor activities; hiking, biking, visiting different towns up the mountain, etc. Is it worth going to Grindelwald and/or neighboring towns at that time hoping the weather will cooperate or should we just stay in Lucerne for 2 days instead? Are there beautiful hiking trails there as well?
We would really appreciate any feedback as we are hoping to make a decision and book some accommodations!
Thank you all in advance!!
Palak,
The weather in the Swiss Alps is unpredictable much of the year, and this includes summer when rain can happen on short notice at high altitudes. The bigger problem for most visitors is that you might get foggy or cloudy days, and this can also happen any time of the year. The good news is that these situations often come and go quickly, so you might have a cloudy morning and sunny afternoon or vice versa.
Lucerne isn’t really too far away and it actually has a similar situation, even during summer. If you’ve only got 2 or 3 days I’d head to the Interlaken area as it’s far more scenic and dramatic than Lucerne, even though Lucerne is still very scenic by European standards. Most likely you’ll have mostly clear weather and things will be great. But if you do have some fog or overcast you can spend that time walking around town, and save your hikes and adventures for when it’s more clear.
Interestingly, the Swiss are constantly monitoring the weather in those places and there are even live web cameras situated in the popular spots such as Schilthorn. So you can see how the weather is and what the forecast is, and plan your day accordingly. Best of luck and have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger,
I will be travelling from Paris to Swiss ( 4n and 5d) with my family ( includes a 4yr kid ) and really confused how to best plan my trip.
My flight back to india is from Zurich ,so thats my final destination, also i would want to include Mt. Titlis. how do you think I should go about.
Thanks
Antara Gaur
Antara,
If you have 4 nights then you should spend 2 in the Interlaken area and the other 2 in the Lucerne area. Mt Titlis, as you probably know, is about an hour from Lucerne by train, so you’ll want to use most of one of your Lucerne days for that, and the other you can take the lake cruise to some of the nearby towns.
The Zurich Airport is on the main train line so you don’t necessarily need to stay in Zurich before you fly out. You can just take a train from Lucerne or Interlaken directly there, and the trains start early in the morning. If you have any other specific questions just let me know. -Roger
Roger,
This post was extremely helpful in helping me figure out where to go for my incredibly short trip to Switzerland. I will be arriving in March. My itinerary is going to sound a little crazy but hear my out. The general gist of the trip is 1) Arrive at Zurich airport at 6am. 2)Take an early train to Interlaken (Raileurope says its about $120 one way) and arrive around 9am. Rail Europe does not make it clear whether it will arrive from the east or west station. 3)Assuming it leaves me at the east station I will buy the private train ticket to the Schilthorn observation deck. I estimate that I will arrive to the top by 10 or 11am. 4)No idea how long I will stay at the top but i assume maybe 2 hours, depending on weather, 5) Lets assume I begin to descend at around 1pm, stopping at GRimmelwald to explore. (Would love to squeeze Blausee in until my ride back to Zurich but I have no real understanding of how that would work) 6) Take the 7pm or 8pm train back to Zurich airport which is around $108-$130 (Since I have to leave at 9am the next day I figured I should probably stay in Zurich for the night).
1. Is anything about this itinerary unrealistic? I will only be carrying a regular sized book bag with me. I’m young and am not concerned about being tired.
2. These plans of course do not allow me to check in to a hotel until around 10pm, do you think that will be a problem in Zurich? I suppose I should probably not book a place to sleep until I arrive?
3. Will some sort of pass suit me better than buying individual tickets?
Thank you so much! I know you will not approve of just visiting for a day but I am trying to work with/make the most of what I was offered.
Michelle
Michelle,
It makes me happy to read that this information is helpful to people. I do think your plan sounds a bit crazy, but I think you’ll have an amazing time. The thing I object most to is when people try to schedule things like this for many days in a row or a whole trip. In your case, if you have 27 hours to spend in Switzerland, I think your plan sounds close to perfect.
The RailEurope site is easy to use and it’s owned by the Swiss and France rail companies, but the prices are higher on many routes so also check sbb.ch, which is the Swiss Rail official site. You should be able to buy all of those tickets, including Schilthorn.
All trains to Interlaken stop at both stations and the fare is the same, so you can hop off at either one.
If you don’t have lunch up at Schilthorn then you’ll probably be ready to head back down in 60 to 90 minutes, but I do recommend the restaurant as it has normal (high) Swiss prices. The James Bond thing is interesting as well.
The town on the way to or from Schilthorn is called “Gimmelwald”, which is easy to confuse with nearby Grindlewald. You’ll probably have time to do another thing or two in the Interlaken area, so read up on your options. Getting from the Interlaken Est train station to the Schilthorn observation deck takes about two hours, and fortunately it’s very scenic the whole way, including a nice view of the waterfall in Lauterbrunnen.
If you are getting back to Zurich at 10pm then I’d just get a hotel near the airport. Zurich hotels are extremely expensive and you won’t have time to see anything anyway. So if you get a hotel near the airport it’ll be a bit cheaper and obviously easier to make your flight in the morning.
Unless there is a special promotion going on, which there usually isn’t on the route you will be taking, the prices of the Swiss train tickets are the same no matter when you buy them. So you could literally just buy them when you got there if you like. I think this will be an amazing day. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger