Please sign in to post.

Struggling with Switzerland schedule

My prior request disappeared so trying again.

We will be taking a cruise leaving from Basel on October 25 and would like to spend a few days in Switzerland before (approx. Oct 20-24). We are thinking of flying in on the to Zurich but open to other. We are aware certain places will be shut down. My husband has no interest in cities, he likes the outdoors, to see the natural beauty of a place. We both have bad backs so no long hikes possible. I love learning about the culture of a place, discovering that great restaurant in that cute quaint town, meeting some locals, and I really enjoy autumn color.

Current plan is to arrive Zurich and take train to Lucerne. Spend the afternoon recovering from jet lag and tour the city. Spend the night and take the boat across the lake and tour Mt. Rigi the next day.

After that we thought about going to Zermatt. Is it true it's not worth going if it's not a sunny day? Any insight on what weather we should expect then is most appreciated. I've seen the weather sites but they're really not that helpful.

Where else should we go? Particularly if Zermatt is a no go. Thank you.

Posted by
2611 posts

If you are only going to spend a few days in Switzerland I would spend them in the same place. Just enjoy the scenery, the walks, the mountains etc... Concentrate on having a holiday, not ticking of boxes.

And Luzern is a good place for a first trip to Switzerland, as it has a good selection of everything.

As to what weather to expect: Well, it is difficult to even predict the weather 24 hours beforehand here... So there is nothing much we can say about October this year. I always say: We have two seasons, winter and summer. And every morning God rolls a dice, and decides what kind of season we are getting today...

Posted by
675 posts

Based on what you described, I personally would not pick Luzern. While it isn’t a huge city, it’s definitely a bustling area that feels city like in many ways and doesn’t feel at all nature focused when you’re there, except for day trips. For such a short time, I’d just go straight to one mountain village and spend your time there immersing, getting over jet lag and experiencing the Swiss Alps. Somewhere like Zermatt or Wengen would give you nature & the peacefulness of being car free, while still having some restaurants, hotels & shopping. It will be the end of the season, so some things may be closed, but in general you should still be able to find enough to do in either spot. Wengen has the added benefit of being close to Lake Brienz & Lake Thun to also experience the lakes, so it’s more varied than Zermatt.