Switzerland - September 2023

[PaunchyPirate]

I just purchased flights for a 2-week trip to Switzerland. I've had this trip on my radar since before Covid and finally decided to commit to it by buying the airfare. I found a Premium Economy seat on American Airlines for $1570 round trip. I will keep watching American's upgrade offer to possibly upgrade the westbound Atlantic flight to Business Class. Right now, they want $3000 for that leg alone and I don't want to pay that. Insanely, American wanted over $11,000 for roundtrip Flagship Business class on these flights. You could get cheaper Business Class, but only by flying a mix of American and British Airways flights or by making added connections. I don't quite see the logic in that, but that's American's Business.

Anyway, I've done some preliminary itinerary planning, but I haven't committed to specific locations/hotels yet. I plan on doing all the transportation between locations via train, including one or two of their panoramic train routes.

Time to start planning the details! Feel free to offer up suggestions. I will on the ground from Sept. 13-27, 2023.

 

[camfused]

^^^ Watch the Rick Steves videos on where he goes in Switzerland

 

[PaunchyPirate]

^^^ Watch the Rick Steves videos on where he goes in Switzerland

Oh, I'm a big fan of his work. I've watched his videos on it already and also have his Switzerland book. My preliminary itinerary is a slight variation of his recommendations.

 

[Souschef]

We spent a week in the Bernese Alps and loved it. Our hotel was also right by the train station. We got a Berner Oberland train pass, which was good for trams and steamers as well. I have attached a copy of our trip.

 

[brett]

We enjoyed our times in Luzern and surroundings very much. Short train ride to Zurich.

 

[oiseux]

Are you flying via Zurich? The Jungfrau is quite special. You can hit Luzern on the way as well. Zermatt is also a popular destination, if you want to hit the Matterhorn. The north lake of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) is the nicest part of that area. Driving is quite easy but the trains are like clockwork. By September, weather can start to be pretty variable, so be flexible with your mountain excursion planning (I was an expat in Switzerland).

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Are you flying via Zurich? The Jungfrau is quite special. You can hit Luzern on the way as well. Zermatt is also a popular destination, if you want to hit the Matterhorn. The north lake of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) is the nicest part of that area. Driving is quite easy but the trains are like clockwork. By September, weather can start to be pretty variable, so be flexible with your mountain excursion planning (I was an expat in Switzerland).

Yes, my flights are round trip in/out of Zurich. I definitely plan on hitting all those places. I considered trying to go in August, but I have another trip already planned that month and other plans in early September, so I decided to push into mid/late September. I'm hoping weather holds up and hopefully it might also be a little bit less crowded.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

We spent a week in the Bernese Alps and loved it. Our hotel was also right by the train station. We got a Berner Oberland train pass, which was good for trams and steamers as well. I have attached a copy of our trip.

Thanks for sharing your trip report. I read the entire thing. I plan on spending 2-3 days in that area, so it was very relevant.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

We enjoyed our times in Luzern and surroundings very much. Short train ride to Zurich.

Yep. Luzern is on my list. I think I'll spend 1-2 nights there actually.

 

[euro]

Yep. Luzern is on my list. I think I'll spend 1-2 nights there actually.

Luzern can serve as a very good central location for many day-trips (Engelberg, interlaken/jungfrau/Balenberg, Rütli, Thun, Bern, Gruyere, etc). Remeber, Switzerland is quite small, so if you are starting somewhere in the middle (such as Luzern), you can get pretty much anywhere in a few hours max, even by train/post bus.
Specific suggestions will depend on what you like to see. Some of the cities (Lausanne, Geneva, Zurich, Luzern, Bern are definitely worth some time, but the REAL stars, of course, are the mountains. So, plan on doing Glacier Express, if you can. Weather in September is often gorgeous, but fog can become an issue for trips or hikes to the top of mountains. I.e. Stanserhorn (and many others) is stunning on a clear day, but a massive disappointment when its foggy....

If you tell us a little bit about your preferences, we might be able to make more specific suggestions (born and raised in Switzerland).

