Switzerland

This is the story of our one-week family trip to Switzerland—what made it truly special is that we did it entirely on our own, without joining any tours, while traveling with our 1.5-year-old son and my wife, who was 7 months pregnant at the time.

Our itinerary wasn’t exactly what you'd call “relaxing.” We included mountains, glacial lakes, and even short hikes—adventures that would challenge most people, let alone a toddler and a pregnant woman. But somehow, we pulled it off, and I think that’s exactly why it’s worth sharing.

The Idea

So... how did we end up deciding on such an ambitious trip, given our situation?

Well, the short answer is: we’re expecting our second child (a girl!) very soon, and we knew international travel would likely be off the table for the foreseeable future. On top of that, we had never flown with our son before, so we wanted a destination that offered direct flights from Ankara, Turkey.

After a bit of research, we narrowed our options down to three cities with direct flights:

• Vienne
• Zurich
• Stockholm

There were other direct routes too, but we had already visited some of those places. Out of these three, Switzerland stood out immediately. As a couple, we’ve always preferred nature—mountains, waterfalls, lakes—over busy cities. So the winner was clear: Switzerland.

The Plan

Once we booked our flights (with SunExpress) and got our Schengen visas, the real planning began.

And that’s where things got... complicated 😄

What Trip Planning Used to Look Like

Before becoming parents, here’s what trip planning usually looked like for us:

• Book the cheapest flight possible (even if it leaves at 3 a.m. or requires layovers)
• Stay at the most affordable Airbnbs or hotels (moving around to 5+ locations in a week? No problem!)
• Walk 30,000+ steps a day to explore everything on foot

What It Looks Like Now

Now? Things are a little different.

We searched for direct flights that matched our son’s sleep schedule. We looked for hotels with breakfast included, larger rooms, and easy stroller access. Our daily plans had to be flexible, with no more than 5,000–10,000 steps per day. And everything—everything—had to be cancellable. And, of course, we also rented a car with child seat for 7 days that is to be picked up at Zurich Airport as soon as we land.

In short, we had to transform from adventurous backpackers into what we used to call “mainstream tourists.” It felt like the end of an era 😢 But that’s parenting—and it’s still wonderful in its own way.

Oh, and of course, these new requirements made the trip significantly more expensive.

Building the Itinerary

There were two main experiences that shaped our entire itinerary:

1. Bernina Express
2. Jungfrau Region

Bernina Express

If you ever plan to visit Switzerland and want to take the Bernina Express, just know it will take up at least two full days of your itinerary. The panoramic train starts in Chur, Switzerland, and ends in Tirano, Italy. The ride itself is absolutely magical—but Chur, located in the southeastern part of the country, doesn’t have much else to offer for tourists.

We dedicated two days of our trip to this experience:

• One full day for the train journey itself (return trip the same day)
• One day just to travel from Chur to Grindelwald

If you look at the map, you’ll see that Chur is a bit off-route, especially considering our flight landed in Zurich.

When booking tickets for the Bernina Express, you’ll need to reserve seats too, which adds an extra 32 CHF. The website doesn’t show the direction of the train, which can be confusing. If you’re traveling from Chur to Tirano, the right side of the train offers a better view throughout the journey. But how do you know which side is the right side? When I booked our tickets, I assumed that 1st class tickets (which are single seats instead of double seats like in 2nd class) would be on the better viewed side, so I chose the same side with 1st class seats. That way, we managed to sit on the right side of the train, facing forward.

Jungfrau Region

The remaining five days were enough to explore the Jungfrau Region—at least on paper. But this area (Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Interlaken, etc.) is very expensive, even by Swiss standards.

To keep things manageable, we booked three nights in the region, all at the same hotel in Grindelwald. With a toddler in tow, we didn’t want the hassle of changing hotels every day (as we used to).

Zurich & Lucerne

Since our return flight was early in the morning, we also reserved one night in Zurich before departure.

That left us with one extra day to fit in a city experience—and Lucerne was the perfect choice. Not only is it located conveniently between Interlaken and Zurich, but it also offers amazing sights like Mount Pilatus, Mount Titlis, Mount Rigi, and a charming old town center.

A Shoutout to ChatGPT

While shaping our final plan, we had a ton of help from ChatGPT. It gave incredibly detailed suggestions—like average travel times, train schedules, child-friendly restaurants, and which tickets we needed to book in advance because they sell out fast.

