On my recent European trip with my sister, we stopped in two big cities before we got to our actual destination. The first, Paris, was fun. Then Zurich surprised me. But Grindelwald was always the main event.

I had been to Grindelwald before and absolutely loved it, so when my sister told me she’d like to go to Switzerland, I knew exactly where I wanted to take her. Switzerland has so many beautiful parts, but Grindelwald is one of the most scenic I’ve ever been to. In fact, for me, it’s a toss-up between Grindelwald and the Italian Dolomites for the most spectacular mountain scenery I’ve ever seen.

There’s something special about returning to a place you already love with someone who has never experienced it. I knew what was waiting for us: the enormous mountains surrounding the village, Swiss chalets tucked into the hillsides, and views that make you stop every few minutes for another picture. This time, I got to experience it all again through my sister.

 

Getting to Grindelwald

This trip started in Houston, where I used a Marriott free-night certificate that was about to expire. Rather than let it go to waste, I booked us a night at the Houston Airport Marriott so we could rest before our international flight. From Houston, we flew to Paris via London using 57,500 American Airlines AAdvantage miles.

After two days in Paris and two days in Zurich, it was finally time to head to Grindelwald. We took the train from Zurich, and I decided to splurge a little and buy first-class tickets for about $100 per person. I love train travel in Switzerland, and as you get closer to the mountains, the views are breathtaking.

We changed trains in Interlaken and continued to Grindelwald. I had worried a little about our short connection in Interlaken, but everything worked exactly as it was supposed to. By the time we arrived, I remembered exactly why I had wanted to come back.

 

 

Staying at Bergwelt Grindelwald

For our time in Grindelwald, we stayed at Bergwelt Grindelwald | Alpine Design Resort. I booked the Bergwelt directly through Chase Travel℠ using Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.

 

 

 

 

 

Our stay would have cost $1,697.64 out of pocket. But I redeemed 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points and charged about $338 to my card, giving me roughly 1.7 cents per point in value. Breakfast was included, which added even more value. When you factor in that we split the points and cash cost, it was even better.

And breakfast was definitely one of the highlights. Bergwelt offered a superb complimentary breakfast, and we loved starting our mornings there before heading into the mountains during the day.

 

 

I didn’t love everything about our room, though. The rooms at Bergwelt are very dark, and ours didn’t have a balcony. We really didn’t enjoy the darkness. When you’re staying somewhere as beautiful as Grindelwald, you want to open the curtains in the morning and feel like the mountains are right there with you. If I stayed here again, I would pay much more attention to the room category and prioritize a room with a balcony and more natural light.

Overall, though, I was happy with the redemption. I talk a lot about transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to partners, especially Hyatt, but sometimes the hotel you want isn’t part of one of the traditional programs. Chase Travel℠ let me use my points for the hotel I wanted, rather than being forced to choose a different property just because I could book it with hotel points.

 

 

We Came to Hike

The mountains were the reason we were here, and I wanted to experience them without doing anything too extreme. I’m not particularly fond of heights, so I chose hikes that offered incredible scenery without making me terrified the entire time!

One of our hikes was First to Bachalpsee, about a six-kilometer round trip from the first gondola station. The trail takes you through beautiful Alpine scenery to Bachalpsee, a mountain lake. There are mountain views everywhere.

 

 

 

 

We also spent time in Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, and Gimmelwald, and walked between Mürren and Gimmelwald. These little mountain villages are part of what makes this entire region so special. You don’t have to be a serious hiker to feel like you’re right in the middle of the Swiss Alps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Between the trains, gondolas, and cable cars, getting to the hikes was part of the fun. Switzerland lets you get high into the mountains without a car, and once you’re up there, you can choose a hike that matches your ability and comfort level.

 

 

One Trip, Lots of Different Points and Miles

This trip also shows what our points-and-miles trips actually look like. I didn’t book the entire vacation with one points currency, and I didn’t try to.

We used an expiring Marriott free-night certificate at the Houston Airport Marriott before leaving the U.S. We flew from Houston to Paris via London using American Airlines AAdvantage miles. In Zurich, I used a Hilton free-night certificate from my Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card for our night at the Alex Lake Zurich. Our Grindelwald stay was booked through Chase Travel℠ using 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards®  plus about $338.

After Grindelwald, we took the train back to Zurich Airport and used Hyatt Points at the Hyatt Place Zurich Airport. Then we flew home on Condor using Atmos Rewards points.

That’s real-life points travel. Sometimes you transfer points. Sometimes you book through a travel portal. Sometimes you use an airline currency, and sometimes you realize you have a free-night certificate that’s about to expire and find a great way to use it. You don’t need to make the entire trip fit neatly into one program.

 

Two Sisters Traveling Like Pros

One of my favorite things about this trip actually had nothing to do with points and miles.

Think about all the transportation we used. We took planes, trains, cable cars, gondolas, buses, taxis, Ubers, and boats. We navigated airports and train stations, made connections, figured out mountain transportation, and juggled multiple excursions along the way.

And a 68-year-old and a 73-year-old traveled like pros!

We didn’t make any major mistakes. We didn’t miss our trains or end up somewhere we weren’t supposed to be. We always felt safe. Some days, getting where we wanted to go meant using several different types of transportation, but we figured it out.

I think it’s important to share this because a trip like this can look intimidating on paper. Switzerland in particular can seem confusing when you start reading about trains, cable cars, gondolas, mountain railways, and connections. I spent plenty of time before this trip figuring out how we would get from one place to another, but once we were there, it all worked.

If two sisters, ages 68 and 73, can navigate a trip like this on their own, you can do it too. Don’t let logistics keep you from visiting somewhere you’ve dreamed about. Plan ahead, ask questions when you need to, and then go.

 

 

Grindelwald Was Worth Coming Back For

I’ve traveled to many beautiful places, and I don’t say this lightly: Grindelwald is one of the most scenic places I’ve ever been. The Italian Dolomites might be the only place that makes me hesitate before giving Grindelwald the top spot.

But this trip wasn’t about deciding which one wins. It was about taking my sister somewhere I already knew was special.

Paris gave her her first look at one of the world’s great cities. Zurich surprised both of us. But Grindelwald was the place I couldn’t wait for her to see.

 

 

 

 

And after coming back a second time, I still feel exactly the same way about it. Grindelwald is special.

 

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