17 Days Route from Amsterdam to Zurich
Dec 13th, 2013, 12:20 AM
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17 Days Route from Amsterdam to Zurich
My wife and I are planning our first Europe trip in May next year (1 May - 17 May) . We will fly to Amsterdam and fly home from Zurich so our starting and ending points are fixed.
Now comes to our route from Amsterdam to Zurich.
There are so many places we are interested to go along the way but yeah we can't do all in the short 17D16N trip.
Looking at all the interesting places, we sort out 3 different routes that we "think" more geographically making sense. In the bracket is the number of nights we plan to stay.
Route 1: Amsterdam (3)- Rhine (3) - Dresden (2) - Prague (3) - Lugano or Lake Como (2) [Flight: Prague-Milan]- Lucerne (3)
Route 2: Amsterdam (3)- Berlin (2)- Prague (3)- Nuremburg (2)- Stuttgart (3)- Lucerne (3)
Route 3: Amsterdam (3) - Brussel (2)- Paris + countryside (5)- Stuttgart or Rhine (3)- Lucerne (3)
I wish to hear from you who had been to any of these which route do you think is the best. Or you have better opinion? And given our travel period at early to mid of May, which route/region is more pleasant to go?
Some background of us... 30 year old couple from South East Asia (that's why every places in Europe looked so different and interesting to us).
We like landscape, scenery, culture, buildings and food. We wish to include some variety in this trip instead of staying only at 2-3 places with similar atmosphere/scenery.
We particularly wish to go Prague and medieval old towns/villages but we could also save any of it in next trip (although I don't know when...)
We plan to use discounted train tickets so hope to finalize the route earlier to purchase tickets in advanced.
Now comes to our route from Amsterdam to Zurich.
There are so many places we are interested to go along the way but yeah we can't do all in the short 17D16N trip.
Looking at all the interesting places, we sort out 3 different routes that we "think" more geographically making sense. In the bracket is the number of nights we plan to stay.
Route 1: Amsterdam (3)- Rhine (3) - Dresden (2) - Prague (3) - Lugano or Lake Como (2) [Flight: Prague-Milan]- Lucerne (3)
Route 2: Amsterdam (3)- Berlin (2)- Prague (3)- Nuremburg (2)- Stuttgart (3)- Lucerne (3)
Route 3: Amsterdam (3) - Brussel (2)- Paris + countryside (5)- Stuttgart or Rhine (3)- Lucerne (3)
I wish to hear from you who had been to any of these which route do you think is the best. Or you have better opinion? And given our travel period at early to mid of May, which route/region is more pleasant to go?
Some background of us... 30 year old couple from South East Asia (that's why every places in Europe looked so different and interesting to us).
We like landscape, scenery, culture, buildings and food. We wish to include some variety in this trip instead of staying only at 2-3 places with similar atmosphere/scenery.
We particularly wish to go Prague and medieval old towns/villages but we could also save any of it in next trip (although I don't know when...)
We plan to use discounted train tickets so hope to finalize the route earlier to purchase tickets in advanced.
Dec 13th, 2013, 06:10 AM
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All of your routes make sense and are leisurely enough over a 3-week period IMO. Hard to recommend one over the others - but for lots of great train info I always point out these superb IMO sites: www.seat61.com - great info on discounted tickets (which however must be booked way in advance to guarantee as they are sold in limited numbers and cannot be changed nor refunded); www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.
You may also look at a Eurail Select Pass that is first class vs the total cost of your discounted and unflexible 2nd class tickets - if the difference in price is not that great go first class and with the pass you can hop on any train anytime with few exceptions in all those countries - some folks find the total flexibility to just show up at train stations and ho on priceless others are content with being locked in stone weeks in advance.
But first class has IME of decades of European rail travel significant benefits over 2nd class - if just hopping on lots of empty seats usually - bigger seats - easier to stow luggage, etc. Passes also cover 100% travel on K-D boats on the Rhine (www.k-d.com) - the best part being between Rudesheim and Koblenz.
