Need suggestion after Tour of Mont-Blanc (TMB) Hike Tour

I suggest you edit your title and write out the name to help the right people find your post.
Good luck!

Updated. thank you all.

For those reading here who are not avid hikers, the Tour du; Mont Blanc is a multi-day hiking circuit around the mountain, through France, Italy, and Switzerland, staying in little inns or mountain huts. So they will have seen a good amount of alpine scenery.😊

We did it 5 years ago with REI Adventures and it was fantastic. You will have a great experience. I do have some thoughts for your post-hike time in Switzerland which I will add a bit later—-heading out for a nice walk with my husband right now while it is not raining here in Seattle.

Zermatt is different from Chamonix, and you will not see the Matterhorn from the TMB, so I think it is worth going, especially if you have something closer to 12 days than to 7.
Then you can go to the Berner Oberland, and finally to Luzern.

OK, I am going to ruffle some feathers here, but I am going to present some options for you to consider in addition to, or even instead of, Luzern and/or the Berner Oberland. Those two places are the most popular among the forum members, thanks to RS and his Swiss videos and itineraries. But they are not the only wonderfully scenic places in Switzerland, and not, to my mind the best places to experience all that Switzerland has to offer—-there are too many tourists, especially in Luzern.

I will start by saying that my first trip to Switzerland was with my alpine club, the Seattle Mountaineers, more than 20 years ago. We stayed 3-4 nights each in 4 different villages, none of them on the RS “list”. I have since been back 6 times on trips of varying length with family members, with itineraries planned for lots of hiking. I planned each trip using online resources and hiking books, including one on Swiss mountain inns, and haven’t yet made it to all the places I hope to go.

We do include a 5-6 night stay in Mürren on each trip, but apart from that village and Bern (which we visited for the first time last trip, and to which we plan to return), we pretty much stay off the well-beaten RS path. I will add that I am not a fan of Luzern; we have yet to find a hotel we like there (but have not stayed at the very popular Hotel des Alpes), nor a restaurant we like. The Chapel Bridge is charming but it is often so crowded it is difficult to enjoy it. The old town area is “meh” compared to Bern.

So when Luzern is a logical stop on our itinerary, which is often because we like to fly into Zurich to reach Italy, we prefer to stay in a nearby town (Weggis) at a sweet little family-run hotel right on the lake:

https://www.gotthard-weggis.ch/en/
It is an easy walk from here to the cablecar up to Rigi Kaltbad on the mountain by this name, and that is how we choose to spend our time in this area. The “Rigi Roundtrip” by boat to Vitznau from Luzern, then cogwheel train to the summer and back down to Weggis by cablecar is a good reason to visit Luzern, but one need not base in Luzern to do it.

https://www.rigi.ch/en/shop/tickets-summer/queen-of-the-mountains-round-trip

You mentioned Zermatt and concerns about the weather for seeing the Matterhorn—-that is a valid concern, but note that Recently Rick changed his opinion about going to Zermatt, which he used to diss ad a “one-trick pony” or something similar. Apparently his film crew attempted teo film there several times without ever seeing the mountain. But then in 2019 the Matterhorn came out from behind the clouds for his filming, and he included it in his most recent Swiss Alps video, and he recommends going there. So do I.

So starting in Chamonix, I recommend taking the train over the mountain to Martigney (changing trains at Vallorcine on the border), and heading straight to Zermatt.

Then, here is a route you could consider taking to reach Luzern:

After Zermatt, head east on the main train line to Brig. Change there to a train continuing east for 15 minutes to Betten, and ride a cablecar up to Bettmeralp, a car-free village perched high above the Rhône valley. On a clear day you can see the Matterhorn (in the distance) from this village. But the main attraction is what lies on the other side of the ridge behind the town: The Aletschgletscher, Europe’s longest glacier, which is unlike any of the glaciers you may have seen before. There is a trail that traverses the slope above the glacier for a long distance, with wonderful views. With a morning departure from Zermatt, you reach here in 2 hours 20 minutes, with the rest of the day to hike and enjoy that view.

https://www.aletscharena.ch/en/world-natural-heritage-site/great-aletsch-glacier

Even just one night here would be good, and it is only the slightest detour off your path to the next destination I recommend.

I am out of space and will continue in a new post.

Ok, continuing. Return to Brig and take a southbound train into Italy (toward Milan) but get off the train at Domodossola. There you meet the little Centovalli railway scenic train along canyons and rivers, over many bridges. Ending in Locarno back in Switzerland—-but the Italian-speaking area of Ticino. This is a lovely lakeside city worth a visit in its own right, but with 2 nights there you have the cance to visit the beautiful Valle Verzasca (a Swiss Postbus runs up the valley from Locarno and makes it an easy day excursion).

https://www.ascona-locarno.com/en/explore/valle-verzasca

You can hike, rent bikes and ride, swim in the river, visit the charming stone village of Sonogno at the end.

