Episode 41: Trip Report - A special family vacation in Switzerland

Interview with recent travellers Brenda Powell and Chelsea Powell

Have you considered taking a family trip to Switzerland? If you’re planning a trip with young children or perhaps a multi-generation trip, you may have some concerns as to how it will all work out so that everyone is happy.

For instance, how will you choose an itinerary that suits the interests and physical abilities of every family member?

Will there be enough sights and attractions to keep the children amused? What if they need some time to burn off some energy?

And how easy is it to travel around Switzerland with children and elderly grandparents?

I’m fortunate to have visited Switzerland many times with my children when they were young, and also on a multi-generation trip with my parents, my husband and our kids – who were young adults by then – so I know first-hand the concerns that you might have when considering such a trip.

Today’s guests, Brenda Powell and Chelsea Powell, have recently returned from Switzerland where they enjoyed a wonderful vacation with four generations of their family.

I met them virtually in the Switzerland Travel Planning Facebook group and followed along with interest as they posted photos in the group during their trip.

Rather than me sharing my thoughts on family travel, I invited Brenda and Chelsea onto the podcast to tell us all about their trip and how they planned their itinerary to suit every family member from age 3 to 80!

Switzerland Tourism Roger Federer banner I need quite please

If you need quiet, please – you need Switzerland.

Thanks again to Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring the podcast. Their website myswitzerland.com is packed with practical information and ideas to help you plan your trip to Switzerland.

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Show Notes

In this episode, Brenda and Chelsea chat about:

The reason they chose Switzerland as the destination for their family vacation
How they planned an itinerary to suit so many different ages and interests
How they travelled around Switzerland
The style of accommodation they chose
What surprised them about Switzerland
The most memorable moments of their trip
Tips for other folks planning a trip to Switzerland with children, or a multi-generation trip

Powell family enjoying dinner in Switzerland — Enjoying a family dinner – with four generations – in Switzerland.

The Powell family’s itinerary including places and activities mentioned in this episode

Zurich – 2 night
Interlaken – 3 nights
Zurich – 1 night (most of the party) / Grindelwald – 2 nights (Chelsea, her husband and kids)

>> Zurich – After arriving late in the afternoon, the family settled in for a quiet evening before exploring Zurich the next day. Much of their time was spent strolling around the Old Town including Gross Münster (the cathedral) and by the river.

>> Interlaken – This was the family’s base for the next three nights. They spent their first day visiting Lauterbrunnen where they wandered around the village, saw Staubbach Falls, hiked along the valley floor, and the children enjoyed playing at a playground.

The following day the Powells took a day trip by train to Zermatt. They took a cable car to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and strolled around the village of Zermatt.

Feeding cows in Lauterbrunnen — The children enjoyed petting the cows in Lauterbrunnen.

Child listening to audio guide at Chillon Castle — Chelsea’s daughter listening to the audio guide at Chillon Castle.

Powell family at Staubbach Falls Lauterbrunnen — Chelsea and her family in front of Staubbach Falls, Lauterbrunnen.

A day trip to Montreux was on the agenda for the family’s final full day based in Interlaken. After a train journey of around 2.5 hours, they visited Chillon Castle on the shores of Lake Geneva, and then wandered around the Montreux Christmas Market where they purchased handmade Christmas decorations and tasted glühwein (mulled wine).

>> Zurich / Grindelwald – On the last day in Switzerland for most of the Powell family, there were various activities on the agenda. Brenda, her dad and sister headed to Bern where they enjoyed a delicious lunch of schnitzel before continuing on the Zurich.

Chelsea and her husband and children travelled to Grindelwald where they were to stay for the next 2 nights. They took the Eiger Express cable car to Eiger Glacier where the children were able to play in the snow.

The rest of the family headed to Jungfraujoch for views of the Aletsch Glacier, before returning to Zurich.

Cable car ride to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. — Brenda and her dad and sister on the cable car to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise.

The Matterhorn. — Brenda’s 80 year old dad took this incredible photo of the Matterhorn.

Family in front of Matterhorn. — Chelsea and her family in Zermatt with the Matterhorn in the distance.

Read the full transcript of this episode > here.

Useful Resources

The Powell family all purchased a Swiss Travel Pass for their transport around Switzerland. It covered all trains, trams and buses, free entry to 500 museums and monuments (including Chillon Castle), and provided discounts for mountain excursions (including Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Jungfraujoch).

Find out more about the Swiss Travel Pass > here.

To learn more about some of the places mentioned in this episode, check out these articles:

You can also listen to other podcast episodes that cover the destinations the Powell family visited including Zurich, Interlaken, the Jungfrau Region, Zermatt and Montreux.

Our step-by-step guide to planning a trip to Switzerland is full of helpful advice, too. You can read it > here.

Brenda and her daughter in Switzerland — Brenda and her daughter Laura creating special memories in Switzerland.

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This episode is sponsored by Switzerland Tourism.

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