12 days in Switzerland...pl help me

Hi

thanks Neckervd. Was travelling on work and could not return on the forum. Working further on the details, have planned our itinerary starting from Zurich. Now it reads as:

1-3 Zurich. Since we are flying from Asia, we need the first day for some rest. The next two days we intend to explore the city, Rhine Falls and may visit Rapperswil
We would want advice to visit the Chocolate Factory near Zurich..pl assist us.

4-10 Interlaken : Will do day visits to Ballenberg Musuem, Launterbrunner, Murren, Lake Thun, Jungfrajouch, Zermatt (Matterhorn), Glacier 3000.

Can one go to Bern on a day trip from Interlaken? Should we skip Glacier 3000? we are keen on doing the husky rides and is it available anywhere else closer to Interlaken so we could avoid the trip to Glacier 3000?

11-14 Lucerne: Mt Pilatus, Mt Titlis, Swiss Transport Musuem, Mt Rigi

The attempt is to try doing what all visitors to Switzerland but at a slower pace.

thanks a lot and look forward to your advise

I think doing Jungfraujoch, Titlis, Pilatus, Rigi is too much. Out of the 3 last ones, I would do max. two, if you only do one you won't miss much.
The Jungfraujoch is a very long ride from Interlaken but it's worth it.

You can definitely go to Bern on a day trip from Interlaken.

By the way, Appenzell is also a very nice region.

Thanks special_k6

Zurich - Rapperswil: go one way by boat. For the other way, take the train via Einsiedeln (famous baroque monastery): Rapperswil - Biberbrugg - Einsiedeln - Waedenswil - Zurich.

As far as I know, the Lindt and Sprungli chocolate factory cannot be visited, only the factory chocolate shop. If you want to visit a chocolate factory, you must go to Gruyeres/Broc (Cailler).

You may combine Ballenberg with Aar Gorge and/or Lake Brienz steamboat.

The Jungfraujoch trip will cost you a lot with the Swiss Pass, as you will get only 25 per cent reduction. Zermatt - Gornergrat would be the better and cheaper solution. But it seems that money is no issue for you.

There is nothing to see at Lauterbrunnen (unless you want to visit Trummelbach Falls); Grindelwald would be a better solution.

Bern is just 47 min by train from Interlaken (trains every 30 minutes).

As far as I know, there are no husky rides in May, neither at Glacier 3000 nor elsewhere in Switzerland.

SWiTZERLAND WITH CHILDREN

Check the Swiss Travel System Family Card
The Swiss Travel System Family Card is issued at no cost to parents who wish to take along their children under the age of 16 at no cost. Please note that at least one parent has to travel with the child/ren.

Some ideas:

historic steamboats on Lake Geneva:
http://www.cgn.ch/horaires/pdf/AffA2-ete-10.pdf
http://www.cgn.ch/eng/flotte

Swiss Vapeur Park Le Bouveret:
http://www.swissvapeur.ch/en/index.php

Signal de Bougy:
http://www.parc-aventure.ch/Signal-de-Bougy/
http://www.signaldebougy.ch/

Blonay-Chamby historic railway:
http://www.blonay-chamby.ch/index-en.php

Chillon castle:
http://www.chillon.ch/en/

Gruyeres castle, cheese diary and chocolate factory:
http://www.chateau-gruyeres.ch/e/multimedia/spectacle.html
http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/navpage-ExcursionsFR-HistSitesFR-120085.html
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=142&Itemid=56
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=142&Itemid=56

Chatelard-Emosson (Mont Blanc area):
http://www.chatelard.net/english/pages/descr_e.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emosson
http://www.emosson.ch/PublicEN/default-en.htm

Zermatt-Gornergrat:
http://www.gornergrat.ch/home/index.php
http://www.klein-matterhorn.ch/photos/
http://www.zermatt.ch/en/index.cfm

Entirely walled city of Murten:
http://www.murtentourismus.ch/en/navpage-DestinationsFR-MurtenFR-99305.html
http://www.murtentourismus.ch/en/navpage_list-DestinationsFR-MurtenFR.html

Medieval city of Bern:
http://www.berninfo.com/en/page.cfm/Information
http://www.kleinbahn-gurten.ch/

Swiss Village Park Ballenberg:
http://ballenberg.ch/en/Welcome

Lugano and Swissminiatur:
http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/en/291/default.aspx
http://www.swissminiatur.ch/

Seewen in the Jura close to Basel:
http://www.bundesmuseen.ch/musikautomaten/index.html?lang=en

Rapperswil:
http://www.zuerichsee.ch/en/page.cfm/ExperiencesRZ/FamilyDRZ/1230
http://www.knieskinderzoo.ch/
http://www.zuerichsee.ch/en/page.cfm/SightsRZ
http://www.zuerich.com/en/page.cfm/region_zuerich/region_zuerich_x

Rhine Falls Adventure Park
http://www.rheinfall.ch/Attraktionen/Adventure-Park?lang=en-US

Furka steam train
http://www.furka-bergstrecke.ch/eng/train/timetable.php

You may have a look at
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/interests/family.html
http://www.takethefamily.com/where/switzerland-family-holidays-and-breaks
http://www.eparenting.co.uk/family_holidays_europe/switzerland.shtml
http://www.reka.ch/en/rekaferien/Pages/default.aspx
http://littletravellers.com/destinations/areas/europe/family-holiday-switzerland/

Thanks Neckervd. The links you have sent are very helpful. My son is so excited about Ballenberg Musuem, Swiss Transport Musuem and Rhine Falls.
Love the idea of doing the Rapperswil on the route you mentioned. Guess we should be able to return back from Rapperswil by late afternoon? All of us are morning risers and love to start our day early.

As suggested by you we are doing Grindelwald instead of Lauterbruner. Have managed to see 50% of the links and am working on the final list of things to do.

We would love to go to Lugano but seems it looks like a long distance from Interlaken and seems a bit hectic...do let me know your view?

Many thanks once again...

Visit Lugano from either Zurich or Lucerne: 2 1/2 hrs by train, trains every hour.

Thanks Neckervd. All set to visit Switzerland. Had one query on travel cards: do most places in Switzerland accept payment through travel cards which are in CHF?