Take a Vacation

[Bo Diddley]

Man I'm glad we got our Puerto Vallarta trip out of our system last month!

Yeah, crazy times down there. There's a lot I'd like to see in Mexico some day, but the security situation just seems to get worse.

We're taking a couple grandkids on a cruise to Mexico this summer. Just 8 hours or so in Encenada, but we will only be spending time on the beach next to the port.

[RC Vikings]

Okay CS, going to Switzerland next week and I have a fair idea what we are doing but I'd like to hear from this group. This is our first time there. So 1 night in Zurich, 2 in Lucerne, 3 in Lauterbrunnen, 1 in Zermatt, 1 Geneva and then two days in France watching the Alp d Huez stages. Eating up a bunch of points that I had accumulated from work.

[Moliere]

Okay CS, going to Switzerland next week and I have a fair idea what we are doing but I'd like to hear from this group. This is our first time there. So 1 night in Zurich, 2 in Lucerne, 3 in Lauterbrunnen, 1 in Zermatt, 1 Geneva and then two days in France watching the Alp d Huez stages. Eating up a bunch of points that I had accumulated from work.

Totally jealous that you get to see the Alp d'huez stages. That's a bucket list item for me but it'll have to wait until I get out of accounting.

My thoughts are below:

Zurich: Meh, not that great of a European town so 1 night is enough. The old town is walkable and there's some churches and other things to see but I found it a bit forgettable after a long vacation between Italy and Switzerland

Lucerne: Never been there but would like to visit some day

Lauterbrunnen: Truly magical. Hopefully you have a rental car. Although not absolutely needed, it's nice to have to get around in between Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen. Going up the gondolas to Schilhorn is a great way to spend the day if the weather is nice and the clouds are sparse. The view from up there is incredible and the restaurant is fun to eat in as it turns slowly while you sit and eat. It takes four gondolas to get to the top and four to get down, however, if you like to hike you can skip any gondola and hike down as far as you want by either hiking all the way down or hiking to the next gondola. I haven't been to the top of Jungfrau (we chose Schilthorn instead) but I've heard it's also worth the visit. It's a train that goes through the mountain and ends near the top of the summit. Visit Wengen or Murren. You could actually stay in Murren but you'll be at the mercy of the gondolas. We did paragliding in Interlaken, which I'd highly recommend. There are plenty of companies that do it and it's a perfect spot as you take off from the mountain north of the city and land in a grass field in the center of town. If the weather is bad, there's also some caves (St. Beatus caves) that I visited one day when we had a storm rolling in. It wasn't any more spectacular than the Timp caves but it was fun and out of the weather. FYI, during high tourist season it can be tough to get a table at a decent restaurant around town so if you want to sit and eat at a nice place make a reservation.

Zermatt: Probably my favorite town in all of Switzerland. Cars are not allowed so if you have a rental you'll leave it in the town before Zermatt and take the train in. My hotel had a view of the Matterhorn and I probably have 50 pictures of just the Matterhorn, it's so cool to see. You can take the gondola to the top of the mountain (can't remember the name of it) and they have some ice sculptures in the mountain you can tour. I think you can also ski year round except the run in the summer is probably not great for someone from Utah/Idaho. We took the gondola down but skipped the last leg and hiked from that gondola station down to Zermatt. On the way we ran into a couple bridges and adult playground, which we fun. I hope you have good and clear weather for Zermatt since the scenery is incredible.

Let us know how to spot you in the crowd at Alpe d'huez. The route looks like fun so I'll watch each of the climbs.

[RC Vikings]

Totally jealous that you get to see the Alp d'huez stages. That's a bucket list item for me but it'll have to wait until I get out of accounting.

My thoughts are below:

Zurich: Meh, not that great of a European town so 1 night is enough. The old town is walkable and there's some churches and other things to see but I found it a bit forgettable after a long vacation between Italy and Switzerland

Lucerne: Never been there but would like to visit some day

Lauterbrunnen: Truly magical. Hopefully you have a rental car. Although not absolutely needed, it's nice to have to get around in between Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen. Going up the gondolas to Schilhorn is a great way to spend the day if the weather is nice and the clouds are sparse. The view from up there is incredible and the restaurant is fun to eat in as it turns slowly while you sit and eat. It takes four gondolas to get to the top and four to get down, however, if you like to hike you can skip any gondola and hike down as far as you want by either hiking all the way down or hiking to the next gondola. I haven't been to the top of Jungfrau (we chose Schilthorn instead) but I've heard it's also worth the visit. It's a train that goes through the mountain and ends near the top of the summit. Visit Wengen or Murren. You could actually stay in Murren but you'll be at the mercy of the gondolas. We did paragliding in Interlaken, which I'd highly recommend. There are plenty of companies that do it and it's a perfect spot as you take off from the mountain north of the city and land in a grass field in the center of town. If the weather is bad, there's also some caves (St. Beatus caves) that I visited one day when we had a storm rolling in. It wasn't any more spectacular than the Timp caves but it was fun and out of the weather. FYI, during high tourist season it can be tough to get a table at a decent restaurant around town so if you want to sit and eat at a nice place make a reservation.

