Zurich, Switzerland

Our eight-day visit to Switzerland has been more than two years in the making. We were supposed to go in August 2020, but obviously those plans were cancelled due to Covid. Two years later we finally managed to leave the country, and boy was it worth the wait! Switzerland is every bit as clean and picture perfect as advertised — or at least the cities that we visited (Zurich, Engelberg, and Lauterbrunnen and Murren) were. It's also just as expensive as everyone says; however, due to the recent record-breaking inflation in the States, the prices for meals and activities actually didn't seem so insane. Yay for inflation?  

I was surprised by how many things in Switzerland operated on the honor system. Our travel passes were never checked or scanned on trams and buses. We went into a small grocery store to ask for directions and were surprised to find that it was completely unmanned — you were supposed to leave behind the appropriate amount of money if you wanted to buy anything!

If you're traveling around Switzerland, as we did, you should absolutely invest in the Swiss Rail Pass, which covers just about every mode of transportation that exists, and also gets you discounts at certain attractions. We took full advantage of the pass. In Zurich, particularly, the public transportation was the best way to get around (this coming from someone who would almost always prefer driving), and all transportation systems were clearly marked, well-organized, and timely. 

The pass also covers all the long-distance trains that take you between cities, and kids ride for free (one child per adult). In Engelberg and Lauterbrunnen, the pass even covers (partially or fully) the cable cars that go up and down the mountain. I think we managed to ride every form of transportation imaginable: trams, buses, local trains, long-distance trains, chair lifts, gondolas, even a funicular! If you're not renting a car, I highly recommend getting the pass and not having to worry about how to get around.

Some other pro-tips for traveling in Switzerland: Tap water (not still or sparkling, but just regular tap) typically costs a few francs at restaurants, so get used to paying for water. Yet all over Switzerland there are public fountains with drinking water flowing freely from pipes (and plenty of people fill up their water bottles using these), so I'm not sure why the restaurants are so stingy with the water. 

To make up for the cost of water with your meal, though, tipping is not expected at all at restaurants. This felt a little strange at first, especially given the excellent and personable service we received just about everywhere, but you quickly get used to not having to add on to your already very expensive dining bill!

Where to Stay

In Zurich, we stayed at the really cute Hotel Sorell Rex, about a 15-minute walk (or 5-minute tram ride) from the main Niederdorfstrasse (literally translated as Old Town Road) area. Our room was cozy and clean, with Ikea-esque furnishings. The hotel seemed more like an apartment in a neighborhood than a hotel, and it was nice to be near the bustle of a main area, but not have to deal with the noise at bedtime. The only noise that made it all the way to our little sanctuary was the ringing of church bells at certain hours.  

What to Do

Our first stop in Switzerland was Zurich, because that's where our plane landed (the other major airport option is Geneva). I only planned for us to spend a couple days in Zurich because I was eager to get to the mountains, but as it turns out, Zurich is a super cute and beautiful city (not at all intimidating and austere, like New York City can be), and we could've spent a few more days exploring. The public transportation was amazing, and the few restaurants we tried in the Niederdorfstrasse area were absolutely delicious. 

The picturesque Limmat river runs through the whole city, and there's also Zurich Lake, which is so clean that we saw people swimming in it! We spent one morning walking along the promenade, where we encountered many dogs (and dogs swimming in the lake). We strolled along this route suggested by Swiss Family Fun, and were fully expecting to come across stands selling gelato and applesauce crepes, as was described, but we didn't see any of that, perhaps because it was early Monday morning. It was still a very pretty walk.

Another day we visited the Lindt Home of Chocolate, which is absolutely touristy, but also just a really fun place. In addition to the kid-friendly exhibits that show everything from the history of chocolate to how it is made, there are free samples everywhere! There's a machine that delivers a spoonful of liquid chocolate when you turn a knob, an automatic chocolate bar dispenser, and a Rube Goldberg setup that culminates in a free piece of chocolate. 

And if that isn't enough, there's a room full of every kind of Lindor chocolate you can imagine, and you are allowed to take whatever you wanted. 

