Holidaying in Switzerland ideas - I promise I'm not TM

[blueobsessive]

DH and I are thinking of going to Switzerland this August. It's just the two of us. I swear I am not TM (although DH probably puts the bins out more than I do... maybe we are on a slippery slope?). We are looking at ideas.

Anyhow, I have arthritis and can't walk terribly far (so have to be careful of going on a walk and getting stranded) but enjoy walking for as far as I can. Small villages are good for us as then it doesn't feel like we are missing out.

We'd be planning on flying from London city to Geneva or Zurich then getting a train from there and staying in 1-max 3 bases over a week for fresh air, mountain views, food and general holiday joyous - ness.

Any recommendations for :

• a sensible train route / villages to base ourselves in
• nice but maybe not naice places to stay (self catering, b&b or hotels) at the non exorbitant end of the spectrum most welcome
• are there any good outdoor swimming pools in such places (Walking may be limited but I'm a keen swimmer- although for boring medical reasons not to go into here- I can't go in hot - or above about 29C water. I'm a cool/cold water person).

And how bumpy is the jungfrau cog railway? Sounds awesome (but not so much if it is a total joint judderer).

Adelboden springs to mind, although I've only been for the day.

Love Swiss. Piscine de colvray in nyon is fantastic. 22 degrees. With a view of mont blanc. And you can swim in the lake there. Also versoix. And you can swim in the lake. Free bike hire in versoix by the station. And you can hire electric bikes too. (you leave a deposit). Trains easy. There is the firework event in Geneva in august. Quite busy but great to see. I don't know zurich. Enjoy. Oh and nyon is bliss to explore too.

I swear I am not TM (although DH probably puts the bins out more than I do... maybe we are on a slippery slope?)

I'm watching with interest as I've been looking into Switzerland myself for this summer. We have very young DCs so similar walking considerations (we love walking but can't be too ambitious/far from civilisation).

Ooooh. If you fly into Geneva you can take the train to montreux which is a lovely town by the lake. Then from there you get the golden pass panoramic train up through the alps. You can hop off at little alpine villages and eventually get up to gstaad where there are a couple of lovely hotels

I did 10 days backpacking in switzerland last summer - it was amazing but not cheap.

Flew into Geneva which is beautiful, pay a couple of francs to walk out onto the beach and pier in the middle of the lake, It's wonderful and you feel the famous fountain spray.
Got the train to Interlaken which is an amazing town and series of small villages between two lakes. Absolutely stunning, less busy than the cities and lots of little shops, cafes and restaurants to visit. There's watersports and mountain climbing if you're up to it, if not (I was not!) you can hire a rowing boat, explore the neighbouring villages and little monuments, try the cheese and chocolate fondue. There are also a series of beautiful mountain villages to visit and the tallest mountain (I forget the name) but it was too foggy when I went (spring) so I didn't do that - people say it's incredible though.

Went on to Bern next which is an amazing city with loads to do and see, museums, amazing river, restaurants, bear zoo park etc. Very lovely and stunning architecture.

I then went to Basel where I spent two days before flying home - it was lovely and on the border of both France and Germany so you can get a bus ride to Mulhouse or Friebourg for the day and say you've been to three countries in a day.

I stayed in hostels so I can't really help you out on the accommodation front. If you visit one of the places I mentioned, make sure it's Interlaken, you will absolutely not regret it. Also you mentioned swimming - all the lakes are fresh mountain water, crystal clear, a little cold but absolutely wonderful for swimming!

Love Switzerland. Very interesting country! Fly to Geneva then bus to Villars-off the bottom end of the lake.. Ski resort in winter and old cog railway/ ski lifts run in summer too, for walks Heidi style....Next valley you can go up the glacier- 3000m: still snow at the summit in July.
Fab swimming back down in the valley in Lake Leman ( lake Geneva) and excellent outdoor pool complex close to chateau de chillon. ( also smaller pool in Villars itself)
Village itself is lovely- tastefully touristy! Local speciality meringues

Wengen or Grindelwald for Jungfrau. There is an outdoor pool in Wengen. The train to Jungfraujoch isn't very bumpy but seats are hard and there are stops with views through the glacier as well as at Kleine Scheidegg to break it up. Take layers as it is very cold once you enter the tunnel and at summit. Lucerne is a pleasant small city about an hour from Zurich airport, with lake and mountain views and trips. It is easy to get to Interlaken from there and onwards to Wengen or Grindelwald. You can arrange for your luggage to be sent on ahead by train so you don't have to carry it.

Terrific advice in mere minutes. Fabulous. Thank you mumsnet. 22C pool sounds amazing as does the area around interlarken. Had thought of lakes but wondered if we'd be mown down by pleasure boats on lake Geneva. Good to know that it's not a totally suicidal thought. We are not beyond staying in a hostel if it has a private /non dorm room with bathroom for a couple of nights.

Wow Liz- how do you arrange the luggage forwarding? That sounds awesome. DH and I tend to share a suitcase and I steal his socks

Railway up to Jungfraujoch is a comfortable trip. Stay in Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen (open air swimming pool) Wengen (also o a pool) or Grindelwald. Also consider Murren, another lovely alpine village above the Lauterbrunnen valley, you can get the cable car to the Schilthorn.

Years ago we stayed in a eurocamp site in Switzerland. The nearby pools in Leukerbad were lovely!

Cross post with LIZS.
Swiss Tourist Office in London for baggage transfer tickets, but only for certain flights. Internet search for STO, they also have a range of transport passes that you might find save you money on public transport.
Camping Jungfrau in Lauterbrunnen have a range of accommodation options that are reasonably priced and cheaper than the hotels. Lovely site 10 walk from the railway and cable car station.
The Hotel Bernerhof on the main street in Wengen is an olde fashioned three star hotel which is on the less expensive side.
Love Switzerland.

You can book luggage transfer either through Swiss if you are flying with them or direct with SBB. You can also get train passes in various combinations, such allowing so many days' free travel over a time period so useful for transfers between resorts/airports, and they give discounts on many other trips, mountain railways like Jungfraubahn are often privately run.

www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/services/luggage-and-flight-luggage.html

We've stayed at the Bernerhof in the past. They do a nice fondue and raclette. Rooms very cosy with wood panelling and small bathroom! Well located on the main street.

My only tip is that it is mind bogglingly expensive to stay in Geneva (we have just booked for August), so get out of it quickly! Sounds like you are going to have a lovely trip.

I have been to Grindelwald on summer holiday and done the Jungfrau cog railway. Everythings expensive, very expensive but lovely. As for walking you can get cable cars up and down the mountain so you can do as little or as much as you are able. The jungfrau is heaving with tourists and booking is essential, the ride up and back was fine and there is plenty to do at the top.

Yes I live in Geneva. It really is mind bogglingly expensive. Like a pizza is 25 quid

I've been to Arosa in both winter and summer. Fly into Zurich could have a couple of days in Chur which is market town size and then on to Arosa (lovely train journey). Arosa has lake with beach for swimming, cable car to mountain top for views or over to next village.

Fabulous. Thank you all so much.