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Kid-friendly first stop between Zurich and Chamonix

Posted by (PA, USA) on

My husband and I are taking our two kids (ages almost 2 and 5) to Switzerland and France for 2 weeks in mid-June. We have been before (including with our older child at age 2) so we have some familiarity. This will be my 5th trip to Switzerland.

We will fly into Zurich on a Friday midday and have until Tuesday morning before we travel to Chamonix, France, to meet my cousin and family. We will be in Chamonix for a few days before heading to the Lauterbrunnen area for a week.

I am looking for recommendations for a kid-friendly town/city and activities. We are considering a visit to Gruyere but it seems quite touristy. We do love cheese and chocolate. Is there much in the Bulle/Fribourg area besides the chocolate and cheese factories?

We stayed in Laussane 2 nights on our last trip and visited Castle of Chillon. I am considering Vevey or Montreux and hanging out by the lake but I wonder how the younger child will do being so close to water and not allowed to play in it (like from a boat).

My husband is also keen on seeing a glacier - so perhaps the Aletsch Glacier - and then a day trip to Zermatt? Not sure how much there is to do in Brig or Visp.

Ideally we would like to stay in the same place for the 4 nights and plan day trips or have activities in the town (playgrounds, hikes, kid-friendly museums). We have been to Bern twice but maybe we should head there again? Anyway, lots of options and would love some suggestions!

Posted by
22031 posts

If you going to Chamonix, there are huge glaciers on Mt Blanc.

Posted by
16 posts

Thank you Pat, I am still figuring out the search function here. Based on the suggestions in the search you shared, Bettmeralp seems really interesting. We love mountains and this would be a fun way to see them! It also seems very kid-friendly.
And yes, there are glaciers in Chamonix too.

Posted by
17612 posts

Bettmeralp would be my # choice. We visit there on every trip to Switzerland (6 times now) and took our twin grandchildren when they were 5 (with their parents, who had also accompanied us on previous trips to Switzerland). It was a perfect place for children that age, with playgrounds, several lakes to visit, and easy access to views of the stunning glacier via lifts up from Bettmeralp and Riederalp. The Baschweri ropes park offers a little adventure for kids as young as 4. This was the twins’ favorite.

https://www.aletscharena.ch/en/aletsch-arena/families#c13576

(Scroll down to see the playgrounds)

https://www.valais.ch/en/shop/activities/rope-park-baschweri

For great views of the Aletsch glacier, I recommend walking to the nearby village of Riederalp (an easy walk on a paved road) to the Moosfluh lift. Ride it up to the top and take the easy trail along the ridge to the right (heading northeast). You will soon come to gorgeous views of the glacier. Walk as far as you like then turn around and ride the same lift back down. On the way up or down you should get off at the Blausee mid-station for a look at the lake. My grandsons were fascinated by the little amphibian larvae they. Found swimming in the shallow water near shore—-easy to catch in a cup for a closer view. I think they were alpine newts but not sure. You can re-board the lift to continue the journey going either direction.

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-gb/destinations/blausee-on-riederalp/

You can also get spectacular views of the glacier from the Bettmerhorn lift right at Bettmeralp (base station is near the Bettmersee). This is a fairly long gondola ride that takes you to a restaurant at the summit, with a short trail to the viewpoint.

You can easily fill your 4 nights with a base at Bettmeralp. You may want to get the local pass for the lifts (kids are free but adulation are not). Buy it there at the cablecar station. Our last visit there, just the 2 of us, we stayed at Hotel Waldhaus but I don’t think they have family rooms. On previous visits with our family we have stayed at Hotel Panorama, and they do have family rooms, so you might check there.

https://www.panoramabettmeralp.ch/en/rooms/#familienzimmer

(Scroll down to see them).

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