4 Day Family Holiday in Switzerland: Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken and Rhine Falls

Recently, during the autumn break, we made a 4-day family trip to Switzerland. We started from Darmstadt, Germany (where we live) and took a train to reach Zurich. We stayed in Zurich for the entire trip and made day trips to Lucerne, Interlaken, and Rhine Falls. In this article, I shall take you through all the details about our trip. Based on my experience, I shall take you through all the information you need to plan your trip to these four locations.

So, let’s start.

Arrival at Switzerland

By Air

There are many airports in Switzerland. Depending on the places you wish to visit, you can plan to land at the nearest airport. For this itinerary, the best airport to land on is Zurich Airport.

Zurich Airport is about 10 km from Zurich City Center and is easily accessible by car or public transport.

You can check your flight options here.

The official website for the airport is https://www.flughafen-zuerich.ch/en/passengers.

By Car

If you live in any of the nearby towns, the fastest and most convenient way to reach Zurich is by car. But remember that parking in the city centre can sometimes be difficult and more expensive than in many other European cities.

Check out parking in Zurich here, in Lucerne here, in Interlaken here and in Rhinefalls here.

If you don’t own a car, you can rent one. We have rented from SIXT multiple times and found their cars to be of top-notch quality.

While you are here, you can read my articles:

How to get a driving license in Germany- Step-by-Step guide

My Experience with renting a car in Germany

Since we live in Darmstadt, Germany, and Zurich is about 380 km from there, it would have been ideal for us to drive to Zurich. But for this trip, we chose to use the train. I have shared the reasons for the same at the end of the article.

By Train

Zurich Hauptbahnhof is the city’s central station. Trains ply regularly, and it is well connected to most European cities.

For this trip, we used the train to reach Zurich. We booked our tickets on Deutsche Bahn’s official website.

You can also book trains from various European countries to different locations in Switzerland on the SBB website.

Public Transport within Switzerland

To travel between towns and cities in Switzerland, use the SBB website for all connections.

Local transport within Zurich

Check the ZVV Website to find all connections between your desired source and destination. To make it more convenient, download the ZVV app. Alternatively, use Google Maps to find your connections.

Note: In Zurich, ticket prices for public transport depend on the zone where you wish to travel within the city. You can check the zones here.

If you plan to visit museums and include activities such as lake cruises, etc in Zurich and use public transport to get around the city, the best way is to buy a Zurich Card. This card allows you to use unlimited public transport in Zurich for the desired number of days and free and discounted tickets to museums and activities in Zurich.

Local Transport within Lucerne

Check VBL Website for all connections within Lucerne. Alternatively, use Google Maps.

Local Transport within Interlaken

Check SBB Website for connections within Interlaken. Alternatively, use Google Maps.

An Important Note about Public Transport and Sightseeing in Switzerland

Although the links shared above can be used to check local transport connections and make bookings, buying a Swiss Travel Pass is the most convenient and easy way to get around. This pass can be used for 3, 4, 8, or 15 days and allows unlimited access to buses, trains, and boats. It is totally free for children under 16 years of age and discounted for youth between 16 and 24.

Since we were in Switzerland for four days and planned to see only Zurich City on the first day, followed by day trips to Lucerne, Interlaken, and Rheinfalls on the following three days, we bought a 24-hour day ticket for Zurich City on our first day. For the following three days, we bought a Swiss Travel Pass.

We calculated the individual costs of all the travels and experiences and added them up. The Swiss Travel for 3 days combined with a one-day public transport ticket in Zurich turned out to be much cheaper. I have shared the calculation at the end of the article.

You can buy the Swiss Travel Pass online—I have already shared the link—or at the ticketing office at Zurich Central Station.

Accommodation in Switzerland

We stayed in Zurich for the entire trip. We found an apartment at good prices, a little far from the city, but easily accessible by public transport.

You can book an apartment or hotel near the city centre. The prices are higher than those a bit away from the city. But the advantage is that you do not have to buy a public transport ticket because most of the places to see in Zurich are quite close to the city centre. You can walk around and explore them.

