Summer holiday- cycling from Saas Fee to Montreux with kids 1,5 & 8!!!

A snowHead

cad99uk, Yes, I got one of those for B-day as well a small one showing some of his TV walks - its just a case of doing some picking. What I am finding is that I find one that looks OK, and then it dawns on me that the length is only to the summit and I am looking at approx. double the distance to also get back down. What I do like about them is there is often a bit about how clearly the way is marked and how easy it might be find you way should the weather deteriorate.

A snowHead

Megamum, have a look at Howtown-Glenridding. If you park at Glenridding and then get the boat to Howtown you can walk back. There is a high path and a low path, the low path would certainly be suitable.

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Elizabeth B, That's a good idea - I hadn't looked at using the Lakes themselves as a means to get some distance from where we might be parked and then walking back - the Minimums enjoyed the trip in the boat as part of their day out when we did Catbells. That's nice and local to where we are too - we will be just a few mile North of Glenridding at Troutbeck. I've found a description of that walk on the net and a low one like that might be a good ease into some more chunky stuff later in the week, or alternatively might do for when the legs have had enough steep stuff or the weather seems more iffy.

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Megamum, I did this walk quite a few years ago and seem to remember that although there is no height gain there is lots of ups and downs as you contour round the lake. So it is not just a stroll round the lake but very worth doing.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

cad99uk, Elizabeth B, it sounds well worth us doing this one - have found some good write ups on the route on the internet too.

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made it....cycled from Brig to Montreaux and in the youth hostle now....

no disasters

sleazyjet back to liverpool late evening- so an expensive day in what looks to be a very beautiful town- lucky Bobinch

trip report to follow.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

ed123, fantastic! Tell us all about it. maybe I'll take the grandchildren. wink

Very simple trip report.

Vision- cycle down Rhone valley from Brig to Montreux in about 1 week with 3 small kids without; getting too stressed, domestic incidents, too much blood. (Original plan have been slightly more ambitious and involved- train from NW England to Switzerland via overnight in Paris and taking 3 bikes as well as the tagalong and trailer but we bottled that and got the plane)

Personnel; Ed, Mrs Ed little Eds (8, 5 and 16 months)

Kit list as previous- minimal. change of clothes each, fleece, waterproof jacket- some undies. 50 nappies, a bib, some babygrows. 2 headtorches, a phone charger, some books. Tagalong bike, Burley cycle trailer with stroller attachment- vital, Burley universal hitch, 2 plastic tyre levers, multitool, pump, patches, pedal spanner, bike lock, camera. Pirate flags x2.

Start Brig to Visp: leave Saas Fee by bus- Brig railway station- pick up bikes rented from 'Swiss Renta Bike' very helpful railway clerk. Set up bikes- assemble tagalong brought from UK (pedals and handle bars back on) attach bike trailer bracket to rental bike. Cycle to Visp- about 10km or so. Windy. Stay at hostel run by nuns who don't speak any English at all. get lost wandering about hostel looking for water.....kids beg to eat at MaccieDs (we tell them that all MaccieD products contain poison and that if you eat too much of it you will die a la Morgon Spurlock- but they win). At least one child then decides that; he doesn't like the hamburger it hasn't got ham in it- and the orange juice has bits...oh good- only 43CHF wasted then.

Visp to Turtmann- easy 18-20km- am cycling- no wind. Stay in fantastic Turrelle Bertschen

2 very tasteful self contained B&B flats perhaps not designed with families with 3 small boys in mind.....oh well no obvious damage inflicted and very comfy beds. Turtmann is a fantastic village in the Oberwallis and we were able to tag along at a dress rehearsal for a very odd production in Swiss German regional dialect- which was actually really good- art installations in semideralict ancient village houses- freaky lighting...very nice.

Turtmann to Sion much further (30-40km) and about 4 hrs cycling in all. We had thought to take the train from Leuk to Sierre as I was worried that there was a significant streach on the road- which there was... but we cycled anyway- mostly downhill to Sierre. Spalshed about in the fountain and made hot chicken sandwiches out of poulet grille and couronne croustillant (which was to be a staple).

