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
Hi, Roger.
This is our first time to Europe and using the public transportation. Can you please give us some pointers on how to get around? We are flying in to Geneva. I understand you can travel by bus, shuttle, or by train. And, there’s a Swiss Pass. With all the combined places we are going to, is that advisable to get?
We will be traveling from point A to B, then B to C, and then C back to A:
1. What is the best mode (economical and fast) of transportation to get from Geneva (A) to Chamonix (B)?
2. Chamonix (B) to Gimmelwald (C)?
3. Gimmelwald (C) to Geneva (A)?
Any input is greatly appreciated. Because of your great article, we are totally abandoning our plans to visit Lucern and spend three nights in Gimmelwald and explore the mountains. Just prefer hiking and nature over arts and culture .
Thanks,
Bach
Bach,
From Geneva Airport to Chamonix Mont Blanc takes 3 hours and 22 minutes by train and requires 2 changes along the way. It looks like the OUIBUS service takes only 1 hour 40 minutes and will cost €19 each way.
From Chamonix to Gimmelwald you should probably take the OUIBUS back to Genève Aéroport and then the train to Interlaken Ost and then follow the instructions mentioned in the article above. It’s a long trip of 4.5 hours altogether, but amazingly gorgeous.
From Gimmelwald to Geneva Airport it will take about 4 hours by train.
I’m sure you’ll love Gimmelwald, but it’s tiny so if you stay there for 3 nights you should prepare yourself to be elsewhere most of the time. It makes for a lovely base as long as you are aware that you can literally explore the whole town in 15 or 20 minutes. You can walk up the hill or take the cable car up one short stop to Murren, which is about 20 or 30 times larger, yet also very pleasant. Have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Thanks, could you please help me with a couple of queries.
Itinerary:
Period of Travel: 16th to 19th April 2017
Staying in Lucerne during entire duration.
1. We will be taking Swiss pass, with this in our 4 days which Mt Peek will be good to cover. Mt Rigi, Mt. Pilatus, Mt. Titlis or Mt. Jungfrau. Planning to see atleast 2 of them. One of our main interest is snow clad mountain, i understand it is not the best time for it but may be your suggestion will help in deciding. Also can you help is the trip to these covered as swiss pass or we need to pay additional and how much.
2. Planning to take Glacier express from Brig to Chur, is this a worth the travel during my travel period.
— How do you compare the same with Golden Pass line from Lucerne to Montreux. Which one i should do in case need to choose 1.
Thanks
Hi Roger! Thanks for a great informative article on “Where to go in Switzerland on a short trip.” My husband and I are heading from USA to Egypt and then on to Switzerland, September 15-October 5th, 2017. We will be in Switzerland for a little over 2 weeks. We are arriving in Zurich and departing from Zurich. I have done a lot of research on places to see, stay and what all to do in Switzerland and believe me there are a lot of places that I want to go! (too many I am sure!) My husband and I really only want to stay at 2 places and then travel by train (or walk) everywhere else. We for sure want to do Bern, as my husbands grandmother was born there! Other places that we would like to go is Lucern, Interlaken, Gimmelwald, Murren, Wengen, Gstaad, Jungfraujoch, Lausanne, Gruyeres, Fribourg, Jura, Neuchatel, Zermatt, Ticino >Bellinzona, lugano, locarno, Valle Maggia, Brunnen, Engelberg, Zurich, St Gallen, Appenzell, Rosa, and St Moritz to name a few. LOL ! So my questions for you are…what do you think of the cities I mentioned (besides the one you mentioned in your article?) We love to hike and do your typical touristy tourist stuff! If you could give me some good advice and what 2 places you think would be perfect to stay that would be great! If there’s anything that you want to add, please feel free! Thanks so much! 🙂
Georgia,
That is quite a list of places to see in Switzerland and this will definitely be an amazing trip. The challenge, as I’m sure you’ve realized, is trying to find only TWO bases from which to see all of those places. Your stops are literally in pretty much every corner of the country. It’s not a huge country, but since the trains mostly go around mountains and such, some of those trips will be long ones.
The first obvious base is the Interlaken area, which is also close to Gimmelwald, Murren, and Jungfraujoch. It’s also close to Bern, and that puts it within reasonable distance of Lausanne and the other places near Lake Geneva. From Interlaken to Zermatt takes 2 hours and 20 minutes each way, so that will be a long day. And you’ve got many stops that are on or near the Golden Pass line from Interlaken to Montreaux, so you could do those all in one long day.
