Where’s the GIANT thumbs up or exploding fireworks emoji for this video? I’m an American who’s been going to Switzerland almost every year since 2012 (2020 being the notable exception) and following UA-cam vloggers for the past 4 years for the fun of it. (Jana & Brett, this is the BEST concise yet realistic and comprehensive video I’ve seen on planning a trip.) From what I’ve seen of J&B’s previous materials I would say that if you’re not a trip planning geek like I am and they obviously are and you want help planning, getting their guide would be money well spent--and this is completely unsolicited support. All their suggestions in this video are SPOT ON. I always plan on a minimum of 10 actual in-country days; even though Switzerland is small it’s far too rich in its natural beauty and architectural experiences to rush through. The best part of being there is just walking and breathing it in. I’ve been all over the country, J&B’s top 3 base suggestions are what I would suggest as well for a first-time visit, unless you swap out the area of Ticino (I vote for Locarno area over Lugano) for Lake Geneva (and notice I say Lake Geneva-I’m way bigger on the area than the large city). It’s a matter of whether you’d prefer vineyards and French influenced area or semi tropical and Italianate experience. (And I will throw in a plug for Basel as being an underrated location-that one’s for you, Brett! 😉) Again, based on their previous videos, their details on places to stay and how to travel by public transportation will have the helpful details you’ll need. I usually stay in hotels within a 10 minute walk from the rail station yet off the beaten path, but please note, that in planning my month-long trip for this September I’ve noted a 25% increase in hotel prices for 2023 from the past two years and 12.5% increase from pre-Covid years. (I travel using simple hotels with private bathroom & breakfast included in the room price -even the lower priced properties in Switzerland are simple yet spotless. I go for charm over luxury.) While I love experiencing the difference of the continental breakfast spread local places offer, I’ve found apartments are the cheaper option for this trip, especially when shared with another couple. One thing I’m not sure J&B will mention is to be aware of the few Swiss Holidays where almost everything (except the train stations, love those COOP pronto shops) will be closed, e.g., Whit Monday in many cantons and August 1 throughout as that’s Swiss National day. Also note that most shopping experiences, including grocers, are closed on Sundays so plan ahead. Great job, Jana & Brett! Here’s to wonderful trips for everyone!!!
We love this comment so much, we pinned it to the top! Thanks Laura for your kindness and encouragement. You're a wealth of information and we love getting to interact with you. Here's to crossing paths in Switzerland later this year!!
Thanks about the holiday/Sunday closing reminder. We are visiting Italy and Switzerland this Easter weekend. Arriving Milan, plan to tour Venice, 3 nights in lake Como area, then take Bernina Express. Stay Lucerne 2 nights, Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen 3 nights. On the way back to Milan airport, we will stop by Ticino area. Any hikes/activities you recommend in Lucerne and Interlaken area since it's still pretty snowy in the mountains? We plan to do the Grindelwald First, Bachalpsee, Trummelbach waterfalls, Harder Kulm
@@cindyhzhao I hope you don't mind me asking you a question. I am new to planning anything in Europe. I saw your itinerary, which is similar to what I would like to do and wondered how you were getting to Lake Cuomo from Venice? Train? Are you also taking that same train back to Milan from Switzerland? Do you pick up that train in Lake Cuomo? I found Jana and Brett last year while planning a trip out west in the US and as soon as we started to think about Switzerland, I remembered how much they loved it. I have always wanted to go there . Thanks.
@@beachmom19 yes, we took the public transportation everywhere we went for our Italy and Switzerland trips. We took buses in Lucerne from hotel to train stations. Buses are free because we paid city taxes by staying at the totels. Hotel provided guest pass. We downloaded the SBB app and Trenitalia apps for train time table and purchasing train tickets. We really enjoyed the train rides!
I bought your 7 day guide earlier this morning and just wanted to come here and say that I'm amazed at the level of detail you both have put into it. It was WELL worth the money. My wife and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary in July and we will be visiting Switzerland for the first time. This takes a lot of the anxiety out of planning such a large trip. Thank you again.
My husband and I did a 12 day trip including 7 days in the Jungfrau regionin Mid-September 2024. Your one week guide was invaluable helping us with our research. Although we did not follow your itineraries by the letter, it was easy to put together our day'c activities but choosing our own "packages" from your suggestions. Unfortunately, because of 4" of snow we did not do as much hiking as we wanted to because of snow and mud conditions. Thank you for your videos and resources.
We love hearing that you adapted our 1-Week Guide for your trip!!! We had an unusually early snow in September - sorry it interrupted your hiking plans 🙃 Thanks for your encouragement and taking the time to share with us 😊😊
I want to say a HUGE thank you for your invaluable tips, advice and INCREDIBLY thought-out videos that informed our entire trip to Switzerland, which was truly the best experience! Throughout our whole time there, I found myself saying over and over "Well Jana and Brett said...." and it quickly became the saying of the trip since I planned our full itinerary and must-do's/don't's off of all your amazing insight. I've now sent that same itinerary to a friend who is going for her honeymoon and she said it felt like a wedding gift to receive a perfectly planned trip, which I told her I fully credit you both for! Thank you for your generosity of information, doing the Lord's work and clearly having fun while doing it! We can't wait to go back and to continue seeing all of your heartfelt content :)
Wow! Your encouragement means so much to us! We truly want others to be able to travel to Switzerland and make the most of their time here all the while feeling equipped and ready to have a good time. We love that we got to be a part of such a memorable trip. Thank you for trusting us as you planned your trip! We're so glad to have you continue to follow along and we hope you can get back here soon:)
We returned from Switzerland a couple months ago, and had a fantastic time thanks to both of you. We spent 5 full days in Zermatt for skiing, then 4 full days in Grindelwald to to visit the Jungfrau region. We used the Swiss half fare card and the Top of Europe pass for all our transportation needs. Will return in the spring or fall someday, but will probably spend less time in Zermatt and more time in Grindelwald. You're absolutely right about stressing quality over quantity. Switzerland is not a place to rush through, seeing as many places as possible...you need to stop and smell the Edelweiss. The only fly in the ointment is when my wife's purse was snatched from her backpack while transferring trains in Visp.. She lost all her cash, credit cards, phone and passport. Spent 2 days doing paper work and travelling to Bern to replace passport. But, the people in Zermatt were incredibly nice and were instrumental in raising our spirits. Thank you, again!! Aloha!!
This brings a smile to our face to know we helped make your trip a bit smoother!! Unfortunately we’ve had a bag stolen in France before and that truly makes your trip harder. Hopefully it’s all been resolved! And you get to return to Switzerland again one day! Also, I’m going to borrow the phrase “stop and smell the edelweiss” 😍
I tour Switzerland October 2022 and I followed your advise on places to go and where to stay. I stayed for 15 days, I stayed in airbnbs and I bought a swiss pass. I had the most amazing trip, will never forget. Thank you guys for all your hard work, it helps 😊❤️
I’m planning a trip to Switzerland this year and I was struggling to figure it out where to go (so many beautiful places) but after watching this video I’m not anymore. Thank you so much!!!
We just came back from Switzerland, we stayed here for 7 days but fortunetly for us we are "only" 6 hours driving from it. First arrival day we just could see Rheinfalls but its really wonderful view. Then we travelled pretty much trought whole country. We were at the top of Jungfrau it was really something special view while traveling up by train was amazing and then we could see whole country from 3500 height. Then we visited Montreux, Zermatt where we took a walk around one lake again with breathtaking view and then we travelled to Saas-Fee, it took us around one hour but there we could actually feed Marmots, doesnt seem like something only Switzerland can offer but for us it was really worth 😁And from there we could see actually the highest mountain in Switzerland if we doesnt count Monte Rosa because its half Switzerland and half Italy. We stood just under and it was maybe even better view than on Matterhorn. Then we visited some places like Lind etc. But i guess it was so far the best vacation because of nature. Only downside for me as European were prices still in swiss is 4x higher average salary then in our country and we really felt it, for example when we paid 4 times more for one lunch for 3 etc. In the end we spend here around 4 000 CHF. Compared to other "mainstream" destinations its really a lot but iam still saying it was worth the price 🙂
Thanks for sharing about your trip! Sounds like you saw and experienced some amazing things( you fed Marmots!!) It can be expensive but we are so glad to hear that you saw the value of your time here!
We made it here ⛰️🇨🇭 currently staying in Interlaken for 4 days then heading to Grindelwald. I got your itineraries and can’t wait..Thank you both!🙏🏽 more power to you guys!
eventhough i had already visited Switzerland last week, but i still watch your videos for my NEXT trip to Switzerland, thank you so much for your efforts!
