 Poster: A snowHead
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We have a plan!
Us; me dad, Mrs Ed, Ben 8, Joe 5 and Seth 1.
The Normal Bit
Travel; sleazy jet to Geneva (booked)- Swiss rail transfer to Saas Fee.
First week; Esprit in Sass Fee (booked)- we went last year- great.
The Not Normal Bit
Luggage; 2 adult bikes, 1 childs bike, 1 tagalong, 1 bike trailer- minimal clothes carried- hand luggage only,- 2 t-shirts, 1technical t-shirt, a fleece, an ultra light rain jacket, bike gloves, sunnies, hat. Some toys (small kite, a couple of books) Camera, phone, shower gel, washing liquid. Pants- not many generally but enough. baby grows- 3, fleece baby suit, baby rain suit. Crocs/flip flops. Map. couple of inner tubes, bike pump, minitool, glueless patches.
Buys in Switzerland; nappies from Migros at Geneva airport, perhaps a t-shirt each!
Second week; cycle from Sass Fee to as near montreaux as possible- about 25 miles per day. Stay in pensions. eat on the way.
Anyone done similar- if not this exactly then at least a slightly tricky holiday with kids? What did you do and how was it? Will we stay reasonably cheerful?
Obviously this isn't everyones cup of tea-Mrs Ed and I both had adventures pre kids (Mrs Ed hitched and bussed from Zimbabwe to Malawi to save $50 on a flight and I spent months getting lost trekking in Morocco and Nepal)
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 26-05-10 21:32; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ed123, sounds great, but with all those bikes, luggage and kids, I would take the car instead of flying. The thought of getting them all through the airport and successfully getting them all off at the other end would give me the heebeegeebees.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I hope you only have one train to catch too
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 ed123, sounds great, but I'd be inclined to agree about the car. Have you done a similar journey here? Quite a ride for the 5 year old - he'll need to do some training, maybe? My main concern would he getting everything wet if it rains as heavily as I've sometimes encountered in Switzerland in the summer!
Cycle helmets not on the list?
I've camped in Africa with kids aged 2 and 4. That was great, But with a car, not cycling and as you can see from the pic, we had all mod cons. Taken 3, including 3 month baby, for 2 weeks on public transport/hotels in the US. That was a piece of cake, but the weather was reliably hot and, again, no cycling was involved. But then we're not cyclists - friends of mine who are, but are even older than I am, recently cycled from Emsworth to their apartment in Abondance, staying in carefully planned chambres d'hotes. They had a great trip - but with no kids!
I imagine that carrying even your minimal gear will be difficult. I've done two up on a very small motorbike, with small panniers, to the Black Forest, but we only had to carry our own stuff, and we had a (90cc) engine to help. If you took a car you could take it in turns to be escort/rescue. Though I realise that would not be the same trip at all!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hells Bells,
plan 1.1 - cycle to Liverpool airport.
No hold luggage apart from bikes- just 2 panniers and 2 rucksacks as handluggage
Assemble bikes in arrivals hall
1 train geneva to visp.
bus Visp to Saas Fee.
Then on return Train or better boat Montreux to Geneva. Overnight in Geneva/sightseeing.
But Hells - when skiing we have had; 2 adults, 3 kids, 2 very large bags and 2 ski bags (with 4 pairs boots- 1 mrs Ed alpine for me tele for me 1 for Ben) with 4 pairs skis in them in total and a push chair. This gave me kittens!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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pam w, great photo! one for the new girlfriend I'm sure.
Yes cycle helmets included. The 5 yr old will be on a tag along- so pulled by one of us. Yes this would be too far solo at that age. We are not great cyclists really. Never been cycle touring before. We do cycle around town more than most. Monday Mrs Ed cycled the kids into school, I cycled to work (miles) and we usually bike them to swimming at the weekends (through the rougher parts of Toxteth).
The bike trailer takes a bit of luggage as well as the nipper and the kids have handle bar bags for; waterproofs, fleece, sunnies, snack. We are also relying on the power of plastic to buy anything we need on the way and the concept of taking really old clothes and throwing them away just before they walk off is growing on me . Basic rule of packing 'half as many clothes as you think you'll need and twice as much cash'.
