Hi,
My friends & I are planning to go for a holiday in Switzerland (roughly the route is Zurich-Bern-Chamonix-Interlaken-Lucerne; add-ons Innsbruck, Salzburg, Hallstatt, Amsterdam) around 19 Apr - 4May2019 but after reading your site entitled “When to Go to Switzerland”, I am not sure if the time chosen is suitable. As we do not wish to miss visiting Schilthorn – Piz Gloria, & ride the Glacier Express train, should we change the dates?
Additionally, 6 of us are aged 60-65 years old. Would taking the trains (instead of driving) be okay? (what with us dragging our luggage around!)
Thank you
Posted by
Boston, MA
1829 posts
I would guess mid April to mid May is probably the worst time for the Chamonix-Interlaken area at least.
It is the shoulder season once skiing ends and before the summer begins.
Snow is melting so unsafe to walk at elevation and mud would be most everywhere.
If you had no interest in hiking the feasibility/enjoyment of the time in the mountains would all depend on the weather.
Looking at historical weather would be best judge of that, it likely rains a decent amount at this time.
Other downside is hotels, lifts and restaurants may be closed in this timeframe so you have to research that well.
The upsides would be it will likely be the cheapest time of year to go and will not be crowded.
As far as taking all trains, you have some locations I am not sure would be convenient for the train in your plans. Chamonix and Hallstatt are the 2 concerns ; the other locations work better for train than car.
Posted by
18 posts
I think you would enjoy the mountain areas the most in the summer (i.e. June to September) if you can go then, as the weather is more likely to be sunny and mild. As for riding the trains, it depends on how much luggage you are taking. My wife and I, both over 65, did fine on the Swiss trains. We each had an airline carry-on size bag plus a smaller personal bag. With more than that, it would have been more difficult. The trains in Switzerland are great and really a lot of fun to ride.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32198 posts
You'll probably find easier access to Chamonix from Geneva, as there are many van shuttles operating from either the station or the airport. These usually have to be pre-booked.
Many people on this forum prefer to stay in the Lauterbrunnen Valley in places like Lauterbrunnen or Mürren rather than Interlaken. However as someone else mentioned, some hotels in the valley may be closed in April so you'd have to check on that. As I recall, farmers are usually "fertilizing" at that time of year, so you may have to put up with the stench in some places.
One other important point to mention is that the Schilthornbahn will be closed for maintenance from 23 April to 26 April 2019. You'll have to work your visit to the Schilthorn around that.
With only a very short 16 days or so, I'm not sure you'll have time for a lot of "add-ons". You may want to have another look at your proposed Itinerary. Are you using open-jaw flights or flying both ways from the same airport?
Yes, taking the trains is the easiest and quickest way to get around. The Swiss transportation system is amazing! Of course, it would be a good idea to pack light so it's not too much work to drag your luggage around.
Once you've finalized your Itinerary, the group here can provide more detailed information.