This is so encouraging! We left Switzerland after our first trip immediately planning to return. We're so grateful we can help you plan your next one :)
My plan from Czechia is simple for a week: 1. arrival to Zurich on Hotel 2. Glacier Express from Chur to Zermatt 3. Jungfraujoch 4.Luzern and Mt. Pilatus Golden trip 5. Zermatt and cable car express to see Matternhorn 6. City Bern/Zurich 7. Bye Schwitzerland
Hi @Regmount, I am thinking same plan. Can you please tell me how did you commute in Switzerland? I mean rental car or Swiss Travel Pass or Half fare card? Also please let me know how many days you stayed in which cities? I am planning to stay 6 to 7 days in Switzerland
@@rdesai1 Best option is Swiss Travel Pass, becouse transport in Switzerland is one of the best in the World. Trains are the main transport in that country, you can get everywhere with them. As I said, everyday i was in different location, but my point of deprarture was Zurich, becouse I was at the Hotel there. In Chur I was around 1 hour just waiting on Express, in Interlaken i was just at the station waiting on the train to Jungfraujoch, In Luzern just around 2 hours and in Zermatt around 3 hours. In Bern 3,5 hours and in Zurich 4h.
Thank you for your detailed trip planning guide. We are excited and returning to Luzern for 2 nights upon our arrival in September, then to Wengen for 7 nights to explore the Jungfrau region, then to Spiez for 3 nights to explore the nearby area including Kandersteeg, Montreux for 3 nights to explore Guyeres and lastly 2 nights in Geneva to fly home.
Another awesome video by you guys! It took me many evenings and weekends to research our upcoming trip to Italy and Switzerland. Wish we saw your videos earlier. Thank you so much for your thoughtful content. I know you must have spent lots of time putting every detail together. Well done! Wish you much success!
We are so grateful for you mr encouragement! It does take hours to prepare content, but it’s a joy to help. Hopefully we’ve helped make your trip planning a little bit smoother! 😊
Very excited about the new 7 day guide. We already have 6 nights booked in Interlaken for this summer (followed by a few days in Montreux) and the daily itineraries look great for what we had in mind. Thanks for the excellent videos and resources!
I am currently planning my first trip to Switzerland (solo travelling) and came across your YT channel which has been so helpful. I’m not on a very tight budget but I’d like to safe money where I can by staying in hostels whenever possible. I’m already over 800 euro (which sounds like a lot 🤔) but that does includes all of my accommodations for the 12 days I’ll be staying in Switzerland, plus my ICE International train tickets. I’m also planning to get an 8 days Interrail pass which seems like the best option, looking at my itinerary. I plan to visit Bern, the Interlaken region (your video on visiting Jungfraujoch was extremely useful 😁, especially because visiting unfamiliar places by myself can cause anxiety, so thanks to your video I now know what to expect) and Neuchâtel. I’ll definitely watch more videos prior to, and during my trip! 😊
Love the new suggested "First Trip to Switzerland" itinerary, I absolutely agree with your choices. What train pass would you recommend for that itinerary?
Planning on traveling to Switzerland in the begining of June for my honeymoon. Planning on spending 3-4 days and arriving via train from Paris and continuing via train to Milan. What region would you recomend for this time frame and/or is it worth stoping in Switzerland all together? Or should we save this trip for another year?
Hi Hayden! We think for a first-time trip, it's hard to get a better experience (especially in June) than the Jungfrau Region near Interlaken. You could easily spend your entire 3-4 days there before continuing to Italy. Hope you enjoy it!!
My wife and I love your videos. Thank you thank you so much. You showed the swiss Alps and made me cry because it was so beautiful. We want to visit the Swiss Alps and other places in Switzerland. Can you be our tour guide?
We're so glad that you are loving our videos! We hope you can visit Switzerland at some point, it truly is just so beautiful. It will probably make you cry all over again! We do not offer personal tours but we do have travel guides on our website where we've crafted complete itineraries and the guides are filled with all our best advice and tips!
Do you guys have any videos for visiting Switzerland in the winter? Would you recommend these locations for both summer and winter? It seems like your recommendations are more during the summer, based on your photos/discussion.
Most of our videos and travel guides are best for travel in mid April to late October. (We do have a blog about the Swiss Christmas markets!) Now that we are living here, we hope to share more about visiting Switzerland during winter.
I'm coming to Swiss on 30th May. My first 2 nights is based in Lucerne however the hotel check in time is 4pm.My flight will arrive at 6am, hence planning to store my luggage in zurich airport and head straight to Rhine fall and spend half day there, after check in hotel in Lucerne will stroll around the city. The next morning will do mountain excursion. I will do Swiss trip with Swiss travel pass. Please guide me. I will be in Swiss for 12 nights. My base are: Lucerne Interlaken Montreux
If you're going to the Lake Geneva area, Montreux is nice but I prefer the smaller town of Vevey and the villages of St. Saphorin, Cully, & Lutry. Local trains service all. (All depends on whether you enjoy bustling nightlife or quiet villages). Whichever your choice don't miss the Chillon Castle (admission is included with your Swiss Travel Pass). I took 5 ladies there last year, two of which had been to Europe before and weren't too interested in "another castle". All raved about the experience and the two said they were so glad I had gently insisted. It's rustic, beautifully situated, has wonderful displays and is so much fun to explore. Go in the early morning before it gets too busy. It's the coolest "fort" I've ever played in, and I've done several Swiss castles. Don't miss the dungeon.
Hi there! You've chosen fantastic destinations to explore! We very much agree with Laura's comment below-the small towns along the lake are incredibly charming (St. Saphorin is our favorite!!), and it's very easy to get to the bigger towns by train. For Interlaken, we put extensive time and energy into crafting our 1-week Guide to the Jungfrau Region. It will help you far more than we could help in a single comment, so we hope you are able to make use of it!
Great question! We have links to our gear on our website www.aplinsinthealps.com/our-gear The plug converter we use (which is linked there) is absolutely fantastic because it has 2 plugs and 4 usb slots. We’ve used it since 2019 and it’s still working like new!
Thank you for a great video! I'd love to see a video on what to wear in Switzerland for different times of the year. We'll be there for the month of June and I'm a sundress girl. Trying to decide how cold Wengen is going to be at night, hiking, museums, churches etc for Zurich, Lucerne etc. Finding all kinds of conflicting info out here. LOL Thank you from Hawaii!
Hello! You two have been such a tremendous help in my planning for our families giant celebration trip! Thank you!! I want to buy the seven day guide to the Jungfrau region, however we did have a minimum one week stay at the vacation rental we rented in Mürren. With this being our home-base the entire time, will the one week travel guide still be applicable? My husband and I get to stay an additional five days on the back-end. We love the outdoors and would love a much more authentic experience, than city experience. Would you recommend Zermatt or Grindelwald for those last five days? Again, thanks so much for making all aspects of our trip make so much more sense!
Hi Stephanie, we're so glad we can help! The 1-Week Guide will definitely still work with Mürren as a base. In fact we included a bonus that shows you how to get to the start of each day from Mürren! If you're foodies, definitely include a visit to Zermatt! You'll have the chance to explore Grindelwald from Mürren (included in our 1-week guide) so Zermatt will give you something completely different!
Just finished watching another one of your most helpful videos!! It will be our first time visiting Switzerland and wanted to know what you thought of our itinerary...... we're flying into Geneva and back to Los Angeles from Zurich. May 9 - May 20, 2024 (probably still a little chilly). 2 days Geneva, 4 days Wilderswill, 3 days Lucern, 2 days Zurich. Does this look like the best itinerary or would you make changes. We booked Airbnb's and a lovely BnB in Wilderswill. No hotels. 4 adults traveling.
So exciting you've booked your flights! We would personally skip Geneva, but that's just us! Not because it's not worth visiting, but because it's not a place we'd prioritize for a 12-day trip. In its place, we would probably stay around Montreux. That part of the lake is more beautiful in our opinion, with more sightseeing options. The same goes for Zurich. If you have an early flight, it's a good idea to spend one night at the airport the night before your flight. Otherwise, add time in a place like Appenzell or Stein am Rhine. The biggest thing to consider is the seasons. Hiking trails above 2000 meters will likely still be closed due to snow, so keep that in mind. But otherwise, May should be full of wildflowers and waterfalls!
Thank you! We are planning 4 days in Rome before 5 1/2 days in The Jungfrau region. Do you think that’s enough time to explore the Jungfrau region? We want to stay in and explore the Grindelwald area, go to the other side of the mountain with laurerbrennen valley, mürren, and gimmelwald, and dedicate one day to go towards Lucerne. We looked for lodging in Wilderswil for its centrality, but didn’t find anything cheaper than Grindelwald, and those views are quite attractive. When spending 4/5 days in the Jungfrau region, is grindelwald OK for other stuff in the area (lauterbrunnen, mürren, etc.) and, with a little extra travel time, is a day trip to Lucerne manageable?
Thank you for this video! We are going to Switzerland for our 25th anniversary and didn't no where to begin our planning. Before we head over to buy the guide, I have one question, have you been to the Sphinx Observatory? And is it close to the James Bond brunch place?
Hi Amy! Yes, we've been to the Sphinx Observatory, which is at Jungfraujoch. The James Bond Brunch is at the Schilthorn, which is an entirely different place. But both experiences are covered in our 1-Week Guide to the Jungfrau Region. Hope that helps!