If you book an apartment or hotel a little away from the city, you are more likely to get an apartment at a lower price, but in that case, you will have to spend on public transport. Another advantage of staying far away and having a public transport ticket is that you can travel around and even explore places that are not very close to the city centre. I have shared information about those places further in the article.

Our 4-Day Itinerary in Switzerland

Day 1: Arrival at Zurich and City Exploration

We started our trip on a Friday. We started around 9 am from Darmstadt, Germany (where we live). We travelled by train and reached Zurich at 1:00 pm.

The Zurich train station is big and houses multiple cafes, restaurants, and supermarkets. After a quick lunch at Zurich station. I have posted my review of the restaurant here.

Then, we headed to the travel office to check out all the options for public transport and sightseeing, and to find out what our best options were.

The travel office is just a few steps away from the station entrance. There are many counters, and the staff is quite friendly and eager to help. We shared our travel plans with the person at the counter, and he did a quick calculation if we bought individual tickets and told us that a 24-hour day pass for Zurich on the first day, followed by a 3-day Swiss travel pass, would make the most sense in terms of convenience as well as cost. So we went with it. Note that the 24-hour public transport ticket we bought for Zurich only included public transport. If you wish to check out museums and add more experiences in Zurich, it is best to buy the Zurich Card. It includes public transport and discounts on museums and shops in Zurich.

Note: Although there are many counters at the ticketing office and the staff is quite eager to help, the place can be crowded, which means long waiting times, especially during peak tourist season. You can buy the same tickets online and save time.

Swiss Travel Pass

Zurich: Only Public Transport (Buy it on the ZVV app)

Zurich Card: Public Transport and discounted access to museums in Zurich

After purchasing the tickets, we took the tram to our apartment (which was a bit away from the city centre). We checked in, freshened up, and then took a tram back to the city centre.

We started by checking out the famous Bahnhofstrasse of Zurich.

Bahnhofstrasse

As the name suggests, Bahnhofstrasse is a street opposite the railway station. After you exit the central railway station of Zurich (Zurich Hauptbahnhof) and cross the road, you reach the starting point of Bahnhofstrasse. This street is lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops. It is the perfect place to get a first glimpse of Zurich. You can shop, eat, or stroll on this street to enjoy the city vibes.

We wanted to explore the old city area. So, we walked a few minutes to reach Grossmünster.

Grossmünster

The Grossmünster is a 10th-century Romanesque-style Protestant church in Zurich. Recent archaeological evidence confirms the presence of a Roman burial ground at the site. It is a massive structure on the bank of the Limmat River.

The opening times are listed on their official website. But you can explore it from the outside at any time. Take a few steps to reach its terrace and enjoy lovely views of the river, the old town, and Fraumünster. They also organize guided tours. You can find all the information on their official website.

Here are some pictures that we took from the terrace of Grossmünster.

From there, we walked to Fraumünster.

Fraumünster

Fraumünster is a church founded in 853 AD on the remains of a former abbey for aristocratic women. The best views of Fraumünster are from the terrace of Grossmünster. Against the backdrop of the lovely old city on the bank of the Limmat River, the Fraumünster looks beautiful. You can check their official website for more information about opening timings, tours, etc.

From Fraumünster, we continued our walk and reached the Zurich Opera House.

Zurich Opera House

Zurich Opera House is an opera house in the city centre of Zurich that has been operational since 1891. It is also home to the International Opera Studio, an educational program for young singers and pianists. The opera house is located at the market square adjacent to Lake Zurich. It looks lovely from the outside. You can visit the opera house for shows or guided tours.

We took a break at a cafe near the opera house and treated ourselves to some desserts, coffee and hot chocolate, after which we headed to Zurich Lake. My review of the cafe is posted here.

Zurich Lake

Zurich Lake is a beautiful lake with clear waters. The area along the part of the lake near the opera house is quite lively, especially in the evenings. It is ideal for picnics, a stroll/jog along the lake, or even to enjoy the lovely views.