But then you’ve also got Lugano, St. Moritz, and Appenzell, which are spread across the eastern part of the country. Lucerne is probably the best base for those places, plus Zurich and several others.
My two biggest pieces of advice are to invest in a 15-Day Swiss Travel Pass, and also to trim your list down at least a bit. The Travel Pass will cover all of your train travel for the days its valid, and give you discounts to Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn, so it will pay for itself many times over even if you only visit half the places on your list.
Even if you are in Switzerland for 20 days, I’d still trim your list way down. The thing is, many of these towns and sights are fairly similar to one another, so it’s really better to spend twice as much time at the most interesting of them rather than half as much time seeing that one AND a lesser one, not to mention the time it takes to go from one to the other. Take Appenzell, for example. It’s a lovely dairy region that isn’t too far from Lucerne and Zurich, and you’ll want to spend most of a day there in order to really see the highlights. After a few days like that you’ll want a break where you are just staying near your base and enjoying that town as well.
I highly recommend you get the Rick Steves Switzerland guidebook, either in print or digital, and read through to decide what the best sights are in each area and category. You can still see at least half the things on your list and you’ll have more time to appreciate the best ones. It will be the best US$20 or so you’ll spend for this trip. Let me know if you have other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger,
My wife and I are interested in your recommendations about our trip to Switzerland.
We will arrive in Geneva at 15:00 on Sunday 4/16.
1) We want to see Schilthorn & Jungfraujoch in Interlagen.
2) We want to see Mount Pilatus in Luzern.
3) We want to ride the Bernina Express, but perhaps not both ways.
We need to be back in Geneva on Thursday night, and late is fine.
We realize that we may not get to visit all the locations. What would you recommend for an itinerary? Thanks! – Joseph
Joseph,
You can take a train directly from the Geneva Airport to Interlaken in 2 hours 52 minutes, and they leave every 30 minutes. So you’ll be in the Interlaken area on Sunday night, and you would even have time to get to Gimmelwald or Murren if you wanted.
On Monday you can visit Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch and do the other on Tuesday. Schilthorn takes about 4 hours total, but Jungfraujoch is more like a 6-hour or 7-hour trip. You’ll have time to see other things on your Schilthorn day. You can easily make it to Lucerne in 1 hour 50 minutes by Tuesday evening.
You can obviously visit Mount Pilatus on Wednesday and you’d still have time for a 2-hour cruise on the lake in Lucerne. The tricky thing will obviously be trying to fit in the Bernina Express, since it runs in the far east of Switzerland and into Italy, while you’ll be in central Switzerland and needing to get back to the west. It would take at least a full day to do a good portion of the Bernina Express, so it might not be an efficient use of your time.
My recommendation would be to instead do the Golden Pass scenic train on Thursday on your way back to Geneva. It runs from Lucerne to Montreaux and it’s magnificent. You’d be going that way anyway, except the faster trains go through Bern rather than the mountain pass that is the most scenic part of the Golden Pass. That way you’d get to experience the most famous scenic train by just going back to the Geneva Airport. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hello Roger,
Thanks for sharing the very informative posts. Currently I am in Frankfurt and planning to visit Switzerland for 4 days in April(14-17th April) along with one of my colleague. Since I am not good at planning, I would like your expert advise in planning my trip.
1) Which are the best places to visit for 4 day trip?
2) Travel Plan for the above places.
3) What are the cheap accommodation(hostels/dormitories/guest houses) available for 2 persons?
3) What are the Cheap travel options(passes) available?
Anupam,
I’ll help where I can.
1) Go to Interlaken for 2 or 3 days and to Lucerne for the other 1 or 2 days.
2) Take a train to Interlaken and then a train to Lucerne.
3) The Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald is wonderful and unforgettable. It’s just up the mountain from Interlaken, and I mention it in the article above. But it’s not all that cheap, and there just aren’t cheap accommodations in Switzerland. It’s an expensive country but it’s worth it.
4) Depending on how many train trips and cable cars you take, the Swiss Half Fare Card for CHF120 might be wise. If you are going to do at least CHF240 worth of rides, and that includes Jungfraujoch, which costs CHF148, then it pays for itself. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger…. I have been going through all your posts and have decided on the basis of ur posts. I am travelling with my husband and 2 children, one 9yrs and another 1 yr old. Decided on a 8 day trip, leave 2 days for travel from India, 2days Paris and 4 days Switzerland- 2 in Interlaken to visit jungfraujoch and schilthorn and last 2 days around Lucerne. My question is 1.can a 8 yr and 1 yr old manage the heights in jungfraujoch etc.
