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Help with Swiss Itinerary

Hello!

I am planning a 7 - 9 day trip to Switzerland and would appreciate some assistance on best travel route, time to spend, best places for overnight.  We will be traveling by train, 2 adults. Here are 2 travel routes we would like to take:

          Zurich to Chur for GlacerExpress to Zermatt o or reverse?  or start Glacier Express in Disentis after Berner Oberland?

          Boat from Brienz to Interlaken

Here is what we would like to see:

Aare Gorge

Lauterbrunnen - waterfall hike

Kanderstag – Oeschinen Lake hike

Jungfraujoch

Gimmelwald –  possible base here for a few nights?

Grindlewald - zip line or other mountain activity

Zermatt

Montreux

Gruyere

Depart Zurich

Any tips are greatly appreciated!  Thank you

Posted by
2332 posts

I would encourage you to download the SBB app and plug in these places. This is an awful lot of moving around in a short time period, especially if your 7-9 days includes travel days. You are trying to cover a big area, with big mountains in between. Weather will also dictate what you can do. I would narrow down what you really want to see. Spend your time in no more than 3 areas. Keep in mind that you need to spend your last night in Zurich, so you lose half a day.

Posted by
11376 posts

You need two weeks to do all of this. Basing in Gimmelwald for “a few nights” does not give you easy access except perhaps to the waterfall hike you want to do in Lauterbrunnen. The Jungfraujoch trip seems close but it is a bit complicated when you stay in Gimmelwald as it takes a few more steps — and time — to get there. (BTW, what hike, exactly, do you mean by “waterfall hike?”)

If you land in Zurich, proceed to Chur, spend the night, then take the Glacier Express route (not necessarily the panoramic train) to Zermatt takes an entire day and that puts you far from most of your other desired stops.

You have 5 major activities/locations that are more-or-less daytrippable from the Lauterbrunnen area: Aare Gorge, Jungfraujoch, Brienz to Interlaken, Kandersteg, Grindelwald plus a “waterfall walk” and a visit to Gimmelwald. That alone is 5 days of things to do in one small area. Travel times can be long, i.e., 1.5 hours, roughly, each way from Lauterbrunnen to Kandersteg. Remember, the weather may not cooperate and those who move through too quickly are often disappointed when the ONE DAY they have is raining.

As travel4fun said, you need to look at travel times realistically. You do not want to be moving after only one or two nights in a location as you lose so much of the time you could be enjoying a location and doing something. I would pick two locations at most: if you only have 9 days Perhaps the Lauterbrunnen area as one base and Montreux OR Zermatt as another.

Posted by
50 posts

I agree the list seems optimistic for the time period, Consider only the top half your list as they will reduce travel time. In that area I recommend Giessbach Falls (boat ride from Brienz or Interlaken) and Schynige Platte for hiking. For Aare Gorge, enter on the west entrance and take the train back from the east end. Ask for help as the route from the gift shop is not well marked. While in the area spend some time in Meiringen and visit Reichenbach Falls. You can add Blausee to your day at Oeschinen.

Interlaken makes a good home base with more lodging/restaurant options and Interlaken Ost train station is a hub to the things on your list.