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6 days in Switzerland help

my 15 year old son and I will be traveling from Innsbruck Austria to Switzerland in july. We will have about 6nights and we fly out of Geneva at 9am. What should we do with the limited amount of time? Should I buy the half fare card or a swiss flexipass of some kind? Do I buy it before we leaveUS? Where is the best place to buy it? When leaving Innsbruck austria do I just buy a ticket to the Swiss border if I do get a Swiss pass? Does my 15year old son get to travel free everywhere in Switzerland with me?

Any recommendations on where to go and how to get around and what to do would be helpful and appreciated. Thank you very much best wishes and safe travels

Posted by
17417 posts

Six days in Switzerland is better than no days there. It is enough time to make a nice journey across Switzerland to meet your flight home in Geneva.

Your son will travel for free on a Family Card which you request with whatever pass or card you buy. Munich card or pass is best depends on the route you choose. We like the 3- day Flex Pass but you would have to run the numbers to see what is most cost-effective for the route you choose.

The main direct train from Innsbruck takes you to Zurich but do not stop there. I am going to suggest a nice "Switzerland sampler" that includes some special places that should appeal to you and your son, if you want to experience more than the tourist's Switzerland.

Day 1 continue from Zurichnthe short distance to Arth-Goldau. The total journey time from Innsbruck to A-G is 4.5 hours. There you change to a cogwheel train that climbs up Rigi. Go up and over the top and down to Rigi Kaltbad. There is a nice selection of hotels there and fabulous walks with views over the lake ( commonly called Lake Lucerne although that is not the true name).

Next morning ride the cablecar down to the lake level at Weggis and catch a boat to Lucerne. Stash your bags in a locker and spend a few hours exploring the town,then continue on to the Berner Oberland for the next three nights. I suggest Mürren and specifically chalet Fontana ( budget option) of Hotel Alpina. Then take the train westward as far as Spiez and transfer to Kandersteg, a short distance south. At Kandersteg, store your main luggage in a locker and pack your overnight needs in a daypack or whatever you have. Walk through town and catch the lift up to Oeschinensee, an incredibly beautiful glacial lake situated well above town, surrounded by cliffs and peaks. Bood a twin room at the rustic mountain inn right on the lakeshore, Hotel Oeschinensee.

Www.oeschinensee.ch

The inn is rustic, with bathrooms down the hall, but everything is sparking clean, and the location is amazing. So is the food served at dinner from the family's organic farm. This is one of our two favorite places in Switzerland.

On your last day your will return to Spiez and follow the scenic Golden Pass route to Montreux, where you can visit Chateau de Chillon if you are so inclined. Then make your way along the lake to a town near enough Geneva that you can make your 9 am flight. Mother trains start running pretty early but you might want to be within 30-40 minutes of the airport ( trains go right into the airport so no transfers need be involved). We chose Morges for this purpose, but there are other towns along the lake that would work as well.

Posted by
12 posts

thank you sooo much I will look into that. will we need hotel reservations ahead or can we find things when we arrive? we will be there end of july. do we need train reservations for what you suggested or does the swiss pass work without them or should we buy point to point tickets? if we buy point to point tickets is my 15 year old son free? thanks again

Posted by
7209 posts

As long as you have a Swiss Ticket of some sort (point-to-point, swiss pass, swiss transfer) AND you have a free Swiss Family Card then your children less than 16 years old travel all over Switzerland with you for free. Reservations? usually you don't need them unless you're on a special scenic train like the Glacier Express which requires reservation. You have to do the math to see which pass is better for you. You can buy passes online before you arrive and have them shipped to you at an extra cost OR you can purchase them in Switzerland.