Flagged a bit just before Sion- it was windy each afternoon as predicted but not impossible. Sion Youth Hostel- ok and food hearty....

Sion to Saxon. First part of the day in Sion- old town- then swimming. then cycled through apricot and vineyards to Saxon.

In Saxon stay in a great little chalet with very friendly owners. My children mutate in the garden...

Saxon to Bois Noir- via Martigny...(about 20-25km).messing about in Martigny- gladiatorial combat, more swimming , more poulet grille and crusty crowns. Stay in a not very nice motel- although with a very nice owner- no onsite food so she drives to town to get us pizza. again windy pm.

Bois Noir to Aigle. (25km)RAIN....oh no.......get up v early trying to leave and get breakfasy- rain...dangly bits. leave in rain anyway. Less than 20mins later eldest child follows me round a corner tooooo fast- mud- skid- crash- blood (not much) wobbly legs (not broken) bike ok though....back on - breakfast in St Maurice. Rain stops- then starts again- corn fields...scary kids.....

then poo sticks

and industrial dystopia

B&B has pool but not v friendly wife.

Aigle chateau interesting for some

dinner at chateau- views exceptional

Aigle to Montreux. Easy - Aquaparc astonishingly expensive- so we didn't go. rather messed about at beach opposite.

First glimpse of lac Leman

Montreaux youth hostel has very good music - all the time. Great staff. Montreux very pleasant indeed. Bike return very easy.

then back to Blighty.

We ended up quite stinky...lots of handwashing most evenings. Ran out of nappies- but only just.....All had a really good time. No idea how much it all cost but I am sure we would have spent more with a tour operator- if we could have found one which would have taken us with 3 kids that age which we wouldn't have anyway....

I'd be happy to give specifics to anyone who really wants them- but for me half the fun has been working out where to go- what to take (and what not) how far we could all reasonably go and stay happy and find varied and good enough places to stay. We only had one less than good night but nothing terrible.

Dear BobinCH - sorry we didn't contact you - too shy/crap. You can easily do lots of this stuff living in such a great place- we are very jealous.....

What next??? more cycling- perhaps-

Canoeing down the Dordogne???maybe when youngest less dangerous.

If anyone wants to do the cycel trip then you need www.veloland.ch

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ed123, what a great effort - well done. I loved the kids' comments on the chateau. They'll remember that holiday!

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ed123, Superb trip report, I fort it was fantastic and I am quite envious Very Happy

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ed123, great report. Love the pirate flag! I trust you'll be doing the Haute Route with the kids this winter....!

BobinCH, obviously snowHead

You know it makes sense.

Inspiring to us all. Like pam w, I'll have to think about it with the grandchildren. Congratulations. (Think about getting the nappies sponsored next time

!.

brian

ed123, looks fab!

A snowHead

ed123, great trip report, and it sounds like you all had a marvellous time !!

A snowHead

PART 2

The plan for this year;

PERSONNEL- as last year but 1 year older, Mr Ed, Mrs Ed, little Eds (9, 6 and 2)

EQUIPMENT- 3 bikes, 1 tagalong, 1 trailer, not many clothes

VISION- this time go by train, no easy /esprit bit, cycle further, ed drinks more and better beer

BASIC PLAN-

1. train to London
2.cycle along Euston Road
3. Eurostar to Paris
4. mess about in Pais- up Awful Tower- eat overpriced bistro food (?? le Grand Colbert???? or Bistro Bofinger)
5.overnight in Paris
6. more messing about in Paris- Pompidou Centre?? laugh at rubbish mime 'artistes'
7. sleeper train to Munich
8+9. Munich-Innsbruck - Landeck by train
10. Start cycling
10- not sure howmany- cycle long Inn cycle path (Radweg) about 30 -40 km per day stay at various guesthouses/ farms/ youth hostels
11. end up- ironically at Branau am Inn being careful to fly Union Jack from back of tagalong and bike trailer at all times
12. Train back to Munich- then sleeper to paris
13. then home
14. do laundry- burn rubbish a la Osama et famile

BUDGET- don't know

SUCCESS- regard success as not divorced in a years time

FAILURE- see above

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

ed123, WOW! Fantastic, quite excited for you, the only dodgy bit with young kids I can see is 'cycle along Euston Road' Laughing

Will look forward to hearing further plans and updates Very Happy

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ed123, good luck, how are you finding planning getting bikes on a train in France?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Swirly, arghhh

yes the killer question.