Thank-you for your wonderful videos! I am wanting to go on the Bernina Express and you have mentioned that you can buy a the "Half Fare Card" then add the "Seat Reservation Fee" and the "Day Pass" in place of buying a Swiss Travel Pass. However I can't find the "Day Pass" on the website. Could you please help me find it? Is it still available?
Great info’s!!! Question: I purchased Swiss flex travel~ do I activate it the day I arrived and it’s automatically free transportation on trains or I have to book it?
If we follow your 10-15 day guide what would be a good ballpark price to expect to pay during the trip? I realize things will fluctuate greatly, just need a figure to concentrate on saving to achieve that goal. Your video was very informative. Thank you.
Love your videos! Thanks so much for putting these together. They are super helpful. We are planning a trip to Switzerland in Feb (overlapping with a northern lights cruise). Which activities sand places to visit would you recommend during that time frame?
That sounds like an amazing trip! Unfortunately we have not ever been in Switzerland in February so we can't really speak to what is available. Now that we live here, we're hoping to be able to offer more tips on winter travel!
Great video, am looking at your guides. Looking to do 2 weeks. Planning most time in the mountains. Jungfraujoch and Zermatt, where should our 3rd place be?
Wow, absolutely loving your all's vids! Very helpful and informative. One of the best collection of vids I've seen on Switzerland - and - I've been through A LOT of them! One thing I haven't heard or read much about, and it's something that concerns us, is altitude sickness. We visited Pikes Peak (just over 14k ft) and experienced trouble because of the altitude. With the elevations in Switzerland, do you think we'll have a problem or have others you've traveled with experienced problems? Thanks in advance and look forward to watching more of your channel!
Wow thank you for your big compliments! 😊 We try to provide the best help! As for altitude sickness, it seems like it really depends on the person. No one that we have talked to has had serious concerns, although many people recommend a bit of sugar (Swiss chocolate) or carbs to relieve some mild symptoms of altitude. Otherwise you’ll feel the standard mild shortness of breath and being more tired the higher you go. Hope that helps!!
Your recommendations are - as always - spot on. Good job on this video and on your hard work in general (well, researching and promoting travel in Switzerland can hardly be described as hard work 😄). The sad truth is, most travelers aren't willing to accept and follow your insight regarding less is more when it comes to the itinerary. Why? Because it is just so enticing to be able to brag about the 10 countries they've visited on their 7-day whirlwind tour to the old continent at the next party. This justifies an additional recommendation: plan your itinerary purely for your own enjoyment - not to impress others. Those two objectives are at opposite ends of the travel experience spectrum.
We absolutely agree! We always encourage travelers to personalize our suggestions to their own travel preferences and priorities. After all, it’s your vacation, not anyone else’s!
Loved the video. We are planning to go to Central Switzerland to see my husband's family heritage with his Aunt who's been many times. We'll be renting a car and I was wondering if you have recommendation on rental cars in Zurich?
Great video! I was a relief to hear you say to limit your destinations. Question: What do you think of the Ticino area? I was thinking that we should go for at least a day just for the kids to experience an "Italy" culture without actually going to Italy. Do you know if their coffee, pizza and gelato is as good as actually going to Italy?
We're glad to hear that made you feel relieved! :) We enjoyed Ticino. But we've also spent expensive time in Italy, and it mostly felt like a more expensive, less authentic Italy. But that's not to say it's bad. It's beautiful, clean, and efficient. And there are experiences you can have there that you can't have in other places. But in general, we'd say it's not the same experience as actually going to Italy. Hope that helps!
While we (wife, who does not hike, and 14 yo daughter ) are looking to spend a week in Italy in Jun25, I thought we may extend it a few days to travel from Venice to Switzerland via the Bernina Express from Torino. I plan to fly out of Zurich. Is your 7 day plan the best for me to pick & choose? I want my daughter to have a taste of Switzerland. I spent two days in Switzerland/ Austria 25 years ago and the mountains are still a highlight of a 17 day student trip. I hope for us to see Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald and get to the top of a couple mountains… all about the mountains! I’ve watched many of your videos, which are well done, friendly and informative. With a likely stay of 3 days in Switzerland & taking Bernina Express, I plan to get the Day pass for each day, the 1/2 Swiss pass and the Family Swiss Pass (14 y/o rides free).
Such a fun trip you have planned!! The 1-Week Guide would give you lots of great options and the luxury of choosing the three days that sound best to you. For those with just three days to spend in the region, we often recommend a day somewhere near Grindelwald, a day in and above Lauterbrunnen, and a day on one of the lakes. Hope you have a fantastic trip!
hello, first time traveller here. me and my husband will be going on a side trip to Switzerland from Paris. We are taking a train from Paris to Geneva, do you think it’s possible to do a day tour to Zermatt/Interlaken? We are planning to spend max of 4 days in Switzerland and visiting 1 area only where we can view the scenic mountains. TYSM for your reply! :)
Hi there! You could technically do a day trip. But it's about 3 hours by train from Geneva to Interlaken, and then another 30-60 minutes to really get into the mountains. Zermatt is about 3.5-4 hours from Geneva. Keep in mind that a lot of mountain lifts stop running by late afternoon early evening. So we'd highly recommend just planning to come back to Switzerland :)
We’re planning to visit Switzerland for the first time, and while planning I came across your videos, and made it so much easier thanks to you guys. I just have one question, I’m traveling with my husband and a 2 year old. Is it better to rent a car if we’re going around jungfrau region? We’re planning to stay for a week, arriving from Zurich.
As a Swiss I‘d say you‘d better use trains and buses. They‘re clean, reliable, on schedule and your kid will definitely like not being strapped to a seat 😊. Plus all members of your familiy can really enjoy the view during your trips without worrying about narrow roads and traffic. Our American friends always use public transport when they come to Switzerland, and they say it‘s just amazing.
I visited Switzerland briefly in 1983 while on a missions trip and at that time feel in love with Bern. I don’t recall you mentioning that city. Any thoughts on visiting that area after a few days in the Jungfrau region?
Hi there, great question! It's mild there for so much of the year-and the building insulation is really good-so very few places actually have AC. In our experience, there are a few days each year when it would be nice to have AC-but for the most part, we never feel like we need it. Especially in Lauterbrunnen, there's lots of shade!
Greetings from Malaysia!.❤ Thanks for all your very informative videos. My hubby and I will be in Switzerland in mid May for 4 weeks . Will stay in Interlaken for 6 nights, followed by Vevey, Zermatt, St Moritz, Lucerne, Ascona and Zurich. Counting our days.😊
Hi Jana and Brett, I love your videos which are so informative. I have always wanted to visit Switzerland and am planning to do so next Summer with my husband and 26 year old son. Would you have any tips or alternative suggestions for someone who is terrified of heights. Unfortunately the fear is debilitating. I will be travelling by boat from Ireland and trains across France to Switzerland via Strasbourg.
Hello! Thank you for the great tips. I love your content. I am staying in Interlaken for 4 nights then going to Italy. I was told we are being provided with an Interlaken Visitors Pass. In this case, it will not be necessary to buy any passes like the Half Fare correct? Only downside would be paying full price for the Top of Europe.
Sounds like a great trip to both Switzerland and Italy! Yes, you will receive the Interlaken Guest Card, but that only covers local buses and trains in Interlaken, but it will not cover you into the mountains. So you will likely want a pass to cover everything else!
At least you’re getting to visit a Swiss city and the mountains! 👍 Keep in mind that you can drive to Grindelwald, but you cannot drive up to any of the mountains from Grindelwald (Jungfrau, Grindelwald First, Mürren, etc.). If you plan to go up on the mountains, you will need to ride the cable cars and trains!
As a local I‘d like to remind you that public transportation in Switzerland is highly efficient, clean and on time… to travel by train instead of hiring a car would be a good alternative, especially if you‘re not used to rather narrow, winding roads… maybe it‘s worth a thought 😊
Need help planning our trip my son Graduates high school and are planning on Switzerland lauterbrunnen area flying into Zurich and using camp jungfrau as base and valley hostel as our base we want to be adventurous doing murren fia Ferrara ect we plan to stay for about 10 days and then we head to Venice Italy and for 3 days and then fly out
You guys produce high quality content. You are keenly focused on the first time traveler to Switzerland and deliver recommendations to maximize your time and budget. Thanks for your work making it easier for travelers!!
That’s so encouraging, thank you! That is exactly our hope, to help travelers save time and stretch their budget to confidently enjoy their trip to Switzerland!
100,000x Yes! Thank you so much! Heading to Wengen end of May, 2023 and this was so helpful! Yeah, you can plan all of this out yourself, but it's going to take you forever folks. Buy the guide and support good content like this. Jana and Brett, you did a fantastic job! This was exactly what I needed. I learned so much from your video's also. Can't thank you enough.
