When to go?

For Switzerland and being able to see snow other than the mountaintops, March should be good as it is still ski season. There is winter wandern as well on groomed trails where there is snow. We did Grütschalp to Mürren in the snow one year and it was delightful. It won’t be cheaper, because ski season lasts until early April.

No way to know the best approach as weather is so fickle. Is snow more important to you than prices? Switzerland is never inexpensive. We are in Lauterbrunnen now and hotels are shutting down until mid-December. Some Lifts are shutting for maintenance. Beware the off-season and plan carefully.

I guess I should clarify- I don’t want to visit when there is snow on the ground. We would like to do some light hiking, and the outdoor activities around the area. When is off season?

“Off season” is approx. oct-dec and apr-early june-ish.

Are you dead set on spring because September/early October can be great as has been mentioned.

The valleys are warmer than the mountain towns of course. This year April/May was ok in Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen as far as temperatures go. But up in murren it was plenty cold with snow lasting quite a while.

We went in october on our last visit and it was fabulous. But we want to go early this next year as we have some life changes coming up and want to go at this time.

If we went late May would the weather be clear, the meadows green, easy hiking available with all the cable cars and activities going on? I really don’t want to come at a time where I’m seeing patches of snow on the ground, and I’m seeing conflicting info. On this. Cold weather we don’t mind just don’t want snow or brown patches of dead grass.

We stayed in Mürren mid-May this year, and there were still patches of snow on the ground. We could walk around Mürren without walking in snow, but the walking trails above there were still snow covered.
The Allmendhubel Funicular wasn’t opening until early June. Some hotels and restaurants were still closed.

I remember a few earlier comments here from experienced travelers to Switzerland to the effect that after the snow melts, the farmers get busy applying fertilizer, which is rather smelly. I haven't been to Switzerland during that period, so I have no personal experience to share. The dates of fertilizer application would obviously vary a bit from year to year.

If you don't want snow, the later in May, the better - June would be even better for mountain hiking above 2,000 m.

But are you sure you don't want snow? End March / early April can be magical, with snowy-but-oft-sunny landscapes. You just need proper footwear. The Glacier Express route on a sunny day in late March should be incredible (never done it); I have fond memories of a trip to Zermatt at that time of the year.