10 Days in June Family Itinerary

You really can't go wrong when you are in the Swiss Alps. Travel time may be a factor with children. I used Interlaken as a week long home base that kept my transportation time under 45 minutes to attractions around the lakes, Kandersteg, Meiringen and the valleys of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. You can use Google maps to see travel times.

Since you planned Jungfraujoch, I would trade First Mountain for Schilthorn. There are more activity options.

Just a couple things. I am a HUGE fan of Luzern. It is in my top five of my favorite towns in Europe, and close to the top, at that. Since you are doing BO, you might consider dropping Zermatt and give yourself something a bit different.

Regarding BO. We really enjoyed Bern and that will make a fun day trip. Interlaken is not really IN the mountains. You might save that to last depending on your time. Regarding Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn, those mountains can be fogged in. There are cameras that show the status of the mountain tops. One can be socked in and the other clear. Mountains, in general, tend to be more clear in the morning and fog in as the day goes on. Depending on your interest in James Bond, Schilthorn may be somewhat interesting to you even in fog. I would suggest not setting each activity in BO "in stone". I would try to be responsive to the weather and forecasts. That can be difficult because it is hard to forecast weather for mountain areas, but its worth the effort.

Three places in 9 nights is absolutely the max. I could even make a case for two: Zermatt and the Lauterbrunnen area, but I understand your desire to include Lausanne or Vevey and it is easy to make your flight from there.

Zermatt is a crapshoot on weather but go for it! It wil be unforgettable if you get to see the Matterhorn and it is a cute car-free village even in less-than-stellar weather.

As to your time in the Lauterbrunnen area, staying in Mürren, Wengen, or Lauterbrunnen is best because you are IN the mountains. Interlaken is skippable but possibly useful if you have an inclement day. Boats on the lake are a diversion if the weather is not conducive to outdoor pleasures. Pick either the Jungfrau or the Schilthorn. Doing both is overkill and they are time consuming. Especially true of the trip to the Jungfraujoch. Bern is also, IMO, skippable with your young crowd. It is, after all, a city. You are in Switzerland for the natural beauty and outdoor activities. Luckily, you can have a list of things to do and base your daily activities on the weather as the days present themselves. There are lots of easy hikes/walks and these will be a joy with the kids. Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, Grütschalp to Mürren, the valley from Stechelberg to Lauterbrunnen, the Mönchblick in Wengen, walking from Mürren to Gimmelwald all come to mind as easy without having to go too far from your lodging. And of course you'll want to visit all 3 of the villages.

I think your idea of simplifying to 2 locations is better, especially with kids.

You'll get varied opinions about this, but myself (as well as many people I've talked to while there) are really disappointed in Zermatt. It's so incredibly crowded with daytrippers & e-taxis and the views from the actual town are just ok. Obviously the Matterhorn is beautiful, but it's a lot of effort for one viewpoint. There is tons of shopping in Zermatt but it's lost it's "car free" vibe with the incredible amount of e-taxis flying all over the place taking people to hotels. You won't lack awe-inspiring views in the BO to make up for missing the Mattherhorn.

My suggestion would by 7 nights in Berner Oberland with a day trip to Luzern or Oeschinensee if you really feel like it and 2 nights in Montreux or Vevey. The lake promenade walk to Chateau de Chillon is beautiful and you can combine that with a boat ride return from the castle. There are also so many things to keep you busy in the BO, even without doing Luzern. Lake Thun + castles along the lake (Oberhofen, Spiez & Thun), Lake Brienz (Giessbach Falls, Iseltwald), Brienzer Rothorn, Aare Gorge, e-biking the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Schilthorn, Murren, Gimmelwald, Grindelwald/First....the list goes on. A few of my favorite things will still be closed in June because of snow, but you won't run out of activities. There are also great kid's playgrounds up at Mannlichen (above Wengen) and Allmendhubel (above Murren).

This is a tough one. The Matterhorn is so iconic, I know I really wanted to see it. I had two nights in Zermatt and it was quite overcast, but I was able to see the Matterhorn, and it was a thrill. The weather was not conducive to hiking in the mountains, so we mostly walked around the town which is cute, but too upscale for my taste and quite touristy. The Berner Oberland is so much better. Since your trip is on the short side and you have a good chance of not seeing the Matterhorn, it probably makes sense to substitute Lucerne or spend more time in the BO.

another consideration I have is to travel right to BO for 7 nights with the potential for a long day trip to Zermatt and/or Lucerne from there.

This is also a good option. It will allow you to monitor the weather via the MeteoSwiss app or website as well as check webcams as part of deciding what to do each day.

I have gone to Zermatt many times from my home in Thun for a day trip - I have always seen the Matterhorn, being able to choose your day last minute really helps with this. I think that Zermatt has a great vibe, for sure it is touristy, but so are Luzern and the parts of the BO that most people here like to go to.

With your time limitations and three kids, staying in only two places would, in my opinion, be the best plan. Relocating with kids can be stressful, not to mention the time "lost" when moving. Do get the kids involved by letting them have input about the things to see and do. Much less likely to have unhappy campers if they have skin in the game.

Hi Zack,
I agree, that staying at only 2 places in your trip is the best way to go, it is surprising how much time is taken up by packing up and changing lodgings. Also your 10th day will be taken up with travelling to the airport and to home, so really only 9 days (including your arrival day).
In terms of Zermatt, we visited in October, we could see the Matterhorn from the rooftop of our hotel but it was a tiny, distant view, exciting for 5 minutes. We took a trip on the Gornergratbahn, which took us up into the mountains and there we had a spectacular view of the Matterhorn, and we hiked part of the way back down, BUT it was expensive.
Given your other plans to visit the BO and with all of the activities and destinations there which would likely have lots of appeal for your whole family, I would seriously consider going directly to BO from Geneva for 6 nights and 5 full days. Then on to the Lausanne/Vevey area for 3 nights and 2 full days. Chillon Castle is great and they do have activities aimed at children on some days. We used the Swiss rail and My Switzerland sites for planning, in particular to work out which rail pass would be best value for us and for planning day trips.
What ever you decide, I am sure that you will have a great time, Switzerland is beautiful.