I would've eaten more chocolate, but by the time I reached the endless sample room, I'd definitely already had my fill. It turns out there's only so much chocolate you can eat before you start to feel intensely thirsty, and even though there's a humongous chocolate fountain at the Lindt Home of Chocolate, there are no water fountains! The Swiss know what they're doing.

What made our visit truly awesome, though, was the chocolate-making class I signed us up for. The museum offers many kinds of classes, and we took the kid-friendly molding and refining one with our 11- and 13-year-old. It was a blast! After getting dressed in toques and aprons, our class was divided up and each group assigned a master chocolatier, who showed us how to make chocolate molds of the Lindt bear. 

We got to choose between milk and dark chocolate, and then personalized them however we wanted. We were taught a lot of cool techniques and learned the secret of how these chocolate molds are made. Our master chocolatier was very patient and good-natured, even though we made a complete mess of our station!

As our bears cooled, we designed two chocolate lollipops, which was also fun — and not as easy as it looks. Then we got to package up our creations and take everything home. We intended to give the bears as gifts, but sadly two of them didn't make it through the whole trip and had to (not so sadly) be consumed.

Our neighborhood friends also happened to be visiting Zurich while we were there, so we met up with them one afternoon to take a bus tour to the Rhine Falls and historical city Stein am Rhein. Rhine Falls is billed as the "largest waterfall in Europe," so I was expecting a lot, but what we saw was no Niagara Falls. Still, it was fun to take a boat ride right up to the gushing water and feel its spray. After the boat ride, we walked around the falls to see it from various angles.

The second part of the tour focused on Stein am Rhein, a medieval city whose building walls famously feature colorful frescoes. The city was originally founded in 1007 and was then a small fishing village, but today it mainly features touristy shops and restaurants. We spent most of our time there buying gelatos and eating them by the fountain in the main square.

Where to Eat

The restaurants along the super cute Neiderdorfstrasse offer so many choices, and many of them very good. There are plenty of tourists in the area, but we also saw lots of locals gathering there to enjoy the food. Our first night, we were headed to a popular restaurant called the Raclette Factory, but was told there would be a half-hour wait, so we ended up eating at the nearby Spaghetti Factory instead. (Not sure why so many restaurants contain the word "factory," but they're not the least bit factory-like.) 

Another night, we had dinner at the popular Swiss Chuchi fondue restaurant to get our first taste of Swiss fondue. While the food isn't cheap, the fondue is indeed excellent. We got two kinds (traditional and ham with mushrooms), which came with chewy white bread chunks. Pro-tip: If you're sharing your fondue with the kids, ask to forgo the white wine that's typically added to the cheese, which makes it too bitter for most young palates. We added on chicken, pickled onions, gherkins, and potatoes. The kids also got raclette rostis — basically a giant hash brown smothered in the local cheese.

As snacks, we also tried the pretzels from Bretzelkonig, which are actually pretzel-shaped sandwiches rather than the pretzels we know (they're sliced in half and filled with everything from sweet-and-salty butter to salami). So yummy! And we also sampled three types of sausages from the popular fast-food place Sternen Grill: the bratwurst, the Italian, and the spicy sausage. Each one comes with a cup of very spicy mustard and a crusty piece of bread. My son declared the Italian the best sausage he's ever had.

What's Nearby

After Zurich, we hopped on a train to nearby Engelberg and then went on to Lauterbrunnen and Murren, where we got to experience the Switzerland of our imagination: soaring alpine mountains and spectacular, towering waterfalls. Check out my itineraries for those parts of the trip!

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Engelberg, Switzerland

Engelberg was the second stop on our tour of Switzerland (which also included Zurich and Lauterbrunnen and Murren, and it was hands-down our favorite city. Not only is the downtown pristine and adorable, it's also the access point for some really idyllic and fun alpine adventures. Somehow, Engelberg continues to fly under the radar, particularly with Americans (all the other tourists seemed to be Europeans), even though this Swiss locale is definitely world-class!

