Paulette

Our vacation to Switzerland begins on May 31st arriving in Zurich and flying out of Zurich on June 10th. We plan to drive to Tasch and then staying in Zermatt. I know that there is an auto train in Kandersteg. I have been told which saves time and avoids the winding roads to Tasch. Should we drive or take the auto train. Also, after Zermatt any suggestions routings by car. Thanks for the suggestions.....

richard j vicek

Good afternoon. Paulette <BR>Would suggest taking the train from <BR>Kandersteg south on your trip to Tasch <BR>The highway ends at Kandersteg and <BR>restarts at Goppenstein. If you look <BR>at the highway map of CH the routes <BR>on either side would have some serious <BR>mountian driving. <BR>

richard j vicek

Good afternoon, Paulette <BR>Would strongly suggest taking the car <BR>train at Kandersteg and it appears the <BR>highway ends here and at Goppenstein <BR>the highway then continues, thru Visp <BR>and to Tasch. This is the most direct <BR>route at the others would involve much <BR>more mountain driving. <BR>On leaving Tasch for a return to Zurich <BR>would suggest two ways. <BR>1. Involving mountian scenery and some <BR>wonderful views. From Tasch north to <BR>Visp, turn east going thru Brig to <BR>Gletsch, head north over the Grimselpass <BR>thru the Brunig Pass, perhaps stopping <BR>at Interlaken and the Berneroberland., <BR>up to Luzern and then Zurich. This would be the most senic of the two. <BR>2. from Tasch to Visp, to turn west <BR>thru the Rhone Valley to just past Sion <BR>and onto the expressway to Lake Geneva, <BR>Montreaux, Vevey and Lausanne, then <BR>turning north thru Bulle and Friborg, <BR>and Bern and then to Zurich. This would <BR>be most all level driving and also expressway, but not the most senic. <BR>Richard of La Grange Park, IL&gt;...

Bob Brown

Part of your statement is not fully accurate about the Goppenstein - Kandersteg tunnel. To get from the valley around Thun, Interlaken and Speiz to the Valley of the Rhone, you either go around Berner Oberland range of mountains or you go through them. <BR>From Spiez, drive south to Kandersteg where you drive onto the auto train. <BR>After a few minutes ride on a rail car, you emerge at Goppenstein on the north side of the Rhone Valley. From there you wind down the mountain side to the Rhone, turn left to Visp, and then south to Stalden and Taesch. The auto train does not take you to Taesch; you still have to drive it. The road is not bad. <BR>It is less curvy than the route to Saas Fee. <BR>After Zermatt it is as said earlier, take the route to Brig and take your pick of the mountain passes. We did the Grimsel Pass and thought it very scenic, but steep and curvey. From Meiringen, you can head over the Brunig Pass to Sarnen and Luzern, or stay on the floor of the valley and visit Interlaken. <BR>From Interlaken back to Zurich it is a toss up whether you take the longer route via Bern which features Interstate highway type of driving conditions, or take the route through Luzern. I personally would take the Bern route if I was in a hurry because it is like driving on I 95 or similar road in the US. I don't advise it during a driving rain storm like we were in last September, however! That was fierce because of road construction which led to temporary lanes that were very narrow; narrower than the trucks!! <BR>Hopefully that work is done by now.

Phil

Dear Paulette: <BR> <BR>On your way back, you could also turn right at Visp and drive almost all the way up the Rhone valley to Oberwald, take the Furka car train to Realp, drive to Andermatt and turn left to Göschenen, where you will reach the northbound A2 interstate-type highway all the way to Zurich airport via Lucerne. The most difficult drive would be the short drive from Andermatt to Göschenen. <BR> <BR>It is a toss-up whether the alpine passes are open in early June, so I would definitely opt for the car trains. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip. <BR> <BR>Phil