It is a really weird system

Eurostar- can't check if bike space till ticket booked- don't want to book ticket til know there is bike space

Paris- Munich sleeper- can't book ticket with bike space online - must ring- ring Deutch Bahn- 8p per minute on hold for ever- give up

Specialist Rail travel agents- all seem to be staffed by VERY odd people ( knowing all about odd people is my job- in normal life if you can avoid dealing with really odd people with no communication skills/empathy then do- almost everyone else however is nice).

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ed123, yeah I've been looking into it while trying to work out transport for me and a bike to the Alps this summer.

AIUI: to definitely be able to get a bike on the Eurostar you need to put it in a bike bag. The same is true for a TGV, in both case it means it counts as regular luggage. French local services are hit and miss and what it says on the timetable might not correspond to the reality when trying to put the bikes on at a station.

I also looked at flights but the associated cost and again need for a bike bag kind of rules that out. Both the cost of a semi-decent bag and the hassle of transporting that, i.e. you can't just jump on the bike and ride off, have lead me to a toss up between driving (possibly cheapest if avoiding toll roads) and getting a ferry and cycling (will take a week each way but I'll be fit on arrival).

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ed123, I live just a couple of miles away from the Inn Radweg - let me know if you need any local help! I'm in the mountains SE of Rosenheim right on the border.

I use the path myself a lot for training runs on my bike. Do you have the detailed map that Kompass I think produce? When I get home I can give you the info if you don't have it (currently in the office 120kms away from my base).

Beautiful path and lots of the austrian sections are actually tarmac so there are fewer punctures in the offing.

Sue Toofy Grin

After all it is free

thanks Sue I'll get back.

I have a great map which was free from an Austria Tourist bord as well as acces sto lots of maps online

ed

I'd not heard of that path - just looked it up - it looks wonderful, and (call me a wimp but.....) tarmac sounds good. Replaced yet another inner tube yesterday and I don't exactly do much, or very rough, cycling.

Sounds like a great holiday plan; hope it works.

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ed123, Swirly, Have you looked at Bike Express?> http://www.bike-express.co.uk/ I've always fancied trying it ot get furher into France. Int eh past I've just used regular trains/ferries and pootled around Northern France

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ed123, the map is "Inn-Radweg Innsbruck to Passau" ISBN 3-89920-177-9 go to www-publicpress.de

Scale is 1:50000, so the same scale as the red/pink OS maps. It is printed on water-proofed paper and concertina-folded so that it fits exactly in the top map pocket of a handlebar bag (8.5" x 3.5"). Each section opens to give a section of the path with slight overlaps for each.

It also has the names and locations of all the local tourist offices as you travel along the route as well as hotel, Gasthofs, Cafes etc.

If you are going as far as Braunau, why not continue to finish at Passau? It is a beautiful city in itself and you will then have completed the entire 312km. You will also find it easier to get back to Munich/Innsbruck from there as it is the major transportation node for that area. Braunau is a really quiet place, nice but trying to disassociate itself from its most infamous son. For hardened cyclists it is probably only an extra day at the most difference.

It also sets you up to continue the following summer to go down the Danube to Vienna - another long distance cycling path which is well worth the effort. Toofy Grin

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Oh well "no plan survives first contact with the enemy' - or so they say in no end of cheesy war films.

In our case the enemy amounts to the Axis powers of ; Eurostar, Deutch Bahn and various UK international rail booking agents who seem to recruit staff from a rather unusual sub type I have named the spotteratii or should that be The Spotteratii (either a bunch of really weird folk with exceptionally poor social skills, lacking empathy, odd manner on the phone or and I like this therory a lot an international conspiracy- possibly linked to peak oil who's aim is to prevent anyone ever taking an international train journey and so speed oil consumption- I'm guessing a connection with the Bush family, Bin Laden and the other Saudis (obviously) as well as the usual suspects).

So- no train journey, no stop over in Paris, no Awful Tower, no couchettes. Oh well.