Where to Stay

We booked a superior apartment with a balcony at the H+ Hotel and Spa Engelberg, and it felt very superior indeed, with two large bedrooms and a view from the balcony that looked like a green screen image (take a look below). The hotel featured a lovely pool and sauna area that we took advantage of, although I was surprised that you're asked to be fully unclothed to enter the sauna, despite it being coed! I saw that some people kept their robes on, however, so that's what we prudish Americans did, too. 

What to Do in Engelberg

Engelberg in the summer is probably what you picture when you think of Switzerland: soaring mountains adorned by fluffy white clouds, wildflowers on the mountainside, and adorable Swiss chalets everywhere you look. 

On our first afternoon there, we visited a cute little monastery that features a beautiful garden and a cheese shop, with cheese-making demonstrations during certain hours. We arrived too late to witness this, but still managed to taste several samples. We also purchased a jar of the freshest blueberry yogurt I've ever had — it was milky and flavorful, and such a nice treat to enjoy in the outdoor dining area. 

Engelberg is serviced by several cable cars going up various sides of the mountain, and we spent a whole day visiting the Brunni side. There are two levels where the gondolas stop: Ristis in the middle and Brunnihutte at the top. (Here's a map of what's open in the summer.)

We went all the way to the top to check out a K2 level via ferrata called Brunnistockli. Via ferrata (translated as metal road) is an upwards hike that involves climbing up metal rungs drilled into the mountain face and crossing various ropes course-type bridges. You have to wear climbing gear and be clipped in at all times. (We rented ours from the Krauter Hut, near the start of the trail.) The difficulty levels are rated K1 to K5, with K5 being the hardest. To get to the Brunnistockli via ferrata, you first have to ascend the mountain along a marked trail. 

Everyone we encountered told us that the via ferrata we were attempting was "easy," but the Swiss must have a different definition of easy because it was literally the hardest thing I've ever done! My husband agreed that it was really tough, although our kids quite enjoyed themselves and didn't find the course as challenging as we did. 

Honestly, I would've quit a quarter of the way through if there were emergency exits available. The only thing that got me past the initial ascent was the knowledge that there was literally no way out but up! Still, the views were beautiful, my family had fun, and I would recommend the hike if your family is adventurous and has experience with ropes courses and rock climbing. The minimum age for this via ferrata is 8.

After completing the Brunnistockli via ferrata, we hung out in the Brunnihutte area a little longer. There's a barefoot tickle trail around the Harzlisee (a small lake there), which is a path that you're supposed to walk in bare feet to experience all the different sensory surfaces, including pebbles, wood chips, pine cones, and mud. 

The tickle trail is more like a pain trail (some of the sharp pebbles felt like Lego pieces under my bare feet!), but some parts of it, like the squishy mud, was definitely interesting to experience. And the scenery was of course beautiful. 

We also had lunch in the area, enjoying the delicious mac and cheese (the Swiss make it with caramelized onions and little pieces of potato) and bratwurst at the Brunnihut SAC. But you can go really simple and buy your own sausages from the Krauter Hut to grill at the available barbecues, which looked fun. Maybe next time!

Finally, we picked up a scavenger hunt map from the Krauter Haus for a few francs and hiked our way down to Ristis, looking for 11 treasure chests along the way. There are two paths to choose for the scavenger hunt (we went with the more difficult one), and at first we started down the wrong path, which was frustrating. But once we got on track, the hunt was pretty easy to complete. At each treasure chest, you'll find a hole punch to use on the punch card built into your map, and when you reach Ristis, you show an attendant at the Berglodge restaurant your completed card to earn a prize. It was all very well done, and kept us busy during the 90-minute hike down.  

Ristis has lots of fun activities as well, although by that point we were pretty tired and only managed to experience a couple of them. There's a neat water play station, where kids can pump water that go down multiple chutes or retrieve water from a well with a bucket. There's also the Radio Sunshine Runner, a mountain coaster that costs a few francs per ride. This mountain coaster is more of a toboggan (you sled down a chute, instead of being hooked into a track) and somehow this made the whole thing more thrilling. My kids begged to go on a second time!

