Ratgeber
Family holiday without flying: destinations from Switzerland
Without flying, Tyrol, Lake Garda, the Bernese Oberland and Istria suit families from Switzerland, depending on travel time and season. Choose according to the journey length your children can cope with. Swiss Vibes is a Swiss travel agency with video consultations and plans family holidays without flying.
Von Family, Stand
Schritt für Schritt
- Set the maximum travel time according to the children's ages
- Decide between car and train
- Choose the destination region by season: mountains, lake or Adriatic
- Reserve accommodation with space and play options
- Plan breaks on the road and the travel time
- Prepare activities on site for rainy days
- Agree destination and accommodation with your adviser
Checkliste
- Travel time set according to the children's ages
- Car or train chosen
- Car seats and luggage checked
- Breaks on the route planned
- Accommodation with space and play options chosen
- Entertainment for the journey prepared
- Plan for rainy days in place
- ID valid if a border is crossed
- Check entry status at the FDFA (EDA)
A family holiday without flying saves waiting times, luggage rules and the tension before take-off. By car or train you can reach mountains, lakes and the Adriatic from Switzerland in a few hours. What matters is how much travel time your children can cope with.
Why a family holiday without flying is relaxing
Without a flight, check-in, security control and luggage limits are gone. You pack the car or the rucksack and set off when it suits the children. For small children who cope badly with long waits, that is a real advantage. Especially with children who do not like staying in their seat for long, a journey with breaks is often more pleasant than a flight with waiting times.
There is also flexibility. If the weather does not suit, you can head for another valley or another lake. And many families appreciate that the car seat, pushchair and toys simply come along.
Another advantage of this way of travelling is the choice of time. You are not tied to departure times and can avoid the weather. If you want to decide at short notice, you can often still find accommodation in the mountains and at the lake.
Mountains and lakes: Tyrol and the Bernese Oberland
Tyrol and the Bernese Oberland offer walking trails, mountain railways, lakes and alpine meadows. In summer, pushchair-friendly paths and short walks with a goal such as a hut or a waterfall are popular. Both regions can be reached in a few hours.
The travel period is mainly summer and early autumn. Expect changeable weather and plan alternative activities such as a swimming pool, a museum or an adventure park.
For both regions, expect traffic in the main holidays. Travelling on a weekday often saves time. Ask at the accommodation for tips on excursions that work in the rain.
Lake Garda: lake, beach and leisure parks
Lake Garda combines swimming fun with excursions. Promenades, ice cream parlours, boat trips and leisure parks can be reached on foot or by boat. The destination suits spring, summer and autumn holidays. If you like day trips in the surrounding area, you will find many options in the region, from visiting a leisure park to a boat trip.
The journey takes a few hours, depending on where you live. Plan breaks and avoid peak times on the roads at weekends.
Istria: the Adriatic by car
Istria in Croatia can be reached by car in one long travel day. The coast with pebble beaches, pine forests and small towns suits summer holidays with children.
Expect a long drive and use stopovers or night drives while the children sleep. Check entry and border conditions in advance, current status at the FDFA. The trip can also be combined well with a stopover, for example an overnight stay on the way, so that the children arrive rested.
For Istria, it is worth thinking about the time of day of the drive. Many families set off at night or early in the morning and then sleep in first at the destination. That helps both sides.
Car or train with children?
The car offers flexibility and storage space, while the train brings room to play and relaxation for the parents. Which option suits better depends on destination, luggage and the children's ages. With a little preparation, even a longer route becomes part of the adventure for children.
Plan long journeys so that breaks and the children's sleeping times are taken into account. A game, an audiobook and enough snacks are indispensable.
Swiss Vibes helps by video call with choosing the destination and accommodation. Together with you we check which region and which travel time suit your family.
What makes the journey easier with children?
Plan the departure according to your children's rhythm. Many families drive early in the morning or in the evening, so that the children sleep through part of the route. Allow for a regular break where everyone can move around.
Keep the things you need on the way within reach. Snacks, drinks, wipes, a change of clothes and a bag for rubbish belong within the parents' reach. For the children, audiobooks, games without small parts and little new things they may unwrap on the way help.
If you travel by train, you should reserve seats and choose generous connection times. With children and luggage, short changes are a strain. Before departure, find out about the railway's luggage rules and about space for the pushchair.
