When my lady and I were planning this trip, to be honest, Switzerland never crossed our minds. We could not imagine lugging two kids up the Swiss alps, paired with the crazy expenses (which it is), but this trip was amazing. We had fun, the kids had fun.
We did our research through the sites, and now with ChatGPT planning itineraries even, booked our tickets and accommodations, packed our bags, and here we start our great Swiss adventures. Before I continue, here contains valuable tips that may help you navigate through your travels, but it's mainly intended for parents travelling with children - we brought our 7 and 3 year old along! If you're still reading, don't worry, you will survive the trip.
Trip Summary
From Singapore, we took a direct 12-hour red-eye flight to Switzerland, collected our rental car straight at the airport and headed to Bern. On our way to Lamoura (France), we stopped by Lausanne and explored Geneva. Next up, we visited the Alps, stationing ourselves at a mountain Airbnb at Embd near Visp, and headed to Zermatt to see the Matterhorn. Took the car-tram passed the mountains to Interlaken, Lungern and Lucerne before stopping at Zurich before flying back. That's almost an entire round covered in one trip!
9D8N Switzerland Itinerary
Day 1: Singapore > Zurich > Bern
We took a 12-hour red-eye to Zurich with Swiss Air. Honest opinion, this airline is on par with SQ. They have 4 seats in middle section (for economy), the stewards explain to you personally what's on the food and wine menu, they even have a pantry cart in case you're hungry in the middle of the flight. Thank God, we including the kids rested almost 70% of the flight, which is a big win for us.
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Pro tip: Get the SIM direct from airport (beside luggage collection). They have a lot of options. Since my telco Circle didn't have the Switzerland plans, and we are travelling to France for a couple of days, we got the EU unlimited data option which was around SGD$60 for 1 month.
We rented our car from SIXT. Ordered a BMW 2 series, but got "upgraded" for a CUPRA instead. FYI it's left-hand drive, meaning to say that driver sits on the left (opposite from Singapore). It always take me 20-30 mins to get used to, and some horning from the back. Trust me, Swiss drivers are impatient AF.
Pro tip: If you're driving cross borders, you need to get the relevant permits which you could check with the car rental. SIXT has one of the most affordable. Also, if you're planning to travel on highways, which you should be, please check that you have the motorway vignette (again SIXT provides, but do check with your car rental).
From Zurich airport, it's a 2-hour drive to Bern - the capital of Switzerland. YES it's not Zurich. It's BERN! It's a beautiful old city, where you can chill with a pint, explore the rose gardens, church, they even have a freaking bear roaming in the city (don't worry it's fenced). Start getting used to eating rosti and sausages.
Okay, you should already know that Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries to visit. So here's a no-shocker when we realised that a simple plate of fried rice cost SGD$50. A meal for 4 would easily cost SGD$200 with drinks. God save my wallets. Yup. So all the people dining out are probably tourists. Like me. and you.
Day 2: Bern > Lausanne > Lamoura
A 1.5h drive away from Bern is a smaller but modern city, Lausanne. Here's a fun fact: Southern cities speak French, but Northern ones speak Germany. We had real good pizzas, spoke to locals who suggested that Evian is shite water, and explored the playgrounds and harbors. It's chillax and we kinda like it.
Pro tip: IMPORTANT. HOW TO PAY FOR PARKING. Upon entering carparks with gantries, you will need to push a button to retrieve a ticket. Before exiting, you need to pay for the parking at designated kiosk beforehand physically. You will get back the same ticket after paying. Drive to the exit, put the ticket into the slot and the gantry will open.
We stopped by their supermarkets to stock up some snacks and dinner ingredients for our little road trip to the French countryside - basically crossing a border in car. The AirBnb located at Lamoura was a little off road, with mountainous drive, swirling and whirling, but it was well worth-it.
Hey before I continue, I want to rant about the French customs which stopped our car, and our car only for checks. I can only supposed it's because we are Chinese and wearing Rolex. Doesn't mean we have a boot full of Rolexes to bring across border to sell. Yeah, no surprises when the boot is all filled with luggage, children's toys and the night's meal. Not sure if adding Bonjour to my greetings would help.
Day 3: Lamoura > Geneva
What a beautiful day that we can absolutely soak in the Nordic baths at 10 degrees outside. The weather was a little erratic and we didn't want to take any chances so we jumped in. But before that, nothing like a good homemade breakfast (and cost-friendly too!)
Geneva was an hour's drive, yep through the mountains. We went straight to Parking du Mont-Blanc, most centralised parking at Geneva. Trust me when I say that street parking at big cities like Geneva are AN ABSOLUTELY NIGHTMARE. Just park here for your sake. When you head up, you'll notice the big boomz brands are all here - Rolex, Richard Mille, Dior, Chanel, Patek Philippe, you name it. Oh ya, and pride flags, uh maybe because of pride month.
For it's fair convenience, we took photos with the swans at Lake Geneva before taking the necessity shots with the Jet. There's a beautiful garden to take some photos as well.
Day 4: Lamoura > Visp > Embd
It's a 3-hour drive to our next location, yes, another mountain. A higher one. Driving hours straight kills my back, so we stopped multiple times along the route, and just breathe the Swiss air.
We stopped by for a grocery run at Visp - a central checkpoint from mainland to Zermatt. It's a small town but it's really happening with lots of restaurants and bars. They even have a university here.
The drive to our next Airbnb is no joke. One way mountain roads. We thank God we made it safely, but the view is literally second to none. A full view of the Swiss alps. Plus the host was one of the best we ever met. Cheers to huge points!
