Iceland & Switzerland

[NFLD Stephen]

We just booked a trip to Iceland and Switzerland! Just stumbled on a great deal to fly to Zurich with a 7 night stopover in Iceland that we couldn't pass up! We will be in Iceland for one week at the end of August/beginning of September and then we fly to Zurich for another 10 days.

We've been doing some looking into what we want to do, but are still very open to options or suggestions. We've never been to Iceland, but have spent a few days in Switzerland before so we have an idea of what to expect there. We're travelling as a family (myself, my wife, our 15 month old son, and my parents) so this won't be solely a photography trip, but obviously I'll try to make photos somewhat of a priority!

Anyone have any suggestions or tips on travelling in these places or good photo options? I know we have some members from Switzerland (Pierre?) so hopefully there should be lots of suggestions!

Thanks,
Stephen

[erno james]

I'm interested in SWISS info as well. Heading to Zermatt soon. I've seen some great images of the Matterhorn reflected in Stellisee (alpine lake). Looking forward to tips. Erno

[NFLD Stephen]

I guess Iceland and Switzerland are not well travelled amongst the group here.... Most of our trip details are roughly planned (hotels and travel booked), but I'm definately still open for suggestions of things to photograph or do while we're there.

Erno: when are you travelling? We're going to be in Zermatt for a couple days in early september. Travelling via train in switzerland is very convenient and easy if you are up for visiting other areas. We have been to the Interlaken / Grindlewald area before and the area is very scenic as well if you have time to visit there as well. We're also going to try out a few days in the Montreaux area this time for something a bit different along Lake Geneva. The town of Gruyere (like the cheese) and one of the Nestle chocolate factories are supposed to be fairly close to that area.

Stephen

[Sean Setters]

The Glacier Cave at Mount Titlis is very cool (no pun intended):

http://www.titlis.ch/en/glacier/glacier-cave

I was there back in 1998 (if I remember correctly).

[NFLD Stephen]

Thanks for the link Sean. Looks interesting. If memory serves there is a similar "ice cave" on the top of Jungfrau.

We're spending a few days in Luzern and a few more in Interlaken, so we might have to check this out. Google maps shows Mount Titlis as being not too far from either of these places....although sometimes straight-line distances are misleading in the alps...

[Poik]

Definitely post back here after your trip! I have wanted to plan a trip to Iceland soon, possibly for next year when the total solar eclipse happens which should be centered right around Iceland.

[Tounis]

I see this thread now. Sorry for not answering earlier. Obviously, I know some places that are worth a look. I'll think about it and make some suggestions later when I'll have the time to write a proper post.

Zermatt is a good choice no matter the season. I may be biased, but it's probably the most scenic view in the Alps. While it's only an hour and a half from my place, I've only been there twice, once in Summer and once in Winter. Both were great. The train to the Gornergrat and the cable car to the Klein Matterhorn, with the top station inside the mountain at 3821m (more than 12'500 feet if I'm not mistaken) are two unforgettable experiences. You'll easily find a few great places (especially lakes) to take picture of the Matterhorn, but don't forget to look in every direction. There are great mountains everywhere.
If you go there, another interesting place to see is the Aletschgletcher, the biggest and longest Glacier in Europe. It's not far from Zermatt.
The Titlis is indeed easily accessible from Luzern, as is the Pilatus, another great mountain with a very special train climbing on it (the base station is in Alpnachstadt).
I think train is a great way to go to most places. Our train network is dense, and we're using it a lot (I think only the Japanese use it more than us).
Feel free to ask any questions, I'll answer as well as I can, or ask my father who knows a lot more than I do.

Edit : I think you should try to see the Lavaux region (near Montreux and Vevey). It's on the UNESCO World Heritage list, as is the Aletschgletscher region. The view on the Geneva Lake and towards the Rhone Valley is fantastic, and the classic picture with the Chillon Castle and the Dents du Midi in the background is easy to take.

[NFLD Stephen]

Thanks for the reply Pierre! I was wondering if you would chime in.

We're travelling via train for our whole visit with the tourist "Swiss Pass" train tickets which basically cover all trains, busses, etc (with the exception of some non-commuter lines like the Jungfraujoch I believe). Last time we were in Switzerland we did this as well and found the entire train system to be great: the perfect way to travel.