It even helped us calculate whether the Swiss Half-Fare Card was worth buying—and spoiler: it definitely was.

Honestly, ChatGPT saved me countless hours of research. In the past, I’d have watched dozens of YouTube videos and read way too many blogs to gather all this info. This time, it was all in one place—and I’m really thankful for that.

Final Plan

And here is our final plan that is generated by the help of AI.

Originally, we wanted to include the Brienz Rothorn Bahn steam train and a visit to the Lindt Home of Chocolate in Zurich. But unfortunately, by the time we started making reservations, tickets for both had already sold out. (Thanks, ChatGPT, for the warning—too bad we were a bit late!). On the bright side, this gave us room in our schedule to include a day trip to Lucerne.

Of course, no matter how well you plan, things shift once the trip begins. And ours was no exception—more on that later.

We didn’t do much research into Swiss cuisine ahead of time, simply because food wasn’t one of our trip priorities. This wasn’t a culinary tour—it was more about nature and family time. So, we decided to just go with the flow.

Similarly, our itinerary intentionally excluded museums, art galleries, shopping spots, churches, or cathedrals. We figured our son would enjoy open spaces far more than quiet, indoor places that required silence and calm behavior. And we were right.

Preparation Phase

Packing for a trip like this—with a toddler, a pregnant wife, and no extra hands—is no joke.

We aimed to pack as light as possible, knowing that I would be the one carrying almost everything. In the end, we limited ourselves to:

• 1 large suitcase
• 1 carry-on suitcase
• 2 backpacks
• And, of course, a stroller

Packing for Our Son

Fitting everything for a 7-day trip was tough. Diapers alone took up nearly half the carry-on suitcase. Luckily, we managed to pack all of our son’s belongings—diapers, wipes, clothes, toys, etc.—into the carry-on.

The Big Luggage Battle

Our large suitcase ended up slightly over 30 kg, and it was a serious workout just trying to zip it shut. But in the end, we fit all of my wife's and my clothes in there.

Her backpack was dedicated to snacks and water for the flight—essentials for keeping a toddler calm in the air.

My Backpack Dilemma

Now for my own gear... I used the Peak Design Travel Backpack (45L), which turned out to be the perfect choice. It’s large, comfortable, and suited my frame well (I’m 191 cm tall and weigh 100 kg), so it didn’t look awkward or feel uncomfortable. I also have a Fjällräven Kånken No. 2 Laptop 15 Backpack, which is a bit on the smaller side visually.

The real challenge? After packing diaper-changing supplies, a few toys, and a change of clothes for our son, there was barely any space left for my own gear. As a result, I scratched the DJI Mini 3 Pro drone from the packing list. I also decided to leave the GoPro at home. I only had space to put my Sony A7C II Camera with Sony 16-35 f/4 PZ and Sigma 85mm f/1.4 dg dn art lenses to my backpack. Weighting over 10kg, my backpack was finally ready.

Our First Flight

We were so anxious about our first flight with our son, but it turned out surprisingly well. We prepared snacks, brought dozens of toys, crayons, books, and other essentials. To ensure a smooth boarding process, we made sure to be the last ones to board the plane. Surprisingly, snacks were our lifesaver. He then slept for the entire last hour of the flight. Of course, falling asleep was challenging for him due to the numerous distractions and limited space for me to soothe him by walking. After a few tears, he finally drifted off to sleep.

Zurich

After arriving at Zurich Airport, we promptly headed to the Car Rental floor and received our car from Alamo. The process was straightforward and hassle-free. We also rented a baby car seat for a week for our son. However, we encountered a minor inconvenience. Our plan was to visit Migros at the airport to grab some refreshments after dropping off our luggage at the car rental. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t allow us to do so. It turned out that after receiving our car, we had to leave the parking space and reenter the paid parking area, which was quite inconvenient. All we needed was to drop off our luggage and get some water, but that was not possible. Hence, we headed to the city center as planned.

While we were planning our trip using AI assistance, it warned us about grocery stores and stores being closed on Sundays. Surprisingly, we discovered that stores at Zurich Main train station (Zürich Hauptbahnhof) operate on Sundays as well. After parking our car at Parkhaus Urania in the city center, we first headed to Haus Hiltl restaurant for lunch. Afterward, we walked to the Zurich Hauptbahnhof to get some refreshments. Our usual Zurich itinerary included visiting the following locations before heading to Chur for the night.