You may also look at a Eurail Select Pass that is first class vs the total cost of your discounted and unflexible 2nd class tickets - if the difference in price is not that great go first class and with the pass you can hop on any train anytime with few exceptions in all those countries - some folks find the total flexibility to just show up at train stations and ho on priceless others are content with being locked in stone weeks in advance.
But first class has IME of decades of European rail travel significant benefits over 2nd class - if just hopping on lots of empty seats usually - bigger seats - easier to stow luggage, etc. Passes also cover 100% travel on K-D boats on the Rhine (www.k-d.com) - the best part being between Rudesheim and Koblenz.
Dec 13th, 2013, 07:50 AM
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Two things that need revision:
First: The numbers after the city names don’t add up. You don’t allow for transit times, computed hotel check-out to hotel check-in.
For example: Prague to Lake Como or Lugano would take up the best part of a day. Almost ditto for getting from there to your new lodgings in Lucerne. Meaning - there is no time for Lake Como/Lugano as per your schedule.
Travel between Prague and Nuremberg also costs you a day, it’s a slow route and even requires taking a bus while there is work being done on the tracks.
Second: What jumps out at me from your routes is the number of big cities on the flat and the lack of countryside and mountain areas. So much of the variety of Europe is defined by small-town and country-side geography, I think all three routes are lopsided in that regard.
That said, I think the following alteration of Route 2 could help with that. I’m assuming that Prague is non-negotiable?
Amsterdam - Rhine - Romantic Road region - Prague - Switzerland
To be more specific:
Day One you arrive in Amsterdam, and you’re not going to remember much of that first day later on, all you can do is resist the temptation to go to sleep but walk off the jetlag, and Amsterdam is perfect for that - follow the canals, get lost a bit, find your bearings, take a canalboat tour (any will do, they’re plentyful), have an Indonesian meal and get a good night’s sleep.
Days Two and Three you’ll be more focused and have to really go after your major targets with a plan.
Day Four I suggest checking out, taking your bags to Amsterdam Centraal station, storing them and having another day on the town until you take a late train to Cologne (2h38m).
Day Five: In the morning visit the chocolate museum and the cathedral (right by the train station) then take a train to Koblenz and board a boat going upstream - see www.k-d.com. Go as far as you booked your lodgings - Bacharach, Bingen, Boppard, any one of those lovely locations.
Day Six: Rent a car and explore the area - visit castle ruins, wine areas - great countryside around there all the way. In two hours you can go as far as Luxembourg, along the way look in on historic Trier (read up on it) - plenty of good options, and if you’re a history buff, there are lots of remnants from both World Wars.
Day Seven: Carry on towards Mainz, still in your rental car, and head on over to Würzburg (visit the palace). You are now at the start of what is called the Romantic Road - that’s not about any roadway in particular but about an ancient path along a multitude of memorable places. The entire “Romantic Road” would be worth a three-week road trip another time, but for now, read up on it and pick a couple of spots to visit after Würzburg, maybe Rothenburg ob der Tauber, or Bamberg. Stay the night in Nürnberg.
Day Eight: More Romantic Road exploration, surrender the car before closing time, spend another night in Nürnberg.
Day Nine: Take the bus to Prague (unless the trains have been reinstated by the time you’re there - see www.bahn.de). Count on most of day for this trip.
Days Ten and Eleven: In Prague
Day Twelve: Fly to Zürich (ZRH) or Basel (BSL) or Geneva (GVA) and spend the remaining days in any of the many worthwhile locations there - follow links on this board to discussions about Switzerland and you’ll find plenty of material to study.
First: The numbers after the city names don’t add up. You don’t allow for transit times, computed hotel check-out to hotel check-in.
For example: Prague to Lake Como or Lugano would take up the best part of a day. Almost ditto for getting from there to your new lodgings in Lucerne. Meaning - there is no time for Lake Como/Lugano as per your schedule.
Travel between Prague and Nuremberg also costs you a day, it’s a slow route and even requires taking a bus while there is work being done on the tracks.
Second: What jumps out at me from your routes is the number of big cities on the flat and the lack of countryside and mountain areas. So much of the variety of Europe is defined by small-town and country-side geography, I think all three routes are lopsided in that regard.
