SWITZERLAND
SEE
Zermatt: Car free, you'll leave you car in a nice, covered parking lot down the mountain and then take a nice train into Zermatt. Tickets for this train can be purchased at kiosks on the spot. Zermatt is a beautiful ski town full of Swiss chalets, shops, and restaurant.
Matterhorn: Best viewed from the Gornergrat peak, tickets for the train up to the peak can be purchased in Zermatt outside of the train station when you arrive (located across the street and to the left). When you get to the top of the peak, go inside the building and outside the gift shop you will find stacks of certificates and an inked stamp. These certificates are free to take (I took one for each family member and to add to my kid's scrapbooks) and a great souvenir to remember you made it to the top! You can stamp the certificates, your passport, travel journal, or whatever you'd like.
Lucerne: Lake Lucerne against the mountain peaks is a gorgeous sight and unlike anything I've seen before. A large portion of the drive from Lucerne to Zermatt follows the Lake around the mountains. You'll feel like you're inside a computer screensaver, its really that incredible.
SHOP
Check out the gift shops located at the top of the Matterhorn. Great souvenirs to remember such an incredible experience of summiting to the top!
Take a stroll along the main street of Zermatt for souvenirs, winter apparel, and ski gear.
Matterland Souvenirs is a great shop on this street with every Zermatt souvenir you can imagine. My favorite purchases were small wooden figures holding Swiss flags! Very cute and a great reminder of our trip.
STAY
Lucerne: Campus Hotel Hertenstein. This is the best place we've ever stayed at with our family! Located right on Lake Lucerne, the views of the lake and mountains are gorgeous and the rooms are beautiful. Families can book a suits of two rooms with a private hallway to an outside door leading to the main hotel corridor. We arrived to the rooms to find cute mini welcome packages on each of the kids pillows...such a nice touch.
Zermatt: Tradition Julen Hotel Alpenhof: Loved this beautiful hotel! We stayed in a two story family suite, completely decorated like a beautiful Swiss Chalet. The spa here is also worth a visit. I received an incredible Hayflower Wrap treatment and was wrapped in warm hay from the mountains of Zermatt. I did feel kind of like a farm animal at the moment, but it was a totally relaxing and unique experience that I'll never forget!
SAVOR
The Grand Tour Snack Box: I love this concept! Probably the best I've seen throughout our travels. Basically what you do is visit one of the eateries listed at the website and ask for this special snack box which includes locally sourced meats, breads, fruits, sweets, and drinks. It all comes in this super cute tin box that, let's be honest, is the reason why I purchased this snack in the first place. Love a good box and it makes for a great, functional souvenir. So the idea is that you can tour Switzerland with this snack box, stop at participating eateries, and keep filling the box to bring for picnics, hikes, or just to enjoy as you drive. One box has enough food for two people, but we purchased two boxes which fed our family of five just fine. The food is high quality and the price is super reasonable, especially for Switzerland where the prices of everything is quite inflated.
Raclette Factory (Zurich): Raclette is a Swiss classic, but who can so no to gooey, melted cheese slathered onto bread and potatoes? Great, traditional food option with large portions.