We were so pleased to have finally seen this lovely village. There are lots of similarities between the villages of the Alsace, and I can’t choose a favourite – they all have their own unique character and feel despite all being colourful, covered in flowers, and ridiculously quaint!
When we got back to the village, there were lots more people there already and the at.osphere had definitely changed from the chilled and serene one we had entered. There were people circling the car park looking for a spot, making us glad we got there early once again!
The journey to Interlaken, Switzerland from Kayserberg was just a few extra hours, so we arrived by mid afternoon and got set up in our tent – kind of glamping, euro camp style! We always stay at Manor Farm in Uterseen – you have direct Lake access from the campsite, and we love the location.
The sun was shining, and the weather looked great for the week ahead – happy days!
Day 4: Interlaken (Stoos Ridge / Fronalpstock)
Our first day in Interlaken saw us up early and out on the road driving to Schwyz, near Lucerne, which was about 1 hour 45 minutes away. Schwyz is where you catch the train to Stoos, and from there take a chair lift to the trail head for one of the best scenic hikes in Switzerland.
We have been waiting to do the Stoos ridge hike for years, and everytime we have visited Switzerland in the past it hasn’t been the right time, due to the kids being too young, or bad weather, and the fact it’s a bit of a drive from Interlaken.
This year, we decided to go for it. We debated whether or not to do it solo or do it all together with the boys.
The hike, known as Stoos Ridge or Fronalpstock Ridge, starts at Klingenstock chair lift station and ends at Fronalpstock mountain station, above the village of Stoos.
We chose to do it as a family, hoping the kids would cope and that we had made the right decision.
The boys blew us away with how well they hiked, the walk was simply astounding, and the ridge line was so unbelievably beautiful that I still have to pinch myself that we saw it in real life!
The walk was really good but it did push the kids, and us, well out of our comfort zone. Completing an adventure activity of this type was new territory for us as a family. It was so worth it, so fun, and the shared experience definitely brought us closer together as a family.
To read in detail about the hike, click here for the blog post with step by step info on what we did.
After our hike, we took a much needed break in the cafe, then the kids played in the playground, and we enjoyed soaking up more views from the viewpoint. The playground has got great equipment, including a rope obstacle course, and kept our kids throughly entertained for ages.
It really is an excellent spot for families – you can get the chair lift from Stoos up to Fronalpstock, cutting out the hike, but still experiencing amazing 360 views of the mountains and Lake Lucerne.
We saw lots of young families with babies and toddlers up here – I love that in Switzerland, the mountains are so accessible for a wide variety of people.
When it was time to go, we got the chair lift down from Fronalpstock to Stoos, then back on the funicular to Schwyz and back in the car to drive back to Interlaken after a thoroughly amazing day.
Day 5: Interlaken ( Lake Thun)
We woke up in our tent at 8 am! Which is a major lay in for us, considering the boys are normally up before 6.
After days of travelling, then the big hike the day before, we were all ready to relax and have a chilled out day spent at the campsite.
We spent the day playing at the park, swimming in the lake, and playing games.
Manor Farm Campsite’s location on the shore of Lake Thun is really the best thing about it – its definitely the main draw and why we return year after year. The water is clear and cool, and the mountains in the background make for a very scenic swim and some fabulous sunrises and sunsets.
Day 6: Interlaken ( Oschininsee Hike)
Less than 40 minutes by car is the canton of Kadersteg, the region in which you will find the famous lake of Oshininsee. It’s a stunning turquoise blue lake, surrounded by towering snow-capped mountains that cradle it. It’s gorgeous, and well known so it’s also always very busy.
We always head out early, and it’s always a winner- easy parking, less crowds, and as we were going hiking, the cool part of the day and less people on the trail.
We have visited this lake a few times now, when the kids were very little for a ” beach day” , swimming, paddling and a picnic.
Last year, we walked up to Unterbargli, a mountain restaurant stop above the lake, which is a short (ish) but stunning hike, about 1 hour each way.
After the success of the Fronalpstock Hike, we wanted to try the big one here – the panoramic loop, which has incredible views of Oschininsee from a high elevation. Alot of the pictures you will see of Oschininsee are taken from this trail.
The hike was quite challenging for the boys and therefore, for us supporting them, but they did very well and we were extremely proud of them.
We are so thrilled that we get to try more adventurous activities with them now – we love hiking and are really happy to share it with them. I hope it fosters a love of the outdoors and nature in them.
To read about our hike in Oschininsee with kids in detail, read the post here.
After swims, ice creams and relaxing at the lake we headed back down innthe gondola and back to the tent. Another incredible day seeing long-held ambitions come true. I feel very grateful for this experience with my family – it was truly spectacular!
Day 7: Interlaken ( Lake Brienz)
Interlaken is a town set in between two lakes – Thunersee (Lake Thun) and Brienersee ( Lake Brienz).
After the long hike the day before, we opted for another chilled out Lake day for us and the boys – this time trying Lake Brienz. We always go to the town of Brienz itself although there is also the pretty village of Iselwalt we are yet to visit.
