My wife and I have booked our tickets from the 24th to the 31st to visit Switzerland, and we want to try skiing for the first time.
Here’s the itinerary I put together with some AI help. I’d love your feedback and tips to tweak the plan! Thanks in advance!
Arrival in Basel on the 24th in the evening, hotel in the city center with breakfast the next morning.
Train from Basel to Interlaken on December 25th, arriving at the hotel around 2 PM.
14:00 – 15:00: Arrival and check-in at Neuhaus Golf & Strandhotel
Check-in, rest, and freshen up after the trip.
Enjoy the view of Lake Thun—it’s a stunning setting.
Grab a coffee or a drink on the terrace or at the hotel bar.
The Neuhaus has direct lake access, perfect for a short walk right after settling in.
---
15:30 – 17:30: Downtown & Christmas vibes
Bus or taxi (10 min) → Interlaken city center (Hohematte Park).
Stroll through the park, take in the views of the Jungfrau, and check out the open shops and chocolateries.
Wander around Interlaken’s Christmas market (if it’s still up, often until the 26th).
Grab a hot chocolate or mulled wine at a local stand.
---
17:30 – 18:30: Gourmet break or aperitif
Café de Paris, Hüsi Bierhaus, or Velo Café for a snack or drink.
For a unique hot chocolate: Funky Chocolate Club (you can even make your own chocolate!).
19:30 – Alpine Christmas dinner
Romantic dinner at a typical restaurant:
Spycher Restaurant: fondue and Swiss folklore (reservation recommended).
Laterne Restaurant: cozy chalet vibe, traditional cuisine.
Des Alpes: local dishes with a view of Interlaken’s lights.
21:30 – Quiet end to the evening
Digestive walk around the lake, peaceful and romantic atmosphere.
Cozy option: hot bath or reading at the hotel bar with mountain views.
---
Thursday, December 26th — First ski day: Bodmi Arena (Grindelwald)
Goal: Learn to ski gently
🕘 10:00 — Leave the hotel
Bus or taxi (5–10 min) → Interlaken Ost train station.
Train Interlaken Ost → Grindelwald (departs around 10:20, arrives 10:50).
🕚 11:00 – 13:00 — Beginner ski lesson at Bodmi Arena
Booking: Swiss Ski School Grindelwald.
Location: Beginner slopes with a “magic carpet.”
🍽️ 13:00 – 14:00 — Lunch on-site
Restaurant Bodmi (view of the Eiger).
☕ 14:00 – 16:00 — Free practice + coffee break in the sun
Keep practicing or enjoy the valley views from the terrace.
🚂 16:30 — Return train Grindelwald → Interlaken Ost.
🕖 17:00 — Back to the hotel, relax or take a lakeside walk.
🍽️ 20:00 — Fondue dinner at Spycher Restaurant or Husi Bierhaus.
---
Friday, December 27th — Ski #2: Grindelwald First (blue slope autonomy)
Goal: Improve and enjoy the scenery
🕘 10:00 — Leave hotel → Interlaken Ost → Grindelwald (arrive 10:50).
🕚 11:00 — Rent gear (Skiset or Alpin Center).
🚡 12:00 — Cable car Grindelwald → First (20-minute scenic ride).
🍽️ 12:30 – 15:00 — Ski on the First blue slope, multiple runs at your own pace.
🍽️🏔️ Lunch with a view at Berggasthaus First between runs.
☕ 15:30 – 16:00 — Break at the summit, coffee or hot chocolate.
🚡 16:30 — Cable car descent → return to the station.
🚂 17:30 — Train back → Interlaken Ost → hotel.
🍽️ 20:00 — Free evening (suggestion: dinner at Des Alpes Restaurant, mountain vibe).
---
Saturday, December 28th — Nature day in Lauterbrunnen
Goal: Discover the valley of 72 waterfalls
🕘 10:00 — Leave hotel → Interlaken Ost.
🚂 10:35 — Train Interlaken Ost → Lauterbrunnen (arrive 10:55).
🕚 11:00 – 12:30 — Walk through the village + hike to Staubbach Falls.
🚡 12:30 – 14:00 — Lunch at Hotel Oberland Restaurant or Airtime Café.
🚶 14:00 – 15:00 — Walk to Trümmelbachfälle (45 min on foot, bus available).
🏞️ 15:00 – 16:00 — Visit the indoor waterfalls (entry ~CHF 14).
🚍 16:30 — Return to Lauterbrunnen (bus or on foot).
🚂 17:00 — Train back → Interlaken Ost → hotel.
🍽️ 20:00 — Dinner in Interlaken (Laterne Restaurant or Ox Restaurant & Grill).
---
Sunday, December 29th — Scenic day: Mürren & Allmendhubel
Goal: Effortless alpine views + mountain vibes
🕘 10:00 — Leave hotel → Interlaken Ost → Lauterbrunnen (arrive 10:30).
🚡 10:45 — Cable car Lauterbrunnen → Grütschalp → scenic train to Mürren.
🕚 11:30 – 12:00 — Walk around Mürren, a car-free village.
