Yurp w/ kids in July - Need ideas near Geneva or Brussels

[comish]

So looks likely team Comish is flying across the pond to visit Fam in Germany. The only return frequent flyer points tickets I can get are from Brussels or Geneva. What would one do with 3 kids for a week near either one? Any cool refugio's, hotels, hikes, adventures anyone has done near either w/ kids? Our's will be nearly 10, and twin's will be nearly 8 if that helps. We would have to get there from Germany just after the 4th of July.

Toss out all ideas. Thanks!

[Buster Highmen]

We'll be rolling through Vienna->Gasteinertal (Felsentherme)->Val Gardena (Selva) around that time.

[comish]

We'll be rolling through Vienna->Gasteinertal (Felsentherme)->Val Gardena (Selva) around that time.

Like your thinking. Never been to Vienna and would like to go, but no flights on United or its partners. We have wanted to go back to the Dolomites with the mini's and go hiking and the Via Ferrate, but just thinking that might be too big a schlep from Germany > Dolomiti > Geneva?

[Buster Highmen]

Like your thinking. Never been to Vienna and would like to go, but no flights on United or its partners. We have wanted to go back to the Dolomites with the mini's and go hiking and the Via Ferrate, but just thinking that might be too big a schlep from Germany > Dolomiti > Geneva?

Check http://www.oebb.at/en/ and https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html for times.

We found good flights I/O ZRH.

I found 1 change train Brixen->ZRH that's about 6 hours.

[dschane]

I have some friends who live in Geneva with an 11-year old and they are hiking a shit ton. Send me a PM if you want some feedback from them.

[LeoK]

I would go rather towards geneva than Brussels as I understand you would like the dolomites. There are plenty of nice hikes in all directions and I would consider a touristic visit to chamonix (Montenvers / Aiguille d.M. / Hiking around lac blanc). As a city I guess Geneva is not much of a tourist attraction.

You could also road trip from Germany and get some nice stops along the road. Where is you family?

[bobinch]

Switzerland is awesome in Summer. Some highlights: Bisse walks in the Valais; downhill mountain biking in PdS or Verbier; Zermatt for glacier hikes, Matterhorn views and great mountain restaurants; Cabane du plan de Jeu (Super Saint Bernard) for refuge, canyoning, climbing and their Bain suédois; Montreux Jazz festival (first 2 weeks of July) for concerts, Vaudois wines and swimming in Lac Leman; Gruyère castle followed a fondue for lunch in the old town and desert via a tour of the Cailler chocolate factory in Broc (with as much free chocolate as you can eat at the end); Aletsch glacier hike and refuge stay; Lausanne Olympic museum and chill out in Ouchy. Start googling - you will be spoilt for choice....

[AmmergauerTele]

Look at RyanAir. Go anywhere once you land in those places. I'm thinking there is plenty to do in France or CHE near Geneva.

[GBB]

Where in Germany are you going to be?

[comish]

In-laws are in Wiesbaden and Recklinghausen (sorta near Dortmund/Dusseldorf).

Thanks all for the ideas.

[comish]

Tickets booked. Got a week to explore Switz!

What about the Jungfraujoch, Wengen, Interlocken. That looks insane and I have always wanted to go places that get more snow in the winter, but it looks like it could be really cool in the summer. Anyone got any kinderhotels there? Recommended hikes that are kid friendly? Would love to do something to a refugio for a night if it would work for the kids.

Kids will be nearly 8,8 and 10 if that matters.

[old goat]

We stayed in Grindelwald. Lift and train served hiking from there which makes it easy on the kids--take a lift up, level hike, take another lift down. The hiking around Wengen and Murren is also excellent and easy. We took the train up to the Jungfraujoch and hiked across the level snow maybe a mile to the Monch hut. There were seracs high above us and probably crevasses we were blissfully aware of under our feet and if the weather had changed we would have been dead but ignorance is bliss until you die. We didn't stay there overnight so I don't know what the arrangements are. That one is a climber's hut rather than a hiker's hut. You can ski at the Jungfraujoch--although from what we could see the pitch was about 3 degrees. Longest glacier in Europe.

If you do take the train up to the Jungraujoch learn something about the history of the Eiger if you don't already know it. I imagine they still have telescopes at the hotels where you can watch the insane climbers attempt the fearsome wall, although of course nowadays it's not nearly the challenge it was back in the day when bodies stayed frozen on the face for years at a time.