Zurich HB was slightly off our intended route, but we had no other option. Fortunately, it gave us an excuse to also visit this place. Normally, we wouldn’t stop by and see it.

After grabbing our drinks and snacks from Coop at Zurich HB, the real challenge of traveling with a baby and a pregnant became evident. We were already exhausted before even starting our stroll through the old city. Our first destination was the Lindenhof View Point, a fantastic spot for families to enjoy the cityscape from above. Despite arriving in Zurich around 10 AM, we finally reached the location at around 4 PM. You can do the math, right? 😃

Walking down Pfalzgasse and through Widdergasse, we reached our next stop: Augustinergasse. There wasn’t anything particularly special about this street for us, other than the chance to snap a few photos with its charming buildings, colorful flags, and cozy restaurants in the background.

Then, as expected… it started to rain. Because well.. this is Switzerland—you should always be prepared for rain 😄

We made a quick stop at our next destination, Rathausbrücke, and took a short break on the bridge. But it was quite windy, and the rain hadn’t fully stopped. By that time, it was already close to 6 PM, and we still had a long drive ahead to reach Chur, where we’d be staying the night.

The next day was Bernina Express day, so we decided to skip the rest of our Zurich plans and head back to the car to hit the road. The drive from Zurich to Chur took about 1.5 hours.

We stayed at Hotel Stern Chur, which I can easily recommend to anyone planning an overnight stop before the Bernina Express. The hotel has its own parking, our room was very spacious, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Breakfast was more than enough, and I especially liked the small packages of various well-known Swiss cheeses they provided.

We spent two nights there, and I think I ate nothing but cheese every morning 😄

Bernina Express

Thankfully, breakfast at our hotel started as early as 6 AM, so we were able to eat before heading to the main train station in the center of Chur. It was just a five-minute walk from the hotel. When we arrived at the platform, the famous red Bernina Express train was already waiting, so we hopped on right away.

The compartments definitely had a premium feel — with panoramic windows, spacious luggage areas, and rugged floors that helped reduce noise. However, we found the legroom to be quite limited, especially when sitting face-to-face with other passengers. All the wagons with reserved seats on the Bernina Express are arranged in a face-to-face configuration, meaning you share a small table with four people in your seating area. This setup felt a bit cramped, particularly since we had a baby on our lap.

At the beginning of the ride, Barış Alp (our son) was wide awake and alert. But unlike our flight experience, he didn’t seem to enjoy the train journey. He was restless and clearly uncomfortable. He kept wanting to walk around the aisle and was frequently on the verge of tears, seemingly without any reason.

The most challenging part of the ride was resisting the urge to take photos. I was holding Barış Alp in my arms, trying to soothe him, while everyone else around us was busy capturing the stunning views. At first, I felt a bit frustrated — I had imagined snapping photos of every magical scene. But after a while, I realized it was perfectly okay to just be present. I allowed myself to enjoy the moment and take in the beauty of the Swiss villages with my own eyes, without a lens between me and the view.

As the train slowly climbed higher, it reached the highest point of the route, Ospizio Bernina, standing proudly at 2,253 meters above sea level. The views here were absolutely breathtaking. I realized that snow has a unique way of calming me — even more than forests. It softens the world into silence, slowing everything down. My thoughts felt quieter, more spacious. There’s something deeply comforting about the vast whiteness of snow — a gentle erasure of noise, clutter, and urgency.

Soon after, the train made a brief stop at Alp Grüm, the only official break along the Bernina Express route. There's a small restaurant with an incredible panoramic view. You can definitely take beautiful photos here, but the stop is short — around 15 minutes — just enough time for a couple of quick shots before you need to hop back on the train.

After Alp Grüm, the train begins its steep descent, and that’s when you start saying goodbye to the snowy landscapes.

One of the last iconic highlights of the route is the Kreisviadukt Brusio, just after Poschiavo and shortly before arriving at the final station, Tirano. This circular viaduct offers a chance for some truly stunning photos as the train curves around its famous spiral track.