 

[friar1610]

I finished a cruise in Basel this past September and stayed on a few extra days in/around Zurich. Weather was delightful - sunny and warm (but not hot). Dining is pricey.

 

[braumeister]

Zurich and Luzern are both fun cities and we enjoyed them a lot. They can be very expensive, but you can mostly work around that. The only problem with Luzern is that a lot of the river cruise lines offer it as an extension for those who finish up in Basel, so it can be a bit crowded with tourists.

I highly recommend the Mount Titlis cable car; it's like no other in the world.

 

[NW-Bound]

Some time ago, in 2006 or so, we made our 1st trip to Switzerland. We flew to Geneva. From there, we used the train to visit Lausanne, Lucerne, Basel, Zurich, Bern, Locarno, and Gruyères. There was no need for a car. We bought a Eurail pass for train travel.

We missed a visit to Château de Chillon because we got there too late in the day in a day trip. More than 10 years later, we came back in the next visit by car, and spent 1/2 day at this medieval castle.

 

[Drake3287]

Having been to Switzerland many times, our last 2 week trip last May/June was our favorite. Lucerne, Grindelwald, Zermatt and finally back to Zurich for 3 nights before flying home. We have an Airbnb in Lucerne which we always stay at. Literally the number on Airbnb in Lucerne and the owner is wonderful.

Lot's to pick from. Switzerland has many beautiful places to visit plus many can be done as day trips also. On our last trip we purchased the 15 day Swiss Travel Pass and it saved us a few hundred dollars each. Free transportation anywhere in Switzerland and 50% discounts on almost every excursion.

 

[brett]

Zurich and Luzern are both fun cities and we enjoyed them a lot. They can be very expensive, but you can mostly work around that. The only problem with Luzern is that a lot of the river cruise lines offer it as an extension for those who finish up in Basel, so it can be a bit crowded with tourists.

I highly recommend the Mount Titlis cable car; it's like no other in the world.

IF you spend time in Luzern you might consider taking a cruise on the lake to Kastanienbaum (sp) if the lake boats are still operating.

Or....spend an hour or so in Bucherers...the jewelry and watch people.

 

[flyingaway]

Interlake and the nearby areas. Was there in May this year and the flowers are gorgeous.

 

[DrRoy]

I have visited the southern part of Switzerland, and I recommend the Interlaken area and Zermatt.
.

 

[Drake3287]

If and when you look at the Jungfrau area. Don't catch yourself staying in Interlaken simply because it's a central location with a major train hub. Too many people make this mistake.

Nothing wrong with Interlaken itself, but you should be looking at staying in one of the beautiful nearby alpine villages such as Grindelwald instead. Not only are they more of what you came to Switzerland for, they're still a short train ride away from Interlaken for day trips outside the area.

 

[MarieIG]

We spent a week in the Bernese Alps and loved it. Our hotel was also right by the train station. We got a Berner Oberland train pass, which was good for trams and steamers as well. I have attached a copy of our trip.

That was a wonderful trip summary and the photos were amazing.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Thank you everyone for the encouragement and tips on what to see and where to stay. This is my first pass at an itinerary. What do you think?

About me: I will be 61 at the time of the trip traveling solo this time around. I like trains (especially European ones). I will do the math to buy the right rail pass, if appropriate. I think it probably will be. I like scenic viewpoints of any type and historical (old will do) architecture. I'm not usually one to eat fancy food or at formal places (especially when traveling solo). I like to get up and go early in the morning and keep myself busy thru the day. I like scenic walks, but I'm not all that physically fit, so strenuous hikes are not all that likely. Relatively flat or mostly downhill walks are fine. I was a geographer by schooling, so I can study maps for hours and I love to look at the geography in real life. This includes geologic formations (mountains, glaciers, valleys, rock layers, etc.). For this trip, I'm not looking for city activity all that much. However, quaint, "old town" type places are thoroughly enjoyed. I don't mind a bit of a touristy area, but am not drawn to it to buy things. I am not a souvenir person and I hate shopping in general.

