Arriving from US to Munich on May 15 Return trip out of Zurich on May 29. We plan to travel by train. We enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and biking. In Munich see concentration camp (Dachau?) and Neushchwanstain Castle. Possible train to Austria/Liechtenstein and then on to Zermatt for Matherhorn. Lauterbrunnen Valley for hiking and end with Zurich. We would prefer to stay a small amount of time in Germany and more in Switzerland. Any lodging/ eating recommendations as well. Thank you.
Posted by
Michigan
524 posts
We’ve taken two different trips to beautiful Switzerland, paired with time in France. On the first, we stayed 3 nights in Engelberg, with a day at the top of Mt. Titlis, and three days in Lucerne. We enjoyed a paddle boat ride on the lake to Weggis, where we enjoyed a yummy lunch and then just sailed back to Lucerne. We did not visit Mt. Pilatus or Rigi, since we had had that great mountain top experience on Mt. Titlis. With the Swiss train system being so reliable, we actually spent our last night in Switzerland in Lucerne and caught an early train directly to the airport in Zürich. That was super convenient.
On our most recent trip, we started in Iseltwald on Lake Brienz, having taken a combination of train and bus to get there from the Zürich airport. The lake was beautiful, and a highlight was going to see and walk behind the Giessbach Falls. We planned two nights there to get over jet lag, then took the ferry across the lake to Interlaken and made our way up to the mountain town of Mürren. We spent a week exploring the Jungfrau region and it was magnificent.
At the end of that trip, we spent two nights in Bern for a much more urban experience. Again, we trusted the train system and left from Bern to get to the Zürich airport on the day of our flight. No issues at all. I mentioned this just so that you know that can certainly be done easily if you don’t want to move again to stay in Zurich the last night of your trip.
Aplins in the Alps is a resource we found very helpful for our trip last fall. You might want to check out their website and their videos on YouTube. They also talked about the HotelCard, which we bought last year and that saved some significant money on our hotel stays.
Have fun celebrating your 30th anniversary!
Laurie
Posted by
Indiana
985 posts
We found Neuschwanstein Castle to be a huge disappointment. The tour of the interior was short and rushed. IMO, the only positive of the place was taking a photo of the outside. That was crammed with tourists, all jostling for their Instagram moments. I would consider dropping that part of your trip, and spending more time in Switzerland. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Hotel Edelweiss in Wengen; gorgeous view of Jungfraujoch; excellent service and dining options. The cable car from Wengen to Mannlichen is quick and easy. There is a COOP Supermarket by the train station where you can pick up items for a picnic lunch. One afternoon, we took a leisurely walk from Murren to Gimmelwald. We chose to focus on the Alps, and only used Zurich for an overnight stay before an early morning flight home. Enjoy your anniversary trip!
Posted by
OP
Vilonia
24 posts
Thank you all for the information. I appreciate. it.