12-13 day itinerary advice: hiking and relaxing Sept 2024

Your plan sounds good to me; a nice mix of scenery, hiking, and lakeside relaxing.

All of our trips to Switzerland start with 5-6 days in the Berner Oberland, either Wengen or Mürren. Then we move to another spot for new trails and scenery. Once it was Zermatt, and that was nice, but the place we keep returning is Bettmeralp, a car-free village perched high above the Rhône valley in the Valais region, on the south side of the Alps.

Here are some of the views from hikes:

https://www.aletscharena.ch/en/activities/hiking

On a clear day, one can see the Matterhorn in the distance to the west, but of course it is small. For a close-up view, you could make a daytrip to Zermatt—-the travel time is 2 hours 15 minutes, including the scenic cablecar ride down from Bettmeralp to the train running along the valley toward Zermatt.

For your lake time, I recommend Locarno (or Ascona). From there you can ride bikes into the beautiful Valle Verzasca:

https://www.ascona-locarno.com/en/explore/valle-verzasca

You can reach Locarno on the scenic Gottardo, which goes directly from Luzern to Locarno on the Gotthard Pass route over the Alps. This was a big hit with our family on our trip last September. If you want to include a lake cruise, you can take the boat from Luzern to Flüelen and board the Treno Gottardo there.

If you prefer Lugano, there is the Gotthard Panorama Express on the same boat + train route, but ending at Lugano. This one goes only once a day in each direction, and it is all first class. You would have to reach Luzern from Wengen in time for the 11:12 am departure of the boat.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/holidays-switzerland/panorama-trips/gotthard-panorama-express.html

Thanks so much!

Agree with 5-6 days in Wengen to explore Berner overland

So, you think make home base Locarno? I’m just wondering if we should still take day trip to Lugano if we want to hit a lot of restaurants. Do you think we can still paddle board in September?

Any Hotel recommendations for Locarno near the train?

As far as trains, Is it easy to get from interlaken to Locarno and Locarno to Zermatt? Also easy to get from Zermatt to Zurich?

I confess we haven’t yet been to Locarno, but it has been on the list for the last several trips. I just have trouble making time for it. But it is definitely a goal for next September!

One reason I prefer Locarno is the proximity of lakefront hotels to the train station. You won’t find that in Lugano. This and other hotels are just a block from the station:

https://www.hotelgeranio.ch/en/

As for swimming or SUP, September should be fine. We were swimming in the lake at Luzern, as well as at Lago di Garda, at the end of September this year.

Here is one of the SUP rental places on the lake at Locarno:

https://www.ascona-locarno.com/en/commons/details/Wilson-Sup-Center/136596

And more information on water sports in general:

https://www.ascona-locarno.com/en/what-s-on/stories/water-sports

There is also a club with all kinds of watercraft on offer—-paddleboards, rowing shells, sailboats, kayaks, windsurfers, and more. But they only offer annual memberships, and one cannot find the price right now, as they are not accepting applications until spring.

https://www.clublocarno.com/SUP-Rentals

Thank you so much so helpful! Maybe we’ll even ride bikes to Ascona one day. It looks beautiful there too and they have very much luxury hotels it seems like!

As far as trains, Is it easy to get from interlaken to Locarno and
Locarno to Zermatt? Also easy to get from Zermatt to Zurich?

You can check on the Swiss train website or app—SBB.

https://www.sbb.ch/en

Just enter the “from” and “to” and it will show you the time the trip takes and the number of train changes involved.

Things always look closer on a map, so it’s best to check actual travel times before deciding to go from point A to point B.

For this trip I would not get the Swiss Travel Pass. The STP only covers public transit, and does not cover mountain railways and cable cars. SO for your time in the Bernese Oberland you would end up paying most trips anyway. You would not get good use out of it.
You may look in to getting just the Half Fare Card, and getting a local pass for the Bernese Oberland.

September is however the best month to come this way, so you already have that right.

In Ticino your accommodation will probably give you the Ticino ticket, which gives you free public transport in the canton. So there again the STP would be superfluous.

Locarno to Zermatt you can do via the Centovalli railways, which is quite a scenic trip.

Thank you! Where can i buy The berner overland local pass?

You buy the Berner Oberland Pass online from this website:

https://www.berneseoberlandpass.ch/

Here is the map of validity, showing the range of coverage. Your train travel will be fully covered from Bern to Wengen on your arrival day, and from Wengen as far as Luzern on your way to Locarno. So you will need to purchase tickets from the Zurich airport to Bern, and from Luzern to Locarno .

With 5 nights in Wengen, I suggest you buy the 6-day Berner Oberland Pass and a Half Fare Card. The reduction in cost on the BO Pass will cover all but 16 CHF of the cost of the Half Fare Card. You can they use the HFC to take 50%off the cost of travel from Zurich airport to Bern on Day 1, and from Luzern to Locarno on Day 6, plus the travel from Locarno to Zermatt and Zermatt back to Zurich airport..

We used this combination on our recent trip and were very happy with it. We were able to ride cablecars, gondolas, trains, and boats in the area of validity by simply showing the pass; no ticket required. But note that the two most expensive rides in the Berner Oberland region are not fully covered with this pass (nor are they covered with a Swiss Pass): the Schilthorn cablecar above the village of Mürren, and the Jungfraujoch train above the Eigergletscher station. The pass will cover 50% of the first one; your Half Fare Card will reduce the cost of the Jungfrau trip 50%, more than the pass will. We did not do either of these rides anyway; I feel the Jungfrau train trip in particular is overpriced and overrated.

https://www.berneseoberlandpass.ch/assets/Uploads/BLS-BO-Pass-M-23-WEB.pdf

Super helpful thank you! Once we 100% finalize the itinerary, I ‘m going to look into all the trains and connections. That part is still confusing me and hopefully it’s easy when we need to connect to another train.

