Multigenerational trip to Switzerland in July - suggestions?

Catherine,

How long will your trip be? Going back to the Berner Oberland would be one good possibility, but you might consider staying in Lauterbrunnen this time as it's a more convenient "hub" for visiting sights on both sides of the valley. Unless your in-laws have altitude problems, you could consider the spectacular trip to the Schilthorn or possibly the Jungfrau (depending on your budget). You could also stop by the usual favourite in that area, Gimmelwald and have lunch or a cool one overlooking the valley. There's also Trummelbach Falls, which your son might enjoy.

Another good possibility would be Lucerne, as it's also incredibly beautiful. You might enjoy a cruise on the lake, a visit to Mt. Pilatus and your son would probably enjoy the fantastic Museum of Transport (you could easily spend a whole day there).

I think with a young child and older grandparents, a car-free village like Muerren (or Wengen) would be perfect! No worries about traffic when walking around (yes there are local farmers trucks but that isn't really traffic) . I believe both towns have playgrounds for kids too. What is your concern about "overdoing" it?

Catherine,
I'm with Chris. I prefer to stay in Murren as opposed to Lauterbrunnen simply because the views from the hotels are awesome. I was just there for 5 days the first full week of October. I bought a Swiss Pass that I used from Basel to Interlaken and back and then on all the local trains, buses and cable cars to visit Gimmelwald, Grindlewald, Wengen, Trummelbach Falls and back and forth to Interlaken where I took the boat rides on both Lake Brientz and Lake Thun (highly recommended and part of the pass). The pass gave me a 50% discount up to the Schilthorn so I found it well worth the cost. I didn't see it this trip but I believe there is an "unusual" concrete and pipe miniature golf layout next to the sports facility that houses the pool. Places to eat (great pizza and the Mountain Hostel in Gimmewald has a full restaurant menu now) and a small Co-op for groceries. There are small shops to browse through and plenty of benches to sit on and take in the views. I was amazed at how close some of the paragliders came to the face of the cliff Murren sits on - it looked like they were going to land right on you!
P.S. I'm from Stoneham, SHS class of '71!

I agree that staying in Murren again would be a great idea. Lauterbrunnen is also a good suggestion. If you are planning to rent a car, we would highly recommend Beatenberg. It has amazing views of Lake Thun and the big mountains - Monch, Eiger and Jungfrau.

If you find yourself stuck in Interlaken with some time to kill the playground in the centre of town is one of the better ones we've taken our kids to on our travels and it is right next to the field where the paragliders land, which our 3-year old son loved watching.

The bears in Bern were also a hit with our 3-year old, as were all the fountains in town. We went as a day trip from Beatenberg on a rainy day.

We took the Brienz-Rothorn Bahn, (steam train departs from Brienz in the Berner Oberland), to the top of the mountain and our little guy spent the entire 1hr trip up and down leaning out the window. He loved every second, especially the fact that it made the chugga-chugga-chugga sound and the windows were wide open so he could see everything. The view from the top was amazing even on a rainy day in the valley. It was a highlight for all of us.

We've always found boat trips to be a hit with our little guy when we travel. That would be a great option on Lake Luzern, although we haven't taken our little ones there yet.

I'm not sure how much you've traveled with your little guy but, for what its worth, we've just gotten home from 3 weeks in Germany/Austria with our now almost 4-year old and 1.5-year old. My advice would be to recognize that your trip will be at a much slower pace than you would if you were on your own. Even if he is a real trooper you just won't be able to see as much and that's okay. We try to incorporate a kid-friendly activity (playground, park to run in, ice cream stop, toy store, boat/train trip) into each the morning and afternoon - this helps them burn off energy and buy us good behaviour for more adult focused activities. We always have tons of snacks in our bag - berries, fruit, crackers (HIPP makes good quality, natural toddler snacks that you can find in most grocery stores) - and I made a peanut butter sandwich (get sliced bread and a jar of peanut butter - Erdnusscreme in German - at the grocery store) each morning to take just incase we needed it. They ate local food but having something filling that they could eat anytime, anywhere was a sanity-saver on more than one occasion. I know you didn't ask, so I hope you don't mind the unsolicited advice.

I would say all these activities would be fine for you in-laws, too.

Have a great trip!