Amy in TX Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Dh is very likely going to be sent to Dietken, Switzerland (near Zurich) for a couple of weeks in April (business trip). We are wondering if it's worth buying plane tickets for me and some or all of our four dc to go along, assuming we would all stay together wherever the company puts him up. Can anyone share knowledge of the area? What could I & four kids ages 5-14 do there? Is Dietken, or Zurich, a "sightseeing" kind of place? (Sorry I'm so ignorant!) Would it be practical to spend two weeks taking day trips to other cities? Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated! Thanks, Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 DH has been to Zurich a few times on business trips. He says there is plenty to do within a fairly short distance in/around the city, and the train system is wonderful. When I asked him if he would take our kids if he was going back, he said he would. He shrugged when I asked him for specifics and said that would depend on what you and your family like but that there is definitely plenty of the "Old Europe" feel around. I have a picture of him standing on a bridge built in the... 1200s?... if I'm remembering correctly. English is also pretty commonly spoken in Zurich, so you shouldn't have a lot of trouble getting around (since Swiss German is an entirely different dialect when compared to the German in Germany). He said the only drawback is price, but that goes for almost anywhere in Europe. His final command was that if you go, take a day trip down to Lucerne. ;) HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Switzerland is such a beautiful country. I've been there only once, but would dearly love to go back. It was clean and beautiful with tons of Old World charm. It's really easy to get around. The train and bus system are well-organized and easy to figure out, and I found there were always people who speak English everywhere I went. Zurich is really expensive. I second the recommendation to see Lucerne for a day. This is where my sisters and I were when we went to Switzerland. The historic quarter is charming. The river and lake are lovely, and it's fun to walk the covered bridge very slowly, looking at the pictures overhead. Edited March 31, 2009 by strider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Rittenhouse Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Hmmm....That covered bridge burned down a while back(1993). 2/3 of the bridge was turned to ash and the original paintings as well.....it's been replaced by a reproduction and new more modern graphic arts of a sort.....The charm is gone. Try Berne... Interlaken an Thun. Anything in the Bernese Oberland region. Then there is Meiringen with Riechenbach Falls the site of the fictional death of the Sherlock Holmes. Edited March 31, 2009 by Anne Rittenhouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Hmmm....That covered bridge burned down a while back(1993). 2/3 of the bridge was turned to ash and the original paintings as well.....it's been replaced by a reproduction and new more modern graphic arts of a sort.....The charm is gone. No, the charm isn't gone, particularly for people who have no comparison. While the fire was a tragic historic loss, the reconstruction was excellent. And it's of course not the only bridge there; the Spreuerbruecke is the oldest covered bridge in Europe. Edited March 31, 2009 by Colleen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 The train system is great and allows you to get most anywhere. There is a Junior pass for kids, for CHF 20, which allows them to ride free with a paying parent on all the trains and many boats and cable cars. http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/reisemarkt/abonnemente/familien_kinder.htm Sorry, I couldn't find it in English but if you go to any travel agent in Zurich they will be able to help you. I would try the airport on the way in. These are good for a whole year. The adult passes are way expensive. We usually rent a car (for 5) and still get the kids passes, because they are good for so much of the "fun" stuff, like the ferries and cablecars. Here's a website with stuff to do (this ones in English): http://www.myswitzerland.com/en.cfm/interests/family/page-Tab_Activities-Activities_Family-97185.html The kids really liked the mountains (ride a cable car up and hike down), eat at the restaurant at the top, the Thunersee, the trains (you can take a train through the mountains!), wandering around the old cities, the bakeries, swimming in the Aare, the ferry boats, the day trip to see the St Bernards, walking on a glacier, the Romansch area, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Dh is very likely going to be sent to Dietken, Switzerland (near Zurich) for a couple of weeks in April (business trip). We are wondering if it's worth buying plane tickets for me and some or all of our four dc to go along, assuming we would all stay together wherever the company puts him up. Can anyone share knowledge of the area? What could I & four kids ages 5-14 do there? Is Dietken, or Zurich, a "sightseeing" kind of place? (Sorry I'm so ignorant!) Would it be practical to spend two weeks taking day trips to other cities? Ahhh, a business trip to Switzerland; life is rough!:tongue_smilie: Zurich is fine, not a highlight, but a good base from which you can go in many directions and do many things. The question is whether you want to do that in April. The daily temp at that time of year will average around 40 for the low and 55 for the high, and gray days with some rain are the norm. In other words, not the best season to enjoy the outdoor wonders. Just something to keep in mind, particularly because imo strolling and simply taking in the sights is an integral part of traveling. Of course, last September it dumped rain the majority of the time we were there and was unseasonably cold, so who's to say spring might not be unusually sunny and warm?:) One never knows. I've experienced some lovely spring days in April in Switzerland; I've also experienced snow there at the same time of year. The other consideration is financial, if that's an issue for you. Switzerland costs a pretty penny. Restaurants in particular are expensive, and there aren't many that are family-friendly; families don't go out to eat like they do in this country. So be prepared for menus with high prices and no kid meals. I'm of course not really a tourist when I'm in Switzerland, but if I had to depend entirely on restaurants for a family of