Wow, thank you so much for such big compliments! 😊We truly hope our Guides save you loads of time and stress, and we’re thrilled that it’s exactly what you needed! ❤️
I'm from Ticino (Italian part of Switzerland) and I have to admit it "hurt" a bit not hearing you mentioning the vastity of contrasts and cultures and languages in Switzerland... I understand your points, but I believe that what characterise Switzerland is not only mountains and lakes but also and especially the varius languages, and different food and cultural differences in such a small place! I think you can't have a full idea of what Switzerland is if you don't visit at least one city per different language canton.... I mean, I think it would be a memorable trip if you also add to the equation the fact you were in such a small place and heard so many different languages and tried so many different food and felt so many different cultural approaches... essentially... why not mentioning Ticino too? We are always forgotten and I believe it is a truly wonderful and different part of Switzerland 😊 Ps: I don't live there anymore, and I'm not really patriotic, I like travelling and cultures and from outside that's what I can see now... you have the italian influence in there (good food, good prices... different architecture) and it is definitely way cheaper than the rest of Switzerland! If you plan to go to Italy next... pass by Lugano, my small city! ❤ Ps: IMPORTANT thing you didnt say... if you plan to drive in Switzerland you have to PAY it is NOT FREE and if you don't buy a "bollino" (I dont know it in English) you'll get a very high fine!
We have actually been to Ticino a few times! It is lovely, and we love speaking Italian there! But most tourists tell us they’d rather visit Italy and have the full Italian experience, whereas Ticino is a blend of Swiss and Italian. Plus, Italy is much cheaper than Switzerland 🙃 Also, we don’t mention driving often because we find that most tourists can save money with the trains. But yes, you are required to have a vignette sticker to drive in Switzerland, although most rental cars already have one on the windshield 👍
Ha ha too late, I have 4 nights in Zurich, 5 in Bern and the last night in the airport. I'm doing day trips Jungfrau, Zermat and Lake Geneva. Next time...
So glad you were able to glean some good tips from our video! While we do give away a ton of free and valuable information, we also do provide pre planned itineraries for those who just want the work done for them.
Wow, again another video that doesn't include Ticino. You might just like the popular places BUT Ticino is an incredible place to visit and enjoy the warmer weather, plus it's a more slower pace environment. 👍
We’ve actually been to Ticino a few times! And as a half-Italian, I appreciate the culture! It’s warmer, sunnier, and a whole different vibe. Plus the sunsets are 🤩 But for most travelers in our audience, they prefer to actually visit Italy. (Their words, not ours.) However, it’s on our list to expand our content there - we just have a few other places to explore first. Thanks for your passion for Ticino!!
We would love to visit Switzerland and have pretty generous and flexible vacation time. I’m wondering your thoughts on traveling into Italy during the same trip if this were to be a “once in a lifetime” kind of trip and how much time do you think that would add to our itinerary? Love your videos! Very concise and informative!
Hi there! If it’s a once in a lifetime kind of trip, we think a combination of Switzerland and Italy is pretty incredible! Alpine views plus Italian food = 😍 Like we mentioned this this video, aim for at least 10 days in Switzerland. And you’ll want at least a week in Italy depending on where you want to visit (we recommend Rome and Tuscany or Piemonte) but there are loads of incredible places to see! If you want to chat more, we’d be happy to share more thoughts in a consultation! www.aplinsinthealps.com/consultations
@@AplinsintheAlps thank you so much! We’re not quite ready to book but I will definitely be watching all of your videos and getting a consultation when the time comes! Thanks for the response!
AI can be a great resource for generating ideas, although we've done our own research and find that it's not always accurate. There's nothing like real people on the ground to give real-time advice!
Swiss man when he was in srilanka he could not find any hotel stay. Because all hotels are full my cousin met him by accidentally on the street .& told him come & stay with us Stayed with us so long . My aunt say always don’t charge anything to him
Ha, good point! 🙃But really, we say skip the guidebooks because they offer loads of information but you still have to create an itinerary from that massive list of ideas. In contrast, our Guides are specific timed itineraries, stuffed with the must-see and must-do (in our opinion), complete with which transportation to take and what time, how long to spend there, and insider tips that a first-time traveler won’t know. So you make a fair point that they’re both called “guides” yet they couldn’t be more different! 😊Hope that helps eliminate any whiff of snake oil!
We’re so sorry you feel this way! We do offer genuine advice on how we would spend 10-14 days in Switzerland, our favorite things to do, etc. Yes, we sell travel guides but this video is created as a trip planning guide! It’s helped thousands of travelers so far, and we hope you can learn at least one thing as well! Happy travels! 😊
Wow ... watched this for 15 minutes before I realized it was all a setup to a sales pitch. Everything you say before that point is just to convince people to buy your product. I'll gladly stick to my faithful Lonely Planet that's half the price.
So sorry you feel that way Ed! Maybe another way of looking at it is that we gave 15 minutes of practical info for free before even mentioning we offer something for purchase. We love offering as much info and help as we can for free. But like anyone, we have to make an income, too, or this channel wouldn't exist. Hope you found the video useful!
Can you guys just get to the point without preaching, chatting too much about this and that? Just straight to the point and save viewer's time. Too much bragging about unnecessary talks.
We’re so sorry you feel that way. We’re passionate about Switzerland and could talk about it all day long! 🙂But we hope you were able to learn at least a few things from this video!
Where’s the GIANT thumbs up or exploding fireworks emoji for this video? I’m an American who’s been going to Switzerland almost every year since 2012 (2020 being the notable exception) and following UA-cam vloggers for the past 4 years for the fun of it. (Jana & Brett, this is the BEST concise yet realistic and comprehensive video I’ve seen on planning a trip.) From what I’ve seen of J&B’s previous materials I would say that if you’re not a trip planning geek like I am and they obviously are and you want help planning, getting their guide would be money well spent--and this is completely unsolicited support. All their suggestions in this video are SPOT ON. I always plan on a minimum of 10 actual in-country days; even though Switzerland is small it’s far too rich in its natural beauty and architectural experiences to rush through. The best part of being there is just walking and breathing it in. I’ve been all over the country, J&B’s top 3 base suggestions are what I would suggest as well for a first-time visit, unless you swap out the area of Ticino (I vote for Locarno area over Lugano) for Lake Geneva (and notice I say Lake Geneva-I’m way bigger on the area than the large city). It’s a matter of whether you’d prefer vineyards and French influenced area or semi tropical and Italianate experience. (And I will throw in a plug for Basel as being an underrated location-that one’s for you, Brett! 😉) Again, based on their previous videos, their details on places to stay and how to travel by public transportation will have the helpful details you’ll need. I usually stay in hotels within a 10 minute walk from the rail station yet off the beaten path, but please note, that in planning my month-long trip for this September I’ve noted a 25% increase in hotel prices for 2023 from the past two years and 12.5% increase from pre-Covid years. (I travel using simple hotels with private bathroom & breakfast included in the room price -even the lower priced properties in Switzerland are simple yet spotless. I go for charm over luxury.) While I love experiencing the difference of the continental breakfast spread local places offer, I’ve found apartments are the cheaper option for this trip, especially when shared with another couple. One thing I’m not sure J&B will mention is to be aware of the few Swiss Holidays where almost everything (except the train stations, love those COOP pronto shops) will be closed, e.g., Whit Monday in many cantons and August 1 throughout as that’s Swiss National day. Also note that most shopping experiences, including grocers, are closed on Sundays so plan ahead. Great job, Jana & Brett! Here’s to wonderful trips for everyone!!!
We love this comment so much, we pinned it to the top! Thanks Laura for your kindness and encouragement. You're a wealth of information and we love getting to interact with you. Here's to crossing paths in Switzerland later this year!!
Thanks about the holiday/Sunday closing reminder. We are visiting Italy and Switzerland this Easter weekend. Arriving Milan, plan to tour Venice, 3 nights in lake Como area, then take Bernina Express. Stay Lucerne 2 nights, Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen 3 nights. On the way back to Milan airport, we will stop by Ticino area. Any hikes/activities you recommend in Lucerne and Interlaken area since it's still pretty snowy in the mountains? We plan to do the Grindelwald First, Bachalpsee, Trummelbach waterfalls, Harder Kulm
@@cindyhzhao I hope you don't mind me asking you a question. I am new to planning anything in Europe. I saw your itinerary, which is similar to what I would like to do and wondered how you were getting to Lake Cuomo from Venice? Train? Are you also taking that same train back to Milan from Switzerland? Do you pick up that train in Lake Cuomo? I found Jana and Brett last year while planning a trip out west in the US and as soon as we started to think about Switzerland, I remembered how much they loved it. I have always wanted to go there . Thanks.
@@beachmom19 yes, we took the public transportation everywhere we went for our Italy and Switzerland trips. We took buses in Lucerne from hotel to train stations. Buses are free because we paid city taxes by staying at the totels. Hotel provided guest pass. We downloaded the SBB app and Trenitalia apps for train time table and purchasing train tickets. We really enjoyed the train rides!
@@beachmom19 Lake Como area is pretty big. Depends which town you stay, some are close to train stations, some are not.
I bought your 7 day guide earlier this morning and just wanted to come here and say that I'm amazed at the level of detail you both have put into it. It was WELL worth the money. My wife and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary in July and we will be visiting Switzerland for the first time. This takes a lot of the anxiety out of planning such a large trip. Thank you again.
