Hi all,
I am planning a 12-day trip with my family of 4 including 2 young children aged 3.5 and 1.5 years. Below is my tentative itinerary along with detailed notes on key considerations. My itinerary is divided into 3 main locations.
Location 1: Lucerne ( 3 nights)
Day 1 - Land in Zurich at noon. Train to Lucerne - check in to hotel in old town. Stroll Old town squares and rest.
Day 2- Transportation museum (Day), take a break, lion monument and chapel bridge.
Day 3 - Day trip to Mt. Pilatus - Golden round trip
Location 2: Zermatt (2 nights)
Day 4- Travel to Zermatt (thinking rental car) . Park at Tasche. Check in to hotel, explore Zermatt town center.
Day 5: Visit Sunnega (Wolli Park) in the AM, short break ,and take a cogwheel train to Gornergrat in the afternoon.
Location 3: Bernese Oberland (5 nights)
Day 6 : Travel to Grindelwald. Check in to hotel today and drive around/explore Grindelwald village.
*Note:* We selected Grindelwald as our base for exploring the Bernese Oberland to avoid frequent hotel changes. It seemed logical for our itinerary, and hotel guests have access to car parking. Open to staying three nights in Grindelwald/Wengen and two nights in Brienz area if that would make more sense. Your input on the best option is appreciated.
Day 7: Visit Grindelwald First and Mannlichen at own pace.
Day 8 : Interlaken area - Visit Harder Kulm, visit Sigirsville bridge and spend the rest of the day exploring Interlaken at own pace.
Day 9: Lauterbrunnen, Murren and Wengen area
1. Park car in Lauterbrunnen. Take cable cars to Murren and Wengen. Explore at own pace.
2. Explore Lauterbrunnen on the way back and head back to the hotel.
Day 10: Explore Brienz - Few hours for Lake Brienz boat tour, explore nearby Iseltwald and Giessbach- any picnic spots here?
Day 11: Grimslewalt area - Drive to Handeck bridge (45 mins from Grindelwald), take the Gelmerbahn funicular rollercoaster and visit Lake Gelmer.
Back to Zurich:
Day 11- Travel to Zurich. Visit Lindt Chocolate Factory (Pick up some goodies). Check in to hotel near airport. Anything else we can include here?
Day 12: Wake up and head to Zurich airport (am flight).
Important Considerations/ Questions
1. Chose to first stop in Lucerne to ease travel post-arrival from the US.
2. Location and hotel bookings are fixed, except for potential changes within the Berner Oberland area.
3. Planning to rent a car from Lucerne; considering renting car seats as well to avoid bringing it. Is this a possibility? Rational for renting a car:
a. flexibility, and ease with children, luggage and stroller (and secretly saving other passengers the trouble of having to sit through crying/screaming young children which could happen from time to time 😂)
b. I believe some destinations on my wishlist, particularly in the Berner Oberland itinerary, are more efficiently accessible by a mix of rental car, funiculars, and gondolas rather than solely relying on public transportation. Hence, we're considering purchasing a Swiss half fare card or even an Oberland pass to optimize our travel.
4. Open to train travel from Lucerne to Zermatt if recommended. However, we are unsure about car and car seat rentals for the next leg from Tasche (outside Zermatt) to Grindelwald. Please advise.
5. Concerned about covering Lauterbrunnen, Murren, and Wengen in one day. I bundled these together considering proximity but open to adjusting and moving one of the locations to a different day. Please advise.
Please review the itinerary and considerations, especially regarding traveling with kids, to ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip. Any advice is appreciated for refining the itinerary as we aim to enjoy this beautiful country while and minimizing hassle.