seven while we were there...oh, dear. I don't even wanna think about it! Truth be told, I'm not a big fan of most Swiss restaurants anyway. But let's assume you do go. What should you see? Hans is from just outside Luzern, so I've spent a lot of time there. It's about an hour south of Zurich. You can meander the bridges and Old Town, then go to the excellent Transport Museum. On another day, go a bit beyond Luzern to the Ballenberg open-air museum (old farm houses and other examples of Switzerland's agricultural and architectural history). Another option is a boat trip on Lake Luzern. Or ride the cable car up Mount Pilatus and take the cog-wheel train down the other side (or vice versa, but either way, be prepared to spend $$$$$ for this excursion). Take the train down to Locarno or Lugano (I prefer the former) in the Italian-speaking region of the country. Enjoy some warmer temps here on the south side of the Alps. If you're there a full 2 weeks, you might even consider taking a side-trip down to Italy for a few days ~ maybe hit Rome for some historic sites. Head out east to Appenzell, which is very much the "traditional" Switzerland people envision. Go to the Rheinfall waterfalls near Schaffhausen, right up on the German border. Toward the west, you head into the French-speaking cantons. Chateau Gruyere is worth visiting, but the preeminent castle to visit is Chateau Chillon, which sits at the far east end of Lake Geneva. It's wonderful! Heading around the lake, you must go to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. And while some people aren't fond of Geneva, I do like the old town. Anyway it's nice just to drive around the lake to the French side; the old village of Yvoire is lovely. Although this is more something you'd take in with just your husband, not really a place with a great deal for children to do. You might visit Rick Steves site for more ideas, although in light of the fact that it's nearly April, you need to decide pretty quickly if you're even going to go. As I said before, weather and cost would cause me to hesitate, but if neither of those are big concerns to you then go for it! Let me know if you have more questions.:) Edited March 31, 2009 by Colleen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 The kids really liked the mountains (ride a cable car up and hike down), eat at the restaurant at the top, the Thunersee, the trains (you can take a train through the mountains!), wandering around the old cities, the bakeries, swimming in the Aare, the ferry boats, the day trip to see the St Bernards, walking on a glacier, the Romansch area, etc. I was just writing in my reply that the weather would cause me to hesitate. Hiking, swimming, wandering...a lot of these things ~ which I agree are a great way to spend time in Switzerland ~ are of course not going to happen in April. For that matter, neither are some of the things I suggested. I just checked, for example, and the cog wheel train up Pilatus doesn't start running until May. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Hmmm....That covered bridge burned down a while back(1993). 2/3 of the bridge was turned to ash and the original paintings as well.....it's been replaced by a reproduction and new more modern graphic arts of a sort.....The charm is gone. I was there in 1998 with my two sisters and dd, and I was charmed by the bridge and its paintings. This was my first and only time seeing the bridge, and I thought it was lovely. Whether or not anyone agrees about the bridge, though, the town of Lucerne is truly lovely and well worth the visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 One other thought on the weather. We went to Switzerland in March and it was, as Colleen says, mostly gray skies and chilly temps. However, we did get one sunny day that was glorious. We have done a fair amount of off-season traveling to save money and it honestly hasn't hampered us too much. One key is to bring waterproof rain gear and go out anyway. You can get it at reasonable prices through REI or other camping supply sources and just put it on over your regular clothing. In our travels to other parts of Europe we found that cool, rainy weather also meant historic sites were a lot less crowded. With dry feet and dry clothes, a good pair of gloves, and the occasional hot drink when we'd been out a long time, we did quite well. Another idea is to have as many meals as possible through the local grocery store and local bakeries--it's much cheaper than eating in a proper restaurant for every meal. So--take Colleen's advice to heart, as she is definitely the most experienced with Switzerland. Just keep in mind also that if you do decide to proceed with the trip there are ways to cope with the cold and to lessen the expense at least a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Another option is a boat trip on Lake Luzern. Or ride the cable car up Mount Pilatus and take the cog-wheel train down the other side (or vice versa, but either way, be prepared to spend $$$$$ for this excursion). Take the train down to Locarno or Lugano (I prefer the former) in the Italian-speaking region of the country. Enjoy some warmer temps here on the south side of the Alps. This is where the Junior Pass comes in real handy. You can google most of these sites to see if they are open yet and if they take the Junior Pass. Taking the train to Lugano was definitely covered, as was the boat trip. The weather could definitely keep us out of the Aare, but for everything else we usually just wear the rain gear. There will be some tourist sites that are not yet open, but will also be some (especially ski-related) still open that will close later. There will also be some off-season rates. We went for it. DH is taking both dd's on his business trip in April but he is dropping them off with various friends and relatives. No tourist stuff. I get to stay home with the high schooler studying for an AP exam. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in TX Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 As you say, we have to decide this pretty much right now. Dh & I will be discussing & pondering a lot today! All this info will be very helpful. Amy :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in TX Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 Well, it turns out he's not going! So no decision needs to be made now. But will keep all this advice for my future dream trip to Europe. :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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