That’s so awesome to hear! That is our hope when creating our travel guides! We hope you have a wonderful 25th anniversary!
My husband and I did a 12 day trip including 7 days in the Jungfrau regionin Mid-September 2024. Your one week guide was invaluable helping us with our research. Although we did not follow your itineraries by the letter, it was easy to put together our day'c activities but choosing our own "packages" from your suggestions. Unfortunately, because of 4" of snow we did not do as much hiking as we wanted to because of snow and mud conditions. Thank you for your videos and resources.
We love hearing that you adapted our 1-Week Guide for your trip!!! We had an unusually early snow in September - sorry it interrupted your hiking plans 🙃 Thanks for your encouragement and taking the time to share with us 😊😊
I want to say a HUGE thank you for your invaluable tips, advice and INCREDIBLY thought-out videos that informed our entire trip to Switzerland, which was truly the best experience! Throughout our whole time there, I found myself saying over and over "Well Jana and Brett said...." and it quickly became the saying of the trip since I planned our full itinerary and must-do's/don't's off of all your amazing insight. I've now sent that same itinerary to a friend who is going for her honeymoon and she said it felt like a wedding gift to receive a perfectly planned trip, which I told her I fully credit you both for! Thank you for your generosity of information, doing the Lord's work and clearly having fun while doing it! We can't wait to go back and to continue seeing all of your heartfelt content :)
Wow! Your encouragement means so much to us! We truly want others to be able to travel to Switzerland and make the most of their time here all the while feeling equipped and ready to have a good time. We love that we got to be a part of such a memorable trip. Thank you for trusting us as you planned your trip! We're so glad to have you continue to follow along and we hope you can get back here soon:)
We returned from Switzerland a couple months ago, and had a fantastic time thanks to both of you. We spent 5 full days in Zermatt for skiing, then 4 full days in Grindelwald to to visit the Jungfrau region. We used the Swiss half fare card and the Top of Europe pass for all our transportation needs. Will return in the spring or fall someday, but will probably spend less time in Zermatt and more time in Grindelwald. You're absolutely right about stressing quality over quantity. Switzerland is not a place to rush through, seeing as many places as possible...you need to stop and smell the Edelweiss. The only fly in the ointment is when my wife's purse was snatched from her backpack while transferring trains in Visp.. She lost all her cash, credit cards, phone and passport. Spent 2 days doing paper work and travelling to Bern to replace passport. But, the people in Zermatt were incredibly nice and were instrumental in raising our spirits. Thank you, again!! Aloha!!
This brings a smile to our face to know we helped make your trip a bit smoother!!
Unfortunately we’ve had a bag stolen in France before and that truly makes your trip harder. Hopefully it’s all been resolved! And you get to return to Switzerland again one day!
Also, I’m going to borrow the phrase “stop and smell the edelweiss” 😍
I tour Switzerland October 2022 and I followed your advise on places to go and where to stay. I stayed for 15 days, I stayed in airbnbs and I bought a swiss pass. I had the most amazing trip, will never forget. Thank you guys for all your hard work, it helps 😊❤️
Aww 😊 Wow, that sounds like a fantastic trip and we are so glad our resources helped you!! ❤️🥰
I’m planning a trip to Switzerland this year and I was struggling to figure it out where to go (so many beautiful places) but after watching this video I’m not anymore. Thank you so much!!!
So glad we were able to help you figure out where you wanted to go! We'd love to hear where you decided to visit!
We just came back from Switzerland, we stayed here for 7 days but fortunetly for us we are "only" 6 hours driving from it. First arrival day we just could see Rheinfalls but its really wonderful view. Then we travelled pretty much trought whole country. We were at the top of Jungfrau it was really something special view while traveling up by train was amazing and then we could see whole country from 3500 height. Then we visited Montreux, Zermatt where we took a walk around one lake again with breathtaking view and then we travelled to Saas-Fee, it took us around one hour but there we could actually feed Marmots, doesnt seem like something only Switzerland can offer but for us it was really worth 😁And from there we could see actually the highest mountain in Switzerland if we doesnt count Monte Rosa because its half Switzerland and half Italy. We stood just under and it was maybe even better view than on Matterhorn. Then we visited some places like Lind etc. But i guess it was so far the best vacation because of nature. Only downside for me as European were prices still in swiss is 4x higher average salary then in our country and we really felt it, for example when we paid 4 times more for one lunch for 3 etc. In the end we spend here around 4 000 CHF. Compared to other "mainstream" destinations its really a lot but iam still saying it was worth the price 🙂
Thanks for sharing about your trip! Sounds like you saw and experienced some amazing things( you fed Marmots!!) It can be expensive but we are so glad to hear that you saw the value of your time here!
We made it here ⛰️🇨🇭 currently staying in Interlaken for 4 days then heading to Grindelwald. I got your itineraries and can’t wait..Thank you both!🙏🏽 more power to you guys!
Have the best time! Make sure to say hello if you see us out and about.
Was so excited about these new guides. I just purchased both new bundles!!! Excited to dive in and see your suggestions. 😊
Thank you so much! We hope you enjoy our recommended itineraries!
eventhough i had already visited Switzerland last week, but i still watch your videos for my NEXT trip to Switzerland, thank you so much for your efforts!
This is so encouraging! We left Switzerland after our first trip immediately planning to return. We're so grateful we can help you plan your next one :)
My plan from Czechia is simple for a week:
1. arrival to Zurich on Hotel
2. Glacier Express from Chur to Zermatt
3. Jungfraujoch
4.Luzern and Mt. Pilatus Golden trip
5. Zermatt and cable car express to see Matternhorn
6. City Bern/Zurich
7. Bye Schwitzerland
Love it! Hope you enjoy!!
Hi @Regmount, I am thinking same plan. Can you please tell me how did you commute in Switzerland? I mean rental car or Swiss Travel Pass or Half fare card? Also please let me know how many days you stayed in which cities? I am planning to stay 6 to 7 days in Switzerland
@@rdesai1 Best option is Swiss Travel Pass, becouse transport in Switzerland is one of the best in the World. Trains are the main transport in that country, you can get everywhere with them. As I said, everyday i was in different location, but my point of deprarture was Zurich, becouse I was at the Hotel there. In Chur I was around 1 hour just waiting on Express, in Interlaken i was just at the station waiting on the train to Jungfraujoch, In Luzern just around 2 hours and in Zermatt around 3 hours. In Bern 3,5 hours and in Zurich 4h.
Thank you for your detailed trip planning guide. We are excited and returning to Luzern for 2 nights upon our arrival in September, then to Wengen for 7 nights to explore the Jungfrau region, then to Spiez for 3 nights to explore the nearby area including Kandersteeg, Montreux for 3 nights to explore Guyeres and lastly 2 nights in Geneva to fly home.
Sounds like a great trip! Hope you have a great time!
Planning a trip to Switzerland this October and you have NO idea how helpful this and your other videos have been! THANK YOU!
LOVE hearing this! Thanks for letting us know our videos have been helpful. Happy Planning!
Another awesome video by you guys! It took me many evenings and weekends to research our upcoming trip to Italy and Switzerland. Wish we saw your videos earlier. Thank you so much for your thoughtful content. I know you must have spent lots of time putting every detail together. Well done! Wish you much success!
We are so grateful for you mr encouragement! It does take hours to prepare content, but it’s a joy to help. Hopefully we’ve helped make your trip planning a little bit smoother! 😊
Very excited about the new 7 day guide. We already have 6 nights booked in Interlaken for this summer (followed by a few days in Montreux) and the daily itineraries look great for what we had in mind. Thanks for the excellent videos and resources!
So exciting you'll have a week in Interlaken!! Thanks so much for buying our guide-we hope it makes for a great experience!
I am currently planning my first trip to Switzerland (solo travelling) and came across your YT channel which has been so helpful. I’m not on a very tight budget but I’d like to safe money where I can by staying in hostels whenever possible. I’m already over 800 euro (which sounds like a lot 🤔) but that does includes all of my accommodations for the 12 days I’ll be staying in Switzerland, plus my ICE International train tickets. I’m also planning to get an 8 days Interrail pass which seems like the best option, looking at my itinerary. I plan to visit Bern, the Interlaken region (your video on visiting Jungfraujoch was extremely useful 😁, especially because visiting unfamiliar places by myself can cause anxiety, so thanks to your video I now know what to expect) and Neuchâtel. I’ll definitely watch more videos prior to, and during my trip! 😊
Amazing video!!! Thank you so much!!! 🎉🎉🎉
So happy to help!
@@AplinsintheAlps 🫶🏼
Love the new suggested "First Trip to Switzerland" itinerary, I absolutely agree with your choices. What train pass would you recommend for that itinerary?
Thanks for the informative tips I'll definitely be looking at your plans! 🎉
You're welcome!
Planning on traveling to Switzerland in the begining of June for my honeymoon. Planning on spending 3-4 days and arriving via train from Paris and continuing via train to Milan. What region would you recomend for this time frame and/or is it worth stoping in Switzerland all together? Or should we save this trip for another year?
