Trip to Switzerland

[blando]

My wife and I are planning a trip to Switzerland in July, to visit some friends working over there. We'll be gone for 8 days including 2 for travel. Would love to be there longer, but with two boys (2 and 4), we don't want to be away for longer. They'll have fun with the grandparents, but still.

We're planning on getting away for a couple days just the two of us, and then the 4 of us (including our hosts) are probably going to go somewhere for the weekend.

It seems like there are lots of world travelers on here. Anyone have any must see spots within a short train ride from Zurich? We're having a tough time trying to figure out where we want to go.

Thanks...

 

[mplscyclone]

My wife and I are planning a trip to Switzerland in July, to visit some friends working over there. We'll be gone for 8 days including 2 for travel. Would love to be there longer, but with two boys (2 and 4), we don't want to be away for longer. They'll have fun with the grandparents, but still.

We're planning on getting away for a couple days just the two of us, and then the 4 of us (including our hosts) are probably going to go somewhere for the weekend.

It seems like there are lots of world travelers on here. Anyone have any must see spots within a short train ride from Zurich? We're having a tough time trying to figure out where we want to go.

Thanks...

In general, what do you like doing? What sorts of things interest you?

 

[blando]

In general, what do you like doing? What sorts of things interest you?

Stuff. :smile:

That's the thing. We've never really been travelers, but we're open to suggestions, I guess. Nothing too adventurous, no mountain climbing. If you have a place you visited or something you did over there, I'd love to hear it. We really are open to suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[Bobber]

Interlaken which is a series of lakes I don't believe is far from Zurich. Absolutely beautiful place. I think you can take some ferry rides from town to town. Visit some of the towns along the lake as well as up in the hills.

I loved everything in Switzerland except for the it's relatively high cost.

 

[ISUonthemove]

If you don't mind, how much are you planning on spending on airfare and hotels? My wife and I have started talking about taking a trip to Europe (or possibly Australia) and Switzerland would be a possibility.

 

[wartknight]

Not sure how much you are into geneology and if your relatives are from there, but I enjoyed visiting several family sites during my time in Germany and England. I have not been to Switzerland but I have cousins there from the part of the family that never left

 

[wartknight]

You are about 7 hours from Berlin which is worth it, and 4 hours from Salzburg which is a beautiful city (also score points with your wife if she likes "Sound of Music" and you can see a lot of where that movie was filmed there). A trip to Salzburg will take you through Munich and there is plenty of things to do there as well.

 

[wartknight]

Reliving the memories now. Praque was awesom and is a doable day trip.
Auschwitz is an extremely emotional tour, but is over 10 hours away.

 

[wartknight]

If you do go into Deutschland, you will see hookers just set up right along the road as you head into the country.

 

[Bobber]

You are about 7 hours from Berlin which is worth it, and 4 hours from Salzburg which is a beautiful city (also score points with your wife if she likes "Sound of Music" and you can see a lot of where that movie was filmed there). A trip to Salzburg will take you through Munich and there is plenty of things to do there as well.

Salzburg is probably my favorite small city in Europe. The old town area is fantastic and you have the castle on the mountain.

Paris is my favorite big city.

There are so many great place to go over there. I lived in Europe a year, have been back twice and still havent seen a 1/4 of what I'd like to.

 

[wartknight]

Salzburg is probably my favorite small city in Europe. The old town area is fantastic and you have the castle on the mountain.

Paris is my favorite big city.

There are so many great place to go over there. I lived in Europe a year, have been back twice and still havent seen a 1/4 of what I'd like to.

You've been there a lot more than I have.
3 seperate trips.
2 were for 10 days
another for 5 weeks.
Lots of fun and can't wait to go back. Would like to go for a couple weeks and spend a few days in London before heading back to Rome. Absolutely loved Rome. Would like to spend some more time in Prague as well.

 

[lmsoup]

This cathedral in Strasbourg, France is unbelievable to see in person. The rest of the city is lined with flowers. There is a canal that circles downtown; it has a boat tour with audio in English. Very cool town.