Overall, we truly admired the entire journey, even though it came with its challenges — mainly keeping our son entertained and calm throughout. Despite that, the experience was unforgettable.

No matter your circumstances, I believe everyone should take this journey at least once in their life. The combination of spectacular alpine scenery and the comfort of Swiss trains creates memories that stay with you long after the ride ends.

Tirano and Return Trip to Chur

As soon as we stepped off the train, we were greeted by a warm Mediterranean breeze. It was shocking how quickly the climate had changed after crossing the Alps. The contrast reminded me of traveling from central Turkey to the southern coast—like the moment you pass the Toros Mountains on your way to Antalya, and the weather suddenly transforms.

When you take the Bernina Express from Chur to Tirano, most people continue on to Lugano, Como, or Milan for an overnight stay. Some travelers head deeper into Italy, while others return to Switzerland the next day.

Since our time was limited, we decided to return to Chur on the same day. We had already booked our return tickets on the regional train, which departed Tirano at 15:41 and arrived back in Chur at 20:04.

With a few hours to spare before our train, we wandered around Tirano—but to be honest, there wasn’t much to see. We took a coffee break and found a small park where our son played with rocks and a few other children.

For lunch, we went to the highly praised Merizzi, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the hype. I ordered the "Lasagna Fritta," which sounded promising, but I wish I had just gone for a classic Italian margherita pizza somewhere else instead.

When it was time to board the return train, we were pleasantly surprised to find the entire compartment completely empty. After the crowds on the Bernina Express, this was a huge relief. Even better, the windows on the regional train can be opened, allowing for much better photo opportunities.

The train uses exactly the same route back to Chur, so you get a second chance to take in the stunning scenery.

Remember how I said I couldn’t take many photos on the Bernina ride because I was holding our son the whole time? Well, this time, he slept through most of the trip, giving us time to relax, stretch our legs, and take dozens of photos from every angle.

After changing trains at Pontresina and again at Samedan, we finally made it back to Chur. And of course—it was raining 😄

As I mentioned earlier, both the Bernina Express and the regional train offer breathtaking views. While the Bernina feels more "special" and luxurious, the regional line gives you quietness, open windows, and peaceful solitude, all while passing through the same magical Swiss landscapes.

Jungfrau Region

Trip to Grindelwald + Harder Kulm

After having our last breakfast at the hotel in Chur, we hit the road toward Grindelwald, where we’d stay for the next three nights.

The drive would take around three hours, and ChatGPT had suggested we stop at the Walensee rest area along the way. We assumed our son would fall asleep as soon as the trip began. Of course, in true toddler fashion, he surprised us—not by sleeping, but by not sleeping at all. After a short but intense 30-minute drive filled with crying, we reached the rest stop.

However, we quickly realized that the proper viewing area—the one with seating, drinks, and a great view—was on the opposite side of the road, which would have taken another 15 minutes to access by car. Instead, we pulled over briefly, took a few photos by the stunning Walensee lake, and decided to keep going.

About an hour later (and after a very grumpy ride from our son), we made another stop—this time at Lungern, which turned out to be the coziest and most beautiful village we had come across in Switzerland.

We saw a playground (Spielplatz) marked on Google Maps, so we aimed for that. We parked at a public spot on Brünigstrasse, where we had views of both the Parish Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Lake Lungern. After a short stroll past peaceful cottages and quiet streets, we reached the playground.

And wow—what a view. This little playground had the most scenic backdrop we’ve ever seen. If you're traveling by car between eastern Switzerland and the Jungfrau region with kids, I highly recommend stopping here. After a tough 1.5-hour stretch in the car, that one-hour break truly saved us.

One more hour of driving later, we finally arrived at our destination: Grindelwald.

We checked in at Eiger Mountain & Soul Resort, which I can easily recommend to anyone looking for a comfortable and reasonably priced hotel in Grindelwald. Every afternoon at 3 PM, they serve free coffee, tea, juice, and desserts—and lucky for us, we arrived just in time. We had some cake and coffee, changed our clothes, and started looking into train tickets for our sunset activity: the famous Harder Kulm.

Yes, we had a car. But after our experience with the Bernina Express, we realized that traveling by train in Switzerland—even with a stroller—is often easier than driving.

So we packed up and headed to the train station. (Of course, we made a quick stop at the Grindelwald playground—it was already becoming our tradition!)