Hi Hayden! We think for a first-time trip, it's hard to get a better experience (especially in June) than the Jungfrau Region near Interlaken. You could easily spend your entire 3-4 days there before continuing to Italy. Hope you enjoy it!!
@@AplinsintheAlps Thank you! We certainly will!
My wife and I love your videos. Thank you thank you so much. You showed the swiss Alps and made me cry because it was so beautiful. We want to visit the Swiss Alps and other places in Switzerland. Can you be our tour guide?
We're so glad that you are loving our videos! We hope you can visit Switzerland at some point, it truly is just so beautiful. It will probably make you cry all over again! We do not offer personal tours but we do have travel guides on our website where we've crafted complete itineraries and the guides are filled with all our best advice and tips!
Do you guys have any videos for visiting Switzerland in the winter? Would you recommend these locations for both summer and winter? It seems like your recommendations are more during the summer, based on your photos/discussion.
Most of our videos and travel guides are best for travel in mid April to late October. (We do have a blog about the Swiss Christmas markets!) Now that we are living here, we hope to share more about visiting Switzerland during winter.
Thank you so much for all your videos, that help me to plan my upcoming trip to Switzerland, so much looking forward to it.
We're thrilled to hear that we helped you plan your trip to Switzerland! We hope you have a great time.
I am SOO glad I found you guys. Your videos are extremely helpful!!! It is making my planning so much easier
We’re thrilled you found us, and we’re thrilled to help 😊😊
I always end up back in Switzerland too. I’m going for a long weekend to visit friends & trying to think of a day trip for the Sunday
Enjoy your long weekend with friends!
I'm coming to Swiss on 30th May. My first 2 nights is based in Lucerne however the hotel check in time is 4pm.My flight will arrive at 6am, hence planning to store my luggage in zurich airport and head straight to Rhine fall and spend half day there, after check in hotel in Lucerne will stroll around the city. The next morning will do mountain excursion. I will do Swiss trip with Swiss travel pass. Please guide me.
I will be in Swiss for 12 nights. My base are:
Lucerne
Interlaken
Montreux
If you're going to the Lake Geneva area, Montreux is nice but I prefer the smaller town of Vevey and the villages of St. Saphorin, Cully, & Lutry. Local trains service all. (All depends on whether you enjoy bustling nightlife or quiet villages). Whichever your choice don't miss the Chillon Castle (admission is included with your Swiss Travel Pass). I took 5 ladies there last year, two of which had been to Europe before and weren't too interested in "another castle". All raved about the experience and the two said they were so glad I had gently insisted. It's rustic, beautifully situated, has wonderful displays and is so much fun to explore. Go in the early morning before it gets too busy. It's the coolest "fort" I've ever played in, and I've done several Swiss castles. Don't miss the dungeon.
Hi there! You've chosen fantastic destinations to explore! We very much agree with Laura's comment below-the small towns along the lake are incredibly charming (St. Saphorin is our favorite!!), and it's very easy to get to the bigger towns by train.
For Interlaken, we put extensive time and energy into crafting our 1-week Guide to the Jungfrau Region. It will help you far more than we could help in a single comment, so we hope you are able to make use of it!
I’ve booked my trip 8 day trip to Switzerland. Thanks to your insightful videos, planning the trip has been a breeze!
Yay! We are so glad to help 😊 Enjoy your vacation!!
Really thankful, so informative, especially the info about passes (the other video),so detailed analysis, thank you
Thanks for letting us know these videos were helpful! We try to make them as detailed as possible so you can confidently plan your trip!
Oh guys, how beautifully you have explained the things... i am going to buy now.. Wish you more power and success!!!
Thanks so much for your support and encouragement! Grateful!
Great video!! Any recommendations for voltage converters? I plan on bringing a travel steamer for my clothes and not sure what to look for.
Great question! We have links to our gear on our website www.aplinsinthealps.com/our-gear The plug converter we use (which is linked there) is absolutely fantastic because it has 2 plugs and 4 usb slots. We’ve used it since 2019 and it’s still working like new!
Thanks for the video - going to Switzerland for 9 days and was wondering if I should buy a train pass or car. Currently leaning towards car - thanks!
You're welcome, enjoy!
Excellent video. Thanks for posting. I like your advice to maximize the experience and slow down. I would have a minimum of 3 nights at one base.
We're glad you enjoyed our video! 3 nights minimum is a great suggestion.
Thank you for a great video! I'd love to see a video on what to wear in Switzerland for different times of the year. We'll be there for the month of June and I'm a sundress girl. Trying to decide how cold Wengen is going to be at night, hiking, museums, churches etc for Zurich, Lucerne etc. Finding all kinds of conflicting info out here. LOL Thank you from Hawaii!
Hello! You two have been such a tremendous help in my planning for our families giant celebration trip! Thank you!! I want to buy the seven day guide to the Jungfrau region, however we did have a minimum one week stay at the vacation rental we rented in Mürren. With this being our home-base the entire time, will the one week travel guide still be applicable? My husband and I get to stay an additional five days on the back-end. We love the outdoors and would love a much more authentic experience, than city experience. Would you recommend Zermatt or Grindelwald for those last five days? Again, thanks so much for making all aspects of our trip make so much more sense!
Hi Stephanie, we're so glad we can help!
The 1-Week Guide will definitely still work with Mürren as a base. In fact we included a bonus that shows you how to get to the start of each day from Mürren!
If you're foodies, definitely include a visit to Zermatt! You'll have the chance to explore Grindelwald from Mürren (included in our 1-week guide) so Zermatt will give you something completely different!
Suggestion - Would love to see a guide on the Appenzell and Zermatt regions, as well as the Mont Blanc region.
Great suggestion! We're definitely planning to expand to other parts of Switzerland, and would love to include those spots!
This is exactly the video I needed, thank you!!
You're welcome! Glad it was helpful!
you have been so helpful with planning out trip to Switzerland, ty for all your help
We are thrilled to hear that we've been helpful as you've planned your trip! Thanks for taking the time to let us know:)
Just finished watching another one of your most helpful videos!! It will be our first time visiting Switzerland and wanted to know what you thought of our itinerary...... we're flying into Geneva and back to Los Angeles from Zurich. May 9 - May 20, 2024 (probably still a little chilly).
2 days Geneva, 4 days Wilderswill, 3 days Lucern, 2 days Zurich.
Does this look like the best itinerary or would you make changes. We booked Airbnb's and a lovely BnB in Wilderswill. No hotels. 4 adults traveling.
So exciting you've booked your flights!
We would personally skip Geneva, but that's just us! Not because it's not worth visiting, but because it's not a place we'd prioritize for a 12-day trip.
In its place, we would probably stay around Montreux. That part of the lake is more beautiful in our opinion, with more sightseeing options.
The same goes for Zurich. If you have an early flight, it's a good idea to spend one night at the airport the night before your flight. Otherwise, add time in a place like Appenzell or Stein am Rhine.
The biggest thing to consider is the seasons. Hiking trails above 2000 meters will likely still be closed due to snow, so keep that in mind. But otherwise, May should be full of wildflowers and waterfalls!
I’ve been looking everywhere for advice like this. Thank you!
You are welcome! Glad you found us!
Thank you! We are planning 4 days in Rome before 5 1/2 days in The Jungfrau region. Do you think that’s enough time to explore the Jungfrau region? We want to stay in and explore the Grindelwald area, go to the other side of the mountain with laurerbrennen valley, mürren, and gimmelwald, and dedicate one day to go towards Lucerne.
We looked for lodging in Wilderswil for its centrality, but didn’t find anything cheaper than Grindelwald, and those views are quite attractive.
When spending 4/5 days in the Jungfrau region, is grindelwald OK for other stuff in the area (lauterbrunnen, mürren, etc.) and, with a little extra travel time, is a day trip to Lucerne manageable?
What would you recommend for a solo trip for non skier
Nice infomercial.
Winter imo ! It is the best season to visit the Alps !
So beautiful with all that snow!!
Thank you for this video! We are going to Switzerland for our 25th anniversary and didn't no where to begin our planning. Before we head over to buy the guide, I have one question, have you been to the Sphinx Observatory? And is it close to the James Bond brunch place?
Hi Amy! Yes, we've been to the Sphinx Observatory, which is at Jungfraujoch. The James Bond Brunch is at the Schilthorn, which is an entirely different place. But both experiences are covered in our 1-Week Guide to the Jungfrau Region. Hope that helps!
Thank-you for your wonderful videos!
I am wanting to go on the Bernina Express and you have mentioned that you can buy a the "Half Fare Card" then add the "Seat Reservation Fee" and the "Day Pass" in place of buying a Swiss Travel Pass. However I can't find the "Day Pass" on the website. Could you please help me find it? Is it still available?
Great info’s!!! Question: I purchased Swiss flex travel~ do I activate it the day I arrived and it’s automatically free transportation on trains or I have to book it?
If we follow your 10-15 day guide what would be a good ballpark price to expect to pay during the trip? I realize things will fluctuate greatly, just need a figure to concentrate on saving to achieve that goal. Your video was very informative. Thank you.