2. What pass would be suitable for us.
3. So u think I’ve planned it right or would you modify it
Shefali,
First off, if you’ve never been to Paris before I’d think about adding a third day to Paris. It’s really a gorgeous city filled with top sights, and if you only stay two nights that’s really only one full sightseeing day.
1. My guess is that an 8-year-old would be fine in the mountain peaks, but I’m not sure about the 1-year-old. You should probably Google specifically for that and I think you’d find answers. Those peaks are obviously very high and the air is a bit thin. Jungfraujoch is 3500 meters and that is high enough that walking up hills is a bit harder due to the thin air. I just don’t know what it might do to an infant. I’d guess that the child would be fine, and there were many kids up in Schilthorn when I was there. I just can’t be sure about infants.
2. A 3-day or 4-day Swiss Travel Pass could be good value for you if you are taking one or more of the scenic rail journeys, but if you are just taking normal trains to Interlaken and Lucerne and doing Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn (both at a 50% discount with a Swiss Rail Pass), then I don’t think you’d get good value for it. If you do get a pass then the children can travel for free with the parents.
3. As mentioned, I don’t think 2 nights in Paris is enough if this is your first visit. It would be ideal to add one more day to the whole trip. If you can’t do that I think I’d do just one night in Lucerne and 3 nights in Paris. It looks like you’ve got the best things mostly figured out, so I’m sure it’ll be a great trip. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger!
What luck to stumble upon your article! We are planning to spend just a few days (3/4) in Switzerland this June. We have some friends of some friends who live in Morges so will be staying with them for the free accommodation. Do you recommend a day trip to Interlaken? We’ll be travelling with our one year old daughter- any kid friendly suggestions? We’re in Bangkok so definitely want to take as much advantage as possible of the beautiful outdoors. Also wondering- will we freeze? we’ve been in the tropics for awhile now. =)
Alissa,
I’m glad you found my article as well. Having a free place to stay in Switzerland will be great, but Morges isn’t very close to the better Alps sights, unfortunately. The train ride from Morges to Interlaken is about 2 hour and 20 minutes each way. A day trip would be much better than just staying in the Lake Geneva area, but if you could do at least one night there it would be much better. The challenge is that the town of Interlaken is mostly just the transit hub for journeys up and into the mountains above. So, for example, if you wanted to visit the Schilthorn peak, it would take about an hour to get to the bottom of the cable car, and then another hour on the cable car going up. Even if you don’t go all the way up, it would be great to at least go up the first leg, which is 5 minutes and takes you to Gimmelwald, or the second stop in Murren.
In other words, to do the amazing things that are near Interlaken, it would take you over 4 hours each way from Morges. Again, it would be far better than skipping them, but if you could spend one night in Gimmelwald or Murren you’d get a much better look. If it doesn’t insult your hosts too much, I think it would be worth the US$200 or so you’d spend on that hotel.
I lived in Bangkok for a few months and have spent years in the Tropics. I think you’ll find the June temperatures to be wonderful in the valleys, and the colder temperatures up the mountains will also be nice for a day or two.
Switzerland is a very family-oriented country and they are used to having infants on public transport and that sort of thing. I’m not really aware of anything you should do or avoid. I think it will all work out well. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Mr Wade,
I have been working on this all day. I had adjusted my schedule to this. I know you are probably have read the earlier post yet, but I wanted to send you this first.
–Day 1 (SUN 9th) Arrive in Zürich ( (3 nights in Luzern)
Sunday afternoon touring Zurich
Monday (Enjoy some lake trips)
Tuesday (Day trip to Bern)
–Day 4 (WED) – Luzern to Interlaken (Goldenpass line) to the Jungfraujoch. Then come back down to Grindelwald and spend the night. (1 Night)
–Day 5 (Thurs) Grinderwald transfer down to Interlaken (1 Night)
–Day 6 (Fri) Internlaken to Zermatt on the Goldenpass line. (Spend 2 nights in Zermatt)
–Day 8 (Sun 16th) Zermatt to Chur on the Glacier Express and then to Zürich to fly out for 1700 flight
-I could really use some help with some train travel time estimates or even better the name of the stations I would plug into sbb.ch since there appears to be multiple stations in each location:
-1. Luzern to Interlaken (2 hours estimated travel time?)