So when we’re at Zurich airport, do we take train there straight to Wengen or you mean we need to go to Bern first? I was thinking we take train like this: Zurich > Lucerne > Interaken > cable car to Wengen? Something like that right?

Looks like you received some good replies to your post. The one thing about the STP that doesn't get mentioned often during a cost analysis is added flexibility. There is value just walking onto the mode of transportation without buying a ticket and allowing for spontaneous plan changes. It is choice that varies by one's experiences and their value of time. Being this is your honeymoon, that may play into the decision. You will have a great time no matter what you decide.

You had Blausee in your post Oeschinensee is just a short bus ride away.

The quickest way to get from the Zurich Airport to Wengen is this:

Zurich Airport direct train to Interlaken Ost > Train Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen > Train Lauterbrunnen to Wengen

On SBB look for the option with only 2 stops from Zurich Flughafen to Wengen at 7:45, 10:45, 12:45, 14:45, 16:45 or 18:45

Dave A—-the Berner Oberland Pass we are recommending offers the same flexibility as the STP, and better coverage in the area where they will be spending most of their time.

As far as the route from the Zurich airport to Wengen, there are two: one via Bern, mainly faster IC (inter-city) trains, and one via Luzern, using either IC or regional trains. Both go to Interlaken Ost, changing trains there before heading to Lauterbrunnen for the transfer to the Wengen train. The Luzern route is slower but more scenic.

The Bern route is simpler if you want to avoid changes, as there are direct trains from the airport station to Interlaken Ost every 2 hours (10:45, 12:45, etc.). If one of those works for your arrival time at the airport and passage thru immigration, that is most convenient. In addition to those direct trains, there are other, more frequent trains with a change at Bern.

The Luzern route is puzzling me, as in the past there have been 2 direct trains per hour from the Zurich airport to Luzern. Now I see none. There are trains with the same number, like IR 75 or IC 5, that go from the airport station to Luzern, but they all have a platform change at Zurich Hauptbahnhof, from the deep platforms (32 or 33) to the main area at Platforms 5, 8, or others. I checked for several different dates and months and it was the same.

So, your choice. If you buy the Berner Oberland Pass and Half Fare Card in advance online, which I recommend, you can choose when you arrive at the Zurich airport, based on timing and your desire for convenience (fewest transfers). You will need to buy tickets from the machines or the agent to either Bern or Luzern, using your Half Fare Card. From there, you are covered with the Berner Oberland Pass.

You will have unavoidable transfers at Interlaken Ost and Lauterbrunnen to reach Wengen, whichever route you choose.

The Luzern route is puzzling me, as in the past there have been 2
direct trains per hour from the Zurich airport to Luzern. Now I see
none. There are trains with the same number, like IR 75 or IC 5, that
go from the airport station to Luzern, but they all have a platform
change at Zurich Hauptbahnhof, from the deep platforms (32 or 33) to
the main area at Platforms 5, 8, or others.

This is due to the construction work.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/luzern-direct-airport-train-news-for-dec-2023-dec-2024

https://company.sbb.ch/de/ueber-die-sbb/projekte/projekte-zuerich-ostschweiz/sanierung-wipkinger-viadukt.html

Thanks, Carrie. I suspected something like that, but it seemed to go on for months, which is a bit unusual for Switzerland.

Hi Lola - great place Seattle by the way - we stayed there just 2 months ago and hung out on Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo - excellent! I was actually trying to find you because you asked about steamers on a previous thread and I couldn't reply because its now closed - I think they are a great idea for travelling - we have a portable one and its ideal on the move (small, great to freshen clothes, and you don't have to worry about cramming your clothes in to your briefcase because you can steam out the creases at the other end. Anyway if it helps I recommend the one we have, the MINI. I'm not sure if you can get in the US but definitely Euro

My wife's health cannot take very cool temperatures. We regularly hike in California's Sierras in August. I know that August is very impacted by tourist in the Swiss alps.

Would late August still get some lower season reduced tourist traffic or should we hold off until the beginning of September?

Hi Les—-It is best to start your own thread to get more answers directly responsive to your specific question, rather than tagging onto someone else’s.

But the short answer is, there is little if any difference in weather in the Alps between the end of August and the beginning of September. As for crowds, they may diminish a bit once schools start in Switzerland, Italy, and other places nearby. (We noticed that once in the Dolomites.)

If you really want low crowds, go later in September. We spent almost a week in Műrren near the end of September this year (the 15th-22) and it was almost eerily quiet. The weather was perfect but for one day of rain. Mornings and evenings were cool enough for a light jacket, but we did our daytime hiking in short-sleeve Tees (with lots of sunscreen) or lightweight longsleeve sun shirts. But of course next year the weather could be different.

Thanks Lola

Thank you! Do you think Hotel Belvedere in Locarno or Hotel Eden Roc is better for location? We won’t have a car and want to rent bikes and paddle board there

Also as I look into this more we are set on Bernese Oberland region and Locarno, but now I’m wondering if we should skip Zermatt and do half Locarno/ascona and Half Lugano instead

It feels like a big trip to go to Zermatt. We would lose full day of travel and it’s similar to Bernese oberland.

Thoughts if worth visiting Zermatt in September?

Have you considered Montreux instead of Locarno?I have been to both (and Lugano) and much prefer Montreux. I also really like Zermatt.

My trip report from last year might give you some ideas. I really liked that itinerary and am following a similar one next year. I’ll be adding some nights to Zermatt as I can’t wait to spend more time there.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-in-switzerland-my-trip-report

Tough decisions, but no wrong choices. That’s the great thing about Switzerland. You really can’t go wrong no matter where you end up. 😊