From the Ristis area, we took the gondola back to the valley floor. With the Swiss Travel Pass, the ride to and from Ristis was covered; the ride to Brunnihutte cost a few francs per adult (children are free). We hiked down from Brunnihutte, so we didn't pay for the gondola ride down to Ristis. 

All in all, it was a very full and active day unlike one I've ever spent before. I loved breathing in the mountain air, encountering the local cows with their clanging bells, and admiring the amazing views everywhere I looked. This is what Switzerland is all about!    

On our last full day in Engelberg, we ventured up a different side of the mountain, to the top of Titlis (the Swiss Travel Pass gave us 50 percent off the pricey tickets). It took two lifts: a small gondola took us up to Trubsee, where you can get out or stay on, and then continued on to Stand. At Stand, we transferred over to a large, rotating gondola (called the Rotair) that brought us all the way to the Titlis station at the very top. Here's a map of the whole area. 

It was quite disconcerting to travel so far up in such a short period of time, and I felt a bit woozy. Maybe it was from the thinner air? At any rate, it boggles my mind how we were able to reach the tippy-top of the mountain we'd been admiring from down below. 

There are a few fun attractions at Titlis, including a glacier cave, which is very slippery and chilly to walk through. Supposedly, the ice in the cave is more than 4,000 years old. Fortunately, we'd come prepared, dressed in three layers! The kids liked touching the ice walls, sitting on the ice throne, and sliding down the ice corridors. 

There's also a Cliff Walk, which is the highest suspension bridge in Europe and stretches over the abyss below. I'm not particularly scared of heights, but it was pretty scary even for me to walk across the bridge, especially since the whole thing sways! 

On the other side of the cliff walk is the Ice Flyer, a chair lift that goes down to a snow park. We'd been looking forward to checking out the snow park, which offers tubing and sledding, but sadly there wasn't enough snow to keep the park open when we visited in August. The kids consoled themselves by building a couple of tiny snowmen using what snow there was left.

After we were done with all the activities in the Titlis area, we took the rotating gondola back down to Trubsee, where there's a beautiful lake and many more activities. We borrowed one of the four rowboats and paddled out to the middle of the lake. 

We checked out the little skatepark there; you can borrow scooters or balance bikes to use on it. The kids jumped on the many trampolines and leaped onto a cushioned pad like stunt people. There's also a zipline here, but we didn't participate. We ate lunch at the self-service restaurant in Trubsee. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

And to close out our day, we took the gondola down to the bottom and then a funicular up to Gerschnialp, where you can rent scooters to ride back down to the valley. The winding trail is about 2 miles long and takes you through the forest and past fields filled with grazing cows. It was extremely picturesque and lots of fun to experience it all on a scooter! The kids declared this their favorite part of our entire trip.

Where to Eat 

Our first night in Engelberg, we decided to forgo the Swiss food for an evening and get some Indian food at Spice Bazaar. Not only was the place very cutely done in a sort of Indian-Swiss boho chic decor, but the food was spectacular as well. I highly recommend this restaurant. 

Our second night, we had upscale pizza and pasta at Bierlialp. This place, too, was very tasty, and the children's menu offered good deals and decent-size portions. Any time you encounter a children's menu in Switzerland, I recommend going with those choices, since they tend to be not much smaller than adult portions, cost half the price, and sometimes comes with dessert! 

And on our last night, we ate our hotel's restaurant, Urchig, which was also delicious. The kids again took advantage of the ridiculously inexpensive children's menus, while my husband had the fondue and I had the meatballs in an herb gravy. I was hoping it would be similar to the Swedish meatballs at Ikea, but it wasn't. Still, it was excellent; I hadn't been expecting the food in Switzerland to be so good, but everything we ate on our trip was fresh, flavorful, and expertly prepared. 

What's Nearby

As mentioned, Engelberg was just one of the three areas we visited while touring around Switzerland. Check out my itineraries for Zurich and Lauterbrunnen and Murren nearby!

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Florence, Italy

After a weeklong visit to Switzerland, we got to Florence by train to meet up with some friends who were also traveling around Italy during the same time. It was an easy journey, and we were each excited about different aspects of the trip. My husband was eager to visit the museums and see the ancient architecture, while my kids were dying to eat pasta! I was just happy to be back in Italy, land of endless gelato. 