As of right now, we have our hotels booked so we've narrowed it down to the general areas we are planning to visit. We wanted to see a few different areas so we're not able to stay in any one place for more than a few nights unfortunately. Our basic schedule is to arrive in Zurich in the early afternoon and then spend one night there. The next day we are going to go to the Interlaken area (Wilderswil actually) for three nights. This is the area we have been to before, so we have a good idea what to expect here. Then we head to Zermatt for two nights, Montreux for two nights and finally in Luzern for the final two nights. The last day we have to take a train into Zurich to catch a flight around noon. Hopefully this is not too much travelling with our toddler! We tried to space the locations out so that each train trip wouldn't be too long.

Glad to hear you recommend the Montreux/Vevey area as we didn't really know much about that area, just that it was along lake Geneva and google showed some nice pics of the area! Are there any nice boat trips along the lake? That was something a bit different from the typical mountain activities we thought would be nice to do. Also I read that the town of Gruyere is supposed to be very quaint and scenic and also nearby to a nestle chocolate factory (which our toddler would love to visit I'm sure). Any idea if that area is worth a visit?

Sorry for the rambling Any suggestions of places to see (particularly with a toddler in tow) or good photo ops would be appreciated. Local knowledge is always a good thing!

Stephen

[Tounis]

I think your plan of staying a few days in different places is a good idea. As for the length of the travels, don't forget Switzerland is a small country, smaller than most states in the USA. You should not travel for much more than two hours in a row.

In Zürich, you'll probably suffer a bit from the jet lag. If you have a moment, you can just take a walk along the Zurich Lake. I don't go there very often, but it's a beautiful lake too.

Wilderswil is another solid choice. You'll be right next to the train to Schynige Platte for a classic view on the mighty mountain range of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. The train to Jungfraujoch is certainly worth it, though it's probably a little bit expensive, but most things in Switzerland are, unfortunately. Still, it's a train that goes through one of the most famous north face in the Alps, and it's quite unique. I guess the best time of the day to take pictures of the mountains is around sunset, as the light is on the north faces.

I already gave some info about Zermatt. If you try to go to the Klein Matterhorn, keep in mind that someone suffering from vertigo could have a bad time there. Otherwise it's impressive. To take pictures of the Matterhorn, you should try to be ready either early in the morning or for the sunset, but that can be tricky when you travel with your family.

The Montreux area is in my opinion one of the most beautiful in Switzerland. It's easy to take a boat from Montreux, and the fare should be included in your Swiss Pass. Make sure to take one of the Belle Epoque boats.
With the boat, you can go to Lausanne, Evian in France, or just go for a shorter trip. In the Montreux region, I would recommend a simple walk in the vineyards. There are several lovely villages between Vevey and Lausanne (Cully, for example) that are worth a look. If you're lucky, the sunset on the Geneva lake can be a very special moment on a good day.
Gruyeres is another lovely village, with a medieval castle, and gave his name to one of the most famous swiss cheese. If you like cheese, that's a good place to taste it. The chocolate factory of Broc (now they name it "maison Cailler") is one of the biggest and oldest chocolate factory in Switzerland (built in 1898). I'm quite sure that your son will like it, but be ready for a strong chocolate smell. On a nice day, the area is beautiful, at the edge of the Alps (we call that area the Prealps). If the weather is clear, you can take a cable car to the Moleson mountain to have a view on most of Switzerland. There are some nice lakes too not far from Gruyeres. Another option is to go to Fribourg, a nice medieval city built in the curve of a river.

In Luzern, I recommend the Pilatus . It's better to climb on it with the train, which is celebrating its 125th birthday this year. Building it was quite a feat at the time, and it's still the steepest cogwheel railway in the world. The whole area of the Vierwaldstättersee (sorry for the impossible name, it's the lake near Luzern) is representative of the typical Swiss landscape. It's basically the middle point of Switzerland, so you can go in pretty much any direction from there.

I hope it helps. Sorry for my shaky English, and again feel free to ask any question you might have. I'll keep an eye on this thread.

[NFLD Stephen]

Awesome! Thanks Pierre. That is exactly the kind of info I was looking for; looks like some great suggestions. You've definitely given me lots to research and think about.

I'll certainly let you know if I have any more questions.

Stephen