Switzerland with Kids

Here is the itinerary I put together for my clients with two kids, boy and girl. They rented a car in Germany and traveled to Switzerland.
 

On the way from Darmstadt, Germany you can stop in Basel

Ideas for Basel

1) Doll House Museum

http://www.spielzeug-welten-museum-basel.ch/en/

2) Basel Zoo

http://www.zoobasel.ch/en/index.php

3) Animal Park

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http://www.erlen-verein.ch/&act=url

Ideas for Lucerne

4) Transportation museum (Lucerne)

http://www.verkehrshaus.ch/en

5) Cog train from Brienz

http://www.swisspasses.com/classicrail/packages/brienz/index.htm

You can get to Brienz from Luzerne

by car (37 km)

by train

by steam boat

http://www.bls.ch/e/schifffahrt/fahrplan.php

6) Glacier Garden - museum, maze, garden - can be a good place for kids

7)  The Picasso Gallery

http://www.rosengart.ch/picasso_en.php5

8) Pilatus Railway - the steepest cogwheel railway

http://www.pilatus.ch/en/railway-cableways/cogwheel-railway/

Day trip to Zurich

9) Zurich Zoo

http://www.zoo.ch/xml_1/internet/en/intro.cfm

10) Toy Museum

http://www.zuercher-spielzeugmuseum.ch/index_en.html

11) Zoological Museum

http://www.zm.uzh.ch/index_en.html

12) Museum of Modern Arts

http://www.kunsthaus.ch/en/

Day Trip to Montreux - super expensive resort town where a tiny ice cream can cost you $10 (it is what I remember the most), but it can be fun

128 km from Lucerne; 95 km from Geneva

You can go to Montreux  on your way from Luzerne to Geneva

13) Swiss Museum of Games - can be fun for kids

http://www.museedujeu.com/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=80&Itemid=201&lang=en

14) Chateau Chillon - Swiss most famous castles where Lord Bayron was imprisoned

http://www.chillon.ch/en/index.cfm

15) Food museum - can be fun, shows where food comes from

http://www.montreuxriviera.com/en/culture_leisure/museums_culture/Alimentarium

16) Swiss Vapeur Parc - Miniature wonderland. Because your son loves trains. It can be great place to spend time

http://www.swissvapeur.ch/en/

Ideas for Geneva

17) Musée d'Historie Naturelle

18) Animal park

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ville-geneve.ch%2Fthemes%2Fenvironnement-urbain-espaces-verts%2Fparc-animaux-bois-batie%2F 

19) Barbier-Mueller Museum - Masks museum

20) City parks - 1/4 of the city is in parks

21) Trains and trolley tours

http://www.trains-tours.ch/en/trains-trolleys-tours.html

22) Forestland park & playground

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forestland.fr%2F

23) Boat trip on a lake

24) Ride the train

a red and black solar powered train that runs from along the lake’s left bank from Jardin Anglais to Parc Eaux-Vives.

25) Chocolate factory tour

http://www.chocosuisse.ch/web/chocosuisse/en/other_services/visitations.html

Interesting links about Geneva

http://www.newlyswissed.com/?p=10310

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/05/travel/05kids.html?_r=0

More about Geneva

Geneva

Activities

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g188057-s401/Geneva:Switzerland:Family.Travel.html

Sunny Day:

- Jardin Botanique http://www.ville-ge.ch/cjb/

-In the summer, go the the Place de Nations to play in the water fountains. Dont forget the bathing suits.

Rainy Day:

- Museum of Natural History. http://www.ville-ge.ch/mhng/

- Get onto the yellow public transport boats and cross from shore to shore until they get tired.

Restaurants:

Chez Ma Cousine, Rue Lissgnol 5, where you get delicious roast chicken with potatoes and salad (under CHF 15). Two other Chez Ma Cousine restaurants exist in Geneva, one in the Old Town and one in Petit-Saconex. http://www.chezmacousine.ch/ for more details.

Sushi Boky - South East Asian.  Walk out the front of the railway station and turn left (Rue de Lausanne).   Walk about 50m and it's on the right hand side, tucked into the tall building next to Mc D's.

Luigia - somewhat expensive, but kid-friendly pizza place

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g188057-d1938459-r126484301-Luigia-Geneva.html

Good website for family restaurants, but not sure if they are all in Geneva

http://geneva.angloinfo.com/af/474/geneva-family-restaurants.html

Top 10 restaurants for different budgets

http://www.resto-rang.ch/index.cfm?lang=EN

Accommodations considered

Accommodation options

Luzerne
Great apartment to rent
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1122784

Holiday Inn Express Luzern - Neuenkirch - $150

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/906365

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/947330

Geneva
Great apartment to rent
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1027939

http://www.venere.com/vacation-rentals/gaillard/geneva-residence/?sd=25&sm=06&sy=2013&ed=28&em=06&ey=2013&pval=2&rval=1

http://www.venere.com/vacation-rentals/ferney-voltaire/vacation-rental-ferney-geneve/?sd=25&sm=06&sy=2013&ed=28&em=06&ey=2013&pval=2&rval=1

http://www.venere.com/inter-hotels/saint-julien-en-genevois/inter-hotel-rey/?sd=25&sm=06&sy=2013&ed=28&em=06&ey=2013&pval=2&rval=1#overview

http://www.venere.com/vacation-rentals/divonne-les-bains/residence-zenitude-la-versoix/?sd=25&sm=06&sy=2013&ed=28&em=06&ey=2013&pval=2&rval=1

http://www.venere.com/vacation-rentals/gaillard/park-suites-elegance-gaillard/?sd=25&sm=06&sy=2013&ed=28&em=06&ey=2013&pval=2&rval=1