Driving Holiday in Switzerland

Just two remarks only since I sit on a train and have to get off in a moment: Alpine passes are all open in Summer. Mind you about Zermatt, you can't drive up there, you have to leave your car down in Täsch and pay for the parking, then take the train up to Zermatt.

Have a good drive in Willy Tell's own country! You're intending to do a pretty smart itinerary!

All roads in the Swiss Alps are open at least from June to October.

Some remarks conerning your itinerary:

Day 1:
Chamonix isn't too bad, Argentiere and Montroc are somewhat nicer, but if you want to enjoy fully the alpine panorama, go either by cablecar from Chamonix to Brevent, Flegere or Aiguille du Midi (3800m) or leave the main road about 2 km after the border and drive to Finhaut - Col de la Gueulaz. Count at least 2 to 3 hrs for one of these side trips.
Martigny is a charming small town with excvations from roman Octodurum, worth o short 1 hr visit.
Sion, has a small medieval city centre, an old castle at Tourbillon hill and an old church with the oldest playable organ of Europe as well as the Historic Museum of Valais at the Valeria hill.
http://www.ueliraz.ch/2004/tourbillon.htm
Count at least 3 hrs for the visit of all that.
The highway between Sion and Sierre is rather boring. A good local road through the mountain villages of Ayent, Icogne and Lens to Crans-Montana is much more interesting. Drive up to Plans Mayens (1626 m, Restaurant) and you will enjoy a splendid view to Mont Blanc, Grand Combin, Matterhorn, Weisshorn, Monte Leone...
This side trip lasts 2 to 3 hrs.
If you are interested in the largest alpine thermal spa of Europe (the water comes out of the mountain at a temperature of about 40 degrees centigrade/105 degrees Fahrenheit), drive from Sierre through the wineyards to Varen and then via Rumeling to Leukerbad.
http://www.burgerbad.ch/en/welcome.cfm?
Continue then to Albinen - Leuk (enter the center of this small medieval place) - Susten where you reach again the main road. This sidetrip will take another 2 to 3 hrs.
Another highly recommended roundtrip would leave you in the Val d'Anniviers: HIghway exit Sierre Ouest - Chalais - Vercorin - Grimentz - Zinal - Ayer - St-Luc - Vissoie - Highway exit Sierre Est. Count a whole day for this excursion (with a chairlift ride to Bendolla and a cablecar ride to Tignousa).
http://www.sierre-anniviers.ch/en/Place/
Conclusion: Geneva - Chamonix - Zermatt (resp Taesch parking) in 1 day is possible but certainly not a good solution.

Day 3:
Stop over at Brig and visit the Stockalper Palace. Count 1 hr
http://www.brig-belalp.ch/service/webcam/brig.php
A drive from Brig to Ried Moerel and a cableway ride to Riederalp West - Hohfluh would be highly recommended: stunning views over Aletsch Glacier, the longest glacier of Europe. Ecomuseum Riederfurka: http://www.pronatura.ch/aletsch/index.php?lang=2
Count at least 3 hrs for that
Stop at Simplonpass and walk in 10 minutes to scenic Hobschusee (mountain lake).
You may use the highway from Varzo up to the exit of Gravellona. Drive then to Omegna and along Lake Orta to Orta and take a boat to the Island of San Giulio: http://www.orta.net/eng1/isolasgiulioe.htm
Continue through the villages of Armeno and Gignese (there you will find the only Umbrella Museum of Europe) to Stresa. An boat trip from Stresa to Isola Bella (castle, famous botanical gardens with tropical plants) is a must. Drive then to scenic Pallanza (enter the small historic center on foot) and Intra, where you take a car ferry to Laveno. Continue then, still along beautiful Lake Maggiore to Luino - Cremenaga - Ponte Tresa Lavena and along Lake Lugano to Brusimpiano - Porto Ceresio - Brusino - Poiana - Riva San Vitale (visit the old frescoes in the Battistero) http://lugano.arounder.com/en/churches/churches/riva-san-vitale-battistero.html
May be you enjoy a cog railway ride from there to Monte Generoso (1700m, panorama to the Alps from Mont Blanc up to Ortler from the South). Cross then Lake Lugano on a dam and visit Swissminiatur
http://www.swissminiatur.ch/#!__inglese
A few minutes later you will arrive at Lugano, the economic and touristic center of Southern Switzerland. Visit the famous Angioli Church
http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/it/85/chiesa-santa-maria-degli-angioli.aspx?idActivity=51&idMod=164
Continue then, still along Lake Lugano to Gandria
http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/en/306/gandria.aspx?idActivity=818&idMod=842 and then to Porlezza and Menaggio (Lake Como)
This itinerary from Taesch (Zermatt) to Lake Como will take 2 to 3 days.

If you would continue in this manner, you would need at least 2 full weeks for your trip. You can of course do all in 1 week, but then you will spend most of your time in a car and bypass a lot of scenic places.

I suggest to go slowly up to Lugano and then by highway to Airolo and via Nufenenpass - Grimselpass to Brienz and on the highway from there to Bern - Geneva. Forget Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen; after Chamonix and Zermatt, it will bring you nothing more.

Hi A-P and Neckervd,

Thanks for your replies, your comments have been extremely helpful. I like the look of the itinerary for the way down to Lugano so will be incorporating a fair bit of the off motorway stuff you suggested into our trip.