Instead have booked flights to Geneva c/o Stelios.

Plan 1.19

Fly to Geneva handbaggage only - trailer as pushchair and tagalong checked in as a bike. Looks like flying will be about half the price of the train- which is a tragedy.

Swiss Rail transfer to Andermatt

Overnight Andermatt

Train/bus to Disentis

Pick up hire bikes

Start cycling along the Rhine route R2- Chur- Lichtenstein

Then cycle till a bit of the way along a big lake- turn left- cycle for a few more days R5- get to Zurich

Zurich- give bikes back at train station- mess about in Zurich (a trip to the needle park????) train back to Geneva- back home

Nothing booked apart from plane so far.

Probably less good than train but perhaps we were over ambitious- or just maybe booking train tickets for more than one or two adults with complications such as luggage is just impossible these days.

Trip report.

Disentis to Zurich in 2 weeks.

Success I think. About 300km cycling including alpine hair pins, cliff top roads and a coupl eof longish days (if you are 2).

Various other hazards overcome such as; 6 year old with terrible diarrohea (took train and got him into 2 year olds nappies- he still cycled 35km mind) total lack of restaurants at one stop (Felsberg- the graffitti in Felsberg train station was in English- Be Nice please!

Felsberg- and why not), torrential rain- but not for too long (although for too long if too long equals getting very very very very wet and 6 year olds lips turning blue as he mutters 'you're to blame for this'), hills- quite a lot of up, and the crime capital of the world that is Geneva.

Geneva- I was amazed. Almost no restaurants open on a Sunday and one of the few that was- could cook pizza- but not much else- two plates of food sent back (uncooked prawns and cold roast potatos- I have not sent back food in over 5 years) and then- in broad daylight and within 45 minutes- witnessed- mugger/pickpocket being chased by victim and throwing wallet at our feet, various whores on street corner by lake with attendant pimps and then outside the main railway station a serious fight being watched by assorted low life and passers by, locals and tourists alike- not a policeman to be seen. Is this normal?

You know it makes sense.

ed123, Wow. Shocked

well done. I hope we will get a longer and more detailed report (though maybe we don't need too much more about the diarrhoea....).

Geneva is miserable, especially on Sundays.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

ed123, you guys are fantastic. Been on a number of organised cycling holidays ( Pyrennes, Czech Republic, etc. type of thing) but this does seem a great way to DIY it.

You never know, you could be responsible for inspiring a lot more people to do the same (or not...!)

A snowHead

ed123, good effort. Not been that impressed with Geneva on any of my visits I must say.

Similar to you I gave up on the train and drove out.

A snowHead

OK longer trip report.

PLAN

2 week family holiday in Switzerland. Cycle down the Rhine (Route R2 )then to Zurich (along R5). Rent bikes - 2 adult 1 kids. Take tagalong and bike trailer with buggy attachment. Hand luggage only.

Day 1- Liverpool-Geveva. Geveva- Oberwald. Boring. Lateish flight meant we had to stop overnight. Sporthotel Oberwald fine.

Day 2 Oberwald- Disentis. By train. Very exciting, small train through the alps change at Andermatt. Disentis- pick up bikes, fit trailer hitch and tagalong. Pack panniers- nice lady in the station explains that the 4 days of heavy rain they have just had has resulted in a landslide across the cycle route. So 20km in heavy rain down the main road to Tavanasa. Cold. Wet, squelchy wet- drippy down your nosey wet, nasty nasty ickkky wet. All downhill. No stopping. Hotel very nice. We are the only guests and are spoilt by the owners Sabine and Pierre who are lovely. Food arrives in gargantuan portions.

Day 3 Tavanasa- Valendas. Cool and moist but not very rainy.

exciting diggers for boys.

Ilanz a pretty stop

and then a bit of a hill to Valendas. Stay in a cosy cabin

Dinner expensive in a rather ordinary cafe where sausage and chips is the best part of £20 and a cordon bleu (pork schnitzle stuffed with cheese and ham near £35) I stagger about in a confused state. We all sleep well.

