What to do if it rains?

Frequent rain storms are a fact of life in the Alps. They come in suddenly and fiercly, but usually don't last too long. You have to plan for them, rather than hoping it stays sunny. Go prepared with some good wet weather gear and enjoy what views you get.

we can not control the weather just bring an umbrella and enjoy it for what it is.

In Nice two years ago it was cloudy we set out adn walked to the top of the hill and it POURED we were soaked, we sat in the coffee shop and waited for it to settle down and ordered a bottle of wine...then when it let up about an hour or so later we ventured out in it.

In paris same trip i poured and rained....they were brief like it would downpour for 30 minutes and clear up for a few hours....we just had fun running for shelter ect.....

You can not let weather affect your trip....and remember you might have some wonderful memories created because of it.

Ya !!! take an umbrella and wear waterproof shoes. Not sure what you are asking?

An umbrella is essential!! I've been living in Northern Ireland since June this year, and I've learned you can do almost everything in the rain as you would in the sun...of course it'll take a bit of convincing, but just don your raingear and head outside. But, if you're asking for specific indoor things to do in those cities, I wouldn't have any ideas except...museums, galleries, eating, and indoor shopping!! But what DOESN'T have a roof anyway? You probably won't get a downpour though, like if you were in a tropic country, so don't let it dampen your spirits. good luck!

Thanks for the quick responses! I'm most concerned about what we would do if it rained while we were in Muerren since it doesn't seem like there would be too much to do other than hiking, which isn't too much fun in heavy rain:). But i guess I'll just have to wait and see- maybe it won't be that bad.

Hi Jake,
You must be feeling so disappointed with the weather report but there is the sports centre in Muerren with various activities, and I suggest that once the rain clears a bit you could take the gondola down to Lauterbrunnen and walk on the paved roads and see the many waterfalls which would be at their peak thanks to the rain. There is a gravel path too so you would not be confined to the main road all the time. The river would be fantastic too.

Our sunny midday hike turned into a light rain afternoon hike when in Murren a couple of years ago, and it was no problem at all. Just take the hooded jacket out of the backpack and continue hiking. A warm meal and good Hefeweizen beer at the Stager Stubli upon return to town is nice. There’s also a Sportzentrum in Murren that you can use for a small day use fee…indoor swimming, fitness facility, massage, etc.

Looking at your agenda you mention 5 places in 4 days. That's quite a lot in quite a short time. If it does rain why not spend some extra time in a place that keeps you a bit dryer and skip the hike if the clouds are so bad that they won't allow for any views.

Otherwise, our most memorable day was when we visited Schloss Oberhofen on Lake Thun and got into a thunderstorm just when we excited the chateau to admire the gardens. It was a hot day, we had no rain coats or umbrealla and got soaked while dancing in the rain. And just dried off later on.

Last year we had an overcast/rainy day in Murren. We went down to Lauterbrunnen for lunch and then went to Trummbleback Falls. It was a good day for that.

Jake,
You should still keep Muerren on your list because the views from there and from Allmendhubel are just fantastic. You get to Allmendhubel via funicular so no hiking involved.

Jake, if the weathermen over there are not any better than the ones here, you may have 4 days of sun and blue sky. Just go and enjoy and don't worry about what might happen. Some of my best travel memories happened on rainy days. Good luck