Day 5: Zermatt
Pro tip: You cannot drive up to Zermatt, so you can stop your car at Tasch Terminal. This is the terminal you will take a 12-min train up to Zermatt. There are plenty of trains, once every 15-30mins (a return ticket for adult cost ~SGD$15, children is usually half priced, children below 3 are free)
A sure highlight for every Swiss virgin's trip is definitely the Matterhorn. You don't even have to guess it. But where to view this Toblerone beauty is another question. For starters, you can see Matterhorn from Zermatt. But to see it upclose requires additional kachingz ya know. Tourism. You could hike, but if you can tell by now, we are no adventurers especially with two kids. We struggled between Glacier Paradise (cable car) and Gornergrat (train), but went for the latter upon recommendations from the host.
In either ways, tickets can be purchased directly at Zermatt, close to the train terminal. To be fair, Zermatt is not huge, so walking around is doable.
Gornergrat tickets costed approx ~SGD$200 for adult (season applies), half priced for children. I cross my heart and say this is real EXPENSIVE. But upon reaching the end station, you'll see that it would be worth your ticket price. The pinnacle. Swiss Alps.
And by God's grace, Matterhorn's in its full glory.
Of course the children wouldn't care less and have already started running in the cold and making snowballs and throwing at each other. For your info, we went during summer (June), but it was still freezing cold, the temperature should be around 1-2C. There's a hotel, restaurant and bar, so you could take a break as and when. Just remember to catch the last train down!
Back to Zermatt, we had a memorable dinner at Du Pont. If you haven't try cheese fondue or traditional Swiss fare, don't give this place a miss! The service is impeccable too. We highly recommend this!
By the time we fetched the car, it was nearing 9pm and the skies were dark. Thank God we made it safely to our Airbnb still. I was driving at 30km/h and high beaming all the way on the mountains. Stay safe!
Day 6: Interlaken > Iseltwald > Lungern
When we reached, it was drizzling. The skies were dull, so we had our lunch at Bun Brothers & Co. where they serve absolutely one of the best Asian dishes we had in the country. Yes, a bowl of beef pho costs SGD$50, but I mean, since almost every meal is at that price point, give this place a shot.
If you're after adventures, this place is THE place. You see people paragliding (yes, even if it's drizzling), so if you're up for the challenge and get your adrenaline pumped, you know where to spend your hours.
Thank God the rain stopped albeit momentarily when we got to Iseltwald. And if you're a Kdrama fan, this is where they shot the famous piano-lake scene for Crash Landing on You. Now you even need to pay to step onto the pier for some photos (~SGD$8/pax). But I mean, since we are already here..
Day 7: Grindelwald > Lauterbrunnen
The sun hung high, the colors of the lake turned turquoise, it was a perfect day after a day of drizzle. After the breakfast buffet at the hotel, we travelled to Grindelwald where we will be spending most of the day. Here's a warning: Grindelwald IS PACKED. Everywhere, every corner is filled with tourists, and it's almost impossible to find a parking spot. There are some reserved slots for restaurant diners, so we parked, lunched there (Restaurant Alte Post), and headed off to our activities.
For family with children, we highly recommended the Toboggan. BUT it's on a mountain, so you'll need to take the Pfingstegg cable car up (~SGD$50/adult for return. STEEEEP). During crowded seasons, you may need to wait for quite a bit, as the cable car has limited space and the frequency is approx 15-min.
It's really cooling once you're up the mountains. The toboggan rides are just a couple of minutes walk from the cable car station. We got 4* adult + children combo (~$15 per ride), so we could each ride twice. Thank God the queue were pretty short when we played.
The rides were crazy. If you've sat the Sentosa Luge, this is another level (don't worry it's beginner-friendly). You basically control the acceleration with the stick. My girl and I almost flew off track when she accelerated all the way. Okay some exaggeration, but it was real fast. Do enjoy the sceneries while you're on the track!
It was late afternoon when we reached Lauterbrunnen, the place that inspired Rivendell in Lord of the Rings. Similar to Grindelwald, it was absolute packed. It's a beautiful small town with their famous Staubbachfall. But again, nothing beats the waterfalls in Iceland.
What's a better way to end the night than some great cocktails at the hotel bar?
Day 8: Lucerne > Zurich
Before leaving Lungern, we took time to explore the turquoise lakes. I bet the locals were sick of all the tourists taking photos at their backyard. I can only say that the people living here are blessed enough to wake up to this view. I mean, just look at this.
From Lungern, we drove towards Zurich, stopping at Lucerne for a lunch break. We recommend the Lamb Stew (kinda expensive at ~SGD$60) and Mac & Cheese at Wirtshaus Taube Luzern.
But seriously, most restaurants have a sick view of the raging river that runs through the city. Just make sure your belongings don't fall in!
They have beautiful alleys to take some insta-worthy shots.
Day 9: Zurich > Singapore
Spend your last hours in Zurich at the airport, if you haven't got your souvenirs, there's a huge MIGROS (supermarket) and some other stores. Even inside the departure halls, there are more shops. But don't be like us. We nearly missed our flight because we spent too much time grabbing souvenirs. Thank God the people were nice enough to let us cut the queue all the way to the front.
Endnotes
Switzerland is probably one of the most beautiful countries that we've been to. And one of the most expensive. Their food to be honest were really meh, alcohol was fantastic, but the overall experience is way more than we expected. If you like culture, stay in Bern. If you like shopping, stay in Geneva. If you love the views or fancy adventures, go with Interlaken and Grindelwald area (super crowded though). Best? Rent a car and explore everything!
Switzerland you will be missed.