8 Days 7 Night around Swis, Kind Suggestions

Most people visit Switzerland to enjoy the mountains. I suggest that you pick two places, maximum, especially with a child. For example, somewhere near Interlaken and somewhere near Lucerne. You choose, based on the places you'd like to see the most. But don't try to cram too much in. One and two nights stays can be tiring but I personally wouldn't base myself in Zurich.

The Swiss train system is the best I've ever encountered and I believe that it is not necessary to book. If you know your rough itinerary you can use sbb.ch/en to work out the train fares and then compare that with a pass such as the Swiss Pass or the Half Fare Card. Your child will travel either free with some passes or you can buy him a Junior Card for 30chf (with free travel after that). sbb.ch is also good to check route times. Sometimes places in Switzerland can seem close but there's a great mountain range in the way which means the journey can take a long time. e.g. Interlaken to Moritz.

If you don't have a credit card and don't want to get one, then I suggest purchasing a Travel Card (e.g. Travelex, Cash Passport) which can be loaded with CHF before you leave. Of course cash would be fine but there's always a risk if carrying large amounts of it. Travel cards can be used to purchase (like a credit card) or to withdraw from an ATM. They don't give you as good an exchange rate but, in my country at least, the fees are modest.

As for booking hotels on arrival, I've no recent experience on this but would guess that it would be best to pre-book, otherwise you risk only the expensive places being available, especially as rooms for three are less common.

Enjoy your holiday.

Theoretically it would be possible to visit all the places you mention in day trips from Zurich. But I would never do that, because you would spend a lot of time in trains and not so much at the places you wanted to visit. And you would have to start early in the morning and come back late in the night, may be not the best solution with a 6 year old child.

St. Moritz, Lucerne and Zermatt are fine places; Interlaken is a transport hub for day trips to the different mountain Valleys of Bernese Oberland.

You may go by train from Zurich airport (dp 8.13, 9.13 or 9.47) to St. Moritz (arrival 3 3/4 hrs later), relax there after your overnight flight and spend 2 nights there. Day 3 would be taken by the Glacier Express train ride (9.15 until 16.52, in October, it will get dark 2 hrs later). Day 4 and 5 should be spent at Zermatt, with a transfer from Zermatt to Interlaken in the evening (may be Zermatt dp 16.13 - Interlaken ar 18.28). Day 6 could be ussed for a Jungfraujoch trip (but onlly if the weather is fine) and day 7 for Lucerne and Titlils (again if the weather is fine enough).

I suppose you know that there are glaciers close to St. Moritz (Diavolezza, Morteratsch, etc.), that Gornergrat is in the middle of glaciers and that the pincipal attraction of Jungfraujoch and Titlils are glaciers too. May be it could be a good idea to skip either the mountain with the most expensive acces train (Jungfraujoch) or with the less spectacular glacier panorama (Titlis).

Note that the weather in the Alps is completely unpredictable. It may be sunny and fine and you will enjoy it or it may be so foggy (no view at all, resp only about 10 metres) cold and windy that it doesn't make sense to go to any mountain peak.

Switzerland means not only mountains. There are entirely walled medieval towns, a lot of castles and all kind of fine museums spread over the whole territory. May be you havw a look at http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html and the many links you will find there.

For rail passes consult http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/
Timetables and fares: http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en&HWAI=JS!ajax=yes!&
Hotels:
http://www.booking.com/
http://www.bnb.ch/
http://www.swissbackpackers.ch/
http://www.youthhostel.ch/home.html?&L=1

And as you are father of a young son, may be you are interested in the many atrtractions for kids (and not only for kids):

SWiTZERLAND WITH CHILDREN

As public transport is rather expensive in Switzerland, study carefully the sites about Swiss Pass, Swiss Flexipass and Swiss half fare card: http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/Tickets.16.0.html?&L=2#s_h_f_c

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/

Hi neckervd and Helen,

Thanks for taking the time for that list. That was of a great kick start for my info digging.