You can also book a lake cruise from here. The lake cruise is included in the Zurich Card.

We spent some time at the livelier and noisier part of the lake, after which we walked for a kilometre or two to the quieter part, which was beautiful with its lovely fountains, statues, islands, and bridges.

Here are some more pictures of Zurich lake:

So, this is what our path looked like:

It was evening by the time we finished checking out all these places. We headed to our apartment.

Some More Places you can visit in Zurich if you have more days

1. If you have more time, you can add the Lindt Chocolate Museum Visit to your itinerary. You get 10% off on your ticket if you have a Zurich Card.
   
   
   
2. We visited all the places on our own and travelled, when required, with public transport. If you are not comfortable moving around on your own, you can add City Tour, Cruise, and Lindt Home of Chocolate Visit to your plan. In this 5.5-hour tour, you can see all the places mentioned above, along with a cruise on Zurich Lake and a visit to the Lindt Museum.
   
   
   
3. If you are a football fan, you can visit the FIFA Museum in Zurich. There, you can see the original FIFA World Cup Trophy and experience the best moments in football history through an interactive multimedia journey. Note: You get a 30% discount on the ticket if you have a Zurich Card. Entry to this museum is included in the Swiss Travel Pass, meaning you need not pay anything extra to enter this museum if you have a Swiss Travel Pass.
   
   
   
4. Visit Uetliberg Mountain, from where you can get lovely views of the city, Zurich Lake and the central Swiss Alps. You can take a direct train from Zurich Central Station to reach Uetliberg. The train ride is included in the Zurich Card.
   
   Alternatively, you can combine it with a guided city tour, in which you get to explore the city on a bus with an audio guide, and your train ticket to Uetliberg is included.
   
   

Day 2: Lucerne Day Trip

On this day, we planned to explore Lucerne. We started around 9 a.m. from our apartment and took a train from Zurich Hauptbahnhof to Lucerne, which took an hour.

Note: From this day on, we started using our 3-day Swiss Travel Pass.

We started our day by visiting Mount Rigi.

Mount Rigi

Mount Rigi is a mountain in the Alps in central Switzerland. Its summit, Rigi Kulm, is 1,797 meters above sea level. From the summit, one can get lovely views of the Alps and the lakes and valleys below.

All the information you need to plan a trip to Mount Rigi:

As soon as you exit the main railway station of Lucerne and cross the road, you can see the ship that takes you on a cruise on Lake Lucerne. The timings of the river cruise are aligned with arrivals at the train station, so there is little waiting time.

Exit the train station, head straight to the ship and board it (the tickets are checked after the ship starts). The lower deck is 2nd class, and the upper deck is 1st class. So, you can occupy a place based on your tickets. Note: This boat ride is included in the Swiss travel pass.

We boarded the ship. The views from the ship are absolutely stunning. The ship stops at various points from where people can board or alight.

We alighted at Vitznau. The lake cruise lasted a little more than an hour. At Vitznau, we boarded the cogwheel train to Rigi Kulm (the last stop). The train journey took about 30 minutes, and we saw lovely views of the mountains and the valley on the way.

After alighting at Rigi Kulm, we hiked to the top of the mountain and enjoyed lovely views of the Alps.

My Tip: If you plan to visit Mount Rigi, check the weather in advance and plan accordingly. If there is fog, you may not be able to see the lake and valley below or the lovely show-clad mountains.

After we had explored the mountaintop completely, we took the cogwheel train again from Rigi Kulm and alighted at Rigi Kaltbad First, the third station from Rigi Kulm.

From Rigi Kaltbad First, we walked a few hundred metres to the cable car station. We took the cable car from there, which dropped us at Weggis Station. A short walk from Weggis Station brought us to the pier, from where we took the ship back to Lucerne. The boat ride was about an hour.

To summarise, you can plan your trip to Mount Rigi in these possible ways from Lucerne:

Option 1: Lucerne to Vitznau (by ship), followed by Vitznau to Rigi Kulm (by Cogwheel). Trace the same path back to return to Lucerne.