We will be cycling along the Rhone Cycle path - the valley is supposed to be warm and dry- peaches/vines etc. So an important part of the plan is it not raining at all.
If we have trauma/drama then we'll get the train.
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ed123, it sounds great. Our friends had one cycling outfit, which they washed out in the bathroom basin nightly - but they said that because their chambres d'hotes people liked the idea of their trip so much, several put them through their own machines and dried them overnight. So lightweight, easily washable clothes would probably be better than ones you throw away. Though that is a nice idea when travelling by car. My mother always treated herself to a pile of new M & S knickers before going on a trip in their camper van, then took a load of old ones and them away each day. Gave her a great feeling of liberation.
But it's not always dry in Switzerland in the summer.... don't believe a word of it.  When we last camped there we drove down listening to reports of torrential rain and mudslides in Switzerland, so were relieved to find the campsite not flooded (though they weren't allowing any vehicles off the road, because they would have damaged the grass even if they hadn't got stuck) and with only normally heavy rain. You've certainly got a better chance of nice weather in Switzerland than in Toxteth, though. And the views are better.
I hope we get a full trip report?
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brian
brian
Guest
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| ed123 wrote: |
We will be cycling along the Rhone Cycle path - the valley is supposed to be warm and dry- peaches/vines etc. So an important part of the plan is it not raining at all.
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The valley is predominantly dry but by no means always, especially later in the day and you might get some cracking thunderstorms in the evenings. The other thing about the Rhone valley is that there always seems to be a wind funneling along the valley floor, even if it's still in the mountains above. Summertime temps are average around 25 degrees I would say, but it can often go up to 30ish.
Passing tourist tips - if you like wine, pop into the odd vineyard for dégustation on the way past. There are some really nice small wineries around Salgesch. The kids might like the St Bernard dogs at Martigny, www.museesaintbernard.ch . If you're passing Sierre around August 1st, there's a big firework display/party for the Swiss national day. Roman amphitheatre at Martigny, http://www.martigny.com/martigny/switzerland/office-tourism/roman-martigny.html . The water park at Bouveret beside Lake Geneva is good, www.aquaparc.ch .
Best of luck!
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ed123, sounds fantastic! Me, the wife and 6 week old live in Montreux and will shout you a few drinks over the stories of how it went if you make it!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
the cycle tour first and then the week in Saas Fee to recover
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but not such a good idea if that means cycling uphill!!
I think this has the makings of a great thread. Can just envisage the picture of you having a triumphant finishing line drink with BobinCH.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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When our girls were 8 and 10 we took them cycle touring in the Western Isles of Scotland. We did drive up to Skye then just got on the ferry to Lochmaddy with our bikes. The girls were big enough for thier own bikes and panniers though. They each had to carry a sleeping bag and all clothes and luxuries for the week (surprising how little they needed once they knew they would have to transport it!). We stayed and self catered in very basic Gatliffe Trust Hostels. It was so good we went back again the next year!
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surprising how little they needed once they knew they would have to transport it!
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 I remember learning that the hard way when I took a pogo stick to a guide camp.... and the ground was far too soggy as it poured with rain all week.
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You know it makes sense.
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BobinCH, RobinS, pam w, sarah, thank you for all being enthusiastic!
Bob- I loved your Chamonix photos- you both looked really very happy.
Regards logistics I think the essence is cutting everything to the absolute minimum, just as much about what we don't need in a kit list.
Wind and rain are important. The plan is to cycle early in the day- obviously the kids get up very early so we should be finished cycling in time for an early lunch- then play/sightsee, then tea, then bed -repeat.
brian, - which way does the wind blow- please please please say it blows cool air down the valley......
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Anniepen, Two of my uni flatmates did a BUNAC trip to the USA. One, a rather small girl, and not very strong, took a set of Carmen rollers - which my other friend had to carry half the time.