Worked out a little bit on the Train Fares, Came out as below,
Family card for the kid 0 CHF
Swiss Half Fare Card 220 CHF for 2 adults
Glacier Express  364 CHF for 2 adult and 1 child (with half fare card)
Mt Pilatus Trip 66 CHF for 2 adult + 1 child (with half fare card)
Mt Titlis Trip 110 CHF for 2 adult + 1 child (with half fare card)
Gornergrat 80 CHF for 2 adult + 1 child (with half fare card)
Gungfrau Still not able to get the rates (plz suggest accordingly)

Total Train Travel exp 840 CHF
Hotel per night 120 CHF
Food Cost per day 150 CHF

As advised by Hellen planning to take a travelex card, Just wondering whether i can use this card to book hotels.
However my brother is offering his card for the hotel bookings.

Advice required on booking the glacier express 3 days before at a train counter in Zurich. will i be able to get the seats at such short notice as i have been informed Oct is the School holidays for Swiss kids

Finally please advice if its fine to travel to the above places in mid October

Thanks in advance

"Glacier Express 364 CHF for 2 adult and 1 child (with half fare card)
Mt Pilatus Trip 66 CHF for 2 adult + 1 child (with half fare card)
Mt Titlis Trip 110 CHF for 2 adult + 1 child (with half fare card)
Gornergrat 80 CHF for 2 adult + 1 child (with half fare card)
Gungfrau Still not able to get the rates (plz suggest accordingly)"

From which starting point to which destination?
The Gornergrat fare seems to be from Zermatt. As to the other prices, I just cannot find out how you got them.
Anyway, if you arrive at a total of 840 CHF, the Swiss Pass would be more advantageous.

Glacier Express seat reservation 3 days prior to the departure is OK. Swiss school holidays have absolutely no influence to Glacier Express which is rather famous with travellers from abroad.

Glacier Express 364 CHF for 2 adult and 1 child (with half fare card) from Zermatt
Mt Pilatus Trip 66 CHF for 2 adult + 1 child (with half fare card) from Lucerene
Mt Titlis Trip 110 CHF for 2 adult + 1 child (with half fare card) from Lucerene
Gornergrat 80 CHF for 2 adult + 1 child (with half fare card) from Zermatt
Gungfrau Still not able to get the rates (plz suggest accordingly) from Lucerene

Hi any advice on Gungfrau trip

Thanks in advance

Our experience is that if you buy the half fare card, you will need to buy a card for junior (20chf when we were there but I believe now 30chf but still cheap).

Not an expert on the Glacier Express but I had the impression that there were ordinary trains that run those 'fancy' routes at a cheaper cost (probably without the polished windows). 364 chf is a lot of money so you might want to consider this. I'm not actually sure what is meant by the Glacier Express. Others might want to offer advice on this.

Do you mean Jungfrau? If so, try www.jungfraubahn.ch.

sbb.ch has tickets from Interlaken to Jungfrau at 53.80 chf per person with half fare card.

Train ticket prices per person with half fare card:

Zermatt - Gornergrat (round trip): 39 CHF
Lauterbrunnen - Jungfraujoch (round trip): 83 CHF
Glacier Express: Zermatt - St. Moritz, one way: 102 CHF
Lucerne - Alpnachstad - Pilatus - Kriens - Lucerne: 38 CHF

hi all,

I have got a pretty idea about the Train Fares, i was calculating for the food expenses as below:

Per day food ( Lunch+dinner ) 60 CHF/person .

Further i am planning to base at Lucerne for 4 nights 5 days with the following trips

1) Day 1 - airport to Luceren hotel, settle down, if possible around Luceren
2) Day 2 - Day trip to Mt Pilatus, if possible a lake tour in the evening
3) Day 3 - Day trip to Mt Titlis , back to room
4) Day 4 - Day trip to Gungfrau, back to room

Further on
Day 5 Lucrene to Zermatt via Interlaken(golden line), halt at Zermatt
Day 6 Zermatt to Mt Moritz via the Glacier Express, halt at Mt Moritz.
Day7 Zermatt to Paris.

any suggestions on the hotels at Lucerne, Mt Moritz and Zermatt.

Regards