Solo in Switzerland (June 2024)—My Trip Report

ZERMATT--3 NIGHTS

Next, it was off to Zermatt, staying at the Hotel Alpenhof.

https://www.julen.ch/en/hotel-alpenhof/

Great hotel and staff, but the hardest mattress I have ever slept on. I had visited Zermatt as a day from Montreux on my previous trip and couldn’t wait to spend more time here. I love the setting of this mountain town, with or without the Matterhorn.

Even though it was cloudy, I went up to the Gornergrat, because it’s such a nice train ride. I also took the funicular up to Sunnegga. The old part of town, the Hinterdorf, is a unique area to walk around. I also popped in the Matterhorn Museum. One highlight of Zermatt was the Gorner Gorge, which is an easy walk from the center of town. Nature at its finest! THE highlight of Zermatt though was the cute little black nose sheep. I thought it was too early in season, so I wasn’t expecting to see them. I just happen to see some up on a mountain behind the train station. You always have to be looking around when you’re out walking as you just never know what you’re going to find. It took me a while to figure out how to get up to them, but I did!!! They were kind of crazy; they just came running right up to you. Charge!! I included a short video with my photos linked above. They are not painted different colors for Pride month like my mom thought :-) but so the farmers can identify which sheep are theirs.

MURREN--3 NIGHTS

I had the best hotel room view here at the Hotel Edelweiss Superior.

https://www.edelweiss-muerren.ch/de/

This view was incredible!!! My balcony was literally hanging over the cliff looking down into Lauterbrunnen Valley. I was fascinated looking at all the clouds below and watching the paragliders. I do think that Switzerland is the one place where it is worth paying extra for a room with a view. Sure, you’re not in the room all day, but when you are there, it’s great to have a nice view.

My favorite thing about Murren is that I’m so close to my favorite walk to Gimmelwald. It’s never crowded, you have spectacular views, and you can take the cable car back up. One morning, I arrived early in Interlaken and had some time before my boat ride on Lake Brienz, so I decided to give Harder Kulm a try as there was no line. It was fine. Nothing I have a desire to repeat. I took the boat to the Giessbach Falls stop. After walking around there for a bit, I took the boat to Brienz and then train to Interlaken. Since it wasn’t too late in the day, while in Interlaken, I decided to check out the Alpine Wildpark ( https://www.interlaken.ch/en/experiences/poi/alpine-wildlife-park-interlakensome ) that fellow tourists told me about one morning when we were admiring the goats in Murren. They have some ibex and marmots. Nothing worth making a special trip for. It was free. So, what did I do when I returned to Murren? Walk down to Gimmelwald again of course.

The next day was a little drizzly so I decided to head down to Lauterbrunnen and walked to Trummelbach Falls and Stechelberg. After lunch I took the funicular up to Allmendhubel. The sign up there showed left AND right for Murren. So, I texted my sister a picture and asked which way should I go? She said left, so I went left. Fantastic views!!!!!

WENGEN--4 NIGHTS

Time to head over to Wengen. I again stayed at the Hotel Schonegg.

https://hotel-schoenegg.ch/

Nice hotel with mountain views, but I did miss my view from the Murren hotel. I went to Thun one day and up to Mannlichen a couple of times. Sure, it was a little disappointing that the panorama trail down to Kleine Scheidegg was still closed, but it’s just an excuse to come back. (I’m thinking Sept. 2026.) I took the train up to Schynige Platte one day which was a pleasant surprise. From the videos I had watched, I wasn’t expecting much, but the views were incredible!

When I arrived in Wengen, there were signs that mentioned two mornings the cows were scheduled to be brought up the mountain from Lauterbrunnen. This turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. There just weren’t very many cows the first day and the second day, which was to be cows and their calves, I saw zero. I did manage to get some videos of the cows I did see and included one with my photos linked above.

MY THOUGHTS ON MURREN VERSUS WENGEN VERSUS LAUTERBRUNNEN

I have previously stayed in Lauterbrunnen and Wengen and wasn’t sure I wanted to fully commit to Murren, so I decided to split my time between Murren and Wengen this trip. This was a great decision and worked out well for me.

Lauterbrunnen is the most convenient for day trips, but also the busiest. I love walking in the valley once you get past all the hotels. There’s just something about having the rock walls on both sides of you with the waterfalls. It’s pretty incredible!