That said, I think the following alteration of Route 2 could help with that. I’m assuming that Prague is non-negotiable?
Amsterdam - Rhine - Romantic Road region - Prague - Switzerland
To be more specific:
Day One you arrive in Amsterdam, and you’re not going to remember much of that first day later on, all you can do is resist the temptation to go to sleep but walk off the jetlag, and Amsterdam is perfect for that - follow the canals, get lost a bit, find your bearings, take a canalboat tour (any will do, they’re plentyful), have an Indonesian meal and get a good night’s sleep.
Days Two and Three you’ll be more focused and have to really go after your major targets with a plan.
Day Four I suggest checking out, taking your bags to Amsterdam Centraal station, storing them and having another day on the town until you take a late train to Cologne (2h38m).
Day Five: In the morning visit the chocolate museum and the cathedral (right by the train station) then take a train to Koblenz and board a boat going upstream - see www.k-d.com. Go as far as you booked your lodgings - Bacharach, Bingen, Boppard, any one of those lovely locations.
Day Six: Rent a car and explore the area - visit castle ruins, wine areas - great countryside around there all the way. In two hours you can go as far as Luxembourg, along the way look in on historic Trier (read up on it) - plenty of good options, and if you’re a history buff, there are lots of remnants from both World Wars.
Day Seven: Carry on towards Mainz, still in your rental car, and head on over to Würzburg (visit the palace). You are now at the start of what is called the Romantic Road - that’s not about any roadway in particular but about an ancient path along a multitude of memorable places. The entire “Romantic Road” would be worth a three-week road trip another time, but for now, read up on it and pick a couple of spots to visit after Würzburg, maybe Rothenburg ob der Tauber, or Bamberg. Stay the night in Nürnberg.
Day Eight: More Romantic Road exploration, surrender the car before closing time, spend another night in Nürnberg.
Day Nine: Take the bus to Prague (unless the trains have been reinstated by the time you’re there - see www.bahn.de). Count on most of day for this trip.
Days Ten and Eleven: In Prague
Day Twelve: Fly to Zürich (ZRH) or Basel (BSL) or Geneva (GVA) and spend the remaining days in any of the many worthwhile locations there - follow links on this board to discussions about Switzerland and you’ll find plenty of material to study.
Dec 13th, 2013, 08:52 AM
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Lucerne is a nice town but for the highlight of Switzerland for many folks it's not cities but the high Alps and wondrous Alpine areas like the Jungfrau Region around Interlaken - the dreamy glacier-girlded peaks soaring high above cutesy villages and lush meadows dted with bell-tinkling Swiss cows!
I would base in a place like Interlaken or up in the hills in sweet towns like Grindelwald or Wengen or Lauterbrunnen - eyeball to eyeball with the majestic soaring peaks with a myriad of toylike trains, thrilling aerial gondolas and hiking trails for all levles of abilities - many which require no special hiking shores or gears.
The Jungfrau Region - the dreamy picture of Switzerland perhaps etched in your mind's eye which will not be fulfilled in Lucerne, lovely as that town is.
From Interlaken fly out home from Zurich or if having to go back to Amsterdam there is an overnight train to Amsterdam as well.
I would base in a place like Interlaken or up in the hills in sweet towns like Grindelwald or Wengen or Lauterbrunnen - eyeball to eyeball with the majestic soaring peaks with a myriad of toylike trains, thrilling aerial gondolas and hiking trails for all levles of abilities - many which require no special hiking shores or gears.
The Jungfrau Region - the dreamy picture of Switzerland perhaps etched in your mind's eye which will not be fulfilled in Lucerne, lovely as that town is.
From Interlaken fly out home from Zurich or if having to go back to Amsterdam there is an overnight train to Amsterdam as well.
Dec 13th, 2013, 11:13 AM
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https://www.google.com/search?q=jung...=1600&bih=1074
to whet your appetite for what I and many others suggest should be the focal point of any first trip to Switzerland - the Jungfrau Region!
to whet your appetite for what I and many others suggest should be the focal point of any first trip to Switzerland - the Jungfrau Region!