A train ride to Milan, Italy is close as well. The view on the way is stunning. I love the Duomo in downtown Milan as well as the shopping your wife would love.

http://www.bornemania.com/civ/gothic_architecture/strasbourg-ariel-view.jpg

 

[Bobber]

You've been there a lot more than I have.
3 seperate trips.
2 were for 10 days
another for 5 weeks.
Lots of fun and can't wait to go back. Would like to go for a couple weeks and spend a few days in London before heading back to Rome. Absolutely loved Rome. Would like to spend some more time in Prague as well.

I never cared for London much. The Brits are way too stiff.

Never been to Rome or Italy. Do regret that.

I love all the German speaking countries. Wonderful people, especially if you go to the effort to learn German(which I did). They work hard, keep it really clean and are fairly tolerant.

Belgium was nice. I've never had much luck with the Netherlands(however did have a Dutchman buy me a stine of beer in the Hauf Brau Hos, for letting him sit at our table.:smile

I've had some really good experiences in France. True they don't like to speak English, but if you're polite they do return the favor.

Prague is a wonderful town and would beat Salzburg for me it it hadnt' been so dirty(a lot of which I think is left over from Soviet occupation) Extremely cheap place to visit when I was there in the 90's.

I could go on and on. Travel now if you don't have a famiy yet. It gets a lot tougher after kids come along....:dull:

 

[CyPlainsDrifter]

My wife is Swiss and she has a lot of family there, although most are in the French region, so I don't know much about the Zurich area. We have been there and I LOVE Switzerland and could spend the rest of my days there. I highly recommend you just get out to the small villages, visit some wine makers and merchants, eat in out of the way places, etc.....

It's a ways away (although Switzerland is tiny and getting across it is quick), but I would recommend getting down to Gruyere and visit both the cheese factory and also the original old town and Chateau (have a cheese fondue there). If you have time go on down to Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) and visit the Chateau de Chillon. Another great place to go is the dual castles at Sion.

One other thing, find somewhere to get an authentic Raclette meal while you're there.

Like I said, I spent most of my time in the French region.

 

[jaretac]

Be careful of black holes

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH2Ceu6COq8]YouTube - Large Hadron Collider RAP - LHC at CERN Brilliant![/ame]

 

[Clone9]

I went skiing in the alps and it was incredible. Clearly you won't be able to do that, so I would recommend checking out lake geneva. It is a beautiful place. I really enjoyed Lausanne, just checking out the city and going to the Olympic museum.

We stayed in a little ski village called Crans sur Sierre, and it was amazing. They have an amazing golf course there as well that has been highly ranked by some magazines and such.

To this day, Switzerland is my favorite place that I have been. I'm very jealous.n

 

[Bobber]

I went skiing in the alps and it was incredible. Clearly you won't be able to do that, so I would recommend checking out lake geneva. It is a beautiful place. I really enjoyed Lausanne, just checking out the city and going to the Olympic museum. .n

Little off topic, but was in Winterpark, Colorado skiing in February and rode up a lift with a European. He told me sking in Colorado is way better than the Alps. The snow is much better(less granular and icy) and the people are more polite here.

 

[jaretac]

Little off topic, but was in Winterpark, Colorado skiing in February and rode up a lift with a European. He told me sking in Colorado is way better than the Alps. The snow is much better(less granular and icy) and the people are more polite here.

I used to ski with a exchange student from Denmark, in Washington. He always said the same thing. Some of the ski hills were not quite as good in Washington, but he said the snow was better.

 

[Phaedrus]

First off, Zurich sucks, as a city. Unless your annual net income is 7 figure, there is not that much to do. 4 hours is way too long to dedicate to that city.

Go to Luzerne. Ride to the top of Pilatus mountain, but be prepared for some sticker shock. Ride the cog-wheel and take the ferry.

Walk around that cool little city, and enjoy it.

Just about everything else mentioned sounds good, too.

MrsPhaedrus is the Switzerland expert in this family, so I hope she chimes in.

 

[Clone9]

Little off topic, but was in Winterpark, Colorado skiing in February and rode up a lift with a European. He told me sking in Colorado is way better than the Alps. The snow is much better(less granular and icy) and the people are more polite here.

I was there early in the season, and only the top half of the mountain was open, making the skiing not so great. Overall I would agree that Colorado is better, although I'm not sure how great the place I went is relative to other places. I went to whistler a month or so ago, and I'd have to say that is the best skiing I have experienced.

Switzerland beats them all for beauty and best ski village. It was an actual town and not some pre-planned development.