Option 2: Lucerne to Weggis (by ship), followed by cable car from Weggis to Rigi Kaltbad First (by cable), followed by Hike to Rigi Kulm OR Cogwheel from Rigi Kaltbad First to Rigi Kulm. Trace the same path back to return to Lucerne.

Option 3: Mix and match the way we did. Lucerne to Vitznau (by ship), followed by Vitznau to Rigi Kulm (by Cogwheel). On return, cogwheel from Rigi Kulm to Rigi Kaltbad First. Cable car from Rigi Kaltbad First to Weggis. Ship from Weggis to Lucerne.

Option 4: If you are there by car, you can park at Vitznau or Weggis and continue your journey to Rigi Kulm in the ways described above. This way, you skip the lake cruise.

Our entire Rigi Trip took about 5-5 1/2 hours.

You can check out Rigi’s official website for information on train timetables, etc.

After returning to Lucerne, we stopped for lunch. My review of the restaurant is posted here.

Note: The Swiss Travel Pass included all the journeys we took to visit Mount Rigi, namely by train, ship, and cable car. If you don’t have a Swiss Travel Pass, you can get a ticket for the Rigi visit, which includes travel by train, ship, and cable car, here.

After lunch, we explored the city. We started by checking out the Lion Monument.

Lion Monument

The Lion Monument called the Löwendenkmal, is a rock relief depicting a mortally wounded Llion. It commemorates the Swiss guards who were killed during the French Revolution. It is about 1 km from the train station (and from the pier where you alight from the ship after the river cruise) and takes about 15 mins to reach on foot.

There is no access fee for seeing the Lion Monument; it can be visited anytime.

A few steps from Lion Monument is the Glacier Garden.

Glacier Garden

Glacier Garden is a rocky underworld at Lucerne. It depicts Central Switzerland’s mountain terrain, the oldest in the world. The garden also houses a mirror maze, a museum, and an idyllic alpine park.

Check out the official website of Glacier Garden to learn about the opening times and get more information about what you can see and experience in this one-of-a-kind place.

The Swiss Travel Pass includes access to the glacier garden. If you do not have a Swiss Travel Pass, you can buy tickets at the entrance.

We walked about 350 mt from Glacier Garden to Bourbaki Panorama.

Bourbaki Panorama

The Bourbaki Panorama is a circular panoramic painting depicting the French Army’s internment in neutral Switzerland at the end of the Franco-Prussian War. The army, led by General Bourbaki, had been defeated in the field and fled to Switzerland in the aftermath. The Swiss admitted the French soldiers, and local villagers and the Swiss Red Cross provided aid.

Swiss artist Édouard Castres, who had accompanied the French army as a medical volunteer, was assigned the task of producing a panorama for display in Switzerland as a tourist attraction. He, along with ten other artists, worked on the project and created this wonderful panorama, which can be seen in Lucerne.

Tickets to Bourbaki Panorama are included in the Swiss Travel Pass. You can buy tickets at the entrance if you do not have a Swiss Travel Pass.

Check out their official website for information about timings, etc.

From there, we headed to Chapel Bridge. It was a 650 mt walk, and it took us about 10 mins to reach there.

Chapel Bridge

Chapel Bridge, called Kapellbrücke in German, is a lovely 14th-century wooden bridge across the river Reuss in Lucerne. It was built as part of the city’s fortifications. Named after the nearby St. Peter’s Chapel, the bridge is unique in containing a number of interior paintings dating back to the 17th century. The Kapellbrücke is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe. At the end of the bridge is a water tower; over the centuries, the tower has been used as a prison, torture chamber, and later a municipal archive and a local treasury.

Access to the bridge is free, and visitors can cross it anytime.

After checking out the chapel bridge, we walked to the railway station.

Our path looked like this:

From there, we took a train back to Zurich. It took us about an hour to reach Zurich from Lucerne.

