Drive or Train from Zurich to Florence?
Aug 19th, 2017, 06:24 PM
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Drive or Train from Zurich to Florence?
We are planning a trip to mostly Italy + Switzerland flying into/out of Zurich on Oct 1 for 12 days. We want to visit Interlaken for a day or so then go to Florence for 2 days and then drive to Tuscany and Cinque Terre .
Initial thought was rent a car in Zurich and drive to interlaken, Florence, Tuscany, Cinque Terre and return to Zurich enjoying the drive through northern Italy and Switzerland.
Now I'm wondering if we'd be better off taking the train from Zurich to Interlaken then to Florence pick up a car there drive Tuscany and Cinque Terre returning the car to Florence and train return to Zurich.
Trying to weigh the pro's and con's? I assume it could be a beautiful drive from and back to Zurich and we;d have the freedom of schedule to go when we want , etc. I know we don't need a car in Florence but we could park it for the two days there. So, is it worth driving with possible weather issues to experience what I assume could be a scenic drive? If we had a car we could also change our itinerary for weather, etc.
Thoughts? Best Driving Routes if we drive? Thanks
Initial thought was rent a car in Zurich and drive to interlaken, Florence, Tuscany, Cinque Terre and return to Zurich enjoying the drive through northern Italy and Switzerland.
Now I'm wondering if we'd be better off taking the train from Zurich to Interlaken then to Florence pick up a car there drive Tuscany and Cinque Terre returning the car to Florence and train return to Zurich.
Trying to weigh the pro's and con's? I assume it could be a beautiful drive from and back to Zurich and we;d have the freedom of schedule to go when we want , etc. I know we don't need a car in Florence but we could park it for the two days there. So, is it worth driving with possible weather issues to experience what I assume could be a scenic drive? If we had a car we could also change our itinerary for weather, etc.
Thoughts? Best Driving Routes if we drive? Thanks
Aug 19th, 2017, 09:17 PM
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I, for one, cannot imagine driving in Switzerland, when public transportation there is so very comfortable and convenient. See
http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html
What’s more, if there is any chance that you will have jet lag, I would strongly encourage you to take public transportation for your first night or two. Although many people are not aware of it, there is mounting evidence that driving with jet lag is just as dangerous -- to yourself and others -- as driving drunk, and <b>nothing</b> you can do will prevent the microsleeps (which you might not even notice) that are the apparent culprit. Seriously -- NOT a good idea, no matter your other constraints and no matter your prior experience! And please be patient with me if you think I’m being overly adamant, but I know too many people who have died or been seriously injured in accidents to which jet lag was a contributing factor, and I know too many people who will spend the rest of their lives dealing with the knowledge that they were responsible for accidents that resulted in multiple deaths, including those of children, all because they were too confident in their ability to drive safely with jet lag. The issue has become a bit of cause célèbre for me….
And BTW, parking in Florence is not an easy matter. Be sure you have a plan before you count on it.
And parking in the Cinque Terre is not easy, either. Switching to public transportation might be an idea worth considering.
IF you decide to drive on ANY leg of this trip, consult michelin.com -- it will give you reliable estimates of driving times and even options for alternative routes.
And, FWIW, while driving CAN allow some freedoms not otherwise available, having a car also entails some downsides. For example:
- Some of those “oh, doesn’t that look charming!” places aren’t actually that charming, and by the time you get back on the road, you can end up with less time than might be ideal for visiting the places that were your priorities.
- Driving can be stressful – and I say that as someone who loves driving! But some roads are challenging, unexpected detours or GPS failures can be a bit daunting, and driving into cities (and finding parking) can make the last part of a long trip less than pleasant.
- Driving – or at least responsible driving – can also pose constraints on the driver. For example, the driver may be unable to truly enjoy spectacular scenery, as s/he needs to pay attention to the road -- sometimes, very careful attention! And depending on how much one eats and one’s size and and how long one relaxes over a meal, even a glass of wine with lunch may carry risks.
