Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Switzerland With A Baby

Switzerland has some of the most beautiful places in the world. Base yourself in the Jungfrau region, home to the famous Lauterbrunnen and an abundance of hikes and playgrounds to enjoy a relaxing yet adventurous connection with nature and tranquility.

Read below to start planning one of the most epic holidays of a lifetime with your young family.

Is Switzerland baby/toddler friendly?

Yes! It is one of the most family friendly countries we have ever visited, and you will feel very safe here. There are plenty of epic playgrounds with stunning views (while you parent!), inclusions on public transport, and we have been welcome at many restaurants and sites we have visited.

Switzerland Public Transport for children: 

Children less than 6 years of age do not require a Swiss Family Card – so our 16 month old simply came along for the ride. 
Children aged 6 to 16 years travel free of charge on the Swiss Family Card, if accompanied by at least one parent holding a Swiss Travel pass. 

Tips for train travel:
Many trains have compartments for families with children including play areas – these are marked with a teddy bear head symbol on the SBB website when you search for trains. These carriages are painted with colourful pictures so are easy to spot.

Changing areas for baby in Switzerland:

Baby-changing tables can be found in the toilets in the family coach and family zones.
On regional trains baby-changing tables are in the wheelchair accessible toilet
 
Baby-changing tables were also found in all public toilets throughout the popular tourist parts in the Jungfrau region and Zermatt. High chairs were found in every restaurant we ate at. 
 

How to visit Switzerland with a baby

ny family with young children (infants to toddlers ~2.5yrs) should ideally base themselves in a central location to most sites that interest them or close to public transport connections, and also avoid moving accommodation every few nights. This is to reduce the load of unpacking/packing, and avoid spending most of your time on the move rather than actually sightseeing. Of course, if you enjoy moving to new accommodation frequently for a change of scenery and tend to travel light/carry-on only, then you probably already know the challenged and can make this work too. You do you!
 
Like with any country, a week or two will generally not be enough to “see” Switzerland. But, like most international visitors, realistically you may have only one or two weeks, maybe even less. I have provided a separate list of beautiful locations to visit, and a suggested 1 week and 2 week itinerary below for a first time family visit:

What can my baby eat in Switzerland

If your child is ready for solids, there is an abundance of fresh fruit available at your local grocery stores. We often bought a banana or berries for our day ahead, and fresh cold sandwiches for our lunch. We did pack pouches from Australia (which unfortunately our toddler was not in the mood for) so she ate something from all our meals.
 
Wengen: Coop
Zermatt: Coop, Migros, Dener 
 
I will post a list of all the restaurants we ate at shortly. 
 
Of course, a place with a kitchen would also potentially mean breakfast and dinner home. Personally, we balanced the opportunity cost of leaving later/arriving earlier to cook and clean up with wanting to spend as much time outdoors by having easy breakfasts and snacks (eg: fruit, toast), and ready-made food from supermarkets for lunch, and ate our meals out for dinner. 

 

Baby-friendly sites/hikes, easier to access from Interlaken

1. Hikes
   • Rosenlaui via Meiringen (or accessible via Grindelwald if already staying in the Lauterbrunnen area)
   • Oeschinensee (~4-5hrs, moderate-hard with a baby/toddler)
2. Attractions requiring entry tickets: Harder Kulm (clear skies required for the views!), St Beatus Caves
3. Rainy day/overcast options: St Beatus Caves, a cruise on Lake Thun and/or Lake Brienz
4. Cities: Bern, Spiez

Baby-friendly sites/hikes to access from Wengen/Murren/Lauterbrunnen, or Grindelwald:

1. Hikes: 
   • Panorama trail Männlichen towards Kleine Scheidegg for beautiful panoramic scenery and views of the Monch, Eiger, and Jungfrau peaks (~1.5hrs, longer for photos)
   • Wengen to Lauterbrunnen (~1 – 1.5hrs)
   • Mürren to Gimmelwald, to Lauterbrunnen, to Trummelbach falls (~each section can be ~1 hour downhill, and if you get tired switch to a cable car or bus depending on the section)
2. Playgrounds:
   • Männlichen playground (Männlichen, just above Wengen)
   • Allmendhubel Alpen playground (Mürren)

Is Lauterbrunnen a good base?

This fairytale picturesque town is probably one of the biggest reasons you are coming to Switzerland. It is a place so magical it is hard to believe it exists. 
 
I share my thoughts on whether you should base yourself here:

• Pros:
  • This town is central, with easy access to Interlaken with just 1 train, and can head in one direction when going to Wengen and Jungfrau, or the other direction to go to Murren, Schilthorn, and the “backpart” of Lauterbrunnen including Trummelbach falls. This may be a strong consideration if you plan to base yourself entirely here and head via Interlaken to visit other nearby attractions (Lake thun, Lake Brienz, Oeschinensee). 
  • Lauterbrunnen is stroller friendly (although we did not pack one, we relied on our hiking backpack)

• Streets are rather loud with the sounds of cars and tour buses
• If you have a car, you will need to park this in Lauterbrunnen to visit the mountains
• Whilst the views within the valley of Lauterbrunnen are jaw-droppingly beautiful, may I present this view of Lauterbrunnen:

This view is from Wengen.

It is another experience altogether to admire Lauterbrunnen from above multiple times through Wengen, with the added benefit of Wengen being a car-free town (electric vehicles allowed) without the throngs of people descending from cars and tour buses. Most importantly it is noticeably devoid of pollution, both from fumes and sounds of vehicle. As the day trippers disperse, you feel like this town is yours as you venture out to a meal or back to your hotel.
 
Mürren had the same magical feeling as we walked through the town to start the hike to Gimmelwald. However, personally, Mürren required more effort to reach with first a cable car, followed by train. If you are after THE view of Lauterbrunnen, then Wengen would be my choice. If you want a more central access to public transport and are happy to take the day trip out for the view, choose Lauterbrunnen. If you are not pressed for time and want to feel immersed in a quiet, fairytale-like town with stunning mountain landscape wherever you look, either Mürren or Wengen will absolutely be top picks.

The best time to visit Switzerland for the least chance of rain

Summer for me, hands down. I am always biassed towards warm weather and tranquil, relaxing summer evenings, long daylight hours, blue skies and green scenery all day long. 
 
Of course, it does mean larger crowds but with the right planning you can avoid the major school holidays in Europe. We visited in the middle of the holidays, but the crowds did not bother us as we often started early in the day! (parents, you will understand)
 
However, overcast or rainy days can still be possible, even in summer. This is why I recommend staying longer in each region, especially the Jungfrau region, so that you do not feel the pressure to do something everyday. With the unpredictability of young children, illnesses, and weather, you do NOT want to feel like you had to give up something precious in your itinerary! 
 
Feel free to ask any questions or leave a comment below.
 
Happy trip planning!