Day 4 Valendas- Felsberg. Quite a long day. Lots of up to start with as we go up and alongside the "Swiss Grand Canyon". Steep hairpins bends lead to a dramatic bridge then a narrow road through the cliffs which got a bit scary.

Obviously cycling is a very safe mode of transport unless you get mown down by an enormous truck in the middle of nowhere.......

a long descent. In Bonaduz we meet the only other English people in the whole 2 weeks - 2 postgrad students from Southampton who were cycling from Geneva to Vienna, camping and doing lots of up. Then some quite steep up in Tamins which was just mean. Stay in a farm- in a dormitory / matrazenlager. Someone had left the door open so about a million flies in the room. The farm was very farmy with guinea pigs, cats, cows calves etc. As well as a gardne with kids stuff- sandpit/swngs/trampoline etc. Mrs Ed a bit narked at first mostly on account of the flies. Finding dinner was tricky.

This signpost helpfully shows the way to all 5 restaurants in Felsberg.The local grafitti says 'f*ck Felsberg' and at 6pm in the rain after walking about 2miles to find that each of the 5 restaurants in Felsberg either - didn't serve food (yes- didn't serve food) or were closed (because of the competition no doubt) we wondered if perhaps in our hypoglycaemic state we hadn't sprayed it ourselves except it was all spelt right so we couldn't have.
stayed here 2 nights and on the second day spent a happy half hour with a fly swat.

Also staying at the same farm were two Swiss families- one has cycled all the way from Disentis that day. The 11 year old daughter looked shell shocked and just sat gazing into the middle distance- in the evening- then at breakfast.....

There was also another family- who lived in Zurich and very kindly asked us to visit when we got there.

Day 5 Rest day Day trip to Chur.....

Chur was interesting but perhaps not as good as the sign suggested.

The signs just got worse as Joe had been intending to roll a fat one...

Day 6 Felsberg- Jenins/ Bovel along a flattish bit of the Rhine then up through vineyards then up , then up some more. Heidi woz 'er.(really)Ben and I stayed in the dorm in the barn (unterkunft) whilst Mrs Ed and Eds junior and minor had a room - with a bed and a shower - oooooo!

Day 7 Bovel- Schaan. We deviated a bit from the cycle route and instead of going down to the valley bottom and along the Rhine into Lichtenstein went up to St Luxiberg. A very quiet road.

the pass that leads from Switzerland to Lichtenstein. It is very heavily defended with tank traps / forts and stuff- just in case- those Lichtensteiners.....

the kids really did believe this was the youth hostel- at least for a bit.
Vaduz town center is very odd- like Chester in a toytowny way but hyperreal. The Youth Hostel in Schaan had great family rooms and decent meals but was the only place where we weren't made very welcome- quite the opposite.

Day 8 Schaan- Altstatten. Right through Lichtenstein then into Austria (which we have annexed by the way)

a cheap lunch- at a restaurant, with beer- a treat indeed. We ended up cycling quite along way looking for nappies. A longish but flat day although we had an interesting detour.

.

Stayed in the end of a bell tower- really

Day 9 Altstatten- Roscharch. Along the Rhine - Seth scooted several km and we met and chatted to a couple of families with kids including a frenchman with a 5 and 9 year old who was camping- good for him We were disappionted not to meet the French family with several ids whow ere on the last 2 weeks of their year long trip having cycled the US coast to coast then Seattle to Panama then most of France and Germany. An excusin in Austria lead to another very good and very afordable lunch of pizza and pasta. Roscharch is on th eBodensee / Lake Constance and was not as scenic as I'd hped. Our hotel looked pretty grim but a very warm welcome, choccies for the kids and a great family room were very much appreciated.

Day 10 Rorscharch - Hauptwil .Unfortunately Joe (6) woke at 5.30am with the squits and more squits and some more. Trip to Migros/ Coop for; powerade, alcohol hand gel, boys pants. Planning meeting- train to St Gallen then Hauptwil. Very kind cafe owner opens especially for us (a cafe- open- at lunch time ???). Cycle to our BnB which is fab. Although getting something to eat involves steep descent then a killer climb back.

Day 11 Hauptwil- Wil Along the Thur- kept a close eye out for beavers- I was very excited about this......20km not too bad but a bit of a nasty climb to Wil.