Once we arrived in Interlaken, we noticed something unusual. As soon as everyone got off the train, people started walking fast—some even running across the street. A few minutes later, we figured out why.

There was a huge queue in front of the Harderbahn, the funicular that takes you up to Harder Kulm. The ride itself only takes 10 minutes, but we ended up waiting in line for over an hour just to board.

Finally, we reached the top of Harder Kulm and headed straight to the restaurant for dinner—we were absolutely starving by then. After eating, our son quickly grew restless. He just wanted to walk around instead of staying in the stroller, which I completely understood. But the place was so crowded that we couldn’t safely let him wander on his own.

We barely managed to take a few photos while admiring the sunset over the famous Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks. It was a breathtaking sight, even if we couldn’t enjoy it as peacefully as we’d hoped.

Of course, there was another long queue when it was time to go back down. After waiting for what felt like forever, we finally boarded the same funicular and began our descent around 9 PM.

By then, the day had completely caught up with us. From strolling around Chur in the morning, to a ~5-hour drive with stops, to the playground in Lungern, hotel check-in, another playground in Grindelwald, train rides, and finally Harder Kulm—all of it in a single day—it was exhausting.

My wife was especially tired, but as you can see from the photo above, she was still smiling 🙂 (love her so much). The return train from Interlaken to Grindelwald was so late, we didn’t reach the hotel until around midnight.

Lauterbrunnen and Wengen

The next day was originally planned as one of our dream trips with First Cliff Walk, Männlichen, Wengen, and Lauterbrunnen, all in one go (thanks to ChatGPT’s itinerary). But the previous day had completely drained us. To properly enjoy First, you need to arrive at the station before 9 AM; otherwise, you’ll face endless queues.

Since we couldn’t find the energy to start that early, we decided to adjust our plan. After breakfast, around 11 AM, we took the train toward Lauterbrunnen and Wengen instead, leaving First Cliff Walk, Männlichen to the upcoming days.

As soon as we arrived in Lauterbrunnen, the rain began. At first it was light, but when we checked the weather app, it showed no signs of stopping until evening. This was disappointing because Lauterbrunnen had been one of our dream destinations before the trip, a place we had pictured as magical.

Still, we strolled around the town for a short while and managed to take a few photos of the Staubbach Falls in the distance. But as the rain grew heavier, we quickly returned to the train station. It felt like the day had ended before it even began, which was frustrating. With a toddler, our options were limited—museums or long indoor activities were simply not a good fit.

So we decided to stick with the plan and took the famous yellow train up to Wengen. The train climbs steeply along the mountainside and offers spectacular views of the valley below.

The rain followed us there as expected. To escape the weather, we ducked into a small and cozy spot called Café Restaurant Waldschluecht. The owner was incredibly kind and even brought out toys to keep our son entertained while we waited. We ordered coffee and lingered for a while.

Sitting there, I couldn’t help but envy the locals. Even though most of the guests were tourists, a few were clearly residents—elderly people with their dogs, sipping wine slowly by the window on a foggy, rainy day. The whole scene looked like something straight out of a Lo-Fi music video. I wanted so badly to capture it in a photo, but since the café was so small, pointing a camera would have drawn too much attention. Instead, I kept that moment in my mind, and maybe that made it even more special.

After realizing the rain wasn’t going to let up, we decided to at least walk to the Wengen Viewpoint. Despite the fog, we were lucky enough to see the valley spread below us, wrapped in a thin veil of mist. It was an unforgettable view.

From there, we returned directly to Grindelwald and spent the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel. The Coop Supermarket in the town center turned out to be a lifesaver—it offers a variety of hot sandwiches, pizzas, and ready-to-eat meals. We noticed that many locals and tourists preferred this option instead of dining out, since eating at restaurants in Switzerland—especially in the Jungfrau region—can be very expensive. So, we did the same and enjoyed a simple but satisfying dinner back in our hotel room.

Mannlichen and Lauterbrunnen again

We realized that we hadn’t really spent time exploring Grindelwald town itself. So, we dedicated the morning to strolling around before heading to Männlichen later in the day.

For the gondola ride, we bought tickets for the Männlichen Gondola that departs from Grindelwald Terminal. Normally, we could have just taken the train from Grindelwald Center to the terminal (a one-stop ride), but we chose to walk from our hotel instead.