Murren I find to be the next busiest as there are often large groups walking back and forth between the train station and the Schilthorn cable car station. And I’m not a huge fan of getting up and down from Murren. From Interlaken Ost to Murren, it is 54 minutes (versus 38 minutes up to Wengen). There is a 12-minute wait after getting off the train in Lauterbrunnen to the cable car heading up the mountain. So, you have to stand around and wait in line. The cable car is usually very crowded and the small train does not always have enough seats to accommodate everyone. That being said, I absolutely love the views from Murren!! And it has many spectacular walks.

WENGEN is easier to get to (an 11 or 12 minute beautiful train ride up from Lauterbrunnen) and also has great views and walks. Plus, it’s easy access up to Männlichen, a favorite of mine. I have always found Wengen to be the least busy of the three.

VERDICT: You definitely can’t go wrong with either of the three locations. But for me, it’s a toss-up between Murren and Wengen as I prefer being up in the mountains. If Murren was easier to get to, I would have to go with Murren. But that cable car is such a negative for me, I’m going to have to call it a tie. If I had just a few nights in the area, I would probably go with Wengen. Or Murren. :-) If I had 5 or more nights, I would definitely split my time again.

LUZERN / LUCERNE--3 NIGHTS

Last stop Luzern for my final 3 nights. I again stayed at the Des Alpes in the old town.

https://www.desalpes-luzern.ch/en/

Pat convinced me to get a room with a balcony and view of the chapel bridge. Thanks Pat!! This was a much nicer room than the one I had on my previous trip. The hotel has no a/c but they provide fans. I had a nice Dyson fan this time, but I couldn’t figure out how to get it to oscillate.

I always enjoy going up to Mt. Rigi when I’m here. This was my third time. Still love it! New to me this trip was the city wall (Musegg Wall) and towers. And behind the wall, I could not believe my eyes when I saw 4 Scottish Highland cows. In Switzerland!! Again, you just never know what you’re going to see when you’re out walking. I also went to Bern, which was a mistake. My last day did not look good for a mountain excursion. I wanted to go to the Swiss Museum of Transport, but it didn’t open til 10 and I figured it would be crowded. So, I went to Bern, which I wasn’t a big fan of my first visit and that opinion did not change on this visit. Lesson learned. I should have gone to the museum.

PUBLIC TRANSPORATION: I had the 15-day Swiss Travel Pass (first class) and a Saver Day Pass for my arrival day and a supersaver ticket for my departure day (which I ended up not using as I decided on an earlier train). The trains and cable cars were more crowded this June.

WEATHER: I did have some more clouds and rain on this trip, but nothing terrible. I was glad I had both my long johns and my sun hat as I had some pretty cool mornings, but the sun can really heat things up later in the day.

FOOD: I prefer a quick grab and go meal (table service is too slow and I have lots to see) so I’m big on sandwiches when traveling. Some of my favorite places to grab a sandwich were Fuchs in Zermatt, Café LIV in Murren and Bachmann’s in Lucerne. I had good take-away pizza at La Bastia in Lucerne (Thanks Sam for mentioning this place on the forum!). I’m also a fan of Brezelkönig (found in the bigger train stations), but none of them had my avocado sandwich this time. Sounds like Barbara got the last one.

SOLO TRAVEL: Switzerland is a great country for solo travel. It is safe and easy to get around. I just feel so comfortable here.

NEXT UP: London with my sister and her husband in Sept./Oct. Vienna and Prague with my sister in March and May will be a solo trip to Ireland.

I'm too distracted by THE PHOTO OF THE BEAR to respond coherently!

Your trip reports are pure literature. Thanks for posting.

Carrie, another great TR. And I thought your surprise was going to be the Harry Coos! Thanks again and now I'll look at your pix, which are always wonderful !
PS Always happy to convince you to spend more money!

Someday I'm going to stay at the Hotel Edelweiss. Someday.

Carrie, thanks so much for your trip report! I love how you've already got your next Swiss trip planned!

Carrie, I've been waiting for your report! Thanks so much. I appreciate the details and your formatting.

Yes, that cable car to Mürren can be rough, but I still preferred that feeling of being right in the mountains in Mürren, even though I also loved Wengen. Our host shared some tips for how to time the cable car to be less crowded. If you haven't been to the Swiss Transport Museum before, it is large, and when we were there it was not busy at all. And the walk to it along the lake and boat to return are, of course, lovely. Enjoy that walk down to Gimmelwald now, before your knees get too creaky! And sorry I got your avocado sandwich, haha!