Here's the plan:

Sept 13 Arrive Zurich 8:55 am
Train Zurich Airport to Lucerne
Explore Lucerne, lifts, hikes, viewpoints
Hotel Lucerne

Sept 14 Explore Lucerne, lifts, hikes, viewpoints
Hotel Lucerne

Sept 15 Boat/Train Gotthard Panorama Express (Lucerne to Lugano)
Explore Lugano
Hotel Lugano

Sept 16 Bus/Train Bernina Express (Lugano to Pontresina)
Hotel Pontresina

Sept 17 Explore Pontresina, St. Moritz and Samedan, lifts, hikes, viewpoints
Hotel Pontresina

Sept 18 Train Pontresina to St. Moritz
Train Glacier Express (St. Moritz to Zermatt)
Hotel Zermatt

Sept 19 Explore Zermatt, Hikes, Lifts, Viewpoints
Hotel Zermatt

Sept 20 Explore Zermatt, Hikes, Lifts, Viewpoints
Hotel Zermatt

Sept 21 Train Zermatt to Lausanne
Explore Lausanne
Hotel Lausanne

Sept 22 Train Lausanne to Montreux
Train Golden Pass (Montreux to Interlocken)
Train Interlocken to Lauterbrunnen
Train Lauterbrunnen to Wengen
Hotel Wengen

Sept 23 Explore Hikes/Lifts/Viewpoints
Hotel Wengen

Sept 24 Explore Hikes/Lifts/Viewpoints
Hotel Wengen

Sept 25 Train Wengen to Bern
Hotel Bern

Sept 26 Train Bern to Zurich
Explore Zurich
Hotel Zurich

Sept 27 Train Zurich to Zurich Airport
Depart Zurich 11:45 am

 

[braumeister]

Looks like you're only taking a few hours to see Zurich. I think it's a wonderful city and would recommend at least a couple of days there.

 

[Drake3287]

Although there are certainly changes to your itinerary I would offer, it comes down to a personal choice and you could "what if" it to death. Do yourself a big favor and use both the Trip Advisor Switzerland travel forum and also join the "Switzerland Travel Guide" group on Facebook. These two places will offer you the most complete advise you might be looking for.

 

[euro]

Your itinerary looks good to me. Personally, I think you might want to plan some half-day or daytrip activities out of Luzern. The City itself is quite small and you can cover most of it in a day or less on foot. Once you have seen the ancient bridge and the downtown area and admired the fantastic mountain views across Lake Lucerne, you have covered most of it. Unless you want to take in the National Transportation Museum (which is nice, but unless you are a transportation nerd, there are better things to spend your time on). Day trips to Stanserhorn, Mt Pilatus, Engelberg (Mt Titlis), etc are amazing. For something unusual, consider taking a quick train or a slower boat to the Luzern suburb Hergiswil and visit/tour the pretty famous glassblowing shop "Glasi Hergiswil". Interesting museum, live glassblowing tours, shop.

You have a lot of amazing train rides planned - I wish you a fog-free, sunny and crisp Autumn! If the weather cooperates, you are in for a treat!
You may want to plan some alternative activities in case of bad weather. For example, in the Interlaken area, Swiss Open Air museum at Balenberg is really nice. Traditional buildings from all parts of Switzerland, trade and crafts demos, etc. Of course, lots of indoor things to do in the cities. Museums (Landesmuseum right next to the main railway station in Zurich, or visit some castle like Kyburg (outside of Zurich) or, as some other poster already mentioned Chillion Castle outside of Lausanne. There are many more, of course and all are readily reachable by public transport.

 

[braumeister]

We've all seen unusual buskers on the streets, but this guy in downtown Zurich would stand out anywhere. His playing wasn't bad either!

 

[oiseux]

I agree about Luzern. It's a quaint city and you'll probably want some time to adjust to your long trip, but you may to explore options.

From Lausanne, I do recommend taking a Ferry one way to the Chillon castle. You get a perspective and view from the lake that is quite wonderful. You can take the train back and stop at Saint Saphorin along the terraced vineyards.

You do have some wonderful train rides. And the lifts are a fantastic way to get to high alpine scenery without the wear and tear of a climb. The Jungfraujoch is especially nice. Just stay flexible in your timing, as if there clouds they often will change during the day in September.