I'm sitting here sorting out my packing lists for two of us to go to the Isle of wight for a week on our very small boat. It carries quite a lot, actually, but if you pack things too tight it's hell to get them out of lockers. The boat has no standing headroom - it's only 19' long - and life tends to be reduced to the simple things. We'll be staying in a sort of marina, but will be rafted out, and when it's a choice between climbing over 6 boats in the rain at 4 am, and a trek along a wet pontoon, or a quick pee in a bucket.....
Still, we'll have friends there with bigger boats - so if it rains a lot, we'll go and sit on their boats, taking our tea/coffee/lunch/drinks/nibbles with us (depending on the time of day).
I did some fairly mad boating holidays with our kids when they are small. They still remember them, though not always with pleasure. On the A9 on the way to Inverness to pick up a small sailing boat, with 3 kids (youngest 3, I think she was) there was a foot of snow on the Drumochter Pass. And then there was the holiday with two families, including 2 two year olds, on a 55m narrow boat on the Leeds to Liverpool Canal.
Makes me exhausted just to think of it now - but we had more energy then. On one of the Africa trips we had to take it in turns to walk in front of the car shifting the bigger boulders out of the way of our very unsuitable Ford Cortina.
"It's an adventure" was always the cry - deeply ironic from the kids, usually. But they survived.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, Now that's what the bucket is for! (echoes of the camping thread...)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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holidayloverxx, no no no!! We have two. The square red one is for washing up, the round black one for other things...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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pam w,
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I wish you the best of luck. Unfortunately my better half would never entertain such a bold plan. If you do it you'll all be better for it. It's easy to say it's too difficult and take the car. At the end of the day you'll be in one of the most beautiful and civilised places in Europe.
Go for it and post us some pics when you're done.
(the most adventurous we'll get this summer is Centre Parcs.....) 
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brian, any update regards wind direction?
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ed123,
That sounds nuts, but good luck!!
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brian
brian
Guest
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it'll keep you cool!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pam w, You had a Combi-camp I think  That's what my parents had when we were kids - I've many happy memories of camping in a Combi-camp - we also had an awning did you?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Megamum, yes, it was a combi-camp! well spotted. No awning (weather in Africa more reliable). It was complete madness towing that thing round very rough roads in a Ford Cortina. We used to go camping with friends who had a Renault 4. Their Renault had much better clearance, but lacked power. We used to swap kids from car to car depending on the conditions - when heavily laden their car wouldn't get up some of the more challenging hills. We lived in a tiny house in Nairobi and it was very often used in the garden to accommodate visitors, or to accommodate us when we had visitors like my mum needing the comfort of a bedroom - I loved sleeping in the combi camp actually, it was v comfortable though we had an anxious moment on one site when we awoke to hear hippos grazing within a few metres of our heads and were afraid one would blunder into a cable which was used to run a light from the car battery. When we rented a holiday house on the coast without enough beds for the whole party we took the trailer down and used it as an annex.
I never became any good at reversing that trailer but it was light enough to manhandle. I could erect it myself in literally 15 seconds - your post prompted me to look up the combi camp website and today's models look hugely more complex and expensive - we certainly didn't have built in kitchen etc. We used to send the OH out with a spear to bring down a young impala for dinner, and cook it over a camp fire.
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ed123, I know the Swiss Rail do a service where they will deliver all your luggage to your final destination so you dont have to lug it from Geneva to Saas Fee
Will be out there myself from the 14 July till August 2nd if you are there those days
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You know it makes sense.
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update
mostly booked now.
flights- booked
esprit in saas fee- booked
Cycles- we now think it will be much easier to rent- I think that it is possible to rent from Swiss railway stations and drop off at another one-not booked or sorted but will in next few days.
Trailer- we will take our Burley Solo with a hitch that fits nutted or quick release hubs- it also has a gizmo that turns it into a buggy.
Kit list and packing- nearly done and looks OK
Overnights- almost completely done.
