This is a summer trip, so lots of hiking, but no skiing. It also stays mostly in the French- and German-speaking parts of the country and does not venture much into the Italian- or Romansh-speaking cantons. I may expand the trip into a more all-encompassing one later.
| Day | Start point | End point | Distance | Drive time | Speed | Leave start point | Time at stop 1 | Time at stop 2 | Time at stop 3 | Arrive end point | Explore end point | Comments/stops | Lodging | Map |
| 1 | Geneva airport | Montreux | 108 kms | 2.25 hrs | 48 kph | 10:00 AM | 1.5 hrs | 1 hr | 1.5 hrs | 4:15 PM | Fly in, rent car. Via CERN, Lavaux vineyards, Chateau du Chillon | map | ||
| 2 | Montreux | Bern | 153 kms | 3.25 hrs | 47 kph | 10:00 AM | 2.75 hrs | 1.75 hrs | via Gruyeres, Broc | map | ||||
| 3 | Bern | Bern | Explore Bern (I’ll fill in with more specifics later) | |||||||||||
| 4 | Bern | Interlaken | 116 kms | 2.75 hrs | 42 kph | 9:30 AM | 1 hr | 1 hr | 3.5 hrs | 5:45 PM | 2.25 hrs | via Spiez, Kandersteg, Oeschinensee. | map | |
| 5 | Interlaken | Interlaken | 60 kms | 2 hrs | 30 kph | 10:00 AM | 1 hr | 3 hrs | 2 hrs | 6:00 PM | 2.75 hrs | via Grendelwald, train from Grendelwald to Jungfraujoch & back, waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen, Gimmelwald | map | |
| 6 | Interlaken | Lucerne | 84 kms | 2 hrs | 42 kph | 10:45 AM | 1 hr | 1 hr | 2:45 PM | 5.25 hrs | via Aare Gorge, Reichenbach Falls. | map | ||
| 7 | Lucerne | Europahütte | 173 kms | 3.5 hrs | 49 kph | 10:00 AM | 3.5 hrs | 5:00 PM | 9.5 hrs | Park car in Randa. Via PM hike over Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge to Europahütte. Hiking trail is not on Google Maps, but if you select Street View, you’ll see the outline clearly. | map | |||
| 8 | Europahütte | St. Leonard | 73 kms | 1.75 hrs | 42 kph | 9:00 AM | 2.5 hrs | 3.5 hrs | 1 hr | 5:45 PM | 2.25 hrs | via AM hike back to Randa, Zermatt, Lorihiischi Living Museum. Note you cannot drive to Zermatt, so waypoint is Täsch, from which you take the train to Zermatt. | Europahütte | map |
| 9 | St. Leonard | Geneva airport | 181 kms | 3.75 hrs | 48 kph | 10:00 AM | 1.5 hrs | 0.75 hrs | 2 hrs | 5:30 PM | 4.5 hrs | via Lac Souterrain, Pyramides d’Euseigne, Chateau de Tourbillon & Valere Basilica. Pass briefly through France. Return rental car. | map | |
| 10 | Geneva airport | home | Fly out. | |||||||||||
| total | total | 947 kms | 21.25 hrs | |||||||||||
| average | average | 118 kms | 2.66 hrs | 44 kph | 9:54 AM | 5:09 PM | 2.86 hrs |
Total accommodations cost: $1080
Total food cost: $270
Total rental car cost: $270
Total gas/petrol cost: $237
Total cost minus plane tickets & entry fees: $1857
I included Kandersteg on Day 4 because I have memories of camping there with Boy Scouts when I was young; although it’s a beautiful place, you may wish to skip it if it holds no personal meaning for you. The nearby Oeschinensee, however, should not be missed.
Please note that the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge crossed on Day 7 is NOT for those with a fear of heights! It is 1621 ft/494 m long, only 26 inches/65 cm wide, and at 279 ft/85 m above the ground in the middle is the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world.
Rob the Traveler 