If we ever do get back to the Berner Oberland, the Panorama Trail and Schynigge Platte are my top priorities, along with a repeat of the walk from Allmendhubel.

Enjoy your upcoming trips. They sound great. Are you planning a return to Switzerland at some point?

What a fun trip! Those Border Beagles are always so cute but I know they are working dogs !

And yes, assuming the Bear was at a zoo?

Thanks so much for taking the time to prepare such a detailed TR! I loved reading it.

Hi Hannah, That’s a cute little Bern bear. There’s a nice bear park in Bern, which is the one thing that I do like about Bern.

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/bern-bear-park/

Hi Threadwear, Thank-you!

Hi Pat, Those cows were the last thing I expected to find in Lucerne. And thanks again for the room recommendation. What’s a little extra money when you’re already spending a bunch. :-)

Hi Mary, the hotel will be there waiting for you.

Hi katherineloyalcollins, I’m tempted to go back next year, but I’m going to make myself wait. I’m trying to figure out how to balance seeing new places with returning to old favorites.

Hi Barbara, I’m trying to squeeze in as many trips as I can while I’m still young and healthy. My plan is to return to Switzerland in Sept. 2026. I think I’ll combine it with Rhine River Germany. That way it’s not an entirely repeat trip. I have the Brienz Rothorn train on my list to try. I didn’t get to it this time because they recommend advance seat reservations and with the weather the way it was, I didn’t want to commit to a day and time.

Hi Pam, It’s so hard not to pet those dogs! I moved my carry-on bag from my shoulder to the ground to see if the dogs would be interested in it as it was full of chocolate and paprika chips. They weren’t of course. They’re too smart. The city of Bern has a bear park with several bear. I had to wait awhile to get one to look at me. I lucked out with that one coming up the stairs.

Always loving, always bookmarking your trip reports, Carrie. Someday…

I echo Luv2travel above! We can’t wait to get to Switzerland Carrie! I know you said you prefer a takeaway sandwich to a sit down meal, but have you had any fondue? Just seems like something I would want to eat there.

Hi Luv2Travel, Thanks! Switzerland is a nice, easy trip. It doesn’t come with the stress that a lot of countries do. You don’t have to worry about train strikes.

Hi Tammy (aka Diveloonie), Surprisingly, I have never had fondue. It seems like more of a winter dish, but I may have to put this on my list for next time. I do like cheese and bread.

Carrie, thank you for your trip report! We are heading to the Berner Oberland this year, and I look forward to having wonderful experiences in some of the same places you visited and stayed! I appreciate you taking the time to record so many great details from your Swiss adventures!

Laurie

Wonderful trip report! I really appreciate the format and the way you share your opinions.

Hi Laurie, Thanks! I’m sure you’ll have a great trip. I was working on my photobook today and am already itching to go back.

Hi Nancy, I appreciate that. You can’t love everything. So, I try to be honest about what I liked and didn’t like.

Carrie, what photo book company do you use? The book for our April , 2024, trip to NL and Belgium topped out with 388 photos and 60+ pages, using Mixbook. I made a mistake and ordered cardboard pages, which was overkill, and $$. I still can't find the same quality and price as when Costco had a photo dept., and could never figure out who Costco vendored . Not sure it was Shutterfly, to whom Costco encouraged customers to transition. The Shutterfly website makes me crazy with just too many options. I'm guessing it works for many here, however.

Thanks so much for a wonderful trip report.

We are going in late September for three weeks and going to lots of places that you did. We are booked into Grand Suisse Majestic for five nights, staying in Wengen for seven nights and plan to do a lot that you did, so it was super interesting.

We have been to Switzerland twice before, but only to Basel for a night after a Rhine River Cruise, and a few days in Lucerne and Zurich another time. We also stayed at Hotel des Alpes in a balcony room. I loved sitting out there with a glass of red watching the view.

I completely agree about rooms with views, and balconies, and have made sure we have them at every stop on our trip.

Thanks again.

Carrie, I loved your tr, it really makes you want to book a trip to Switzerland immediately! I love the format and the detail. But OMG, your pictures are incredible. You have a great eye. Thanks for sharing.

