Hi, planning a seven day trip to Switzerland with my adult son. I can’t hike and do strenuous stuff like that. Even though our trip is in the first week of June next year, I can’t find a hotel anywhere with air conditioning and attached bathroom under $300 a night!
I found one in Bern and since it’s mostly one hour by train to Zurich, Lucerne, Gruyère, Lauterbrunnen and a little longer to Zermatt, I thought day trips are doable. Thin is only a few minutes by train from Bern. Any comments? Is this doable? Thank you
Posted by
Paris
7300 posts
You do not need AC that badly in the first week of June, and especially not in the highlands.
While Bern is lovely and indeed very central, perhaps try relaxing this criteria in your accommodation search? You should be able to find rooms for about 200 Swiss francs (except perhaps in Zermatt), and you might be looking a bit early - many hotels won't have opened June 2024 bookings yet.
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
6447 posts
Yes, workable. Bern's a nice city. It wouldn't be my first choice for a "base" city. But, it will be nice. Hard to go wrong in Switzerland. I used VRBO in Lauterbrunnen. Did you happen to check VRBO or AirBnB? Also, Gimmelwald often has less expensive accommodations, but you'd need to go up to Murren or down to Lauterbrunnen for more restaurants/things to do. Gimmelwald is in a beautiful setting.
Balso makes a good point about AC. I don't think its necessary, either. Why don't you put some of those cities in a weather app and follow the weather for a few weeks. I don't think it gets terribly hot.
Posted by
Fort Myers, FL
1880 posts
Bern is a very good base to travel from for day trips. If you cannot do much hiking there seems to be no need to be based in the Alps. Look at the Hotel Savoy. Nice hotel, close to the train and has AC. If you wake up one morning and check the weather and it is clear in Zermatt, head that way to see the Matterhorn. All the places you name and more are very easy to reach from Bern. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17418 posts
Train travel in Switzerland is expensive. If you add up the fares for roundtrip travel to all those different places from Bern, it will add a considerable amount to the cost of basing in one spot.
For example, Bern to Zermatt is around 75-85 CHF each way. So roundtrip for 2 people is 4times that. I just priced a journey for tomorrow and it came to 346 CHF, just for that one day. And you will be spending almost 5 hours of that day on trains or waiting in train stations.
That is the most expensive trip. The others come in the range of 100-140 CHF for the two of you. But you will still be spending a considerable amount of time ion trains and in train stations.
You can reduce your costs by buying Half Fare Cards for each of you, but that will cost another 240 CHF.
Posted by
The Heartland USA
8965 posts
aroma, do what you feel comfortable with. To me, part of the specialness of being in Switzerland is being in the mountains, and especially waking up to mountain views or going to bed with the quiet of the mountain valleys around you. So Bern, not being in the mountains, would seem to me like trying to visit New York City by staying in New Jersey, or visiting California by staying in Fresno (dont know here you live).
Presumably, you'll be out in the weather every day so you only need the AC at night, right? When you look at the daily temps, look at the daily lows, not the highs. That tells you more closely what you'll be sleeping in. And note even if the train ride itself is only about an hour, it takes time to get to and from the rail station, wait for trains and then get to the sight you're planning to see. So that instead of two hours a day, that becomes more like 3-4. Thats too much for me.
Posted by
Chicago
3125 posts
HOTELS: You are not finding availability because many hotels in Switzerland have not opened up booking yet for next summer. I know this because I am also booking my trip for next June. Still waiting to book hotels in Wengen and Zermatt. I would check back mid to end of August. That is still early enough that you should benefit from booking early.
JUNE WEATHER: I was in Switzerland June 2021 (June 5 – June 19) and it was a warm June. The only place that I wished I had a/c was in Lucerne. I was warmer outside than in any of my hotels (even in Lucerne) because that Swiss sun is hot!!! That’s what I would worry more about. I recommend a hat and some good sunscreen.
Having been to Bern, that is not a place I would choose for a home-base. I would much rather be based in Lucerne or Murren/Wengen/Lauterbrunnen for a week.
So, i would definitely wait a month or so to see what your hotel options are and make your decision based on what's available then.
Posted by
Boise, ID, USA
2299 posts
You might consider Thun rather than Bern as your base. I visited each of them as day trips only, but I would love to return and stay for a week in Thun! I personally would deprioritize Zurich on this trip and devote your time to the other areas. From Lauterbrunnen, you can easily visit Wengen by train and it's a wonderful, car-free village. I've read mixed reviews of Gruyere on this forum but have not been there myself.
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
6447 posts
If you wake up and its clear in Bern, the weather could be quite different by the time you get to Zermatt, similarly Jungfraujoch, Rigi, Schilthorn. There is so much in Lucerne and Lauterbrunnen, even without hiking, I think you'd end up going back multiple times. I still think Bern would be an ok spot to base, but if you can get lodging to meet your requirements in Lucerne or Lauterbrunnen/BO, I think that would be so much better. You will be spending less time on a train.