Some more activities you can do in Lucerne if you have more days:

1. Mount Pilatus

In this map, you can see that Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi are on opposite sides of Lake Lucerne. Both the mountains offer similar experiences. If you have an extra day, you can visit both the mountains. If you have one day, you can choose between the two. Note that the round trip to Rigi is included in the Swiss Travel Pass, but the round trip to Pilatus is not. Just like Rigi Kulm (The summit of Mount Rigi), Pilatus Kulm (the summit of Mount Pilatus) can be reached with a combination of ship, cogwheel and cable car. You can find more details here.

2. Mount Titlis

Mount Titlis is another mountain many tourists visit from Lucerne. If you wish to see glaciers and get even closer to the snow clad mountains of the Swiss Alps, you can take this 5.5 hour tour from Lucerne to Mount Titlis. Here, can have unique experiences like travelling in a rotating cable car and walking into a glacier cave.

Day 3: Day trip to Interlaken- Harder Kulm, Cruise on Lake Brienz and Interlaken Town

We started a bit early on this day. The train ride from Zurich to Interlaken Ost is about two hours. We wanted to make the most of our day, so it made sense to start early.

We started around 9 am from Zurich Main Station and were in Interlaken around 11 am.

After alighting at Interlaken Ost, we headed straight to Harder Kulm Funicular Station.

Harder Kulm

Harder Kulm is the local mountain of Interlaken. It lies at 1321  above sea level and is accessible from Interlaken East (Interlaken Ost) by a funicular railway. The ride takes approximately 10 minutes. Once you reach the top, you can hike and check out the top of the mountain and the adjoining forest area. Although you get lovely views of Interlaken town, Lake Brienz and Lake Thun from various places, the viewing platform offers the best views. Harder Kulm also has a restaurant that offers authentic local food with the most fantastic views.

Some Tips for your visit to Harder Kulm, Interlaken

1. The Harder Kulm Funicular station is about 500 mts from the Interlaken Ost station. It is an easy walk of about 5-6 minutes. On the way, you walk along River Aare and then cross the bridge to reach the funicular station.
   
   
   
2. The funicular station has a ticketing machine where you can buy your tickets. Two queues lead to the entrance: one for people holding valid tickets (with the QR code) and the other for those who don’t have a ticket with the QR code. If you buy the ticket at the machine, get to the queue for valid ticket holders. Otherwise, get to the other queue and buy the ticket from the person behind the counter.
   
3. The Swiss Travel Pass ticket allows you a 50% discount on the ticket to Harder Kulm funicular. Present your Swiss Travel Pass at the counter, pay 50% of the fee, and you will be issued a ticket with the QR code. If you don’t have a Swiss Travel Pass, buy a ticket online.
   
4. Once you have a valid ticket, continue in the queue until your turn. Scan your ticket and enter the funicular.
   
5. You can also buy a one-way ticket to Harder Kulm if you wish to hike your return path. In that case, buy a one-way ticket at the counter at the base station. You can even hike up to the summit and buy a one-way ticket at the funicular station at the top of the mountain (there is a ticketing machine) if you wish to return by funicular.

Check out the official website of Harder Kulm for more information.

After exploring the top of the mountain and the adjoining forest area, we stopped by for a relaxed lunch at the restaurant at Harder Kulm and enjoyed lovely local food. My review is posted here.

By the time we returned to the base, it was almost 3 p.m. Then, we headed to the Interlaken Ost pier to board the ship for a cruise on Lake Brienz.

Lake Brienz

Lake Brienz is a lovely turquoise lake in the northern Alps. It is 14km long and 2.8km wide and looks big and beautiful. The most common activity undertaken by tourists is a cruise on this lake. The ship travels from Interlaken Ost and Brienz Bahnhof and stops at various stops in between. You can board and alight at any stop between these two points.

We boarded from Interlaken Ost. The cruise took a little more than an hour. The ship passed through lovely towns and villages, and we witnessed breathtaking landscapes, including mountains, hills, waterfalls, etc., on the way. The cruise was a treat for all senses.

We alighted at Brienz Bahnhof and explored the area near the lake.

Then, we took a bus and returned to Interlaken Ost.