Wil very pretty

we have booked a bit of a dive although the room is fine for us.

Day 12 Wil - Winterthur

Joe's bowels continue to cause concern and he needs to be carried about the room- he says. More powerade and a quick check of flights back to Liverpool/Manchester just in case. He makes a strange recovery as I leave for the supermarket- and relapses as soon as I walk back in....humm we set off anyway to see 'how it goes'. It goes fine. Rolling countryside- with more downs and ups and downs and ups and ups and ups. Unfortunately this leg has the longest section with no train but it goes pretty well and we have a long descent to Thurbenthal and the Toss river.

Winterthur is a bit bikey with lots of freaky EVs

yours for €20,000 or more - depends on the battery option- oh good I'll have 2 then......

Hotel is disappointing as it is less than 500 years old

Day 13 Winterthur - Zurich

we leave R5 a bit . A really heavy day with wind and up.

But the end is in sight.

Zurich...

very interesting sights from the Limmart Quai

Pedalos?

obviously the argument- having begged to go in one is who doesn't pedal!!!

Hotel is interesting- Oberdorfstrasse with a very average view

Zurich- visit nice family for excellent breakfast and general friendliness. Vist zoo- big hit . Cook in hotel room and save the GDP of a small oil producing state. Gawp at hops on Bahnhofstrasse. I note a variety of types- very very well turned out young and middle aged folk who could be hyper wealthy- or just putting on a show and the very occasional little old lady- wearing very smart clothes- stooped - weighed down - by all the gold......

THE END

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Another great report. Chapeau!

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Wow. Best trip report ever. Well done!!!!!! Very Happy

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Very impressive; what a great achievement. I do feel for poor Joe, though. I remember having the same affliction in a Swiss youth hostel - up every half hour all night, and in the morning after a glass of flat Coke, we had to hitch over one of the big passes into Italy. Got a lift with a little roly poly Italian in a VW beetle with pictures of the Virgin Mary and his wife and kids stuck on the dashboard, who sang opera to us the whole way and - thankfully - drove quite sedately round all the bends.

Did you find the up bits got easier after a bit?

Have the kids made you promise to take them to Butlins next year?

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pam w, Butlins- no! Ben the oldest child wants to do 600km next year!

I don't know what we will do as the youngest will be 3 and so I don't think he'll tolerate too long in the trailer and will be too young for the tagalong.

We have wondered about camping though as the trip really wasn't cheap. Most nights came in at around CHF200 including breakfast but some were a good bit more and eating out was just crippling. If we had a trailer for kit and a trailer fr the youngest we would probably go (even) slower and all the camping faffing about would take up time- but in a useful way.

In a moment of weakness Mrs Ed agreed to cycle the Western Isles next summer but I have had a look and it doesn't look child friendly at all. It is flat (with wind) but the BnBs and the transport seem a bit complicated especially the getting back to where you started bit.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

ed123, Great trip report. Thanks. Very Happy

After all it is free

ed123, yes, can imagine that it was very expensive. You could have had a proper holiday for that kind of money. wink

ed123, fabulous report.
Have you considered western Ireland? - Galway etc., we had a great trip around there a few years ago with B&Bs providing the overnighting, and of course, the hospitality of the Irish the entertainment and warmth. Occasional dampness, but nothing gradient wise the kids couldn't handle.

Of course, that was pre-euro days...

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It is flat (with wind) but the BnBs and the transport seem a bit complicated especially the getting back to where you started bit.

Not complicated at all. as Long as you come back from Tarbert (Harris) not Stornoway (Lewis). The Ferry goes to Uig on Skye, cycle through Skye to Armadale - ferry to mainland at Mallaig.

See this lovely TR:

http://youtube.com/v/BZkGLjlTu64&hd=1

Starts and finishes in Oban.

If that is too long you can easily finish in Mallaig and get public transport back to Oban. Or you could start and finish in Tyndrum or Crianlarich - where there are train lines to Oban and Mallaig.

Going North/clockwise also means the wind is usually helpfully on your left quarter.

Help!!

Summer holiday- cycling from Saas Fee to Montreux with kids 1,5 & 8!!!

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