From Locarno, the Treno Gottardo scenic train will take you over the Gotthard Pass route to Luzern in 3 hours.

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/treno-gottardo/

This is my favorite train ride in Switzerland, more so even than the Bernina Express which gets so much love (more heresy, I fear). That is a nice train ride too,l but it is far out of the way for most people’s itineraries.

You have an option to leave the train at Flüelen and take a boat the rest of the way to Luzern if you wish—-something I highly recommend if you have the time. We did that in the reverse direction last summer and everyone loved the ride. In spite of the rain and clouds it was wonderfully scenic and relaxing.

Here is a map of the Swiss rail system so you can trace the suggested route, and see others. Note that the so-called “scenic” routes are highlighted and marked with numbers. The Treno Gottardo route is the same as the Gotthard Panorama Express (No. 5 on the map), except that one originates in Lugano instead of Locarno.

https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/internet/sbb/en/freizeit-ferien/inspiration/internationale-gaeste/Geltungsbereich-Swiss-Travel-Pass.pdf.sbbdownload.pdf

From Luzern to the Berner Oberland,and from there to Montreux on Lac Leman, you will ride the Golden Pass route, ## 4 and 7 on the map.

thank you so much Balso and Lola. Great information.
Hi Lola,
We are neighbors :-). Hope you had a good walk. It's a great day to take a walk in the great northwest. I hope the winter storm didn't cause you much inconvenience but hit hard in the Portland area. Thank you so much for sharing the detailed travel insights. I appreciate your quick write-up with so much helpful information. Since July is so popular travel season and everything is so crowded and expensive, I love the hidden gems that you provided. I will read closely and will follow your recommendations/steps. Thanks so much for sharing. I will read them very closely.
Do you have any recommendations in other areas that make sense for my trip? Should I visit Zurich and/or Bern and/or any other city? Any must-do in Switzerland (paragliding etc)? Since you have done the TMB tour, any suggestions on how to pack for the extended trip? I'm not doing backpacking for the TMB but staying at hotels/inns/refuges etc with luggage transportation from the travel agency.
Thanks a million!
All the best,
Bing

Bern is our favorite city in Switzerland. We went straight there upon arrival in Zurich on our last trip, and enjoyed it so much—the restaurant, the hotel, the Old Town scene on a weekend night, the friendly people, and (for my husband) the swimming in the river the next morning. We are going back for 2 nights on our next trip.

Paragliding is not for me, but there are lots of opportunities in the Berner Oberland, and elsewhere. We have hiked past the take-off point at Mürren and the landing spot at Grindelwald (we had dinner at an adjacent restaurant, with a dedicated table on the terrace for the Gleitschirm Piloten (paraglider pilots)). WE also had one almost land on top of us as we walked in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. I am thinking the Mürren take-off has the most amazing views and reliable updrafts. The valley, in case you have not studied photos, reminds me of Yosemite Valley, with rock walls rising vertically from the valley floor, and waterfalls decorating the cliffs. To continue the analogy, if you are familiar with Yosemite, Mürren is perched on the right side (as you face into the valley) at about the position of Glacier Point, which Wengen is on the opposite side, lower down, maybe somewhere near Yosemite Falls. Except in the case the falls are named Trummelbach,, and you can walk inside the caverns carved by the falls, close to the thundering water. for a fee, of course; this is Switzerland where everything costs money, even a glass of tap water at many restaurants.

https://www.truemmelbachfaelle.ch/e/

I need to mention a couple of music festivals that will occur during your visit; they could have an impact on your plans and you may want to partake, or avoid.

One is the Moon and Stars festival in Locarno July 11-21 (mainly on the weekends, I believe). This is an outdoor event in the piazza and could be amazing if one likes such things. I apologize but the website is only in German or Italian, but it is pretty easy to see the scheduled performers.

https://moonandstars.ch/de

The other is the Montreux Jazz Festival from July 5-20.

https://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/en/news/mjf-2024-a-stage-on-the-lake-and-a-return-to-the-casino/

This is a BIG Deal and it will have an impact on hotel prices, train crowds, etc. especially in Montreux. But you shouldn’t skip this area, especially if you are flying out of Geneva.