By default my plan in resembling 90 percent as you recommended
Love your videos! Thanks so much for putting these together. They are super helpful. We are planning a trip to Switzerland in Feb (overlapping with a northern lights cruise). Which activities sand places to visit would you recommend during that time frame?
That sounds like an amazing trip! Unfortunately we have not ever been in Switzerland in February so we can't really speak to what is available. Now that we live here, we're hoping to be able to offer more tips on winter travel!
Some great advice here :) if your guides are anything like your videos, then they will be excellent and full of advice!
Thank you, that's our hope!
Yes! Only 71 days to go. We stay in the same region as you guys as well
Love that you already have a countdown!
Thank you for the great informative video! Apologies if this has already been asked, but is the guide in USD on your website?
Oh no! Experience is a great teacher;)
This is an awesome video!! Thank you so much
So glad you enjoyed it!
Great video, am looking at your guides. Looking to do 2 weeks. Planning most time in the mountains. Jungfraujoch and Zermatt, where should our 3rd place be?
Luzern! Like we mention in this video, it’s a typical and charming Swiss city with great mountain excursions nearby too!
Wow, absolutely loving your all's vids! Very helpful and informative. One of the best collection of vids I've seen on Switzerland - and - I've been through A LOT of them! One thing I haven't heard or read much about, and it's something that concerns us, is altitude sickness. We visited Pikes Peak (just over 14k ft) and experienced trouble because of the altitude. With the elevations in Switzerland, do you think we'll have a problem or have others you've traveled with experienced problems? Thanks in advance and look forward to watching more of your channel!
Wow thank you for your big compliments! 😊 We try to provide the best help!
As for altitude sickness, it seems like it really depends on the person. No one that we have talked to has had serious concerns, although many people recommend a bit of sugar (Swiss chocolate) or carbs to relieve some mild symptoms of altitude. Otherwise you’ll feel the standard mild shortness of breath and being more tired the higher you go. Hope that helps!!
Your recommendations are - as always - spot on. Good job on this video and on your hard work in general (well, researching and promoting travel in Switzerland can hardly be described as hard work 😄).
The sad truth is, most travelers aren't willing to accept and follow your insight regarding less is more when it comes to the itinerary. Why? Because it is just so enticing to be able to brag about the 10 countries they've visited on their 7-day whirlwind tour to the old continent at the next party.
This justifies an additional recommendation: plan your itinerary purely for your own enjoyment - not to impress others. Those two objectives are at opposite ends of the travel experience spectrum.
We absolutely agree! We always encourage travelers to personalize our suggestions to their own travel preferences and priorities. After all, it’s your vacation, not anyone else’s!
Loved the video. We are planning to go to Central Switzerland to see my husband's family heritage with his Aunt who's been many times. We'll be renting a car and I was wondering if you have recommendation on rental cars in Zurich?
Wonderful
Thank you!
Any advice on doing a camper van rental?? 😊
Nope, although it's on our list to try!
Whats the best or ideal Train ticket for this leg Munich>>(1 Transfer) Zuich>>Interlaken (5 days)>>Zurich airport?
We recommend using the SBB mobile app to find the best route between each of those places!
Great video! I was a relief to hear you say to limit your destinations.
Question:
What do you think of the Ticino area? I was thinking that we should go for at least a day just for the kids to experience an "Italy" culture without actually going to Italy. Do you know if their coffee, pizza and gelato is as good as actually going to Italy?
We're glad to hear that made you feel relieved! :)
We enjoyed Ticino. But we've also spent expensive time in Italy, and it mostly felt like a more expensive, less authentic Italy. But that's not to say it's bad. It's beautiful, clean, and efficient. And there are experiences you can have there that you can't have in other places. But in general, we'd say it's not the same experience as actually going to Italy. Hope that helps!
@@AplinsintheAlps Ok cool. Thanks!
You're welcome!
While we (wife, who does not hike, and 14 yo daughter ) are looking to spend a week in Italy in Jun25, I thought we may extend it a few days to travel from Venice to Switzerland via the Bernina Express from Torino. I plan to fly out of Zurich. Is your 7 day plan the best for me to pick & choose? I want my daughter to have a taste of Switzerland. I spent two days in Switzerland/ Austria 25 years ago and the mountains are still a highlight of a 17 day student trip. I hope for us to see Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald and get to the top of a couple mountains… all about the mountains! I’ve watched many of your videos, which are well done, friendly and informative. With a likely stay of 3 days in Switzerland & taking Bernina Express, I plan to get the Day pass for each day, the 1/2 Swiss pass and the Family Swiss Pass (14 y/o rides free).
Such a fun trip you have planned!! The 1-Week Guide would give you lots of great options and the luxury of choosing the three days that sound best to you. For those with just three days to spend in the region, we often recommend a day somewhere near Grindelwald, a day in and above Lauterbrunnen, and a day on one of the lakes. Hope you have a fantastic trip!
hello, first time traveller here. me and my husband will be going on a side trip to Switzerland from Paris. We are taking a train from Paris to Geneva, do you think it’s possible to do a day tour to Zermatt/Interlaken? We are planning to spend max of 4 days in Switzerland and visiting 1 area only where we can view the scenic mountains. TYSM for your reply! :)
Hi there! You could technically do a day trip. But it's about 3 hours by train from Geneva to Interlaken, and then another 30-60 minutes to really get into the mountains. Zermatt is about 3.5-4 hours from Geneva.
Keep in mind that a lot of mountain lifts stop running by late afternoon early evening. So we'd highly recommend just planning to come back to Switzerland :)
@@AplinsintheAlps thanks you so much for your reply! 🤍 after watching your vids, we will definitely come back just for Switzerland trip ☺️
Hi, which Swiss chocolate tour do you recommend?
We’re planning to visit Switzerland for the first time, and while planning I came across your videos, and made it so much easier thanks to you guys.
I just have one question, I’m traveling with my husband and a 2 year old. Is it better to rent a car if we’re going around jungfrau region? We’re planning to stay for a week, arriving from Zurich.
As a Swiss I‘d say you‘d better use trains and buses. They‘re clean, reliable, on schedule and your kid will definitely like not being strapped to a seat 😊. Plus all members of your familiy can really enjoy the view during your trips without worrying about narrow roads and traffic. Our American friends always use public transport when they come to Switzerland, and they say it‘s just amazing.
@@markusf58 thank you for your thoughtful and kind advice, thinking about it now we‘ll definitely consider👍🏼
Totally agree with @markusf58!!
I triple that thought--public transportation is the way to travel in Switzerland!
I visited Switzerland briefly in 1983 while on a missions trip and at that time feel in love with Bern. I don’t recall you mentioning that city. Any thoughts on visiting that area after a few days in the Jungfrau region?
How do I get your done for you guide? WE ARE PLANNING A VISIT IN APRIL 24! PLEASE SEND SOME MORE INFO.
Visit www.aplinsinthealps.com/guides to see all of our different Swiss guides! 🙂
Hello
I'm planning to visit Switzerland
Which pass do you recommend for jangfrau region for 2 people for 1 week.
Help me please
Hey there! We have a checklist to help you pick the best pass! You can find it here: aplinsinthealps.com/ultimate-swiss-train-pass-guide-2023/
Thank you so much for this video guys! Why is it so hard to find a place with AC in Lauterbrunnen?!
Hi there, great question! It's mild there for so much of the year-and the building insulation is really good-so very few places actually have AC. In our experience, there are a few days each year when it would be nice to have AC-but for the most part, we never feel like we need it. Especially in Lauterbrunnen, there's lots of shade!
@@AplinsintheAlps Thank you so much for your help! I watched all of your videos and they are super helpful!
Greetings from Malaysia!.❤
Thanks for all your very informative videos. My hubby and I will be in Switzerland in mid May for 4 weeks . Will stay in Interlaken for 6 nights, followed by Vevey, Zermatt, St Moritz, Lucerne, Ascona and Zurich. Counting our days.😊
@@jenhooi Yaaaaay! You guys have fun! I'll visit in June and I can't wait!
Thank you both!
Hi Jana and Brett, I love your videos which are so informative. I have always wanted to visit Switzerland and am planning to do so next Summer with my husband and 26 year old son. Would you have any tips or alternative suggestions for someone who is terrified of heights. Unfortunately the fear is debilitating. I will be travelling by boat from Ireland and trains across France to Switzerland via Strasbourg.
Im guessing that cable cars are out? Would you be ok with mountain railways to climb up? There’s a lot of those in the jungfrau region :)
Hello! Thank you for the great tips. I love your content. I am staying in Interlaken for 4 nights then going to Italy. I was told we are being provided with an Interlaken Visitors Pass. In this case, it will not be necessary to buy any passes like the Half Fare correct? Only downside would be paying full price for the Top of Europe.
Sounds like a great trip to both Switzerland and Italy!
Yes, you will receive the Interlaken Guest Card, but that only covers local buses and trains in Interlaken, but it will not cover you into the mountains. So you will likely want a pass to cover everything else!