Zermatt: Probably my favorite town in all of Switzerland. Cars are not allowed so if you have a rental you'll leave it in the town before Zermatt and take the train in. My hotel had a view of the Matterhorn and I probably have 50 pictures of just the Matterhorn, it's so cool to see. You can take the gondola to the top of the mountain (can't remember the name of it) and they have some ice sculptures in the mountain you can tour. I think you can also ski year round except the run in the summer is probably not great for someone from Utah/Idaho. We took the gondola down but skipped the last leg and hiked from that gondola station down to Zermatt. On the way we ran into a couple bridges and adult playground, which we fun. I hope you have good and clear weather for Zermatt since the scenery is incredible.

Let us know how to spot you in the crowd at Alpe d'huez. The route looks like fun so I'll watch each of the climbs.

Thanks, that's what I was looking for. I'm still searching for my tour gear, maybe a big Idaho Potato costume.

[BigFatMeanie]

Lucerne:

Definitely walk across the chapel bridge and walk along the ramparts/town wall.

Skip the lion memorial - pretty boring IMO; however, there isnt a ton to do in Lucerne historic area proper so you might be looking to kill time.

There is a little funicular that takes you up to a chateau which is now a hotel, I think it’s Chateau Geutsch? https://www.chateau-guetsch.ch/ Nice little view from the top and you can explore around the chateau/hotel a bit.

But the main thing people do in Lucerne is the famous “Golden Round Trip” to Mount Pilatus when the weather cooperates (I doubt you’ll have any problems in July)

https://pilatus.ch/en/railway-cableways/tickets/golden-round-trip

[BigFatMeanie]

Food in Switzerland is surprisingly expensive. Definitely eat fondue and raclette (but probably not at the same meal - lots of cheese). I also like the doner kebab stands/shops run by immigrants in the markets or near the train stations.

[Bo Diddley]

Man I want to get to Switzerland soon. We had a September trip lined up a few years ago that we cancelled due to some drama with one of our kids.

What do you think is the best month to visit? I'm leaning towards early May.

[BigPiney]

Man I want to get to Switzerland soon. We had a September trip lined up a few years ago that we cancelled due to some drama with one of our kids.

What do you think is the best month to visit? I'm leaning towards early May.

I've been in June and July and it was perfect both times. July did have more thunderstorms.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Sounds like a great trip. Wish I could be your tour guide as we were there two years ago and had a superb time. Although I’ve rented a car many times in Europe and have driven many thousands of miles there, I didn’t rent a car in Switzerland as the trains are great, not too pricey, and save a lot of hassle as many places, most notably Zermatt, are inaccessible or at least very inconvenient for cars. You should probably get a Swiss train/travel pass so you won’t have to bother with buying tickets and you can save a few bucks.

Switzerland isn’t cheap, but you’ll soon recognize that it’s very much worth the cost so don’t let the expense spoil what will be an outstanding experience. A few thoughts from our last visit:

Zurich—I’ve been through there multiple times, including a couple of overnight stays but I can’t think of anything memorable.

Lucerne—Agreed about the dumb Lion memorial but also recommend the Golden Round Trip, including a lake cruise, the cogwheel train to the top of Mt. Pilatus, and the gondola back down. If the weather’s good it’s a great day.

Zermatt—the town’s fun to walk around in, but the best parts are the gondola or train rides up to the peaks near the Matterhorn. There are lots of great hikes with varying degrees of difficulty but all with outstanding views. We took a tram up to the Glacier Paradise and cave (just under 13,000 feet above sea level) as a test for our then upcoming trip to Tibet—we noticed the thinner air but handled it without an issue.

Lauterbrunnen—Never went to Jungfrau as experienced travelers told us that too many tourists make it unpleasant. Instead, we, too, went to Schilthorn and walked in and around the Piz Gloria, the bad guy’s lair in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (an underrated Bond film), dined in the revolving restaurant, and marveled at the spectacular views. We stayed in Murren (you’ll pass through it on the way from Lauterbrunn to Schilthorn) and did a few great hikes. This was when, unbeknownst to us, Mrs. PAC’s ALS was already underway. But we’re thankful it wasn’t knownst as we engaged in a lot of physically activities without a problem or concern. Grindelwald is another cool town with some fun attractions.

I’ll send you a link to Mrs. PAC’s book that includes photos and summaries of the foregoing and a lot more. Take your Didi costume. I’m sure you’ll have a gute Fahrt.

