Switzerland

  Friday:  Murren to Zurich CHF 30-44/person (Murren to Grutschalp, Gruschalp to Lauterbrunnen, Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost, Interlaken Ost to Zurich HB) Holiday Inn Express Zurich Airport is 10 min from Rümlang train station.  Breakfast is included.  CFH8/person shuttle to airport.  I got 2 single beds for each of the two rooms because the double bed looked really small for 2 people. There are luggage lockers in the Bahnhofplatz, but people say they are often full.  There are 3rd party lockers somewhere near.  The text in black is what we knew when we got there.  The lockers were indeed full.  We found the place where you can pay by the bag to store luggage, but they closed at 6p, and we weren't going to be able to do that. Possible things to do in Zurich:  Will we get to Zurich before lunch time?  Should we eat on the train?  2.75 hours.  If we leave at 9a, we'll get to Zurich by noon. Sham is a Syrian restaurant nex...

  Thursday: Murren to Grutschalp (train 13 minutes CHF 2.20 ) (train station is right across the street from Hotel Eiger, I think.   We investigated all of the trails around the hutte and could not find a way to see it without having more elevation change than we were willing to do.  We ended up doing the Northface Trail from Murren, and it was my favorite hike of the trip: https://www.alltrails.com/ar/trail/switzerland/bern/northface-trail-murren  4.9 miles, 666 ft climb and just over a thousand feet of descent.  We took the Allmend funicular so that we could start higher than we finished. Grutschalp to Sous Lager to Lobhornhutte to Sulwald Sulwald to Isenfluh (cable car)  CHF 8.40.  They also have monster scooters for CHF 19 which includes (sanitized) helmet rental.  https://www.isenfluh.ch/english/prices/ Isenfluh to Hotel Eiger (bus, funicular, train) Isenfluh to Lauterbrunnen bus B142 CHF 3.90   Lauterbrunnen (Seilbahn)  t...

  Wednesday: Wengen to Lauterbrunnen (train CC63 15 minute ride, leaves every 30 minutes CHF 3.60/person) Hike from Lauterbrunnen Bahnhofplatz to Stechelberg is 3.48 miles 325 feet of elevation gain.   Hike from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg to Gimmelwald is 6.5 miles, ~2500 ft gain.   Hike from  Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg to Trachsellauenen to Gimmelwald   17.0 km is 10.56 miles with  1149m = 3769ft in elevation change.    .  Ryder-Walker also talks about Hotel Obersteinberg.  This view looks amazing but adds 3 miles and 1500 feet of elevation, so we'd be talking about 13.5 miles.  Ridiculous. There is a lift near Stechelberg to Gimmelwald and then to Mürren and Birg and Schilthorn.   Ryder-Walker says: Lauterbrunnen past Staudachfalle toward Stechelberg to Weisse Lutschine (which is the river) to Trachsellauenen where they recommended lunch in 2009.  Reviews for lunch were good.  Must pay in cash ....

  Tuesday:  Grindelwald to Alpiglen (train CHF 9/each, not included in  Berner Oberland pass )  CC449.  Leaves at :15 or :45 past the hour, takes 20 minutes  https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/corporate/jungfrau-railways/jungfraubahn-holding-ag/wengernalpbahn-ag/   Alpiglen to Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen (hike), stop for lunch at our choice of restaurant in Kleine Scheidegg  https://www.bergrestaurant-kleine-scheidegg.ch/en-gb/restaurant/  has vegetarian and vegan options.   Ryder Walker recommends Restaurant Eigernordwand " Lovely Gulaschsuppe in a bread bowl "   https://www.huettenzauber.ch/en/restaurants/restaurant-eigernordwand 1st half Ryder-walker says to hike from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg, or can take the train to Alpiglen.  AllTrails from Alpiglen to get to Kleine Scheidegg only show the higher elevation Eiger trail as a through hike, and the lower elevation trail that Ryder-Walker recommends as part of a loo...

  Monday:  7 min walk or 6 min bus ride to Interlaken Ost train station.   Train R61 to Wilderswil 5 minutes (2 stops) on the train CHF 2.40/each, or a 12 minute bus ride on 105 CC642 52 minutes Wilderswil to  Schynige Platte  (cog rail, Wilderswil to Schynige Platte CHF16/each, or included in Berner Oberland pass, or 1/2 fare with 1/2 fare card). Leaves at 8:45, 9:25, 10:05, 10:45 etc Shynige Platte to First (hike).  Faulhorn hotel for lunch?   above is to the peak, then 2 hours downhill People on AllTrails say 5.5 - 6 hours hike.  in 2023 they mention 2 restaurants.   Day 1 hike:  Longest: 8442-6622 ft long elevation change = 837/15259 = 0.0548 grade                (6.0 mi - 2.6 mi ) * 5280ft/mi Steepest: 8286-7648 ft                    = 638/5280 = 0.12 grade                (5.5-4.5) * 5280 ...

  Sunday: Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, Kayaks, Harder Kulm, chocolate tour? Do we want to see the best views on our 1st day?  Will everything be less cool because we've already seen the best?  I think we should: 1st) eat breakfast at the hotel and pack our bags. Will they store our bags while we go to the falls? 2nd) walk to Trummelbach Falls , (about 3 hours with walking both ways and viewing the falls) 3rd) take a train to Interlaken 4th) drop our luggage at Interlaken Hotel 5th) in Interlaken go to chocolate stores and grocery store 6th) if there is time and energy before dinner, go to Thun/St Beatus Caves 7th) back to hotel for dinner We ended up  1st) eat breakfast at the hotel and pack our bags. Left our bags at the hotel 2nd) took the bus to Trummelbach Falls  and at lunch at the onsite cafe, (about 3 hours with taking the bus both ways and viewing the falls) 3rd) take a train to Interlaken 4th) drop our luggage at Interlaken Hotel at about 2p.   E...