Help with short trip to Switzerland

Phillip,
We went last year and one of our stops was Gimmelwald. We all fell in love with it! When we went back to Zurich we were so disappointed after being in such beauty as Gimmelwald. If you are into beauty and hiking I'd recommending staying there the whole time. If other things interest you, you may want to spend your time in another place and mix it up. Hope this helps!

Also, we did the ferrata from Murren to Gimmelwald and that was so fun! You can also rent bikes. If you are up for adventure this is the place for you!

We went there last summer as well and found it absolutely addicting. We stayed in Murren and walked down a short way to Gimmewald every morning. I loved hearing the cow bells up in the meadows at night and also as we hiked down from Murren to Gimmewald. You could stay either place as they aren't far from each other and could do the same activities either way. Gimmewald is smaller but there is more to walk around and see in Murren IMO. You'll love it staying in either place.
You will probably need a light jacket and maybe a rain poncho. It sprinkled on us when we hiked from Gimmewald to Stechelberg. It's like cool mountain weather here in the states. I see you live in the same part of the country as me and we know what our summers are like - HOT. The high Alps are just pleasantly warm.

Hi Philip,

I'd also suggest staying in the Berner Oberland. Don't forget about Wengen!
Just my opinion... 3 nights in the BO with your last night in either Luzern or Zurich, depending on your return flight time.

Paul

Thanks for all the replies. What is there to do in Wengen, and what is its proximity to Gimmelwald?

My flight out is at 10 AM...should I just stay in Zurich the night before?

The Lauterbrunnen Valley sits between Wengen on the Jungfrau side of the Alps and Muerren/Gimmelwald on the Schilthorn side.

This place is absolutely stunning! Even if there were no activities just "being there" is enough to satisfy me for at least a week.

What is there to do...seeing the town of Wengen and training to the Jungfrau and back will take the better part of an entire day.

In the Lauterbrunnen Valley I would rent a bike and take very pleasant rides through the almost deserted roads and just gawk at the most amazing scenery you will ever encounter. There are 72 waterfalls in the valley. There is also an entire waterfall within the mountain accessible from Lauterbrunnen...Trummelbach Falls. It's an enormous flow of melting glacier water that has carved gigantic paths through the mountains.

Muerren sits just above Gimmelwald and is connected via a nicely paved path large enough to accomodate a herd of cattle and a tractor or two. There is also a gondola that connects the two villages.

Of course from Muerren/Gimmelwald the Schilthorn is easily accessible by gondola or not-so-easy hiking trails...your choice.

Maybe you would like to spend your last night in Lucerne instead of Zurich. Lucerne has a wonderfully well preserved medieval center with the fast-moving River Reuss cutting a path through the center. You can get to the Zurich airport in about 50 minutes from Lucerne. It's actually a great alternative to staying hugely expensive Zurich.

Phillip - I would stay in Lucern the last night. If you only have an afternoon and evening Lucern has much more Swiss atmosphere. Zurich is beautiful but another big city and serious people.

I would agree with the other posters....you will not be disappointed spending all your time in the Lauberbrunnen Valley and the surrounding villages.

My daughter and I spent 6 days there and we plan to return again in the future.

Enjoy.

Thanks again for all the help. Does anyone have recommendations on where to stay? I already have at least one night at the Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald.

Also, what should I do about train tickets? Order them now? Get a Swiss travel pass? Just wait until I get there? I've never done a rail pass before, but then again I've never planned on traveling too much in a short period.

Phillip,
Everyone has offered wonderful suggestions on what to do/see in Gimmelwald, so I won't comment on that. As for train passes, you can readily got those when you arrive. It's a short train ride from the Zurich airport to the main train station. Purchase a ticket to Interlaken. I'd suggest that on your way to Interlaken (your departure point to Gimmelwald) that you take the route via Bern and Thun--around the southern side of Lake Thun into Interlaken. You will probably need to do a train transfer at Olten or Bern. In Interlaken, take the train all the way to Interlaken East (do not get off at Interlaken West) where you will catchthe Berner-Oberland train to Lauterbrunnen. On your return, take the train from Interlaken East via Lucerne to Zurich. You will pass the northern side of Lake Brienz to Meiringen and on to Lucerne. You will transfer trains at Lucerne for Zurich. Lucerne is a very interesting city--probably my favorite in Switzerland. But the Old City area of Zurich is also interesting if you want to spend a day in that city. I'd plan to do almost all the time in the Lauterbrunnen Valley (Berner Oberland) area. Once you see how spectacular it is you won't want to go elsewhere.

The weather at higher altitudes will be cool--take a jacket. Wear decent hiking boots. They don't need to be heavy--either mid-heights or low-cuts would do--but they should be waterproof. If you hike, trails can be wet in late May, especially up high. I personally think running-type shoes are not the best for what you will encounter.

By the way, allow a few hours for travel between Zurich and Interlaken and then another good hour to get to Gimmelwald.

If my flight is at 10 in the morning (and I'm flying priority standby), is it safe to stay in Luzern the night before or should I just visit during day and stay in Zurich?

Philip

We are doing a similar trip later in June. However we are looking to spend 1-2 days in Luzern first, then going to Lauterbennen.
If you are looking for options to stay in Zurich, the airport sleep rooms might be worth considering. You will need to book in advance, and can stay there overnight.

Happy Travels!!

Phillip: You already have 1 night booked at the Mountain Hostel. You should also consider the Chalet Fontana in Muerren (just above Gimmelwald). It's close to the same price and breakfast is included. Wherever you choose to stay in the Alps, just spend your entire duration in that place. The other mountain villages are very very close by and you don't need to waste time and expend unnecessary energy changing hotels.

www.chaletfontana.ch