-2. Interlaken to Zermatt on the Golden Pass Line (estimated time?)
How do I ensure I select the Golden Pass Line?
-3. Zermatt to Chur on the Glacier Express all the way into Zurich
How do I ensure I select the Glacier Express trip?
Thanks so much!
Rick,
I just answered the previous questions. I’ll try these now.
Lucerne/Luzern to Interlaken Ost is 1 hour 50 minutes. All trains stop at both Interlaken stations, and they are about 5 minutes apart.
Interlaken Ost to Zermatt is 2 hours 20 minutes. When you go to book your tickets online you’ll see an indication of which trains have Panoramic carriages. All trains on those lines are considered the Golden Pass, but only some of them have Panoramic carriages, and those require advanced seat reservations.
I think the best information on the Glacier Express is on the Seat 61 website. It looks like there are 3 departures per day with Panoramic carriages. That page should also help you with booking info. -Roger
Hello Wade,
Hope you are doing well. I want to express that I’m very thankful for your postings as I’m truly not good at planning a trip like this, so any help you can provide would be appreciated more then you know. I’m happy to even make a donation for your help. This will be our first trip of this kind and I want to make a memorable one for the family. I don’t want to mess it up. 🙂
I’m looking for some help planning a 7 night 8 day vacation for my family and I. My wife and I are early forties and my son is 9 years old. We currently live in Warsaw, Poland, however we are U.S citizens. So it would be an easy flight to and from Switzerland. ( 2 hours non-stop)
July 9th (Fly into Zurich early)
July 16th (Fly out of Switzerland)
-We could also look into flying into Geneva and out of Zurich. We are flexible.
-On either the inbound/outbound we would like to do a quick city tour of Zurich, however we are not wanting to stay over night there. -Just get a flavor for the city. What would you recommend? Do you know of a local tour and somewhere we could store the luggage?
-Per your guidance, we would like to visit the city of Bern for a day, but we don’t need to stay overnight there. I think having like 6 hours in Bern should be nice. What would be a must see or do in the town of Bern?
-My son would love to do toboggan run. I heard there was a great toboggan run in Frakmuntegg. It is supposed to be the longest in the world. He is 9 years old. Is he to young for that? He is very strong and responsible if that helps.
-We would like to include a couple of short easy hikes outdoors as well. Nothing too crazy 🙂
-My family has expressed interest in some great train rides so I tried to include them too in the sample itenerary below. However, I’m afraid it might be too complicated. Can you please provide your thoughts on the amount of time on the train? My family would like to ensure we have good seats on the trains. How do we ensure we have the Panoramic (?) seats. What are you thoughts on the best seats for a views on the trains? Based on your final recommendation please let me know if the Swiss Pass is the way to go. It looks like we could get a family pass, and my son would travel for free. however it is not clear on the website how to buy a family pass.
-Here is a sample itinerary that I was putting together. Although, I’m guessing we might need to cut 1 day out of it. I’m just not sure where to adjust. Also, I’m not stuck to this itinerary. Please let me know your thoughts on this. I figured it was better to come to you for help with my research then nothing at all.
–Day 1 Arrive in Zürich (short city tour?) and then go to Luzern. Spend 2 nights in Luzern and make a day trip to Bern from there. (1 hour by train each way) I think we would like about 6 hours in Bern.
–Day 3 – Luzern to Interlaken (Goldenpass line) to the Jungfraujoch. Then come back down to Grindelwald and spend the night.
–Day 4 Grindelwald to Montreux on the Goldenpass line. Spend 2 nights
–Day 6 Montreux to Zermatt for 2 nights
–Day 8 Zermatt to Chur on the Glacier Express and then to Zürich to fly home (Would this work out?)
– -Question: Is it easy to find washers and dryers for washing clothes, so we can travel lighter? How do most people pack if they don’t have huge backpacks, but luggage instead? Will that be a huge hassle traveling without backpacks?
We are not rich, so I have no idea how much we should budget for a trip like this. We are trying to keep the costs reasonable. Also, it looks like I need to start booking as the July season is filling up quickly. Your input will be much appreciated.
Thanks again!
Rick
Rick,
I’m happy to try to help. I’ll answer the questions in the order they came up…
You might consider the free walking tour of Zurich. I did that one and really enjoyed it. Zurich is compact enough that you can see all the main sites in the two hours or so of the tour, and tip them maybe US$10 or so if you like it. Zurich is worth a tour like that so I think it’s a good idea. It’s just that it’s also very expensive for hotels and restaurants, and there are so many other great sights in Switzerland to see. There will be left luggage lockers in all larger train stations, so you can use one of those while you are exploring Zurich.