The Swiss travel pass includes a cruise on Lake Brienz and bus transfers between Interlaken Ost and Brienz Bahnhof. If you don’t have the Swiss travel pass, you can buy tickets at the counter at Interlaken Ost or Brienz Bahnhof.

Some Tips about the Cruise on Lake Brienz

1. The starting point of the cruise is right opposite the Interlaken Ost Bahnhof. After alighting the train, exit the train station and cross the road, and you will reach the pier. You can buy the ticket there itself. If you have a Swiss Travel Pass, board the ship directly. The cruise ends at Brienz. The station is called Brienz Bahnhof. You can either alight there and take a bus back to Interlaken Ost (the bus stop is right outside the pier area) OR remain seated and return to Interlaken Ost by ship.
   
2. You can do the same trip by starting at Brienz. In that case, after alighting the train, exit the train station and cross the road on the other side and you will reach the bus stand. From there, take a bus to Brienz. Alight at Brienz Bahnhof. Walk a few steps, and you will reach the pier. From there, take the cruise on Lake Brienz and alight at Interlaken Ost.
   
3. If you don’t want to cruise on the lake, you can walk along the bank, enjoy the scenic views, or picnic on the lakeside. Drive to/take a bus from Interlaken to Brienz Bahnhof. The area around the lake is well-developed. You can walk along the lake and explore it from the periphery. There are plenty of benches laid out for a picnic.
   
4. Check the cruise timetable here. The timings change according to the season, so check ahead of your travel to avoid last-moment surprises.

After the cruise on Lake Brienz, we decided to explore Interlaken Town.

Interlaken Town

Interlaken Town is nestled between the Alps and surrounded by nature. We started a walk from Interlaken Ost (Interlaken East) and headed towards Interlaken West. This street connecting Interlaken East and West is lovely and a must-visit. It is lined with shops, restaurants, cafes, etc.

The famous Interlaken casino is also on this street. A lovely path leads to the garden surrounding the casino, which has the statue of Yash Chopra, the Bollywood film director who shot many of his films in Switzerland. The Swiss government has erected his statue in his honour.

On the other side of the street, across the casino, is a large green patch where you will see cows grazing and enthusiastic paragliders taking off to soaring skies. If you wish, you can paraglide with a professional guide.

You can book your paragliding tickets here.

After exploring the lively street between Interlaken East and West, we took our train from Interlaken West to Zurich. We reached Zurich in about two hours and headed to our apartment.

Some More Activities you can add in Interlaken if you have more days.

1. The map below shows that Interlaken lies between Thun Lake and Brienz Lake. I have already shared information about the cruise on Lake Brienz. Similarly, you can do a cruise on Lake Thun. Note: While the Lake Brienz cruise is between Interlaken Ost and Brienz Bahnhof, Lake Thun Cruise is between Interlaken West and Thun Bahnhof. The Lake Brienz cruise is included in the Swiss Travel Pass, as is the cruise on Lake Thun.

One way to plan both these cruises is: When you come by train/car from Zurich to Interlaken via Bern, you can alight at Thun Bahnhof. Cross the road and take a river cruise on Thun Lake. It will drop you at Interlaken West. Explore the town and the street between Interlaken West and Interlaken East. This you can do on foot. After reaching Interlaken East, take a cruise on Brienz Lake. Return to Interlaken East either by the same ship or take a bus back to Interlaken East.

You can check the timetable for the cruise here.

2. A day trip to Jungfrauhoch

If you have an extra day in Interlaken, you can do a day trip to Jungfrauhoch. This trip includes bus and train transfers and takes you to the top of Jungfrauhoch.

Day 4: Half-Day Trip to Rhine Falls

This was the last day of our holiday in Switzerland, and we had planned to take a 4 p.m. train back to Darmstadt, Germany (where we live). So, we had about half a day to explore more of Switzerland. Hence, we chose Rhine Falls.

