Continuing with our 'Making Memories with Moms' series since 2022, we are back with another trip with our moms this year. This time, our destination was Europe - Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. We kicked off our trip in Germany, and drove around the entire country in 10 days covering a total distance of 2856 kms (1775 miles), and continued our journey in Switzerland by trains. This was a hectic trip but we are so thankful for the opportunity to enjoy all the amazing places and sceneries with our moms, making memories that will last for a long time.
18 May 2025: Lucerne
19 May 2025: Grindelwald, Schilthorn, Murren, Gimmelwald
20 May 2025: Lungern, Brienz, Isetwald
21 May 2025: Wilderswil, Isetwald
22 May 2025: Schilthorn, Interlaken
23 May 2025: Zermatt
24 May 2025: Mannlichen, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, GoldenPass Express
25 May 2025: Geneva
23 May 2025 (Fri): Wilderswil - Zermatt - Wilderswil
After 2 days of rainy weather, Jungfrau was still forecasted to rain but the weater in Zermatt was forecasted to be clear so we decided to take the long journey to Zermatt today. I also checked the Gornergrat cam and saw that the weater in the mountain was looking good too.
There is a faster route to get to Zermatt but we wanted to use the Berner Oberland Pass as far as we could (all the way to Visp) so we took the longer and more scenic route on 5 different trains. Our mission was to not miss any trains:
Train #1 6.17am - 6.22am: Wilderswill to Interlaken OST (7min)
Train #2 6.29am - 6.53am: Interlaken OST to Spiez (24min)
Train #3 7.12am - 8.22am: Spiez to Brig (1hr 10min)
Train #4 8.26am - 8.33am: Brig to Visp (7min)
Train #5 8.37am - 9.50am: Visp to Zermatt (1hr 13min)
After 2 days of sleeping in, the 'bootcamp' is back with a 6am start. We started our day so early because our journey to Zermatt takes about 3.5 hours one way. The first part of the journey took us along Lake Thun.
Our transit in Spiez was long enough for us to walk to the viewing area outside the station.
The train from Spiez to Brig was very nice and we had the whole section to ourselves since it was early.
We were glad we took the longer mountain route to Zermatt (covered by our Berner Oberland Pass), instead of the faster train that goes through a tunnel coz the sceneries along this train ride was amazing. I was busy taking so photos/videos throughout the ride but they don't do it justice.
Can't get enough of Switzerland's stunning scenery...snow capped mountains, lush green meadows, crystal clear lakes, and picturesque charming villages.
The train from Visp to Zermatt wasn't included in the Berner Oberland Pass so we had to pay CHF20/pax each way to buy separate tickets for that portion.
Glad to report that we successfully made all 5 train connections, including some that we thought would be tight. Definitely gave us an appreciation of how efficient and punctual Swiss trains are.
We finally arrived Zermatt at 9.50am after traveling for 3.5 hours. So thankful for the beautiful weather here coz we needed a clear day to see Matterhorn.
Headed straight to the Gornergrat station to catch the 10.20am train.
We purchased the tickets for Gornergrat on Klook the night before for CHF66 ($80) per pax.
Glad we got the tickets with priority boarding which allowed us to board earlier and secured a good seat (on the right side of the train going up). It wasn't obvious which direction the train was going so I asked the staff to make sure we were sitting on the correct side...kiasu max...lol!
Amazing views of Matterhorn the entire uphill journey. The right side was definitely the 'right' side to sit. =)
Our journey from Zermatt to Gornergrat took about an hour. You can see the clouds covering the tip of Matterhorn as we approached Gornergrat.
Arrived Gornergrat at 11.20am.
The tip of Matterhorn was covered by the clouds when we arrived Gornergrat so we decided to pose with the Toblerone that we brought along while we waited for the clouds to clear.
The clouds were still blocking the tip of Matterhorn so we walked around the area to take photos.
An hour later...the clouds kept teasing us but still refused to let us see the full Matterhorn.
Entertained ourselves with paragliders and snow while we waited for the clouds to move.
After waiting for 1.5 hours, the clouds finally cleared! The wait certainly made us more excited and grateful to be able to see the full Matterhorn! As always, there is a lot of luck involved in traveling, and we are very thankful for such beautiful weather.
Time to take more photos with the beautiful Matterhorn.
The reality of a popular tourist attraction...lol! However, there are a lot of areas around Gornergrat that you can go to avoid the crowds.
After spending 2 hours in Gornergrat (and taking way too many photos/videos), it was time to head back downhill. No priority boarding going downhill but we still managed to secure seats on the left side at the back of the train.
Made it back to Zermatt at 2.05pm and took a quick stroll around town before leaving for our long journey back to Interlaken.
Started our 3.5 hours journey back at 3pm hopping on 5 different trains again.
Most people don't do day trips from Interlaken to Zermatt but we were glad we kept our schedule flexible by having our 'home base' in Wilderswil, which allowed us to visit Zermatt when the weather was good.
As much as I wanted to nap in the train, I didn't want ot miss any of the sceneries.
Back in Spiez station for a 20 minute transit and got to enjoy this view again.
We successfully made it back to Wilderswill at 6.45pm after our 13 hours day trip to Zermatt without missing any of the trains. =) So grateful for the beautiful weather allowing us to see Matterhorn.
Time to pack up our stuffs as we'd be leaving the Jungfrau region tomorrow.
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