We had put off travel for about a year while our new house was finishing being built. The house and moving to another state was top priority. After a few months of moving into the house though, oh man, the travel bug started to get me good! Instead of big Christmas gifts we took a family vacation. We asked Sofia where she would like to go and her first response was Switzerland! I thought that was something we could get down with. The research began. I hit google, tripadvisor, expedia and browsed Pinterest to curate a trip to our style.
HOW I RESEARCHED THIS TRIP
When researching trips I take into account what we like to do. We like having a chill morning then out and about all day. Then we love to do an appertivo then head out to dinner. Some nights when we’re super exhausted we really enjoy getting take-out to bring back to the room. As for activities I will search “activities” in the area we’re traveling and see what speaks to me 🙂 that way I get it narrowed down then discuss with Mike and Sofia!
As for purchasing of said trips, I tend to watch the flight/package costs for a few weeks to see what it’s doing. Once I get an idea of the average price I’ll go ahead and purchase. BIG tip – if you book via Expedia most packages include at least regular economy vs basic. Regular economy will include your bags and usually seat selection in the cost. If I have the hotel booked via another source then I book a refundable room on Expedia with the package deal for just 1 night then after we book the trip I will immediately cancel the hotel portion. It’s a little work around to get a better deal on the flight! **also, you can usually upgrade to premium economy or business class after booking your ticket. Keep an eye on the cost, the upgrades are 100% WORTH it on these long flights**
Ok, let’s get to Switzerland!!!
DEPARTURE
Our flight out of Charlotte was delayed which was a little nerve-wracking since we only had a 50min layover in IAD. I’m not sure how we did it but we made the long haul flight literally as they were doing the final boarding call. We got to our seat and they shut the flight doors. We’ve never cut it that close before.
This section was included in our Paris trip review and still holds true.
Sofia and I both bring a carry-on a suitcase on long-haul flights
In hers we pack:
- her pillow – she sleeps really well with it on the plane so it’s worth packing!
- blanket – her fave comfy blanket to put over top of her while she sleeps, she also uses allll the free blankets the airline provides and puts them under her to create a bed
- 3 toys
- coloring supplies
- pj’s – she’ll change into pj’s just before we board the night flight
- change of clothes – she’s spilled so many drinks on herself over the years, we always travel with a backup outfit
- flip flops + cozy socks – once we board she takes her shoes off, puts on comfy socks and if she needs to use the restroom, she quickly slips on flipflops instead of messing with shoes! Big timesaver!
- ipad, headphones + chargers
- snacks
- target bag – we actually bring a few bags for trash, it’s wild how much crap accumulates in such a small area!
Flights:
- Departed CLT 2:54pm – Landed IAD 4:25pm
- Departed IAD 5:15pm – Landed FRA 7:10am
- Departed FRA 8:45am – Landed ZRH 9:40am
DAY 1
AM: we landed mid-morning and grabbed an Uber to the hotel (Uber was about 30 CHF cheaper than a car service!). Our room wasn’t ready yet and we were jet-lagged to the max. We dropped our luggage then walked around to find a place for lunch. Just about everything around the hotel was closed due to Christmas break. The hotel was fantastic and was able to get our room ready within an hour of us arriving. We showered, ordered Uber Eats pizza (food in Switzerland is eye opening!!! 2 small personal pizzas were $30 each!!!) then took a 2 hour nap. We stayed at EMA House Suites – this isn’t an ordinary hotel, it’s more like high end apartments so you have plenty of space to yourself, a separate bedroom, huge bathroom, balcony, kitchen, dining area, living room and half bath. It’s a great option for families!
PM: After resting we took an Uber to Dolder ice rink (it’s one of the largest open air rinks in Europe, since 1930!). Sofia and Mike talked me into skating, haha, the first lap I literally clung to the wall then after that I was skating on my own! Mike is pretty much a pro since he did hockey growing up and Sofia has a natural talent. It was getting late after a few laps so we took another Uber to Illuminarium at the National Museum in Zurich. It’s like an outdoor Christmas market with loads of chalet style food stands and Christmas lights everywhere. It’s magical!