After checking out from our apartment, we headed to Zurich Hauptbahnhof (Zurich Central Station). We kept our suitcases and extra baggage in the locker and took an S-Bahn to Neuhausen Rheinfall. This train journey was included in our Swiss Travel Pass.

About Lockers at Zurich HBF

1. Lockers are are three sizes S, M and L. The small locker can accommodate 1 cabin-sized suitcase, the medium-sized locker can accommodate a maximum of 2 cabin luggage-sized suitcases and the large one 3.
   
2. Payment machines are right next to the locker, and you must pay in advance. For that price, you can keep your luggage for 6 hours. You can remove your luggage before the end of 6 hours, keep it for more time, and pay the balance amount while taking it out.
   
3. Card payment is allowed at the ticketing machine.

From Zurich Central Station, it took us an hour to reach Rhinefalls. We alighted at the Neuhausen Rheinfall Station.

Rhine Falls

The Rhine Falls are the most powerful waterfalls in Europe. Located quite close (about 46 km north) to Zurich, next to Schaffhausen town, they are a major tourist attraction in the area. The falls are 150 metres wide and 23 metres high and look massive and majestic. They are said to have been formed in the Ice Age, when erosion-resistant rocks blocked the river’s flow, narrowing the path.

Rhine Falls is easily accessible by car and public transport. The train station is a few meters from the falls, and paid parking is available.

At Rhine Falls, multiple experiences await. I shall list down all of them:

1. Explore the walking path along the falls. There are many viewing platforms from where you can enjoy stunning views of the falls. The place offers great photo opportunities.

2. Continue your walk to Schlössli Wörth. This castle houses a restaurant, a ticketing office for boat rides and a souvenir shop.

3. Take a boat ride if you wish. A 15-minute boat ride takes you up close to the Rhine Falls. Carry an extra set of clothes if you wish to take this ride because you can get wet.

4. Walk up to Schloss Laufen. It is a short walk that includes walking on a sidewalk on the railway bridge. When you stand on the bridge, you can see both the calmer side of the river as well as the place where it makes a steep descent. The view is lovely.

5. At Schloss Laufen, you can either stop by the restaurant, go inside and check out the castle and/or buy a ticket to the viewing platform on the castle. A ticketing machine in the castle premises allows you to buy tickets to the viewing platform.

There are many more experiences in the Rhine Falls area. You can check them out on their official website.

We spent about three hours at the Rheine Falls. If you check out everything and go for more experiences in the area, you can easily spend a day at Rhine Falls.

Around 1:00 pm, we took the S-Bahn from Rhine Falls station and reached Zurich in about an hour.

After lunch at a Kebab place in Zurich Central Station, we took our luggage from the lockers and headed to our platform for a train back to Darmstadt. My review of the restaurant is posted here.

Our train left at 4:00 p.m. The journey back to Darmstadt, Germany, took about four hours. We arrived in Darmstadt around 8 p.m.

This brought us to the end of yet another lovely family holiday.

Reason for Travelling by train and buying Swiss Travel Pass

Before I end the article, I shall explain to my readers why we used the train to reach Switzerland and buy a Swiss Travel Pass instead of going by car and buying individual tickets for various experiences.

Here is an expense sheet. It shows a saving of 200 euros.

Note:

1. We went on our holiday in autumn, when the days had already gotten shorter. Hence, the activities we did were limited. If you visit in summer, you can add more activities that are included in the Swiss Travel Pass. For example, in Interlaken, we did not go on a cruise on Lake Thun, which was included in our Swiss Travel Pass. The cruise time was already over due to early closing time in October. If we had gone in the Summer, we could have done it because of the extended timing. Similarly, there are many more experiences included in the Swiss Travel Pass, which you can include in your plan depending on your time availability and enthusiasm.
   
2. By using public transport and train for our city to Zurich, we not only saved money, we also did environment friendly travelling and saved ourselves the hassle of looking for parking in crowded cities, and finding our way. The public transport system in all the places was fantastic, and we could travel seamlessly between places with almost no waiting time.

You can check out my articles about other holiday destinations here.

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Goodreads
• Google
• YouTube