Where to Stay

We stayed four nights at the Hotel Kraft, which is in a quieter part of the city, about a 10-minute walk from many of the restaurants on my list, 15 minutes from the Ponte Vecchio, and 20 minutes from the Duomo. Our room was spacious and well-appointed (yet ridiculously inexpensive, by American standards), but the best part of the hotel was the fifth floor, where we enjoyed a lavish complimentary breakfast every morning and a spectacular dinner one evening, as well as the rooftop pool. The view from that hotel rooftop really can't be beat! 

Where to Eat

We had so much good food during our stay, it's hard to pick a favorite restaurant. For pasta, the ones I liked best were Ristorante Pensavo Peggio (cozy) and Trattoria Zaza (commercial but fun). At both places, we enjoyed the extensive pasta menu, inexpensive prices, and friendly service. We also sampled the pasta at Ristorante Buca Mario and L'Osteria di Giovanni, although the main course options are the better bet at those places. 

After receiving a recommendation from a local, my husband got himself a Neapolitan pizza as a "snack" after lunch one day from Simbiosi Organic Pizzeria, and declared it worth the extra calories. We'd been hoping to try the pizza at the popular Gustapizza, but the owners were on vacation while we were in Florence, so we missed out.

And finally, we hadn't planned to have dinner at our hotel restaurant, Terrazza Rossini, but the view from the fifth floor rooftop is so amazing that we ended up dining there one night, and everything was amazing. Get the gigantic and perfectly cooked Florentine steak (which easily serves four!) and all the pastas. My son ordered a second pasta that night, after inhaling his first order!

After Catholicism, gelato is the biggest religion in Italy, and I had a whole list of recommendations. Some places were definitely better than others, though, so I'll only list my favorites: Gelateria la Carraia (there's always a line, but it's worth the wait), Gelateria Santa Trinita (try the grapefruit, pictured below), and La Strega Nocciola Gelateria Artigianale. At the last place, the gelato wasn't displayed in a window or even out in the open; instead it was hidden in covered metal containers, which told me that this place was serious — they don't even feel the need to show off their product! 

What to Do

Florence isn't the most kid-friendly of destinations because most visitors are here to explore the art museums and old churches — neither of which really appeals to children (unless you have more worldly children than I do). But it's possible to balance what the adults want to do with some interactive activities as well, and then throw in gelato throughout the day to head off any meltdowns. For older kids, I also highly recommend bringing Mission Florence: A Scavenger Hunt Adventure on the trip, which is an awesome little workbook that covers all the highlights of Florence in a way that'll interest kids. My kids whipped it out at all the major sites we visited, including the museums.

We had two big art destinations on our list: Michaelangelo's David statue at the Galleria dell'Accademia and the Uffizi, home to Botticelli's Birth of Venus. If you can only squeeze in one, I'd recommend David because that museum is much smaller and easier to experience. For both, it's an absolute must to book your tickets in advance, which doesn't cost anything extra and will save you hours of waiting on a long, hot line. Kids pay reduced admission or are free, depending on their age.

At the Galleria dell'Accademia, David is clearly the star of the show, and it's not hard to find him. The kids also liked viewing the unfinished Michaelangelo sculptures that line the hallway leading up to David, because it's so interesting to compare the fuzzy outlines of the unfinished sculptures with the perfection that is David. 

There's a nice long, circular bench that's situated right behind the statue, and that's a good place to park your kids if they need a break. Bringing a sketchbook would also be a fun thing to do.

Of course there are other things to see at the Accademia, but the only other area vaguely interesting to my kids was the musical instruments room. Here you can view instruments of all kinds from past centuries, including what I'd imagine to be a very expensive Stradivari violin. It's also really fascinating to see how the modern day piano evolved from this funky-looking version of the harpsichord!     

Right by the Accademia is a attraction called the Leonardo da Vinci Interactive Museum (not to be confused with the Leonardo da Vinci Museum), and that was a great break from all the serious museum visiting we were doing. At the interactive museum you literally get to play with all of da Vinci's inventions, plus view replicas of his artwork with kid-friendly explanations. 