Dec 13th, 2013, 07:57 PM
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As michelhuebeli notes, you actually have FAR less time than you think you do because you haven't taken travel / change-of-location logistics into consideration. And it isn't just the time it will take you to literally get from one place to another -- you need to pack, check out, get to the train station (or airport or whatever) in plenty of time for your departure, make the trip, get oriented to a new city (and, depending on where you go, a new language and perhaps a new currency), find your way to your next hotel, check in, unpack....
michelhuebeli also makes a good point about jet lag -- you will almost certainly "lose" at least a half day to that, time that can be pleasantly spent walking around a city like Amsterdam. Depending on what, exactly, you want to see and do in Amsterdam, you might want to add a day there. That would probably give you time to take a day trip outside of the city -- I think there are some day-long options that include visiting several villages that differ in some interesting ways and that include options to visit a windmill and to see demonstrations of the making of chocolate, cheese, and wooden shoes.
And given what you say of your interests, you might want closer to 4 days on the ground in Prague.
If you are committed to flying out of Zurich, then Lucerne might be a great choice for you and 3 days could be a reasonable amount of time there.
If these 3 cities are your primary anchors for the trip, then you probably have 3 or 4 days to "fill." If it were me, I would pull out some maps, look at transportation options, and try to pick a place or two that are both convenient and different. Options for the Rhine/Romantic Road seem worth exploring to me. Personally, I would not try to go somewhere that takes me outside the triangle formed by your anchors (so I would rule out Paris, northern Italy, and Berlin).
Hope that helps!
michelhuebeli also makes a good point about jet lag -- you will almost certainly "lose" at least a half day to that, time that can be pleasantly spent walking around a city like Amsterdam. Depending on what, exactly, you want to see and do in Amsterdam, you might want to add a day there. That would probably give you time to take a day trip outside of the city -- I think there are some day-long options that include visiting several villages that differ in some interesting ways and that include options to visit a windmill and to see demonstrations of the making of chocolate, cheese, and wooden shoes.
And given what you say of your interests, you might want closer to 4 days on the ground in Prague.
If you are committed to flying out of Zurich, then Lucerne might be a great choice for you and 3 days could be a reasonable amount of time there.
If these 3 cities are your primary anchors for the trip, then you probably have 3 or 4 days to "fill." If it were me, I would pull out some maps, look at transportation options, and try to pick a place or two that are both convenient and different. Options for the Rhine/Romantic Road seem worth exploring to me. Personally, I would not try to go somewhere that takes me outside the triangle formed by your anchors (so I would rule out Paris, northern Italy, and Berlin).
Hope that helps!
Dec 14th, 2013, 09:21 AM
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What about
Amsterdam (3) - Cologne/Aachen (2) - Rhine/Mosel/Trier (3) - Strasbourg/Colmar/Riquewihr/Freiburg (3) - Lucerne (2) - Riederalp/Aletsch (2) - Locarno (3)?
May is low season (and often rainy) in the Alps.
Amsterdam (3) - Cologne/Aachen (2) - Rhine/Mosel/Trier (3) - Strasbourg/Colmar/Riquewihr/Freiburg (3) - Lucerne (2) - Riederalp/Aletsch (2) - Locarno (3)?
May is low season (and often rainy) in the Alps.
Dec 14th, 2013, 11:36 AM
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May is low season (and often rainy) in the Alps.>
It can however rain anytime of spring or summer in the Alps IME - I remember Junes and Julys where folks said it rained for days in the Interlaken area - this always presents a problem for tourists planning their whole trips around hiking and doing things like the Jungfraujoch train or even the Ballenberg Open-air museum..
Folks staying in Alpine areas should have alternate options planned if that does happen - like boat trips on the lake or day trips to Bern, Lucerne, Thun, etc. And that is one reason a pass of some type is nice - to give carte blanche to go as the conditions dictate.
It can however rain anytime of spring or summer in the Alps IME - I remember Junes and Julys where folks said it rained for days in the Interlaken area - this always presents a problem for tourists planning their whole trips around hiking and doing things like the Jungfraujoch train or even the Ballenberg Open-air museum..