That decision turned out to be the right one. Along the way, we captured some spectacular shots and got a glimpse of local life—much more authentic than the tourist-heavy Dorfstrasse, where most of the shops, restaurants, and hotels are concentrated.

At the terminal, we hopped on the gondola, and honestly, it was one of the highlights of our trip—especially considering the price. The gondola cabins were so clean, spacious, and modern, easily the best we’d ridden during our stay in Switzerland.

Our son loved it too. He enjoyed walking around the seats, looking out the windows at the cows grazing below, and listening to the gentle ringing of their bells. It felt surreal. The sound was so calming—exactly like the “relaxing Swiss cowbell” videos you find on YouTube—but here it was, raw and real.

When we reached the top, the sudden drop in temperature was unmistakable. We quickly put on our jackets and hats before even leaving the station.

Right outside the gondola station, there was a large playground—another reminder of how wonderfully child-friendly Switzerland is. I really admire how thoughtfully designed the country is for families with kids.

There are numerous hiking paths on top of Männlichen. Most people first do the famous Royal Walk, a short 2 km roundtrip to the summit, and then continue along one of the trails leading down to Holenstein Gondola Station (the only stop between Grindelwald Terminal and Männlichen). That hike is about 4.5 km and usually takes 1–2 hours for the average person.

For us, though, that wasn’t an option. With my wife being seven months pregnant, long hikes were out of the question. Our goal was simply to reach the summit of Männlichen via the Royal Walk.

So, we set off… and wow. It was extremely difficult. The slope was so steep that I struggled to push the stroller uphill. To make things harder, our son started crying mid-way, and my wife was walking slowly, barely managing the climb. Normally, the walk takes about 25–30 minutes, but for us it stretched into almost 1.5 hours—and I’m not exaggerating.

When we finally reached the top, the reward was worth it. The view was breathtaking: the Lauterbrunnen Valley spread below, framed by the legendary trio of peaks—Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.

At the very end of the Royal Walk, there are a series of wooden steps that lead up to the crown-shaped viewing platform. Unfortunately, carrying the stroller up was impossible, and by then our son had fallen asleep. So, we left him resting safely near a bench and quickly climbed up to the crown. We managed to snap a few quick photos, but couldn’t stay long.

The way back down was much easier and much faster compared to the climb. On the descent, we passed by several resting spots with benches overlooking the Alps. Many people were sitting there, enjoying their sandwiches while soaking in the view—a simple but perfect way to experience Männlichen.

It was around midday when we reached Grindelwald Terminal again, with the whole afternoon still ahead of us. Remember the rainy Lauterbrunnen day from before? Since we hadn’t been able to explore much back then, we decided to give it another try — but this time, we drove instead of taking the train.

The reason was simple: in Switzerland, even a 30-minute train schedule gap can disrupt your plans if you miss a connection. Traveling by car gave us more flexibility, especially with a toddler.

We spent the entire afternoon in Lauterbrunnen, walking from the village center almost all the way to Trümmelbach Falls. However, we turned back before reaching the entrance since children aren’t allowed inside the falls. Our main goal was to simply enjoy the village and hopefully spot some Swiss cows along the way.

The weather was beautiful this time — clear skies, calm air — and since it was already close to evening, most tourists had left. The valley felt peaceful and quiet, just as we’d imagined it.

That said, our overall experience in Lauterbrunnen was a bit below expectations. The village is undeniably stunning, but it doesn’t offer many facilities for visitors, especially for families with small children. I know it sounds contradictory to wish for both “picturesque, untouched charm” and “touristic comfort,” but sometimes you just need basic things — like a place to sit, have a warm drink, or change a diaper.

At one point, our son’s diaper needed changing, and we couldn’t find any suitable spot — no rest area, no café with space, not even a public bench under cover. Eventually, we parked the stroller near the driveway of a village cottage, switched it to a flat position, and changed him right there as people walked by. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked.

We also didn’t see as many Swiss cows as we had hoped — just two, actually. Still, despite these small inconveniences, we’re grateful we had the chance to visit such a unique and iconic village at least once in our lives.

First Cliff Walk and Oeschinensee (Lucerne in the evening)

The next morning, right after breakfast at the hotel, we headed straight to the Grindelwald First Gondola Station to avoid the long queues. Thankfully, there were none. We scanned our QR codes, hopped into one of the gondola cars, and began another beautiful ascent surrounded by breathtaking mountain views.