@@AplinsintheAlps okay awesome! Thank you!!!
You're welcome!
Is there an option for e-books in Portuguese?
I wish we could say yes but as of now our guides are only offered in English.
We only have 4 days so plan to hire a car and drive to grindlewald for 3 nights then down to Lucerne for last night possibly
At least you’re getting to visit a Swiss city and the mountains! 👍
Keep in mind that you can drive to Grindelwald, but you cannot drive up to any of the mountains from Grindelwald (Jungfrau, Grindelwald First, Mürren, etc.). If you plan to go up on the mountains, you will need to ride the cable cars and trains!
As a local I‘d like to remind you that public transportation in Switzerland is highly efficient, clean and on time… to travel by train instead of hiring a car would be a good alternative, especially if you‘re not used to rather narrow, winding roads… maybe it‘s worth a thought 😊
@@markusf58 yes we are going by train now after looking into a bit so just trying to work out best train pass
Need help planning our trip my son Graduates high school and are planning on Switzerland lauterbrunnen area flying into Zurich and using camp jungfrau as base and valley hostel as our base we want to be adventurous doing murren fia Ferrara ect we plan to stay for about 10 days and then we head to Venice Italy and for 3 days and then fly out
We are planning to go in September for 2+ weeks, I only see the 7 day guide, am I missing the 2 week one?
We currently only have a 1-day, 3-day, and 1-week guide in our shop, with more destinations and lengths coming soon!
You guys produce high quality content. You are keenly focused on the first time traveler to Switzerland and deliver recommendations to maximize your time and budget. Thanks for your work making it easier for travelers!!
That’s so encouraging, thank you! That is exactly our hope, to help travelers save time and stretch their budget to confidently enjoy their trip to Switzerland!
100,000x Yes! Thank you so much! Heading to Wengen end of May, 2023 and this was so helpful! Yeah, you can plan all of this out yourself, but it's going to take you forever folks. Buy the guide and support good content like this. Jana and Brett, you did a fantastic job! This was exactly what I needed. I learned so much from your video's also. Can't thank you enough.
Wow, thank you so much for such big compliments! 😊We truly hope our Guides save you loads of time and stress, and we’re thrilled that it’s exactly what you needed! ❤️
I'm from Ticino (Italian part of Switzerland) and I have to admit it "hurt" a bit not hearing you mentioning the vastity of contrasts and cultures and languages in Switzerland... I understand your points, but I believe that what characterise Switzerland is not only mountains and lakes but also and especially the varius languages, and different food and cultural differences in such a small place! I think you can't have a full idea of what Switzerland is if you don't visit at least one city per different language canton.... I mean, I think it would be a memorable trip if you also add to the equation the fact you were in such a small place and heard so many different languages and tried so many different food and felt so many different cultural approaches... essentially... why not mentioning Ticino too? We are always forgotten and I believe it is a truly wonderful and different part of Switzerland 😊 Ps: I don't live there anymore, and I'm not really patriotic, I like travelling and cultures and from outside that's what I can see now... you have the italian influence in there (good food, good prices... different architecture) and it is definitely way cheaper than the rest of Switzerland! If you plan to go to Italy next... pass by Lugano, my small city! ❤
Ps: IMPORTANT thing you didnt say... if you plan to drive in Switzerland you have to PAY it is NOT FREE and if you don't buy a "bollino" (I dont know it in English) you'll get a very high fine!
We have actually been to Ticino a few times! It is lovely, and we love speaking Italian there!
But most tourists tell us they’d rather visit Italy and have the full Italian experience, whereas Ticino is a blend of Swiss and Italian. Plus, Italy is much cheaper than Switzerland 🙃
Also, we don’t mention driving often because we find that most tourists can save money with the trains. But yes, you are required to have a vignette sticker to drive in Switzerland, although most rental cars already have one on the windshield 👍
Hi can we buy a Swiss Family Card Tickets public transport for 2 adults and 1 youth under 15 years
This is THE BEST
We’re SO glad you found this helpful!! 😁
Ha ha too late, I have 4 nights in Zurich, 5 in Bern and the last night in the airport. I'm doing day trips Jungfrau, Zermat and Lake Geneva. Next time...
That sounds like a wonderful trip! Enjoy!
Gained some good tips, but felt it was for those that don’t enjoy planning. Therefore it’s more of an ad to purchase a pre planned itinerary.
So glad you were able to glean some good tips from our video! While we do give away a ton of free and valuable information, we also do provide pre planned itineraries for those who just want the work done for them.
So you suggest taking Zermatt out of the itinerary?
Yep! If you have limited time, we recommend only doing one place - and we (plus most of our audience) recommend the Jungfrau Region over Zermatt.
Wow, again another video that doesn't include Ticino. You might just like the popular places BUT Ticino is an incredible place to visit and enjoy the warmer weather, plus it's a more slower pace environment. 👍
We’ve actually been to Ticino a few times! And as a half-Italian, I appreciate the culture! It’s warmer, sunnier, and a whole different vibe. Plus the sunsets are 🤩
But for most travelers in our audience, they prefer to actually visit Italy. (Their words, not ours.) However, it’s on our list to expand our content there - we just have a few other places to explore first. Thanks for your passion for Ticino!!
A golden video
Thank you! 😊
We would love to visit Switzerland and have pretty generous and flexible vacation time. I’m wondering your thoughts on traveling into Italy during the same trip if this were to be a “once in a lifetime” kind of trip and how much time do you think that would add to our itinerary? Love your videos! Very concise and informative!
Hi there! If it’s a once in a lifetime kind of trip, we think a combination of Switzerland and Italy is pretty incredible! Alpine views plus Italian food = 😍
Like we mentioned this this video, aim for at least 10 days in Switzerland. And you’ll want at least a week in Italy depending on where you want to visit (we recommend Rome and Tuscany or Piemonte) but there are loads of incredible places to see!
If you want to chat more, we’d be happy to share more thoughts in a consultation! www.aplinsinthealps.com/consultations
@@AplinsintheAlps thank you so much! We’re not quite ready to book but I will definitely be watching all of your videos and getting a consultation when the time comes! Thanks for the response!
You're welcome Darlene!
good business idea....although everything on chatgpt and more..
AI can be a great resource for generating ideas, although we've done our own research and find that it's not always accurate. There's nothing like real people on the ground to give real-time advice!
Swiss man when he was in srilanka he could not find any hotel stay. Because all hotels are full my cousin met him by accidentally on the street .& told him come & stay with us
Stayed with us so long . My aunt say always don’t charge anything to him
Switzerland is so much better than the US, in every way. Except the nature of the US isn't bad either, but that's about it.
We don’t think the US is bad! We have lived there our whole lives, but we are just drawn to Switzerland and excited to try life there too!
With all these tips, I plan not to have a vacation from my vacation.😂
I'd rather take a vacation again in Switzerland.
What a great perspective!!!
👍💯💕
I think you look like nina dobrev😅❤
I've never heard that before!
Why would I pay for your video, I can get best videos for free
Not quite sure what you mean by this comment but all our videos here on UA-cam are free to watch!
I think your videos should be short as well.
Thank you for your feedback. We are always looking for ways to improve our content. Sometimes we just have so much to share:)
Lost me at "It's better for the environment"
Very funny. Skip the guides, you said. Ten minutes later, you are selling guides. LOL. Do you sell snake oil too? 🤑
Ha, good point! 🙃But really, we say skip the guidebooks because they offer loads of information but you still have to create an itinerary from that massive list of ideas. In contrast, our Guides are specific timed itineraries, stuffed with the must-see and must-do (in our opinion), complete with which transportation to take and what time, how long to spend there, and insider tips that a first-time traveler won’t know. So you make a fair point that they’re both called “guides” yet they couldn’t be more different! 😊Hope that helps eliminate any whiff of snake oil!
I cursory look at their info demonstrates how different theirs are from normal “guides”. 🤦♂️
Do NOT waste time watching this video!!! It is advertisement for selling guides and not real and useful tips for Swiss travel.
We’re so sorry you feel this way! We do offer genuine advice on how we would spend 10-14 days in Switzerland, our favorite things to do, etc. Yes, we sell travel guides but this video is created as a trip planning guide! It’s helped thousands of travelers so far, and we hope you can learn at least one thing as well! Happy travels! 😊
Wow ... watched this for 15 minutes before I realized it was all a setup to a sales pitch. Everything you say before that point is just to convince people to buy your product. I'll gladly stick to my faithful Lonely Planet that's half the price.
So sorry you feel that way Ed! Maybe another way of looking at it is that we gave 15 minutes of practical info for free before even mentioning we offer something for purchase. We love offering as much info and help as we can for free. But like anyone, we have to make an income, too, or this channel wouldn't exist. Hope you found the video useful!
Can you guys just get to the point without preaching, chatting too much about this and that? Just straight to the point and save viewer's time. Too much bragging about unnecessary talks.
We’re so sorry you feel that way. We’re passionate about Switzerland and could talk about it all day long! 🙂But we hope you were able to learn at least a few things from this video!