[Moliere]

Food in Switzerland is surprisingly expensive. Definitely eat fondue and raclette (but probably not at the same meal - lots of cheese). I also like the doner kebab stands/shops run by immigrants in the markets or near the train stations.

Agreed on all of this, including the kebabs. Rosti is also a traditional Swiss dish that I’d recommend. You can also find a good schnitzel pretty much anywhere.

[Clark Addison]

Ha. I had completely forgotten the lion memorial until you guys mentioned it. We walked 45 minutes to get there and were like "wtf is this?"

In Lucerne we didn't go the golden round trip but one evening we took a boat to the funicular, didn't eat at the hotel it went to, but walked down the road maybe half a mile or a little more and ate at another hotel. The food was very expensive, good but not great, but the view was the best I have ever had while eating :-P, on an outside dining room overlooking the lake. I enjoyed it.

[Moliere]

[FONT=Arial]Sounds like a great trip. Wish I could be your tour guide as we were there two years ago and had a superb time. Although I’ve rented a car many times in Europe and have driven many thousands of miles there, I didn’t rent a car in Switzerland as the trains are great, not too pricey, and save a lot of hassle as many places, most notably Zermatt, are inaccessible or at least very inconvenient for cars. You should probably get a Swiss train/travel pass so you won’t have to bother with buying tickets and you can save a few bucks.

While I don't disagree with the fact you can do Switzerland by train, it really depends on what you have planned. The larger cities (Zurich, Lucerne, etc.) can be a hassle to finding parking and they can easily be done without a car, in fact, you would likely be better off without a car in those areas as the car will just sit in a parking space. Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen are a bit different in that there is ample parking and there's a lot to do outside those towns where having a car is nice. Also, the drive up the canyon to Lauterbrunnen is beautiful and easily accessible by train but we enjoyed having a car so we could stop at places along the way and take photos. I've gone up that canyon several times by train and by car and I'd prefer a car since there's also a large parking lot right by the start of the gondolas. I also really like the drive from Appenzell to Interlaken and the ability to stop at places along the way. We also stopped in Zollikoffen to see the temple, which is not easily accessible by public transportation. Taking the train from Lauterbrunnen to Zermatt is also a bit difficult as you'll need to take at least three trains IIRC. I remember there being a large parking structure in the town just before Zermatt where the tourists would park their cars and then take the short train ride into Zermatt. So you can do it either way, but I think once you are leaving Lucerne a car would be beneficial. You definitely want a car for getting to Alpe d'huez and being around that area as public transportation really gets thin in the French countryside...of course you could always just use a bike

[PaloAltoCougar]

While I don't disagree with the fact you can do Switzerland by train, it really depends on what you have planned. The larger cities (Zurich, Lucerne, etc.) can be a hassle to finding parking and they can easily be done without a car, in fact, you would likely be better off without a car in those areas as the car will just sit in a parking space. Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen are a bit different in that there is ample parking and there's a lot to do outside those towns where having a car is nice. Also, the drive up the canyon to Lauterbrunnen is beautiful and easily accessible by train but we enjoyed having a car so we could stop at places along the way and take photos. I've gone up that canyon several times by train and by car and I'd prefer a car since there's also a large parking lot right by the start of the gondolas. I also really like the drive from Appenzell to Interlaken and the ability to stop at places along the way. We also stopped in Zollikoffen to see the temple, which is not easily accessible by public transportation. Taking the train from Lauterbrunnen to Zermatt is also a bit difficult as you'll need to take at least three trains IIRC. I remember there being a large parking structure in the town just before Zermatt where the tourists would park their cars and then take the short train ride into Zermatt. So you can do it either way, but I think once you are leaving Lucerne a car would be beneficial. You definitely want a car for getting to Alpe d'huez and being around that area as public transportation really gets thin in the French countryside...of course you could always just use a bike

True about the Zermatt to Lauterbrunnen train transfers--we did that plus one more transfer from Lauterbrunnen up to Murren. but it was manageable, if a bit awkward.

[Moliere]

Man I want to get to Switzerland soon. We had a September trip lined up a few years ago that we cancelled due to some drama with one of our kids.

What do you think is the best month to visit? I'm leaning towards early May.

My favorite time was in May, but September was nice as well. In May, the spring runoff makes some incredible sights in the Lauterbrunnen valley as there are about a half dozen waterfalls coming off the cliffs as you go up the canyon.

[tooblue]

My favorite time was in May, but September was nice as well. In May, the spring runoff makes some incredible sights in the Lauterbrunnen valley as there are about a half dozen waterfalls coming off the cliffs as you go up the canyon.

We have close friends who live near Basel. We have never been in the fall, but we have been in May and June, and absolutely loved that time of year for Switzerland and Northern Italy.