When we reached the top, though, there were already hundreds of people lined up for activities like the First Flyer, First Glider, and Mountain Cart. The First Cliff Walk, which takes you along the edge of a cliff on a metal platform, was fun — but to be honest, it wasn’t as impressive as we expected. The view was nice, but not necessarily better than what we had seen from the top of Männlichen.

And then came the queue for the “First View” platform — an endless line of people waiting just to take photos with the famous peaks in the background. In my opinion, it wasn’t worth the wait. We decided to skip it and instead headed to the restaurant area for a short break. After a while, we decided to return to Grindelwald Center. Unless you plan to join one of the adventure activities at the summit, there isn’t much else to do up there — especially if you’re traveling with a toddler.

After checking out from the hotel, we drove to Kandersteg to see the famous Oeschinensee Lake. We arrived at the Oeschinensee Gondola Station in the afternoon, and by that time, all parking spots were full. We eventually managed to find a space near the Kandersteg train station and then walked up to the gondola. It wasn’t exactly a short walk — especially with a stroller.

The gondola takes you up to the Rodelbahn station, and from there, you have a few options: you can either hike down to the lake using one of several scenic trails or take an electric cab that goes directly from the mountain station to the lakeshore.

Our initial plan was to do the shortest 30-minute walk to the lake. We started walking, but not long after, our son began crying in his stroller — and honestly, I couldn’t blame him. He’d been sitting in his stroller, in the gondola, and in the car since morning. He wanted to move, explore, and run on the grass.

So, we turned back to the mountain station and let him play on the grass for a while. He had so much fun there, and it felt good to see him finally enjoying himself freely.

After spending some time, we decided to take the cab to save time. It turned out to be a great decision. The ride was smooth, and as we went downhill, we realized just how long and steep the walking path actually was. We were grateful for our choice.

When we finally reached the lake, it was already around 3 PM. We found a nice spot near the water and sat down for a while, though it was difficult to keep our son still — he wanted to explore everything. By the way, the chair that my wife is sitting on in the photos below is a Helinox Chair Two, and it was carried all the way up there from Turkey. Well… because I’m a careful husband looking out for my pregnant wife 😊. After taking a few photos from above, we decided to go down closer to the water so we could touch the lake. Our son played by the shore for a bit, getting absolutely covered in mud, but he was so happy that it was worth it.

As the afternoon went on, it started getting late, and we had a long drive ahead to Lucerne, where we planned to spend the night. So we decided to take the cab back up to the mountain station.

Unfortunately, that’s where things took a bad turn. The cab service had already ended for the day and was now only available for people with disabilities — though no one had informed us about this schedule beforehand. I spoke directly with the driver, explaining our situation — that my wife was pregnant, our son was exhausted, and we couldn’t manage a long uphill walk — but he simply refused to help.

So... the hard part began.

We had no choice but to walk all the way up to the station — and this time, it was uphill. It turned out to be the most exhausting thing we did in Switzerland.

It took us more than an hour to climb back to the top. After a short break while waiting for the gondola, we finally made it back to our car.

Our original plan was to visit Oeschinensee first and then stop by Blausee on the way back. However, after everything that happened at Oeschinensee, we were completely exhausted. We didn’t even think twice — we skipped Blausee and headed straight toward Lucerne.

After about an hour of driving, we decided to stop again at Lungern, this time for dinner, since we knew we wouldn’t reach Lucerne before it got too late. We had two pizzas at Restaurant Bahnhöfli. They weren’t bad at all — there aren’t many dining options in Lungern, but this restaurant had parking space, which made things easier for us. In theory, it should have been relaxing to sit by the window, enjoy our dinner, and watch the trains passing by the nearby station. But, of course, with a toddler, that was just wishful thinking 😄

After a long but much-needed break, we hit the road again and reached Lucerne around 10 PM. We had reserved a room at Hotel Waldstätterhof for the night. Unfortunately, when we arrived, they told us that there was no available parking space for our car, so we had to search for one nearby — which was quite frustrating at that hour.

We eventually parked at Parkhaus Kesselturm, which cost 29.50 CHF for one night. Then came the final stretch: walking to the hotel with our son, stroller, and all our luggage, just for a single night’s stay.

