Switzerland Advice

Posted by Cora (Vancouver, BC, Canada) on 03/07/10 01:20 AM

Just looking for a little advice. I leave April 13 with a flight into Zurich. Will be backpacking just over a month and have a pretty set itinerary. I want to spend 4 nights in Lauterbrunnen, 1 night in Zurich, 3 nights Munich, 2 nights Rothenburg, 4 nights Bacharach (base to see Frankfurt and Cologne), 4 nights Belgium, 3 nights Paris, 3 nights London, week in greece, week in Italy and Nice. I will be revisting some places and seeing some new ones.

I have stayed in Lauterbrunnen before in June and loved it, and wanted to return, just relax, say have lunch in Murren, walk Gimmelwald, train to Wengen. But I am concerned now in seeing some of the other posts that Mid-April may not be the best time to visit. I do plan to stay in Zurich at least one night but I was wondering if anyone would recommend another place to stay. I have also already visited Lucerne and enjoyed it, but won't stay there again. Also have a visit to Bern scheduled at the end of my trip. I like small towns, was thinking maybe Lugano but really wanted something either close to Zurich or on the way to Munich. Or do you think the weather will be decent enough to enjoy the area? Suggestions? Thanks

Posted by Tom

Danville, VT

03/07/10 06:21 AM

12040 posts

Not an Alpine destination, but consider Lindau, or one of the other towns on the Bodensee. It sits about halfway between Zurich and Munich.

Posted by Denise

Lake Forest, CA, USA

03/07/10 09:40 AM

1633 posts

We have always enjoyed Appenzell. Lots of rolling hills, hiking and a cheese factory. It's a 1 1/2 hr. train ride from Zurich airport. They also get snow--not sure how late in the season. Have fun!

Posted by Meaghan

Denver, CO, USA

03/11/10 01:28 PM

11 posts

Cora, you and I are having the same dilemma. I am going to be in Switzerland April 19th-21st for 2 nights and I've had trouble trying to decide whether or not to stay in Lauterbrunnen during that time.

As I've never been to the Berner Oberland before, I can't give you any advice about my personal experience there. After much research, I can say that opinions are extremely mixed. Some people say that the mountain trails are impassable, others say they had a great time hiking. Some say the towns are deserted and boring, others that they enjoy the solitude and the lack of tourists. I watched videos of people base jumping and taking train trips in beautiful sunny april weather, while other pictures show the valley covered in fog and the mountain views obscured. The only consensus I've found is that April is not the best time to visit, the weather is unpredictable and you will have to be flexible. But it seems that people have still gone and had a great time, even in bad weather.

I guess that doesn't really answer your question, but I thought I'd share my opinion after all that research (man, I spent a long time!). You could do some image searches of Lauterbrunnen or Gimmelwald in April and see what conditions other people experienced. Going in April might be a let down for you after your time in lovely June, or it might still seem worth it.

As for me, I've decided to stay for one night in Lauterbrunnen, hope for good weather, be flexible and enjoy myself if the weather is bad. I can't recommend you do the same, since I've never been there and I might hate it (we'll see in a month!). Just realize that you're going to get a million different opinions and decide for yourself if it's worth the risk of fog and muddy trails to visit in April.

Good luck, I hope you have a great trip!

Posted by Cora OP

Vancouver, BC, Canada

03/12/10 02:01 PM

191 posts

Thanks for the input Meaghan. I think whatever I do the weather won't be ideal, so I think I have decided to stay in Lauterbrunnen, but since I have a rail pass I can use it as a base to see more of Switzerland, so I am not tied down to just seeing the sites in the Berner Oberland.

Personally I really love Lauterbrunnen and so the reason for my return. I am not to worried about it being quiet since that is kinda what I am looking for. I think Lauterbrunnen is quite pretty, in fact I far much perfer it to Rick's suggested Gimmelwald. While beautiful to visit, I think Gimmelwald would be a pain to stay in and not really worth it! I know its beautiful but Rick really raves about it when I find Lauterbrunnen quite comparable and much more convienant. I hope you enjoy your trip - I know I am getting excited, less than 1 month!