Planning a Visit to Switzerland With Your Children

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Ideas and Tips for Traveling With Children in Switzerland
by Jenny Kirsten

Activities ... for kids of all ages!
Berner Oberland | Luzern

Why Switzerland?

Switzerland, probably more than any other country in Europe, is a haven for children’s travel. Everything you would need to consider when travelling with kids seems to have been catered for by the Swiss!

	It is a country which has loads of things to fascinate the little people while at the same time offering as much for mom and dad. Be it counting cows from the cable car or spotting mountain peaks in Mürren ….. Be it hiking round the foothills of the Eiger or sledding behind the Husky dogs on the Jungfraujoch …… there are boundless opportunities for you all.
	Switzerland has THE most outstanding public transport system: it is clean, it is efficient and it is reliable – important factors when travelling with children. The transport system is in fact also half the adventure of travelling in Switzerland!
	Switzerland’s life-blood is tourism and it shows! You can ask just about any question at any tourist office and they will give you an answer. Write to them for brochures and they will send them. Access the Internet for a train timetable and it’ll be there. This makes it extremely easy, and in fact a pleasure, to plan a family holiday.
	Despite its reputation as being an expensive holiday destination, there are numerous ways you can manage your expenses. Hotels, pensions and apartments come in all price ranges ….. special transport tickets (including family tickets) are available for the asking …… (ask before you leave home)…. grocery stores and outdoor markets are present in almost every town …… (picnics are an inexpensive option), and ….. much of the exquisite scenery comes free!

Some Tips to Make Your Trip More Enjoyable

Before you go:

	Get your children interested and excited before you even leave home …. Build up the joy of anticipation. Tell them what you are going to be seeing ….. tell them how many places you will be staying in …. give them brochures to look at ……. let them choose (within reason!) the clothes and personal possessions they want to take along.
	*Pack a small bag of favourite toys/activities, be it games, colouring-in items, books or cards.*
	Do your homework …. find out as much as you can about sights, excursions, shops, locations, etc. before you leave. This way you will not waste valuable time trying to find out what to do when you arrive there….. also you can plan to fit in places and activities which are in close proximity to each other.
	Budget for treats and souvenirs for the children ….. chocolates, cow bells, Swiss Army Knives, small cuckoo clocks. This adds to their involvement and enjoyment.

When you are there:

	Be prepared to be flexible …… even pre-planned itineraries may have to be adjusted according to circumstances (weather, tired feet, etc.) …… expect some changes and it will bother you less when and if it happens.
	*Accept that it is their* holiday as well as yours …… for every activity you choose, let them have their own choice too.**
	*Do not* try to fit in too much in a day, and be cautious about doing more than one long excursion per day. Rushing to fit a lot in is likely to cause tension.**
	Where possible, have a clear idea of how long a trip is going to take before setting out …. this is very easy to do ….. tourist office personnel, as well as train, bus and boat timetables provide invaluable reference material! It is a lot easier for everyone when you know "how long ‘til we get there".
	Timetables are also wonderful tools to help you plan your day. With children, you preferably do not want to arrive at the station 5 minutes after the train left, with the next one only leaving in 55 minutes time! It is also advisable to find out when your return trip departs (for the same reason). This sort of planning need not be restrictive, it just helps you to use your time more efficiently.
	Try see things through the eyes of your children and encourage them to enjoy the natural sights. Listen for cow-bells, look out for mountain goats, identify mountain peaks, track the different forms of mountain transport you use (gondolas, aerial tramways, cog railways, steam trains, funiculars…….)
	*When going on day-trips and/or hikes, take small day-bags/back-packs* with you. Following are some suggestions of what to put inside: Water and/or juice (each have your own bottle) Snacks: nuts, fruit, biscuits/cookies, snack bars, sandwiches Small first-aid kit Basic change of clothing for younger kids (stress from spilt cola is greatly reduced when you can simply change a wet shirt) Wet wipes, tissues/Kleenex and a small hand towel Sweaters and jackets (layers of clothing as recommended by Ed and Julie**
	*Have each child carry with them* a copy of their own identity document and a copy of your itinerary with hotel/pension names, phone numbers and dates: In event of emergency; In case the child gets lost; As proof of age for tourist discounts.**

Where in Switzerland to Take the Kids

Our favourite locations are easily:

The Berner Oberland,
Luzern and its surrounds.

Ed and Julie are spot on with their recommendations, and as for taking your kids to Switzerland, the Berner Oberland and Luzern are non-negotiables!

Your biggest problem is likely to be: Too much to do …. and too little time!

Now …….. to the countryside ……..

Activities and Sights in Luzern and Surrounds

Activities and Sights in the Berner Oberland
(Jungfrau Region)

If you have any feedback on which excursions your children particularly enjoyed, or if you discovered other interesting things for kids to do that have not been mentioned here, I would love to hear from you.

Questions about planning a similar trip? Comments for the author?
jkirsten@iafrica.com

You'll find the following articles helpful as well:

Mürren With Kids Glenda and her family explore the village and the surrounding area, with lots of helpful information for parents who follow.
And, Ed and Julie's own thoughts about taking children to Switzerland at Switzerland for the Young.

Jenny Kirsten, husband and two young children live in Cape Town, South Africa. Jenny and her husband have back-packed and youth-hostelled in Europe and "done the more comfortable B&B thing" through the UK. Their favourite European destination is Switzerland, as you may guess. Jenny is a working mom, but in her "spare" time she reads extensively, and in particular, travel biographies. They are currently planning a trip to Switzerland to initiate the children in the joys of fine travel.

Would you like to add an article about your travel experiences in Europe? It's easy to do.

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Ideas and Tips for Traveling With Children in Switzerland by Jenny Kirsten

Why Switzerland?

Some Tips to Make Your Trip More Enjoyable

Where in Switzerland to Take the Kids

Activities and Sights in Luzern and Surrounds

Activities and Sights in the Berner Oberland (Jungfrau Region)

Ideas and Tips for Traveling With Children in Switzerland
by Jenny Kirsten

Activities and Sights in the Berner Oberland
(Jungfrau Region)