Hi there,
I’m taking my 13 yr old to Europe for the first time. He is nature loving adventurous.
Current plan
-2 nights Lucerne
-5 nights Wengen
-3 nights Chamonix or Swiss city of Lausanne ?
Are Charmonix and Wengen too similar?
We fly in and out of Zurich.
Thanks so much for your help and perspective. Super valuable!!
Chamonix lots more to offer a teen---a summer luge, some great lift-assisted hiking, a nice swimming pool complex. You can make a daytrip from there to see the Chillon Chateau on Lake Geneva if you want. We did that on a rainy day, and our kids loved it.
Are Charmonix and Wengen too similar?
They both are at the base of big mountains. One is German speaking and the other is French speaking.
The logistics of getting from Wengen to Chamonix and back to Zurich is certainly more complicated.
Rather than Lausanne, how about smaller resort towns like Montreux or Vevey? If you decide to go that way, I'd prefer to take the big leg first and work your way back. Zurich>Montreux>Wengen>Luzern>Zurich. That way you can spend the last night in Luzern and go direct from there to Zurich airport as it is only 75 minutes on a direct train.
Zurich airport to Montreux can be done in 3 hours with a single train change.
Rick has a recent episode about hiking around Chamonix.
For Wengen look for videos by Karl Watson on YouTube.
My vote is Chamonix. Many more things to do for a teen. Rent bikes, hike, beg to be allowed to hang glide(perhaps not old enough?) etc. I think Lausanne would be rather boring. The castle is great for a rainy day activity and if he has an interest in history.
or if you're in the BO already, there's that iron bridge outside Murren I believe, and people do a lot of hang gliding in the valley so that is probably an option.
Sam had a great suggestion. Start at your furthermost destination and work your way back. You will have plenty of mountain time in Wengen for 5 nights, as well as mountain adventures available in Lucerne as well. Save Chamonix for another trip. The scenery to Montreux is beautiful and there is plenty to do along the lake. The town of Thun is less than 45 minutes from Wengen. It offers a beautiful timbered covered bridge, and on one side of the bridge there is fast-flowing water where people like to surf. There is also Thun Castle, and the beautiful Aare River which runs throughout the town, cobblestone streets, Lake Thun for riverboat rides, hiking, etc. I wouldn't spend three nights though. Bern is only 20 minutes up the track for a day trip. Montreux is also lovely. So much to see and do.