Again, we love Brienz and have visited many times. Usually, though, it is always moody and rainy when we come to Brienz.
Today, luck was on our side, and we got blazing sunshine to enjoy the promenade, playground, and swimming, as well as relaxing in the deck chairs I had often seen but never had the weather for!
Day 8: Interlaken to Austria ( via Innsbruck)
It was another early start as we said goodbye to Switzerland and drove to southern Austria on a 9 hour drive through the Austrian alps.
We decided to stop off at Innsbruck, a pretty town with a mountain backdrop- I’ve seen many photos of this place, and it looked lovely, so I was excited to add it to the itinerary seen as we would be driving straight past it – the ideal road trip stop off!
It was blazing hot, about 30 degrees celsius, but it felt like more due to the sun bouncing off the stone roads and pavements. We had a short stroll along the river, then went to the old town and got a fruity granita, which is like a Italian crushed ice drink- a bit like a slushy.
We were melting in the midday heat, so we headed to the shady Hoftgarten, a large public park with a shaded playground for the kids to enjoy.
We saw the locals splashing their faces with water and filling water bottles from the public water fountains, so we followed suit. The water comes from the mountain springs.
After a play and an ice cream, it was time to head back to the car and continue our journey, arriving early evening at our campsite.
Day 9: Austria (Styria)
We spent the day at our campsite, Bella Austria, in the southern Styria region.
It was set in such a stunning location in a valley surrounded by green mountains and forest.
We loved our time camping here at Bella Austria – it was really special (for our full review, read our post here).
The kids had a brilliant time, and we enjoyed the slow and relaxed atmosphere.
Day 10: Austria (Hallstat)
We took a day trip from the campsite the next day to Hallstat in the Salzkammergut region, which was a 2 hour drive north. We really wanted to visit Hallstat; we last came here 7 years ago when my son was a baby, and it held some special memories.
We knew it was a extremely busy and popular town, and We had recently been reading about the over tourism in the village that is affecting alot of European destinations.
It did put us off coming – I had read about locals blocking the tunnels in protest. I also did not want to add to the problem, or feel unwelcome in the village.
We weighed it up and decided to go for it. We knew we would spend in the shops, and eat in the cafes, contributing to the economy and we are always mindful to be respectful as possible, keeping noise down and acting respectfully near people’s homes.
I do honestly feel for the locals – some things we see other tourists doing are shocking.
I have to say we experienced no ill will, everybody we encounter was perfectly lovely. We arrived at 8 am and the car park was half full. We walked straight through the small village and up to the viewpoint, the one everyone takes their picture at, with the lake and church in the background surrounded by mountains.
We came across a few influences, but due to how early it was, it wasn’t to crowded. We meandered slowly back through the village, and it began to feel busier and busier. This is always my que to leave, so we headed slowly back to the car, stopping for a coffee and juice for the kids in a cafe, and to get a few nick – naks from the shops.
We spoke to a local working in the cafe, and she told us that in the afternoon, the street outside us would be shoulder to shoulder! I am so glad we came early – it’s always hard getting out of bed, but it always pays off.
She said that mid summer and winter are the most popular times. They also get a lot of coach tours, so she said staying in the village means you get the place.to your self once all the day tripper have gone home.
When we got back to the car park, there wasn’t a space left, and it was one in, one out. All the car parks close by were full, although there was one further out that had a few spaces left. Some thing to bear in mind when planning your trip.
We had considered hiring bikes from neighbouring Obertraun to ride around the lake, but decided against it. The route anticlockwise around the lake was very hilly and not suitable for us or the kids. The other way, although flat, headed backs towards Hallstat along the roadside and seemed quite busy so we gave it a miss.
I nearly forgot to mention, the road to and from Hallstat from our campsite in Styria was called the Solk Pass, an amazing mou tain pass through mountains and forest. I love stumbling across places like this – we didn’t even know it was there and we would have made the trip especially for this alone if we knew how beautiful it was!
The drive was a bit hair raising, but it was great to see such an incredible road and we loved it.
Day 11: Austria ( Gurkal Alps)
Today we did something super fun for the kids, which was a 40 minute drive from where we were staying in the Kastchal Valley.
Called Nocky’s Almziet, this place was a children’s alpine adventure playground and we had the best day.
Located in the Gurkal Alps, we drove past cable cars, shops, and a lovely large lake in this mountain resort.
We parked at Nockys Almziet, and paid for our ticket. You get one ride up, and one ride down, but the fun part is you can choose from chair lift, cable car or tobogann!
We got the chair lift up and the toboggan down (which was so good, and the kids still say it’s the best part of the whole trip).
When we got up there, we immediately saw a large play area full of tunnels, gullies, and fountains to play in, kind of like a big, interactive puzzle to work out. The kids loved it and we sat down at the cafe. Got a coffee and watched them play.