What a great trip report and wonderful photos! I have not been to Zermatt but Gorner Gorge looks absolutely beautiful. We also really enjoyed staying in Murren with a view and tiny balcony. Gimmelwald was the first place I ever stayed in Switzerland so it will always have a special place in my heart. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Pat, I use Shutterfly. I do the 8x11 hard cover, create your own book.

https://www.shutterfly.com/p/photo-books/styles/create-your-own-photo-book?productCode=1533254&skuCode=1552159&categoryCode=1503351&dimensions=8x11

I keep it real simple and just use a solid color for the background. Something simple like black or grey. I don’t like anything to distract from the photos. I also just pick my “best” photos to include. Around 60 or so.

I don’t like Shutterfly for prints though. I get those from mpix. I have frames everywhere and always swap out my prints after each trip.

Hi DebH, I think you’ll love both Montreux and Wengen. Sept. is a great time to go. There’s more cows roaming around. And you might get to see them coming down from the mountains. Have a great trip!

Hi Lyndash, Thanks! It’s almost impossible to take a bad picture in Switzerland.

Hi Meg, Thanks! You should give Zermatt a try sometime. I was really surprised at how much I liked it. Ignore all the people that say to skip it. :-)

Carrie- I finally had time this morning to sit and fully read your trip report. Fantastic! Thank you for taking the time. As I am sure you would have guessed that I particularly enjoyed your Berner Oberland feedback regarding where to stay. Such a struggle!! Your Lucerne report was also a delight to read. I have a picture of a hairy coo we met in Scotland on the wall in our bedroom. ;) How fun to see them in Switzerland!

Hi islandfam2008, You have some tough decisions. :-) Let us know where you decide to stay. I’ve always found I get the best prices when I book hotels early. So start thinking about booking soon for your June trip.

I had a request to add captions to my photos, which I don’t have time to do, but I did add in a photo of each of my hotel rooms to divide each location. So, from the first hotel room to the second is Montreux and day trips from Montreux. After the second room is Zermatt. After the third room is Murren. After the fourth room is Wengen. Finally, after the fifth room is Lucerne. This at least might give those unfamiliar with the area an idea of what they can see from each location.

Carrie, thx. I hadn't heard of mpix. I have used Mixbook for my last two photo books, as I like the 12" x 12" style.
And on to planning the next trip!

Carrie,
Thanks so much for your outstanding trip report!
Would it be possible to mention which trains you took between stops. I'm looking for the opportunity to travel on some of the more notable train lines.
Thanks,
Ray

Hi ray, I don’t seek out any of the named trains. I have found all the train journeys near the lakes and mountains to be very scenic.

Specific to this trip, the train from Zurich to Montreux gets more scenic the closer you get to Montreux. Montreux to Zermatt is extremely scenic. The quick train ride from Lauterbrunnen up to Wengen is a favorite of mine. Lauterbrunnen to Lucerne is also very scenic.

And then of course, you have the cable cars and trains that go up the mountains. All very scenic. So, you really can’t go wrong as long as you are near the mountains.

I enjoyed your report and photos. As usual great information. Also glad to see you were able to bring back those paprika potato chips. I tried them on my trip in September 2022 based on your previous post and fell in love with them. When flying to Europe I often think I should try to fly through Geneva or Zurich so I can get some Sprungli (love those little champagne macarons) and some paprika chips.

Hi sboh, you can order the chips online. My sister and I may have done so once or twice. :-)

https://swissmade.direct/shop/swiss-food-and-drink/snacks/paprika-potato-chips-zweifel/

They pack them well and they arrived undamaged.

If you’re ever in the UK, there is a Walkers’ brand punchy paprika chip that is a very close second to the Swiss Zweifel.

https://www.walkers.co.uk/our-range/max/punchy-paprika

thanks for your trip report! i too love Switzerland - felt so at home there. Have been going other places since my last trip in 2006 (how has it been so long?) but i still remember so much. Loved Gimmelwald and the cable car up to Murren - we were traveling with my 6 year old (now 24) and we stayed in Meiringen and did some great hikes from there. Must book a trip back! thanks for the inspiration.

Carrie, only one or twice? (Wink emoji)

Hi annemargaret, It definitely sounds like you are ready for a return trip. As soon as I get home, I’m already thinking about when can I go back.

Hi Pat, That’s all I’m admitting to. :-)

Carrie, thanks for sending this link. It is so helpful. We are going to Zermatt and Montreux also. We are coming up from Italy on the Bernina Express. So excited!

Hi jggordon54, You’re very welcome. Sounds like you have a great trip planned.

I very much enjoyed your resurrected trip report. Sorry I missed it the first time!

Hi Dave, I’m glad you enjoyed it. There’s been so many great trip reports this year. It’s hard to keep up with them all.