Just when my son was about to lose it from too much time at Accademia, we brought him to the interactive museum and he perked up right away. The interactive museum is very small and you probably won't be able to spend more than an hour there, but it's definitely hands-on and fun for kids. 

The Uffizi Gallery, while absolutely amazing and grand, is a tougher sell on kids, but the Mission Florence book did keep them engaged for about an hour while we were there. 

In addition to viewing the famous Botticelli paintings, Caravaggio's Medusa, and works by all four "Ninja Turtles" (Donatello, Rafael, Leonardo, and Michaelangelo), the book had us hunting for a baby portrait of one of the Medicis that took us around the entire museum. Finding that baby was probably our biggest accomplishment of the day! 

Another not-to-be-missed Florence sight is the Santa Maria Duomo cathedral, which is truly impressive in its scale and design. You also can and should purchase tickets for this attraction in advance. The Brunelleschi Pass gets you entrance into the main cathedral, plus the bell tower and three other museums in the area (you'll have three days to do it all). 

Out of all the attractions, we most enjoyed the cathedral and climbing the 463 stairs up to the top of the dome. The climb itself is definitely tough and not for very small children, but all the kids in our group (ages 10 to 13) were much faster than any of the adults! 

The good thing about the climb is that there are several sections to it, so just when you think you can't take another step, you wind up in a gorgeous viewing area, where you get a little break to catch your breath and take some amazing photos. When you get to the ledge near the top of the dome, you'll have a closeup view of Vasari's depiction of the last judgment, painted into the dome's interior. 

The level after that is an outdoor viewing area at the very top of the duomo, the highest viewpoint within the city. It really is gratifying to make it up there to take in the views and the breeze!

On another day, we climbed the bell tower, which is another 414 steps. This climb was much tougher for me (maybe because I was doing it on the last day of our trip), but there are also breaks throughout for you to rest, including a landing where one of the old bells is displayed, plus the outdoor viewing point at the top. I'd wanted to be in the bell tower when the (functioning) bells rang, but the schedule for that is variable, and unfortunately we missed out on that experience. 

Even if you're unable to coax your kids into any of the museums or the duomo, there's always the Piazza della Signoria, near the Ponte Vecchio, two attractions that are entirely outdoors and totally kid-friendly. Just buy a round of gelatos and stroll around these grand spaces at your leisure! The Piazza della Signoria is a giant plaza that contains an outdoor sculpture area, plus a fountain that features an impressive sculpture of Neptune. In addition, there's a smaller replica of David for all those that can't make it into the Accademia.

The Ponte Vecchio is Florence's oldest and most storied bridge, stretching across the Arno river. Unless you're shopping for jewelry or leather, there's not much to actually do on the bridge, but you must take the requisite stroll across if you're in Florence. Plus, there are amazing viewpoints at the halfway point that make great picture-taking ops.

The Boboli Gardens are supposed to be another beautiful outdoor spot that's perfect for families, but we didn't have the energy to visit on this trip. Next time!

What's Nearby

We spent one whole day taking a guided tour of Cinque Terre, Italy's famed "five lands" perched over the Mediterranean Sea. Fun fact: Until about a decade ago, only Italians would visit Cinque Terre for the beaches. The area only became world famous after influencers made it a bit deal on social media. Today, droves of tourists (including us), flock to these tiny seaside towns, and I don't think the locals are too happy about it. Still, they did get their very own Pixar movie (Luca) as a result, and seem OK about selling us gelato!

The tour, which we took with a company called Walkabout Florence, started at 7:30 a.m. with a two-hour bus ride from Florence to La Spezia. From there, we were guided along a series of train and boat rides to see all five little towns: Monterosso, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Riomaggiore. At one point, we did an hour-long hike from Corniglia to Vernazza. It was all incredibly scenic, and the water looked amazing. We got to experience it from the beach in Riomaggiore and it was definitely refreshing after a hot, active day. We didn't get back to Florence until 9 p.m., so it was a long adventure, but totally worth it!  

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