You know you'll be blown away by the Swiss Alps. And then what happens? You're still blown away. The Swiss Alps will paralyze you. Right where you stand. They'll humble you. Until your family rides, hikes, luges and Trotti bikes on them. Then you'll want to pack them in your bag and take them home. And the whole time you know what you're in for. Breathtaking views, turquoise alpine lakes, people living precisely, hearty meals and gracious hospitality. You'll sleep in the shadows of Eiger's north face. And somehow, you still won't believe what you see. Welcome to Switzerland.
Day 1 Fresh mountain air amid glaciers, meadows and impossibly blue lakes
Commute the Swiss way: by chairlift! Hike on a ridge above Lake Oeschinen, where snowy peaks cap limestone cliffs Ready for a cup of cocoa? It's already steaming at the traditional alpine hut.
Day 2 Cross Lake Thun by historic paddleboat to Interlaken
Easy pedaling leads past cheery wooden chalets to lakeside Spiez Ferry across the turquoise waters of Lake Thun from Spiez to Interlaken Hop aboard a cog rail train bound for Grindelwald.
Day 3 The famed Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau towering above the emerald-green landscape
Hike from First Peak to Bachalpsee, one of Switzerland's most beautiful lakes Kids are all smiles thanks to a thrilling luge ride, and adults enjoy some free time in the mountain resort of Grindelwald Let loose on an exhilarating descent by Trotti bikes into Grindelwald Valley An alphorn serenade: music to a cow's ears and perhaps yours too.
Day 4 Fairy tale-perfect Swiss villages
Pedal in Lauterbrunnen Valley, home to more than 70 glacier-fed waterfalls Mist kisses your face at magnificent Trummelbach Falls, tucked inside a cavern Spin to turquoise Lake Brienz, then ferry to Giessbach.
Days 5-6 Sample delicious <i>alpkase</i> at a traditional cheese farm
Hike the ridgeline above the Gental Valley, then descend on two wheels Amble through the peaceful forest of Iseltwald.
Trip Highlights
- Fresh alpine air amid glaciers, meadows and impossibly blue lakes
- Rides through archetypal Swiss villages with cheery wooden chalets
- Cross turquoise Lake Thun on a historic paddleboat
- Speed down the mountain in an authentic luge
- Feast on fondue to your heart's content
Premiere Inns
Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria (1 night): Nestled in the heart of town, this family-run alpine oasis is surrounded by stunning snowcapped peaks. (pool, tennis)
Grand Hotel Regina (2 nights): Get ready for magnificent views of the towering Eiger north face. (pool, spa)
Grandhotel Giessbach (2 nights): Elegance and old-world charm reign at this turreted beauty in a picturesque setting by Lake Brienz and the Giessbach Falls. (pool, tennis)
Routes For All Abilities
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of
interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one
day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat
from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each
day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
| Daily Route Options | |||||||||||
| Day | Activity | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | |||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | ||
| 1 | Hiking | 4 | 400 | 6 | 1000 | 7 | 1300 | ||||
| 2 | Biking | 16* | 300 | 27* | 500 | 39 | 500 | ||||
| Biking | 20* | 400 | |||||||||
| 3 | Hiking | 5 | 800 | 9 | 1400 | ||||||
| 4 | Biking | 14* | 500 | 22* | 500 | ||||||
| Biking | 27* | 1000 | |||||||||
| Biking | 30 | 1300 | |||||||||
| 5 | Biking | 9 | 200 | ||||||||
| Biking | 20 | 700 | |||||||||
| Walking | 3.5 | 300 | |||||||||
| Other | Monster Trotti ride | ||||||||||
| 6 | Walking | 3.5 | 300 | ||||||||
To make for the most comfortable ride to this particular trip, we've outfitted our titanium road bike with slightly wider tires. You'll appreciate this on those stretches of the route with hard-packed dirt (approximately 5% dirt and 95% paved).
* Includes a shuttle
2013 Dates & Pricing*
FAMILY TRIPS
- 6/23-28 Price: $4398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $530 for sgl. occ.)
- 6/30-7/5 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $530 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/14-19 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $530 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/21-26 Price: $4398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $530 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/4-9 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $530 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/11-16 Price: $3998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $530 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/18-23 Price: $4398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $530 for sgl. occ.)
*Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.
Recommended Kids Ages
Minimum Ages:
- Recommended minimum age for the trip: 9 years
- Minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 7 years
General Info on Minimum Ages:
We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:- 12+ amount of cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities, routes
- 9+ difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions, routes
- 6+ several longer dinners, routes are difficult for pulling a Burley and therefore not appropriate for younger children, difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions
Guest Trip Reviews
The memories of this trip for me and my son will last forever. Backroads took great care of all the details and everything ran very smoothly. Backroads even supplied gorgeous weather for the entire trip. Way to go! We will be back!- Millbrae, CA
Overall the trip exceeded all of my expections; wounderful guides, great hotels, fantastic hiking and biking in beautiful out of the way areas. And great families to share the trip, really could not ask for more.- Gig Harbor, WA
I cannot say enough about what a great job the leaders did on this trip. They were great with the children and a pleasure to be around. If they weren't playing capture the flag with the kids they were helping the adults. You are fortunate to have such personable, knowledgeable, fun, and dedicated people in your organization.- Chagrin Falls, OH
I am looking forward to my next trip. This was our first family trip and I think that all of us had such a great time and for different reasons--friendships, adventures, doing things we have never done before. We will all remember the Alps!- Naperville, IL
Every day was wonderful. From sun up to sun down the trip is packed with activities. That's the way it should be. The area is gorgeous.- West Lafayette, IN