I hope I can pick your brains a bit more on the trip back up to Brienz/ Luzern area. We were originally thinking of doing a loop via Chur (possibly picking up some back roads from St Moritz) and then route 19 to include Oberalp Pass to Grimselpass as we thought the route from Chur to Andermatt roughly followed the Glacier Express which is supposed to be pretty spectacular. Is this correct and would this be a nicer drive than Airolo via Nufenenpass through to Grimselpass?

Also, I appreciate your comments about Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen and wanted to check your thoughts on whether Luzern is worth a visit (I am fascinated by the covered bridge and it isn't too far from Brienz)?

Once again thanks for your comments.

Cheers

Gavin

Interlaken & Lucerne: THE biggest tourist traps in Switzerland! Expect zillions of Japs, Yanks, Chinese and Russians to block the streets. Parking is a nightmare, to say the least. Additionally, consider Interlaken to be nothing more than a big train hub. If it's that what you're after... Lauterbrunnen is a shady hole, leave the car there and go to the villages above (Wengen or Mürren, however only to be reached by cog railway or cablecar) or drive up to Grindelwald which is just around the corner.

Brienz is 53 km from Lucerne, on the other side of Brünig pass. Some more winding roads ;-)

Describe your loop a little clearer, please (like: A - B - C - D) so that we can comment on it. Don't mention road numbers, with the exception of some motorway numbers, no one knows or uses them in Switzerland.

In my eyes, the most scenic legs of Glacier Express are
St. Moritz - Bravuogn - Tiefencastel/Casti - Schyn Gorge - Thusis, Versam- Ruinaulta Gorge - Ilanz, Tschamut - Oberalpsee, Ulrichen - Brig, Visp - Zermatt. But Nufenenpass and Grimselpass are not less scenic.

You have just not enough time for a decent visit of all the places you mention. You can't see the best things just from the window of your car. You must make some detours, do some short walks to view points, gorges, castles, medieval churches full of frescoes, etc. Otherwise your trip doesn't make much sense.

Do either Geneva - Chamonix - Zermatt - Lugano - Bern - Geneva
or Geneva - motorway - Lugano - St. Moritz/Engadin - Oberalp - Grimsel - Lucerne etc. - Brienz - Bern - Geneva.

Hi A_P and Neckervd
Thanks again for your comments and suggestions for my trip to Switzerland. Have attached the draft itinerary and wanted to get your thoughts on any must sees that I may have missed out on my planned route.
Have a couple of long-ish driving days in here but unfortunately we are time limited. Have two very young children so any suggestions of very short hikes, cable car rides, boat trips etc are all greatly appreciated.

Day 1: Geneva –Chamonix- Tasch (245km)

Chamonix is just a flying visit, probably looking at an hour wandering around town – did a ski season here 10 years ago and just wanted to show the kids where mum and dad used to live.
Dependent on time we will take Neckervd’s suggestion of the local road through the mountain villages of Ayent, Icogne and Lens to Crans-Montana. Also drive up to Plans Mayens if time permits.

Day 2: Tasch – Zermatt – Tasch

Take a cable car ride up either Gornergrat or Klein Matterhorn. Do you recommend one over the other? From my reading Gornergrat is more spectacular – both in terms of views and getting there? My kids haven’t seen snow before though so it would be good if they can have a bit of a play around in it. So would this point towards Klein Matterhorn?

Day 3: Tasch – Brig – Simplonpass - Lago D’Orta – Stresa (210km)

Visit the Stockalper Palace.
Drive from Brig to Ried Moerel and a cableway ride to Riederalp West – Hohfluh.
Stop at Simplonpass and walk in 10 minutes to scenic Hopschusee (mountain lake)
Lake Orta to Orta and take a boat to the Island of San Giulio
This will be a pretty long day so in your opinion which is nicer the Island of San Giulio or Stockalper Palace? Also would you go to Island of San Giulio over Isola Bella?

Day 4: Stresa – Intra – Laveno –Como - Malgate. (145km)

Trip to Isola Bella (either today or yesterday)
Follow Neckervds route along Lake Maggiore to Riva San Vitale.
Dependent upon time do cog railway to Monte Generoso then on to Malgrate via Como. Alternate would be to drive around south side of Lake Como via Bellagio to Malgrate. If really struggling then head straight to Malgrate.

Day 5: Malgate – Como – west Side of Lake Como to Argegno – Porlezza – Lugano – Malgate (177km)

Aim today is to do cog railway and drive along west side of lake if we don’t get to do it the day before as well as other planned itinerary.
Options for drive:
Argegno via San Fedele Intelvi – Porlezza or Argegno via Menaggio – Porlezza
Do you have any comments on whether it is better to stay beside Lake Como or head inland? Also would it be better to see the Lake via boat or via car driving around.
Visit Swissminiatur
Day 6: Malgate – East Side Lake Como – Chiavenna - St Moritz – Bivio (124km)Plan today is to spend some time around St Moritz after driving up from Lake Como. If we don’t get to tick off everything around the Lakes would we be better to stay here and miss St Moritz?
Bivio is just a stop off (only accommodation under $350 we could find).
Day 7: Bivio – Chur – Oberalps pass – grimselpass – Brienz (250km)
Day 8: Brienz to Geneva via Chataeu Chillion (256km)Thanks for your comments.

Cheers
Gavin