- Driving is generally not a particularly green choice – and for some of us, that is a worthy consideration.
- and one of the best things about taking public transportation: It can sometimes give you wonderful opportunities to interact with people from the area, or gain insights into local norms and traditions.
Hope that helps!
http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html
What’s more, if there is any chance that you will have jet lag, I would strongly encourage you to take public transportation for your first night or two. Although many people are not aware of it, there is mounting evidence that driving with jet lag is just as dangerous -- to yourself and others -- as driving drunk, and <b>nothing</b> you can do will prevent the microsleeps (which you might not even notice) that are the apparent culprit. Seriously -- NOT a good idea, no matter your other constraints and no matter your prior experience! And please be patient with me if you think I’m being overly adamant, but I know too many people who have died or been seriously injured in accidents to which jet lag was a contributing factor, and I know too many people who will spend the rest of their lives dealing with the knowledge that they were responsible for accidents that resulted in multiple deaths, including those of children, all because they were too confident in their ability to drive safely with jet lag. The issue has become a bit of cause célèbre for me….
And BTW, parking in Florence is not an easy matter. Be sure you have a plan before you count on it.
And parking in the Cinque Terre is not easy, either. Switching to public transportation might be an idea worth considering.
IF you decide to drive on ANY leg of this trip, consult michelin.com -- it will give you reliable estimates of driving times and even options for alternative routes.
And, FWIW, while driving CAN allow some freedoms not otherwise available, having a car also entails some downsides. For example:
- Some of those “oh, doesn’t that look charming!” places aren’t actually that charming, and by the time you get back on the road, you can end up with less time than might be ideal for visiting the places that were your priorities.
- Driving can be stressful – and I say that as someone who loves driving! But some roads are challenging, unexpected detours or GPS failures can be a bit daunting, and driving into cities (and finding parking) can make the last part of a long trip less than pleasant.
- Driving – or at least responsible driving – can also pose constraints on the driver. For example, the driver may be unable to truly enjoy spectacular scenery, as s/he needs to pay attention to the road -- sometimes, very careful attention! And depending on how much one eats and one’s size and and how long one relaxes over a meal, even a glass of wine with lunch may carry risks.
- Driving is generally not a particularly green choice – and for some of us, that is a worthy consideration.
- and one of the best things about taking public transportation: It can sometimes give you wonderful opportunities to interact with people from the area, or gain insights into local norms and traditions.
Hope that helps!
Aug 19th, 2017, 09:20 PM
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BTW, I'm linking your other thread to this one -- no worries, many of us had ended up with double posts.
NOTE: this OP has another identical thread =
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...o-florence.cfm
NOTE: this OP has another identical thread =
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...o-florence.cfm
Aug 19th, 2017, 09:23 PM
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When I did Zurich to Florence by train in a single day, it looked long enough. It was before the new Gotthard train tunnel was opened, so now the itinerary is shorter; at the time, it looked like a never ending day.
Doing it by car would be much longer as you cannot drive anywhere as fast as the train goes - Milan to Florence is 1h 45min by train but more than 3 hours driving mostly in boring landscape. In your planning also consider that Interlaken to Milan or vv. is a simple itinerary by train, doing the Simplon and Lotschberg railway tunnels - there is not a corresponding road itinerary, so doing it by car would mean a long detour. The shortest itinerary between Zurich and Florence is by the Gotthard road tunnel, that may have long queues, so always plan an extra hour or two when driving it.
A car in Florence is a liability - you will have to pay for a parking silo as all parkings in the road, provided you can find one, are metered.
Doing it by car would be much longer as you cannot drive anywhere as fast as the train goes - Milan to Florence is 1h 45min by train but more than 3 hours driving mostly in boring landscape. In your planning also consider that Interlaken to Milan or vv. is a simple itinerary by train, doing the Simplon and Lotschberg railway tunnels - there is not a corresponding road itinerary, so doing it by car would mean a long detour. The shortest itinerary between Zurich and Florence is by the Gotthard road tunnel, that may have long queues, so always plan an extra hour or two when driving it.