Folks staying in Alpine areas should have alternate options planned if that does happen - like boat trips on the lake or day trips to Bern, Lucerne, Thun, etc. And that is one reason a pass of some type is nice - to give carte blanche to go as the conditions dictate.
Dec 15th, 2013, 05:07 AM
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Thanks guys for your great advices! Amsterdam-Rhine-Romantic Road- Prague-Lucerne(or another base) sounds good. What is the best route if we use only train? Or it is better to fly from Prague to Switzerland? My concern is if we choose to fly we need to commit the flight tickets as early as possible (maybe now) to secure a better price.
What michelhuebeli suggested to use a rental car at Rhine/Romantic Road sounds great. We had some self-drive travel experiences and we enjoyed. But we can't understand German so that might be difficult for us.
What michelhuebeli suggested to use a rental car at Rhine/Romantic Road sounds great. We had some self-drive travel experiences and we enjoyed. But we can't understand German so that might be difficult for us.
Dec 15th, 2013, 09:15 AM
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Amsterdam-Rhine-Romantic Road- Prague-Lucerne(or another base) sounds good. What is the best route if we use only train>
Even with trains to get the lowest price you must book in stone weeks or months in advance as discounted tickets are capped at a certain number usually I believe.
but if by train:
Amsterdam to Cologne - put bags in station locker right next door to the world-famous Gothic Cathedral, right on the Rhine - then take any of zillions of trains to a Rhine and or Mosel base - I always recommend Cochem as the city of your dreams but the type of town few actually ever stay in.
Then take a train via Basel to Lucerne on Interlaken and base there for a few days or whatever.
Then train to Munich.
Do Rothenburg, highlight of the Romantic Road as a day trip and other Bavarian day trips perhaps like Nueschwanstein Castle in Fussen or Salzburg, Austria - just about 90 minutes by train from Munich.
Then take the direct Munich to Prague bus - end your trip in Prague and fly home from there.
Well there is one scenario.
Even with trains to get the lowest price you must book in stone weeks or months in advance as discounted tickets are capped at a certain number usually I believe.
but if by train:
Amsterdam to Cologne - put bags in station locker right next door to the world-famous Gothic Cathedral, right on the Rhine - then take any of zillions of trains to a Rhine and or Mosel base - I always recommend Cochem as the city of your dreams but the type of town few actually ever stay in.
Then take a train via Basel to Lucerne on Interlaken and base there for a few days or whatever.
Then train to Munich.
Do Rothenburg, highlight of the Romantic Road as a day trip and other Bavarian day trips perhaps like Nueschwanstein Castle in Fussen or Salzburg, Austria - just about 90 minutes by train from Munich.
Then take the direct Munich to Prague bus - end your trip in Prague and fly home from there.
Well there is one scenario.
Dec 15th, 2013, 02:18 PM
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Is Zürich cast in concrete as your final departure airport? I assumed so from your fairly positive wording in your original post, but if it is not, then by all means fly home from Prague, saves a lot of hassle and makes your trip somewhat more linear (well, a curved line...).
Not knowing the language as you drive a rental car shouldn't be much of a problem - signage is international, the few relevant words that are good to know will soon become familiar. (The worst is - of course - a four-letter word: Stau. Means blocked traffic flow, serious congestion.) And anybody you come into contact with who has anything to do with tourism will know some English, and most young people learn it these days.
But yes, you can do it all by train, it's just not as flexible and doesn't get you to small places on a whim, so you wouldn't make as many discoveries.
Not knowing the language as you drive a rental car shouldn't be much of a problem - signage is international, the few relevant words that are good to know will soon become familiar. (The worst is - of course - a four-letter word: Stau. Means blocked traffic flow, serious congestion.) And anybody you come into contact with who has anything to do with tourism will know some English, and most young people learn it these days.
But yes, you can do it all by train, it's just not as flexible and doesn't get you to small places on a whim, so you wouldn't make as many discoveries.
Jan 13th, 2014, 09:54 PM
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Hi all,
So now I have set my itinerary as below,
Amsterdam - 3 nights (with 1 day trip to Haarlem & Keukenhof to see tulips)
Cochem - 3 nights (Mosel & Rhine)
Nuremberg - 3 nights (day trip to wurzburg/bamberg)
Prague - 4 nights
Murren/Lucerne - 3 nights (Fly Swiss Air Prague-Geneva)
We decided to use trains for most of our trip.
