Swarg mein Udaan- Switzerland and French Riviera

Could not have asked for a better destination than Switzerland for celebrating 10th wedding anniversary. We zeroed this location based on
how long would it take to reach the destination,
we had limited days as we were travelling without kids(we had 10 days including travel time)
weather
Thanks to Bhavini, Priyanka and Nilay for sharing their Swiss travel guide. I have read all several times and it was super helpful.

We took a direct flight to Zurich via Swiss Air and it was a good flight.

Day 1- We reached Zurich at 6:30am local time. Took a train to Lauterbrunnen; it was a long ride of almost 3 hours and we changed trains twice. We stayed here for 5 days at Valley hostel recommended by Priyanka and it was beyond beautiful and awesome. It had a typical Swiss countryside feel with waterfalls, brooks flowing, could hear the bells jingling of the cows grazing around. We booked a private room. There is an option of living in a dormitory or sharing rooms as well.

We reached by late afternoon and after lunch headed for Trummelbach Falls. It would take 2 houirs to see the falls. There is a bus stop 5 mins walk from Valley hostel which takes to the falls. There you can take the elevator till 6th floor and later climb till 10th floor OR climb all the way upto 10th floor. Of course I took the elevator. The falls are falling in a circular step formation. Its wonderful and must do if you are staying in Lauterbrunnen.

Then we went to Interlaken a 30 min train ride and strolled in the small town. Took an hour of bicycle ride. It was fun.

Day 2- We went to Zermatt to see the famous Matterhorn. Its a looong but scenic train ride. Once you reach Zermat you have to go on another train Gornogrett to reach the peak. It’s not included in the swiss pass. So had to pay 45 Euro per person for the round trip. I think Matterhorn can be skipped. Instead you can take the Glacier Express from Brigg to Chur. Glacier Express has 3 parts you can choose one part depending on where you are staying .

Day 3- We went to Mount Pilatus did the Golden Circle minus the boat ride. Golden Circle is included in the Swiss Pass; it includes
a boat ride,
a cog railway which is a marvel of engineering- the train goes at a 48% incline
a cable car ride and
a bus ride back to where you started.
So we started with the cog rail ride, then the cable ride which is divided between 2 parts. The first half gets you half way down the mountain. Once there we did the Toboggan ride which was fun and must do. We also did the activities in the “Rope Park” right there. It has different activities like zip lining, crossing hurdles with increasing difficulty level. It was adventurous and bit scary as we had to cross dangling logs of wood from one tree to the other etc.
http://www.pilatus.ch/en/discover/pilatus-rope-park/

Mt Pilatus should be a must do.

Day 4- We went to Lucerne and loved it. Did the regular touristy places. We enjoyed shopping here for kids. Its like SF filled with chatter of lots of people unlike the serene Swiss countryside. It takes almost 2.5 hours to reach Lucerne from Lauterbrunnen so we spent lot of time in travelling. So, I recommend to stay in Lucerne for atleast 2 nights. One day for Pilatus, another for Titlus(we did not have time to go herre but is heavily recommended by friends as it has lots of activities included in Swiss Pass so its free) and third day for city fun.

Then we rented our car from Zurich airport as we were travelling to France by road later. We did Rhine Falls. There is a 3 Euro/person boat ride that takes you close to the falls and then you can climb on a tall island like thing to watch it closely. We only did this in Zurich and it was good. We did not explore the city at all.

Day 5- Went to Jungfraujoch; its a must do. Loved the ice cave and the other activities offered at the top of the mountain. The veggie sandwich they serve in the cafeteria was bad. There are restaurants as well but there was a group tour of 50-70 people who had booked the restaurant so we were not allowed. So, carry your food.

French Riviera Begins

Rented a car from Hertz at Zurich airport. Drove from Lauterbrunnen-Marseille-Cannes-Nice-Monaco-Milan-Zurich.

Day 6- We drove to Marseille. It was a long drive. The speed limit was 110kms/hr on many freeways. The minute you enter France you realize people are rude and snobbish. However one couple we met was friendly and helped us pick vegetarian food from the deli. On our way we spent few hours in Cannes. Got to witness the hype of the Cannes film festival.

Day 7- Went to the Notre-Dame de la Garde.
It’s a wonderful view of the entire city from the top. Must do. We reached Nice at night.

Day 8- We strolled on the beach it was a long walk. We went to the farmmers market and it was lovely seeing the local flavour of Nice. We ate the famous local food Socca here. Its crispy “chala” made from chickpea. The we went to Fenocchio Glacier, it serves 98 varieties of gelota and rated as number 1 in Nice. It has unique Catus and Mojito flavor. We tried the lichi, raspberry and few other flovours which were good as well.

Later that evening we went to Monaco to admire the famous F1 tracks and also visited the Monte Carlo Casio. The entry is 40 Euro/person, formal clothes and shoes must for boys. Also you must carry your passport else they will not let you enter. The restaurant inside serves good vegetarian food. If you eat there they redeem 17 euro/person on your entry fee. So save your ticket if you plan to eat inside.

Day 9 – We started for Zurich it was a almost 11 hour drive. We went through Italy while returning. We stopped at Milan for a few hours. Saw the Milan Cathedral and walked the entire street nearby. Its filled with restaurants and shops. People were performing. It was a nice walking around.

We reached Zurich airport and it was end of a lovely vacation. Flew back to Bombay with lots of memories of the scenic countryside of Switzerland.

Pointers-
1. I recommend 8 night stay in Swiss with 3 days in Lauterbrunnen, 3 days in Lucerne and 2 days in a location depending on your liking.
2. Must start your day early; must catch the train by 7am or early so you get the entire day to explore your destination for that day.
3. Coop is like Safeway you will get all basic things you want.
Mountains to visit – Titlus, Pilatus, Jungfaujonch,(Must) and Matterhorn. Matterhorn seemed hyped too much. I would not recommend it, can be skipped.
4. Grindlewald is rated a very good place to paraglide, we did not have time to do it. US may be lot cheaper so can be skipped as well.
5. Must travel via train all of Switzerland. In case you are driving read the directions very carefully; there are places where you can go only via a ferry or train in the car to save time else the distance increases.
6.You must have an international driving licence while crossing borders.