We are a family of four - will be traveling through Switzerland in late May 2016. Focused on the Interlaken, Murren, Lauterbrunen region (although open to other areas). Son is 22 years old, daughter is 19. We are an active family and enjoy hiking in the mountains, site seeing, quaint towns, restaurants and taverns..... Looking for an experienced tour guide to spend a few days with us in Switzerland.
We have never been to Switzerland, so if you have recommendations, I would love to hear them!
Step one - buy the most current Rick Steves' Switzerland guidebook you can.
Step two - read it.
Step three - ensure that your 3 traveling companions read it.
Step four - watch Rick Steves' videos of the area - available right here on this website.
Step five - ask questions here and fill in the gaps.
Step six - when you arrive at Muerren or Lauterbrunnen, go into the train station and get the free guide to walking on both sides of the valley.
Step seven - go into the Tourist Information office and ask any final questions.
Step eight - use the fabulous local transport to take you to the trailhead that the 4 of you agree on, and walk.
Step nine - use the fabulous local transport to take you from the end of the hike to your hotel.
Step ten - repeat steps 8 and 9 until tired, out of time or out of money.
Step eleven - take the many hundreds or thousands of Swiss Francs you just saved and buy a slap up dinner.
Step twelve - smile.
Agree with Nigel - absolutely no need for a guide in the areas you mentioned. These areas are very set up for English speaking tourists - hiking paths are clearly signed and Rick Steves guide covers the area nicely. I just got back - you can see my 2 cents worth in my trip report in the trip report section
As others have said, you don't need a tour guide to enjoy the Swiss Alps. Base yourselves in Murren and plan your time around hiking, mountain biking, and enjoying the local restaurants. All the trails are well marked and cover all levels of strenuousness. Check out the tourism website for the area (http://mymuerren.ch/) and get a copy of Kev Reynolds' Bernese Alps Walking Guide (http://www.amazon.com/bernese-alps-walkers-guide/dp/1852844515). One of the joys of hiking in Switzerland is the mountain huts. These rustic establishments are scattered along most hiking routes and make the perfect destinations for a day hike, or even an overnight hut-to-hut hike. One of our favorite day hikes, for example, is a route from Murren to Rotstock Hut. The route passes a small cheese farm at Schiltalp, climbs to the Wasenegg ridge to reveal beautiful views of the Sefinental valley and the Schilthorn in the distance. With a family of four you may want to consider renting an apartment in Murren. I would suggest contacting Denise Fussel at Chalet Fontana (http://www.ferntree.ch/chalet/fontana_summer.htm) about her two bedroom apartment. But do it quickly since she books up very early.
Agree totally that Denise at the Chalet Fontana is THE place to be. She's full of good ideas and tips and trails and loves to share them with you. Her 2 bedroom apartment is the best bargain in town.
Just to agree with the other replies. If ever there was a place you don't need a guide, it's the Berner Oberland.
Rick's chapter on the Berner Oberland in his Switzerland book is one of his very best. Other than the over-emphasis on Gimmelwald, that is (it's fine for a few hours, but hardly the life-changing experience he makes it out to be).
I found it a little hard to follow the chapter before I was there, but once I got there, it was crystal-clear. Basically, it's a U-shaped valley. Lauterbrunnen is at the base, along with Stechelberg and the Trümmelbach Falls. Gimmelwald, Mürren, and the Schilthorn are up one side, and Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg, and the Jungfraujoch are up the other side. (These are just a few of the most prominent places; there's more, of course). Within this area are many days of hikes. I stayed in Mürren and so can't speak for restaurants in the other towns, but the ones in Mürren were quite good (the usual high Swiss prices, but the quality of the food was high as well). My one meal in Gimmelwald was not of the same standard.
Interlaken is near, but not in, the Berner Oberland. Unless you want a casino, a choice of large supermarkets (the towns in the B.O. have one small one each), a sex shop, or a "Paksitani" restaurant (that's what the sign said - like Punxsutawney Phil in Groundhog Day), Interlaken can be skipped.