Unfortunately due to budget constraint and the available cheap PRG-GVA flight, I would be only in Switzerland for 3 nights. I initially wish to stay for 4 nights but the cheap flight was sold out
12/5 (PRG-GVA flight available, but need to cut 1 night each from Prague and Nuremberg)
13/5 (PRG-GVA flight not available)
14/5 PRG-GVA (arrive 12pm)
15/5
16/5
17/5 5pm flight from Zurich
My questions now are mainly on my Switzerland portion:
1) If I stick to this 3 nights only plan, should I base in Murren or Lucerne? I am more towards to Murren but with a concern to travel from Murren to Zurich to catch a flight. The departing flight is at 5pm though.
2) Would it be good to spend 2 nights in Murren and the last night in Lucerne? Although it won't give us enough time to explore Lucerne but with 1 evening and 1 morning perhaps a lake cruise plus a feel of the city yet closer to airport on the last day.
3) Or I should just forget about Murren since it will be in May and chances are the weather won't be good up there. Stay in Lucerne for 3 nights and 1 day do Mt. Pilatus.
From Geneva to Murren I intend to take the longer route via Montruex & Zweisimmen (the golden pass) if the flight arrival is on time. Then it will mean we can only reach Murren later than 7pm. Do you think the scenery of this route worth the hassle (longer time, more changes of trains)?
This is my first trip to Switzerland and in fact Europe so I wish to choose a stop that reflects real Swiss. I hope to see and experience the mountain/alps view which I can't have it in my home country.
So now I have set my itinerary as below,
Amsterdam - 3 nights (with 1 day trip to Haarlem & Keukenhof to see tulips)
Cochem - 3 nights (Mosel & Rhine)
Nuremberg - 3 nights (day trip to wurzburg/bamberg)
Prague - 4 nights
Murren/Lucerne - 3 nights (Fly Swiss Air Prague-Geneva)
We decided to use trains for most of our trip.
Unfortunately due to budget constraint and the available cheap PRG-GVA flight, I would be only in Switzerland for 3 nights. I initially wish to stay for 4 nights but the cheap flight was sold out
12/5 (PRG-GVA flight available, but need to cut 1 night each from Prague and Nuremberg)
13/5 (PRG-GVA flight not available)
14/5 PRG-GVA (arrive 12pm)
15/5
16/5
17/5 5pm flight from Zurich
My questions now are mainly on my Switzerland portion:
1) If I stick to this 3 nights only plan, should I base in Murren or Lucerne? I am more towards to Murren but with a concern to travel from Murren to Zurich to catch a flight. The departing flight is at 5pm though.
2) Would it be good to spend 2 nights in Murren and the last night in Lucerne? Although it won't give us enough time to explore Lucerne but with 1 evening and 1 morning perhaps a lake cruise plus a feel of the city yet closer to airport on the last day.
3) Or I should just forget about Murren since it will be in May and chances are the weather won't be good up there. Stay in Lucerne for 3 nights and 1 day do Mt. Pilatus.
From Geneva to Murren I intend to take the longer route via Montruex & Zweisimmen (the golden pass) if the flight arrival is on time. Then it will mean we can only reach Murren later than 7pm. Do you think the scenery of this route worth the hassle (longer time, more changes of trains)?
This is my first trip to Switzerland and in fact Europe so I wish to choose a stop that reflects real Swiss. I hope to see and experience the mountain/alps view which I can't have it in my home country.
Jan 13th, 2014, 10:19 PM
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FWIW, given the limits on your time and the precariousness of the weather at the time you are traveling, I think you might do well to focus on Lucerne. But I could easily be mistaken and hope that others will jump in!
With only 3 days, I personally wouldn't stay in Murren -- the extra time to get there EVERY day on such a short visit to the area would not justify, for me, the lost opportunities to see or spend time in other places. If you do decide to go to the Bernese Oberland rather than Lucerne, I think you might do well to consider options that offer more options for days when the weather doesn't suit your purposes, places such as Interlaken. Just my opinion, with which I'm sure many will disagree.