In Bern you really want to see the oldest part of the old town area, which isn’t far from the train station. The river views are also wonderful, and I agree that 4 to 6 hours will be enough to see the highlights.
I’m not familiar with the toboggan situation and rules. Hopefully you can find out elsewhere.
You’ll have many chances at great and fairly easy hikes in all of the places you’ll be going. In some cases you can take a cable car or cogwheel train up a hill and then walk back down. There are many others that are mostly flat.
Your itinerary looks quite good and I think an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass will be good value for you. It looks like if you buy two adult Swiss Travel Passes, you can get a complimentary Swiss Family Card once you get there, and you just show that along with your passes to the conductor.
You can book your seats on the Panorama trains online after you buy your Swiss Travel Pass. They do fill up, especially in high season like July. I think the normal trains in Switzerland are only on sale 30 days in advance, but it looks like the Panorama trains are on sale 6 months in advance, so you can reserve those seats now. All of the seats in the Panorama carriages on those trains will have great views, and you can even stand up and walk to the other side from time to time.
Just to be sure, you mention staying in Grindlewald, which is a scenic ski town near Interlaken. In the article above I mention staying in “Gimmelwald,” which is a tiny farm village one cable car ride up on the way to Schilthorn. Both are nice places, but quite different from each other.
Montreaux has a lovely lakeside location, but it’s a city and I’m not sure spending two nights there is ideal when there are more scenic places to stay. And Zermatt is another ski town that is only reached on a private railway. It’s obviously the place to go see the Matterhorn, but aside from that there aren’t many things to see or do unless you’ll be skiing. So one night might be enough there as well.
As for laundry, there are public laundromats with washers and dryers in all of the larger places you’ll be visiting, including Interlaken. Your hotel might also have a laundry service, though it will be FAR more expensive than using machines yourself.
Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hello Roger, can you please advise the best way to come to Switzerland from paris. Also if we can stay at Interlaken and cover from there itself instead of going up and staying at those two villages that you mentioned. ALso would like to check if we can cover Lucerne from Interlaken. The reason am asking is that we dont spend too much time packing and unpacking.
Thanks a lot for taking out time to respond so minutely to each and every query posted. I am sorry, i didn’t provide much heads up in my previous message. Why I said the base of Interlaken is that we are vegetarians and my hunch is that we might have some options if we stay at the base of Interlaken. Also we are scheduled to travel in the month of June and we are a family of four. I have roughly 6 nights in Switzerland.
Nawal,
The train from Paris to Interlaken takes about 5 and a half hours, and it’s extremely scenic, especially once you get into Switzerland. Buy your tickets early for the best prices. The train from Interlaken to Lucerne takes 1 hour and 50 minutes, so you could visit it as a day trip. Fortunately, the dock where the sightseeing boats leave from is literally right in front of the train station, and the scenic part of the town is just over the bridge from there, so it’s pretty efficient.
Lucerne also has many vegetarian dining options, including some Indian restaurants, so I think you’d be okay. Interlaken seems to be very popular with visitors from India, which I believe may be due to some Bollywood movies being set there? It seems like Lucerne is also quite popular so my hunch is that you could find plenty of good options. And Lucerne really is a wonderful town that is quite different from Interlaken, so at least one or two nights there should be worthwhile.
Have a great trip and let me know if I can help further. -Roger
Hi Roger, Thanks for the information. We have a return flight from Zurich which is late night. My question is that the previous night if we stay at Lucerne and then proceed to Zurich on the date of departure from Zurixh, we would have say about 8-10 hours in ZUrich. What is the bare minimum that we can cover in Zurich in that much time and also whether there is a place for us to deposit our luggage. We would essentially check out from lucerne to reach Zurich and since we would not be there in the night, we dont need the hotel. Kindly advise please
hi roger,
sorry to once again bother you.another thought has come in my mind . on 5th april instead of going to bernn would it be more advisable to take the glacier express from zermatt/brig to chur/st moritz and come back come back by late evening to interlaken ?another route which interested me was lotschberg mountain route but that agian is not available till mid of april.and if u think that taking glacier express would be fine than i would also be taking the 3 day swiss pass ( and using it on 3,4,5 when most of my rides and travels are concentrated and i may save much by 3 day swiss pass).waiting eagerly for yr response roger:)