5 Days in Switzerland // the bargeron explorers.

 This summer, my family and I were able to embark on maybe the most unbelievable travel adventure of our lives up until this point: 2 weeks in the UK & Europe. Our first stop on this highly anticipated trip was London, England. And after spending three days there, we took an early morning Eurostar train to spend four magical days in Paris, France. And then it was time to end our trip with five days surrounded by wide open spaces in...

Switzerland!

We woke up early, took a quick 50-minute flight from Paris to Zurich, and then trained for just over three hours from Zurich to our AirBnB for the next four nights in Gündlischwand. We could have rented a car to save money, but we opted to Swiss Rail Passes for our 5-day stay because 1) we wanted the full experience of the brilliant Swiss rail system and 2) our kids rode free with us with the passes. It was our most expensive purchase of the entire trip, and it was absolutely the right choice for us.

Zurich felt like a normal city to us, but as soon as we started to make our way into the Jungfrau region we were all mesmerized and unable to take our eyes off the scenery outside of the train windows. As soon as we got to our (precious) AirBnB, we took in the stunning sights, dropped our bags, and did something that would become our norm for the next four days: took a train to a beautiful village!

Here is a glimpse into how we made the most of our time in this breathtaking country.

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DAY ONE

- Early flight from Paris to Zurich

- Train from Zurich to AirBnB

- Explore around the AirBnB

- Train to & eplore Lauterbrunnen

- Eat Food Point for dinner

- Have our first of many Coop grocery store visits

- Train back to AirBnB & early to bed!

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DAY TWO

- Train to Wengen & Gondola up to Männlichen

- Hike the Royal Walk (1 mile)

- Play at the Alpine playground with the iconic cow slide!

- Hike the Lieselotte trail & continue on to Grindelwald

- Train from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen for dinner & more groceries
- Back to AirBnB for more exploring & rest

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DAY THREE

- Train to Interlaken & Boat to Brienz

- Picnic lunch & gelato in Brienz

- Train back to Lauterbrunnen

- Swim at the pool in Lauterbrunnen
- Picnic dinner in Wengen & play marbles

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DAY FOUR

- Train to Lauterbrunnen

- Play at playground

- Hike to (and behind!) Staubbach Falls

- Gondola & train to Murren from Lauterbrunnen

- Take a cable car from Murren to Allmendhubel

- Play at Allmendhubel Flower Park

- Hike/walk from Murren to Gimmelwald (1 mile)

- Play at Gimmelwald Playground

- Gondola/train back to AirBnB
- Pack up, sleep, and reminisce

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DAY FIVE

- Enjoy village for one final morning

(Complete with a Father's day breakfast & gifts for TJ!)

- Journey back to Zurich via train (3.5 hours)

- Stop in Lucerne for lunch & a stroll along the Chapel Bridge

- Check into hotel & Explore Old Town Zurich
(We stayed at Hyatt Place Zurich Circle The Airport on our last night in-country)

- Father’s Day dinner at Swiss Chuchi (real swiss fondue!)

- One final gelato in Europe

(aka the place we all became lovers of pistachio)
- Back to hotel to sleep for a mid-morning flight

This beautiful country gifted us with the most incredible views and unique experiences we’ve ever had. I’ll be processing this incredible trip for a while, but I know this with certainty now: I’ll never forget how I felt while I was here. Eden felt so close. And I got to do it all with my husband and kids.

I was there, and I *still* look back at the pictures and videos I took and think, “This CANNOT be real!” It truly felt like we were walking on a movie set every singe day.

This was the best finale to our grand overseas trip, and we headed home with incredible memories and full hearts. I am still so very thankful for a change of scenery, the hundred miles we walked/hiked through various terrains, and stretching that felt fun and life-giving. What a gift to see and touch more of God’s creation up close.

If London made me feel like who I should be, and Paris made me feel like who I want to be, then Switzerland reminded me of who I am: easily wooed by majesty, a worshipper to my core, one who appreciates beauty and how it humbles, and a lover of my Creator most of all.

Europe wowed us in the best of ways.
Maybe we should do it again next summer, huh?