1st night- Visp- staying in a hotel run by nuns - yes really..... www.stjodern.ch
2nd night- either Leuk/ Susten or Sierre. I think the Rhone cycle path between Susten /Pfyn and Sierre is on a main road/ road works so will get the train for this bit . Either way trying to book farm B&B in Susten- as near valley floor as possible- but may have to book a bit uphill. or a normal BnB
3rd night Sion- youth hostel- booked and paid for a 4 bunked room. www.youthhostel.ch
4th night Saxon a little chalet seems friendly www.taxi-saxon.ch - booked
5th night Evionnaz a motel with cheesy porno music on their web site- this might be a bit weird (or enlightening) www.interalp.ch booked
6th night Aigle a very posh B&B with pool www.bnb.ch booked
7th night Montreux Youth Hostle booked and paid for
Longest leg 25km - shortest 17km should be doable for our 8yr old- if it isn't we will hop on the train.....
the Veloland swiss web site has lots of useful stuff including as detailed maps as you could wish for- down to about 1:25000 and then everything else. Links to accommodation however are much better in the Valais tourist website www.valais-terroir.ch with lots of great farms to stay on with stuff for kids- like other kids / animals/ germs/ straw.
We are now really quite committed - we have bought and paid for stuff, told our friends, posted here- there is no chickening out.......
For those of you interested in the economics of this sort of thing I think it will be reasonable but not cheap.
Flights £7-800 return including luggage
Swiss rail transfer- not sure yet- wife will do perhaps £120
Accommodation- each night for 5 of us with breakfast and evening meal about £150ish
Bike hire- not sure yet- guessing about £300 for 2 adults a child bike and a tagalong but I could be wrong.
This compares well with organised bike tours with UK based companies charging about £600-50 per adult just for hotels (but with luggage transportation) and excluding travel and cycle hire with not much in the way of kids stuff.
Some help would be appreciated from those of you who live nearby-
1. bike hire at Swiss train stations? (actually I think I will probably find this at the Veloland website.
2. Some bike hire vocab- pannier rack, nutted hub, quick release, child's tag-along, spare inner tube size....(French and German please)
3. Stuff for kids in this neck of the woods....we know about- the maze in Evionnaz, water parks nearby ish, ......but I think we will probably have most fun just being together as a family and having an adventure...which is the plan.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Sun 4-07-10 10:44; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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ed123, sounds like it's going well. v interesting to have an update. keep us posted. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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cycle hire is not that straightforward.......
can hire with swiss rent a bike www.rentabike.ch from Brig not Visp- through to Montreux station (town center- which I would like to have avoided). THis will be about £300 but need to check re tagalong (Germ: Windschattenvelo Fra; tandem adulte-enfant) THis means a bit more cycling and on and off trains Leuk- Sierre.
Vallaisroule- www.valaisroule.ch looks like it is free- but day use only and no tagalongs- in theory we could; take our owntagalong- reserve bikes, get ones each day/ avoid having to take them on the trains, end up in Port Valais and then get a boat to Montreux- cheap but a pain.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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ed123, just a thought but if they have child bikes but not tagalongs then you could get one of those trail-gator connector bars and take that with you??? It will be easier to transport than taking your own tagalong. We have one it is very good and means that the childs bike is usable on its own too.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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sarah, good idea-
I will ring up swiss rent a bike Monday morning- I just can't help worrying that if I ask 'is it ok to bring our own tagalong and trailer and use with your bikes?' then the answer will be 'nien, non, no'....- it would be in the UK- worry about indemnity ...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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pam w, I can still remember our small boating days when we had two buckets, one red, one blue for all tasks and when I had just washed up in the blue one my wife said "but the red one is for washing up" 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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pam w, I've only just popped back in here. Goodness, that sounds exciting camping - we stuck to the UK - no hazards of hippos etc. on the mainland
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Blimey, I'd be daunted by the sort of trips described here even without children! 
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welshskier, made a man of you. Hurtle I'd be daunted now, but I wasn't then!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Megamum, Have you looked at the Wainwright walking guides? They are the classic guide to the Lakes.
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FAQ
Can't help with first 2 but do you know the swimming place 'Brigerbad'? Just near Brig funnily enough! We went there last year and had a great time. Will look forward to reading your trip report.