Hope that helps!
With only 3 days, I personally wouldn't stay in Murren -- the extra time to get there EVERY day on such a short visit to the area would not justify, for me, the lost opportunities to see or spend time in other places. If you do decide to go to the Bernese Oberland rather than Lucerne, I think you might do well to consider options that offer more options for days when the weather doesn't suit your purposes, places such as Interlaken. Just my opinion, with which I'm sure many will disagree.
Hope that helps!
Jan 14th, 2014, 01:00 AM
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Do you want to visit the gems of Switzerland or just Muerrren?
Even if you opt for Muerren, there will be no problems with timetables:
Geneva airport dp 14,23 - Montreux dp 15.44 - Golden Pass Panoramic - Lauterbrunnen ar 19.25 - Muerren ar 19.51
Train change at Montreux and Zweisimmen at the same platform, hence more comfortable than at Berne where you would have to pass through the subway.
Muerren dp 12.06 - Bern dp 14.02 - Zurich airport ar 15.16, trains every 30 min
Even if you opt for Muerren, there will be no problems with timetables:
Geneva airport dp 14,23 - Montreux dp 15.44 - Golden Pass Panoramic - Lauterbrunnen ar 19.25 - Muerren ar 19.51
Train change at Montreux and Zweisimmen at the same platform, hence more comfortable than at Berne where you would have to pass through the subway.
Muerren dp 12.06 - Bern dp 14.02 - Zurich airport ar 15.16, trains every 30 min
Jan 14th, 2014, 08:41 AM
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In Interlaken_ost (East) be sure to get on the right half of the train that goes to Lauterbrunnen - the train splits half-way up with a part going to Grindelwald - everytime I take that train there are flummoxed folk who have to scurry off when the train splits because they are in the wrong car going to a wrong valley - look at placards on the side on the train car to see which town it is going to after the split.
Jan 15th, 2014, 04:50 PM
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Seem like there's no absolute answer... Now we have our accommodations booked at both Murren and Lucerne (free cancellation) and we will decide where to head for at nearer dates. Unless the weather in Murren is really bad otherwise we will be more likely going there. We are hoping for some easy walks at the alps villages and enjoy the scenery and ambience. Anyway, I believe we will have a great time choosing either one!
Jan 17th, 2014, 08:40 AM
#18
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We are hoping for some easy walks at the alps villages and enjoy the scenery and ambience>
Well the Mannlichen to Keliene Schiedegg walk is very easy - a ridge walk that lets you see both the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys whilst the ice-girdled Jungfrau Massif is always in frontal view - no doubt the most popular walk in the area and one not to be missed.
The Mannlichen itself is a renown for its awesome views over Interlaken, wedged between its lakes, far far below.
From Murren - descend to Lauterbrunnen, take the train to Wengen, hop the cable car to The Mannlichen - walk to Kleien Scheidegg - about 2 fairly flat but gently ascending miles - heck even baby prams can do this walk - from Kl Scheidegg you can hop trains to the Jungfruajoch or back down to Wengen or to Grindelwald.
https://www.google.com/search?q=imag...=1600&bih=1075
Well the Mannlichen to Keliene Schiedegg walk is very easy - a ridge walk that lets you see both the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys whilst the ice-girdled Jungfrau Massif is always in frontal view - no doubt the most popular walk in the area and one not to be missed.
The Mannlichen itself is a renown for its awesome views over Interlaken, wedged between its lakes, far far below.
From Murren - descend to Lauterbrunnen, take the train to Wengen, hop the cable car to The Mannlichen - walk to Kleien Scheidegg - about 2 fairly flat but gently ascending miles - heck even baby prams can do this walk - from Kl Scheidegg you can hop trains to the Jungfruajoch or back down to Wengen or to Grindelwald.
https://www.google.com/search?q=imag...=1600&bih=1075
Jan 19th, 2014, 06:59 AM
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Well it should be I would think though it a really unseasonable cold snap could I guess ice it up but I think that would be a rarity - the Alpine flowers will be out and have you singing Edelweiss...Edelwiseiss....