🍽️🏔️ 12:00 – 13:30 — Lunch at Alpenruh Restaurant (panoramic terrace).
🚡 13:30 – 15:00 — Funicular ride to Allmendhubel, views of Eiger – Mönch – Jungfrau.
☕ 15:30 — Descent to Mürren, coffee or walk.
🚡 16:30 — Cable car + train back to Lauterbrunnen → Interlaken.
🚂 17:30 — Return to the hotel.
🍽️ 20:00 — Cozy dinner (raclette or Swiss soup in Interlaken).
---
Monday, December 30th — Relaxation in Interlaken
Goal: Rest and enjoy the scenery before departure
🕘 10:00 — Leisurely start, walk along Lake Thun.
🚡 11:00 — Funicular to Harder Kulm (~CHF 40 round trip for 2 people).
🍽️🏔️ 12:30 – 14:00 — Lunch at Harder Kulm’s panoramic restaurant (lake views).
🚶 14:30 – 16:00 — Descent and stroll through Interlaken (shopping streets, chocolateries).
☕ 16:00 — Coffee or hot chocolate at Funky Chocolate Club.
🚂 17:30 — Return to the hotel, relax or spa if desired.
🍽️ 20:00 — Dinner at Victoria-Jungfrau Spa & Terrace Restaurant.
Hi everyone,
I’d like to make reservations in advance, especially for skiing (lessons + equipment rental + lift pass) and trains.
If anyone’s already been to Switzerland during this period, I’d love to hear your feedback or comments on my itinerary!
Thanks in advance for your help!
I’m planning to make the reservations this weekend, and I’d love to get some feedback to fine-tune this itinerary!
If anyone has thoughts or tips, feel free to reach out.
Sorry you didn’t get any replies. I’ve only been to that area in the summer. Lauterbrunnen and Mürren are gorgeous (Wengen is great too).
It doesn’t seem very efficient to stay at that hotel since you’ll be taking the train every day—I’d have picked a hotel where you could walk to the station. That said, I haven’t visited Interlaken myself. I’d heard it’s a favorite spot for tourists from the Gulf countries and that everything there is really expensive (even by Swiss standards). Hope you have an amazing time skiing!****
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Best regards,
I’d love to get your thoughts on the following itinerary (late May). I like to take my time in ruins and museums, and beaches don’t interest me. I’ll be staying in hostels and using public transport. Do you see any major omissions or things that aren’t worth it?
Thanks!
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We’re heading to Bavaria from May 13 to 23, with a side trip to Austria.
Here’s our itinerary:
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Once in Garmisch, we’re planning a day in Innsbruck, a day for Neuschwanstein Castle, and the rest is still up in the air.
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Plus, the Alpine route between Salzburg and Garmisch seems prettier than the highway.
But honestly, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with the planning.
We should’ve added a stop between Salzburg and Garmisch, but the hotels are already booked.
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hi
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Hi everyone,
I’m sharing my draft itinerary with you because I just booked our flight tickets, and I feel like it’s quite late in the season. So, I’d like to be sure about my stops before reserving the hotels. I’ll be traveling alone with my two adult children. We want to prioritize outdoor walks, avoid too many indoor visits (both for budget and preference), and not spend too much time on the road.
D1: Arrival at 9 AM in Malaga, day in Malaga and overnight stay
D2: Head straight to Nerja (1-hour drive) and spend the night there
D3: Head straight to Granada (1.5-hour drive), spend the day and night there
D4: Granada. Visit the Alhambra (Nasrid Palaces tour at 5 PM) and spend the night
D5: Head to Ronda (2.5-hour drive) and spend the night
D6: White Villages and overnight in Ronda
D7: Head straight to the Costa del Sol (e.g., Estepona), spend the day and night there
D8: Return to Malaga to catch our flight
There you go! This itinerary takes into account that we’d like to do a circuit starting from Seville in a few years. That said, it’d be a shame to miss something doable from Malaga.
Questions:
Since the Alhambra visit is only at 5 PM, and we’d already have the day to explore Granada, would arriving the day before be a mistake? Or should we skip this day and dedicate it elsewhere (Costa del Sol? Head toward Tabernas?)? The old town appeals to me, but maybe the Sacromonte neighborhood isn’t essential...
Same question for Ronda: should we dedicate a full day to it, or combine Ronda and the White Villages in one day?
Note that we love wandering around villages outside, so that might answer my question! :)
Final question: Is it better to rent the car at Malaga Airport or in the city? If we rent at the airport, we’d need a hotel with parking, which doesn’t seem easy. Or stay outside the city and park for free near the center if possible? I’ve read comments about taking a taxi to Malaga and then picking up the rental car at the airport the next morning. The taxi would really need to be affordable...
Thanks so much for your feedback and suggestions for visits during this little circuit.
Have a great day, everyone!
Christine
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My husband and I are planning a trip to Ireland in September 2026.
We’ll be flying from Montreal to London, where we’ll spend three nights.
After that, we’ll head to Dublin for a few days and take trains to visit the main attractions.
Our ideal plan would be to choose hotels near train stations and take tours to the interesting spots.
Would 8 days in Ireland be enough for this kind of trip?