On the one time we flew from Geneva (after attending the Swiss Open (Tennis) at Gstaad, we stayed in Morges, because of the Audrey Hepburn connection. A woman we very much admire.

https://www.morges-tourisme.ch/en/V1243/in-the-footsteps-of-audrey-hepburn

Maybe you will fall in love with Switzerland on this trip, and return sometime to do the Jungfrau Marathon, which takes place in September.

https://www.jungfrau-marathon.ch/en/

Or the Zermatt Marathon in early July, which we saw from the train as we departed on our one trip there. This one is early July.

https://www.zermattmarathon.ch/en/index.html

Hi Lola,
WOW, tremendous information. Thanks so much! Now you made me think to run the Zermatt Marathon on 7/6 as I can come a couple of days earlier to run it and then take the TMB trek. It will be a real test for my fitness level.
I will read it closely and follow your recommendations/insights. You are so awesome!
Thanks a ton!

I can also fly out to Geneva one day earlier on July 4th. Is it worth spending a day in Geneva which I haven't been to before? What are the must-sees in one day in Geneva if I spend one day in Geneva? Any hotel recommendations in Geneva which is not too expensive? Thank you!

We have never set foot in Geneva. We did have a hotel booked there for one night in March 2020, but of course we were unable to go. Geneva tends to be very expensive due to all the business travelers, diplomats, etc. passing through. I did find a hotel near the train station that seemed fin and relatively reasonably priced, but unfortunately I cannot recall the name.

The main Geneva train station is Cornavin, a short ride from the airport station. You could try the maps on booking.com to check prices, then go to the hotel’s own website to book.

Or you could stay on the train to one of the next two lakeside towns—-Nyon is 25 minutes from the airport; Morges is 42. I know nothing about Nyon, but we stayed in Morges on one of our trips, in a nice lakefront hotel. You could check hotel prices in both these towns. I know Morges has a nice lakefront path where you could loosen up after the flights. Nyon may have one as well. In either case, you would have a shorter train ride to Zermatt the next day.

But:
The first train of the day on Saturdays (at least on the current schedule) departs Geneva at 5:29 and stopes in Morges at 6 am. This train gets to St. Nicklaus, the marathon start, at 8:36—that seems late to me.

So it looks like a problem to me, or maybe I am missing something. If you depart Portland on July 4, you arrive in Geneva on July 5. If you spend that night in or near Geneva, you would be traveling to Zermatt on the morning of the 6th, race day. Maybe they have the start in waves and you can sign up for a late one?

Hi Lola,
Thanks for the great info!
Sorry, I forgot to mention that I decided to skip the Zermatt Marathon for this time. I checked the elevation gains (almost 2Km) is too much and I worried that I would be too tired to do the TMB after the tough course. So I may come back at another time to run a Swiss Marathon. I'm an avid tennis player and fan as well so I would love to see Swiss Open in the future too :). I might skip Geneva and go directly to Chamonix.
All the best,
Bing

OK, I checked train schedules for the actual date, July 6—surprised that they have it up already, but this is Switzerland. So they start earlier in summer. The first train leaves Geneva at 4:47, comes through Morges at 5:21, and gets to St. Nicklaus at 8:11. That is better, but still seems late to me (when I was running I liked to be at the start at least 45 minutes ahead).

If you do want to get there earlier, you need to spend the previous night much closer to the start, such as Martigny or Sion. At Sion, for example, you could board a train at 6:14 am and be at St. Nicklaus at 7:36. And there is one even earlier if you like—-5:42 to 7:11.

Both Martigny and Sion are nice scenic towns. The trains mentioned above would pass through Martigny before reaching Sion, so you would have an earlier start to arrive at the same time. From the Geneva airport, trains go to Martigny in 1h 45 min, with no changes on the way. to Sion is another 14-15 minutes.

Edit: I did not see the post that you decided not to go to Zermatt. I think that is best, given the timing as well as the physical challenges right before the TMB. I am leaving this post up even though it is moot, because I need to correct my original statement about the timing of the trains.

Hi Lola, thanks so much for the tips and tricks. What are the must-have phone apps and bookmarked websites such as the train schedule you mentioned?
All the best,
Bing

The Swiss train website is SBB.ch

I have never used the app, but a lot of others here do.

Thanks Lola. I have booked the flight from Portland OR to Geneva roundtrip. I will have 11 days post-TMB trek.
So I plan to travel to these places with number of nights
- Zermatt (2 nights)
- Luzern (2 nights)
- BO (4 nights)
- Montreux (3 nights)

What does this look like? should I just stay one night at Zermatt and add one more night in Luzern? Since I need to catch the returning flight from Geneva at 9am on the 12th day, should I stay one night at Genenva or I can stay the night in Montreux and leave early in the morning to catch the flight?

I'm starting to look into hotels now. For Zermatt, should I stay at Brig or Zermatt for seeing Matterhorm? Is this hotel Hotel Antika in Zermatt a good option? Any recommendations for hotels in Zermatt which is cost effective for solo traveler?

Thank you so much!
Bing