Switzerland, a country known for beautiful views, cheese, chocolate, the Alps, and an efficient train system. My husband and I booked a ten day hiking trip in Switzerland for the summer of 2017. While it’s been almost a decade since our trip, I wanted to share our itinerary and accommodations to help others with planning.
Why Switzerland?
With breathtaking views of the Alps, incredible hikes and an underrated wine scene, the Alps is the perfect adventure vacation. The Swiss train pass makes it easy to see the country without having to rent a car.
Planning for Switzerland:
We bought the Lonely Planet Switzerland book to help with our travel planning. We booked nonstop flights from Dulles to Zurich for this trip.
After reading their sample itineraries, we settled on the following itinerary:
- 3 nights in Appenzell at Haus Lydia
- 2 nights in Luzern at Hotel Central Luzern
- 1 night in Lugano at Continental Parkhotel
- 2 nights in Zermatt
- 1 night in Berner Oberland
- 1 night in Zurich at Townhouse Boutique Hotel
When planning this trip, the complexity of the train lines means you need to be aware of train routes and switching lines so you make it to the correct destination. For example, it took several connections to make it from Lugano to Zermatt.
Experience in Switzerland:
Hiking in Switzerland is just as incredible as the pictures make it out to be. We did this trip before kids, so we loved stopping at shops in each town we were at to get bread, local cheese, salami and wine for our daily hikes. We would then pick a hike from the guide book and enjoy the local views.
Appenzell was the perfect first stop of the trip because the architecture is so quintessentially Swiss. We also saw locals in the streets playing the alphorn in traditional Swiss garb which was a fun way to start the trip.
From Appenzell we went to Luzern for more hiking. One perk of the rail pass is that it can also be used on boats. While in Luzern we used the pass to ride around the lake, and enjoy the scenery in a less strenuous way.
From Luzern we went to Lugano which is a beautiful lake town. While in Lugano we made a trip to the La Fattoria Moncucchetto winery to enjoy local Swiss wine. I wish I had had Vivino at that time to record what we drank :).
The train ride from Luzern to Zermatt was the most complex and beautiful part of the trip. The cog wheel trains were a breathtaking journey to the carless town of Zermatt.
From Zermatt we enjoyed more hiking in the Berner Oberland before going to Zurich for our flight home.
Lessons Learned:
- Trust the train schedule and don’t separate from your travel companions once on the train. We may have gotten separated when only one of us got off of the train while we waited for it to leave the station. This was before we had international cell phone plans so it was a fun 20 minute period.
- Learn all of the perks that come with the Swiss rail pass. Boats and other transit options can make for fun and at that point free activities!
- Spend several nights in Zermatt if you want the perfect view of the Matterhorn. It can get very cloudy, and the perfect Matterhorn view can be elusive.
- Also, check out my international travel checklist for must-do items before every trip.
Travel Gear:
- Osprey Tempest 26L Women’s Lightweight Hiking Backpack: The perfect backpack for longer hikes. Make sure you use the bladder to stay hydrated.
- Silicone wine glasses: We have an older version of these that are light-weight and perfect for drinking wine on hikes. The most beautiful picnic we had was in Appenzell up on the mountain with a restaurant built into the side of a cliff.
- Reusable wine pouch: Carrying wine on hikes is a lot easier with these wine pouches.
- Check out my travel gear page for a full list of my recommendations. Please know I can make a commission from products that help offset the cost of maintaining this blog.
Final Thoughts:
Switzerland is such a beautiful and accessible country with an underrated wine scene. If we did a trip to Switzerland again with kids, we would prioritize fewer destinations, and make sure we brought a hiking backpack because the elevation can be hard on tiny legs.
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