A car in Florence is a liability - you will have to pay for a parking silo as all parkings in the road, provided you can find one, are metered.
Aug 20th, 2017, 06:38 AM
#5
I took the train from Zurich to Como a couple of years back and loved the scenery. For Florence you would need to change in Milan. From Interlaken to Florence would require at least two changes.
Booking well ahead for a specific train can get you a very good deal - I paid 10 CHF for my ticket. See seat61.com for info on European train travel.
Booking well ahead for a specific train can get you a very good deal - I paid 10 CHF for my ticket. See seat61.com for info on European train travel.
Aug 20th, 2017, 07:51 AM
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"I took the train from Zurich to Como a couple of years back and loved the scenery."
You don't see nearly as much scenery on the newer, faster route. What you see is still nice, of course, but some of the most beautiful views have been sacrificed for speed.
You don't see nearly as much scenery on the newer, faster route. What you see is still nice, of course, but some of the most beautiful views have been sacrificed for speed.
Aug 20th, 2017, 07:55 AM
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Yes www.seat61.com is great for European train info and especially booking your own discounted tickets as thursdayds did -for general info like 1st v 2nd class I also like www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.
But since you are going return into Zurich and just doing one day in Interlaken I'd say go by car the whole way. If traveling around Switzerland much I'd say train but to just transit the car can be great too.
But since you are going return into Zurich and just doing one day in Interlaken I'd say go by car the whole way. If traveling around Switzerland much I'd say train but to just transit the car can be great too.
Aug 20th, 2017, 12:20 PM
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I'm thinking we'll train from Interlaken to Florence. Is there an easy way to check ticket prices for the various trains and departure times on a given day?
I've checked the SBB site and easily get times but not prices. The one price I checked was 145 CF, that seems high to me?
Any advice on checking/purchasing train tickets and how to get the best price would be appreciated.
I've checked the SBB site and easily get times but not prices. The one price I checked was 145 CF, that seems high to me?
Any advice on checking/purchasing train tickets and how to get the best price would be appreciated.
Aug 21st, 2017, 05:01 AM
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The one price I checked was 145 CF, that seems high to me?>
that's full fare no doubt. The 10 CHF tickets thursdayds talks about are few in number and sell out early but you should anyway find something much less -yes www.seat61.com is the site for incites on that.
Precisely: https://www.seat61.com/international...tzerland-Italy
And check first class too as it is discounted too and sometimes not much more than 2nd class and for such a long train ride well worth a little extra.
that's full fare no doubt. The 10 CHF tickets thursdayds talks about are few in number and sell out early but you should anyway find something much less -yes www.seat61.com is the site for incites on that.
Precisely: https://www.seat61.com/international...tzerland-Italy
And check first class too as it is discounted too and sometimes not much more than 2nd class and for such a long train ride well worth a little extra.
Aug 21st, 2017, 05:59 AM
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If for some reason Interlaken-Florence ain't available check Spiez-Florence - Spiez 20 minutes from Interlaken - Spiez has direct trains to Milan where you'll have to change trains for Florence.
Aug 21st, 2017, 12:39 PM
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I'd still consider driving to Italy and back and take a thrilling Alpine pass like the Gotthard Pass (or put your car on a train and go under the Alps via one of the world's longest train tunnels if not the longest) -just opened and go via Lake Como, etc.
No hassling with renting once in Florence just head for Tuscany and maybe commute a day into car-unfriendly Florence. If taking autoroutes it can be fairly quick going - check Google for times.
No hassling with renting once in Florence just head for Tuscany and maybe commute a day into car-unfriendly Florence. If taking autoroutes it can be fairly quick going - check Google for times.