DAY 2
AM: we slept in, like wayyy in. I think Sofia clocked in 13hrs of sleep. We got ready, threw everything into suitcases and rushed out the door to catch our train. Per usual, we missed our train by a few minutes. We had to wait in line to be helped at the station and was told we had non-refundable tickets and had to purchase new ones. You think we would learn our lesson. Never fails! 😉 It was ok though, the next train was leaving 5min after we got the new tickets. It was a 40min ride to Lucerne. The countryside is absolutely stunning. I don’t know how the grass is such a vibrant green in the middle of winter. It’s just beautiful!
Afternoon: Uber’s weren’t really a thing in Lucerne so we took a cab to the hotel. It’s actually a chateau/castle/the most amazing place we’ve ever stayed, Chateau Gutsch! It’s just outside of city center on top a big hill. If you’re going by foot, they have a funicular that runs up and down. Our room wasn’t quite ready yet so we dropped our luggage and headed to the hotel lounge. The views are unreal from that room. The wood floors, velvet seats, light streaming in. It’s such a vibe! We ordered a burger, fried bites and chocolate tarte. I think we spent 7hrs in this room on our first day/night. It’s so cozy!
PM: we got up to our room, unpacked a bit then headed back down to the lounge for happy hour. Sofia had a custom drink made for her! After, we took the funicular down and walked the old chapel bridge across Lucerne then found a quaint Italian spot for dinner. We headed back to relax and Sofia took the most glamourous bubble bath of her life. Our bathroom was huge and had a little corner in the back with a tub and window overlooking one of the castle turrets.
DAY 3
AM: Sofia and I made it down to breakfast just in time, they were about to close but we were able to grab some croissants, eggs, bacon, coffee and hot chocolate. Then we headed back up to get ready for the day. We walked to the train station with our snow pants in hand in hopes to go snow tubing in Engelberg. It was another 40min train ride and once again, the views were out of this world!
Afternoon: we got to Engelberg and went to buy gondola tickets and they told us the snow park was closed due to not enough snow. OUCH! They said this is very unusual for Switzerland this time of year. That’s ok. Sofia still put her snow pants on, we took the gondola up to Trubsee for lunch and there was still enough snow for her to play, make snow angels + people were out skiing. Mike and I shared a giant meatball with the creamiest mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Sofia had mashed potatoes, mac + cheese and a sausage. Mt Titlis is crazy beautiful + huge. Nature is mind blowing.
PM: we took the 4:20 train back and didn’t realize I had bought tickets for the 5pm train. Luckily the guy that comes around to check your tickets showed me how to get a refund and purchase the correct ones. They ended up being less expensive too, win! We saw a McD’s on the walk back to the hotel from the train station and obviously had to make a move. We ate dinner in the room, lol McD’s in a castle with an amazing view. It was perfect! After that we walked down to the lounge for a drink and live music. The saxophone player was unreal. She could sing beautifully as well. Sofia requested so many songs this trip! Our fave was If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys.
DAY 4
AM: we made it down to breakfast at a reasonable time. 😉 The sky was clear, sun shining brightly on the snowcapped mountains. This was seriously such a dream trip!
Afternoon: we contemplated going to the chocolate factory in Lucerne after checking out, but it was drizzling so we decided to take the train back to Zurich and drop our luggage at the next hotel. We stayed at the airport which was incredibly convenient, Hyatt Place. Our flight was at 7am the next morning so we were able to just walk to the terminal. The airport is also only a 10min train ride into the city. After checking in, we took the train into Zurich then and Uber to get the best hot chocolate at Sprungli.
PM: we grabbed dinner to bring back to the room. Took showers. Then went right to bed. And we were up at 4am for the long adventure back home!
RETURN FLIGHT
Flights
- Departed ZRH 7:00am – Landed MUC 7:55am
- Departed MUC 9:20am – Landed EWR 12:50pm
- Departed EWR 2:29pm – Landed CLT 4:39pm
*When traveling with Sofia we try to structure our days as follows: breakfast, activity/tour, walking around exploring and grabbing snacks, rest in the room for a few, happy hour/appertivo, dinner, chill time (aka netflix) before bed.
*Souvenirs – we tend to stay away from anything too touristy and opt for purchasing things we need, that we’ll use often at home + that will remind us of our visit! This trip we brought back chocolates 🙂
Our trips are always jammed packed but we love it that way! It’s a few days of adventuring then back to normal life!