By the time we checked in, we were absolutely done for the day. It had been one of the most physically draining days of our trip. As soon as we got to our room, we all fell asleep almost instantly.

Lucerne Trip and Zurich Airport in the afternoon

Our plan for the day was to visit one of the nearby peaks around Lucerne, such as Mount Pilatus, in the morning, and then spend the afternoon exploring the city center before heading to Zurich for our final night.

However, after the long and exhausting day we’d had before, the idea of another mountain trip felt overwhelming. So, after breakfast at the hotel, we decided to take it slow and just stroll around Lucerne’s city center instead. Luckily (and a little intentionally), our hotel was located right near most of the main attractions.

Our first stop was, of course, the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge). Even in the morning, it was already quite crowded. On the other side of the bridge, along Rathausquai, there was a lively local bazaar, which made the area even busier — but also more colorful and fun to walk through.

Next, we visited the Lion Monument, one of Lucerne’s most iconic landmarks. There were a few cozy cafés nearby, so we stopped for a coffee break while our son slept peacefully in his stroller. The monument is set in a quiet, shaded park, creating a calm and reflective atmosphere that felt like a nice pause in our day.

After spending some time there, we wandered back toward the city center and walked through the charming streets again. We crossed the Chapel Bridge once more — this time, our son was awake and insisted on touching the water, so we let him dip his little feets in for a moment.

Before leaving for Zurich, we wanted to try one last traditional Swiss dish: fondue. We went to Fondue House Du Pont, located right by the Reuss River. The food was delicious, though we found it a bit pricey — around $100 for the two of us. Still, it felt like a fitting way to end our Swiss culinary experience.

Just before heading out of town, we made a quick stop at the Jesuitenkirche Luzern, a beautiful Catholic church by the river. Unfortunately, our visit was very brief — as soon as we stepped inside, our son started crying loudly, so we had to step back out immediately.

Finally, we picked up our car from Parkhaus Kesselturm and drove to Zurich Airport, where we stayed at the Radisson Blu Hotel. We had originally planned to stay in Zurich city center and explore a bit more before flying home, but parking options were limited and hotels were extremely expensive. On top of that, our flight was very early in the morning.

So, we chose the practical option — staying near the airport and returning our rental car a day early. That way, the only thing left to do the next morning was to pack up quickly, drop off our bags, and catch our early flight back home.

Return day

We hadn’t expected to have breakfast that morning since our flight was so early, but somehow we managed to pull it off. After a very, very quick breakfast (by the way, the breakfast at Radisson Blu was by far the most impressive one we encountered in Switzerland — too bad we couldn’t actually enjoy it properly), we simply walked straight to the airport through the indoor passageway that connects the hotel to the terminal.

However, the luggage drop-off at Zurich Airport turned into a complete disaster. Almost every counter was reserved for Swiss Airlines, and we had to walk all the way to the last counters, where nearly all other airlines were grouped together. It took us more than an hour just to drop off our bags.

Then came the next wave of stress: finding our boarding gate. It seemed like everyone was rushing through the airport at the same time, trying not to miss their flights. We barely made it in time — no shopping, no wandering, just straight to the gate.

We finally sat down in our seats (thankfully the first row, which gave us a bit more legroom). The flight itself went smoothly, and our son slept through most of it — though that meant I became his bed for over two hours, which completely wrecked my back 😄

Still, we landed safely in Ankara in the afternoon, tired but relieved. Our Swiss adventure had officially come to an end.

Final Thoughts

Traveling with a toddler and a pregnant partner isn’t easy — but it’s absolutely possible. It’s messy, unpredictable, and often exhausting, but also deeply rewarding in ways you can’t plan for.

With a little patience, careful planning, and a willingness to adapt, what could easily turn into stress becomes something unforgettable — a story you’ll tell with a smile for years to come.

If you’re a young family wondering whether it’s still possible to travel and explore the world: yes, you can. You might move a little slower, spend a bit more, and change plans along the way, but that’s part of the beauty of it.

Because when you’re standing on a mountaintop together, or laughing while changing a diaper in the middle of a Swiss village, or watching your child see the world for the first time — you realize that this kind of travel isn’t just about the places you visit. It’s about who you become together along the way.