After a long time we started the adventure trail – a trail through the woods, with spectacular mountain views and various play stops, including a sand activity zone, a sound wall, a giant climbing frame, and a massive pendulum swing. Each activity had a stamp station, to collect all the stamps for a prize at the end.
All in all we spent about 3. 5 hours up here before getting g the toboggan down. It was really fun, a great kid day out in the mountains. They handed in their stamp card and got a pin badge to take home, too.
The tobogann went super fast, whizzing down the mountain, in a cart riding on metal rails. Kids under 8 had to ride with an adult. It was so great, a definite highlight of the trip!
Day 12: Austria ( Styria)
We spent the next day relaxing in the campsite, playing in the pool and feeding the baby goats, which the boys had got very attached to!
We had a really lovely time here and it was sad to say good bye, especially as the kids had made some lovely friends.
It was great to slow down, have a chilled out day, and just take in the beautiful surroundings of this lovely campground before a big day of travel homeward bound the next day.
Day 13: Austria to Heidelberg (via Berchesgaden)
We left at dawn as we had a big day of driving in front of us. We planned to stop at Berchesgaden National park in Germany, specifically the Eagles Nest, as it was directly on route to the ferry port, and we have always wanted to return to this beautiful place. We last visited in 2017 with our son, who was then 3 months old!
We booked our tickets online for the mandatory bus to the Eagles Nest, and chose the first trip of the day. It was lovely and quiet when we got there, considering it was mid summer and peak tourist season. It began to fill up, but we found our bus was half full with plenty of space. The bus took us on a spectacular road, very steep, and dropped us off at the entrance to a long tunnel through the mountain.
We waited for the lift to take us up, and when we stepped out on to the viewing platform of Berchesgaden at the Eagles Nest, the views were as incredible as we remembered.
The Eagles Nest was Hitlers summer residence and therefore is such an evocative, eery, and historic place. It is so interesting to visit and see the short display here that has some details of the past, including historical pictures.
The main area of the Eagles Nest is now a restaurant and cafe, so we sat outside with a magnificent view of the mountains and Koningsee (Lake) and had a hot drink.
There is a short uphill walk to take in the views, where you will see a cross memorial. We took some pictures and then took the lift down to get the bus back to the car and head onwards to Heidelberg.
We arrived at Heidelberg late afternoon, checked in to the hotel and headed straight out.
The streets were alive with people sitting and having drinks and food, browsing the shops and street performers. It was.a great atmosphere, and combined with the pretty architecture of the streets, Heidelberg made a really good impression.
We stayed out for dinner and had a little explorers, heading back to the hotel after dark. All the streets were lit up with old fashioned street lamps and fairy lights decorating the restaurants, and it made the town even more attractive and a joy to walk through.
Day 14: Heidelberg, back to the UK
We had an early start.to get to our port in time – Dunkirk
We had a message from the ferry operator, informing us to arrive extra early, leaving plenty of time to get through border control.
We arrived at the port in the afternoon, and there was some queing, but overall, it was far less chaotic than when we travelled from Calais at the end of the summer holidays in previous years.
After the 4 hour drive back to our home in the UK, we arrived back, gave our cat a lot of fuss and went to bed!
Final Thoughts
We’ve done several road trips in Europe like this before, and they have all been great, but this one felt extra special.
Combining a week in Switzerland with a week in Austria worked really well, as it felt like we had been gone far longer than two weeks and had two really different holidays.
We were also really lucky woth the weather- traveling to the alps in Aigust innthe past, we had had weeks of rain which really gsmpered whay activites we could do. This time, luck was on our side and we had lovely warm sunshine the majority of the time, with a few thunder storms mixed in, that passed really quickly and were actually quite cool and exciting.
And finally, the kids made some lovely friends, tried so hard with trying new things such as mountain hiking, and we created some really great memories that we will treasure forever.
How much did it cost?
We wanted a budget holiday, in the Alps, in the summer 6 weeks break from school – a notoriously expensive time to try and get away.
Did we manage it? Yes and No. We still spent what a lot, and more than what I had wanted to in honesty. But I believe we got good value- the alps are expensive destination and we had some amazing experiences. We made savings where possible, but there is no vetting away from the fact that the alps are an expensive destination, particularly Switzerland, and in the Summer holidays, the peak season.
Accomodation: £1427 (£356 per person)
Hotel in Strasbourg, 2 nights: £177
5 nights camping (Eurocamp Manor Farm): £750
5 nights in a cabin, Eurocamp, Austria: £350
1 night hotel, Heidelberg: £150
Travel: £ 849
Ferry Dover – Dunkirk return: £200
European breakdown cover and Insurance: £250
Tolls and Vingettes:
France £ 42, Swiss £36, Austria £21
Fuel: £300
Attractions: £310
Mountain transport ( Trains Gondolas, Chairlift etc): £255
Entry fees ( The Eagles Nest) £55
Other Spending – Grocery shopping, food out, drinks, souvenirs, parking : £1391
Grand Total: £3977
…
Travel Happy Family 
Leave a comment