nikidi

- following the suggested route of visiting Broc factory and Gruyeres, enroute to Wengen on the same day, the train connections as per the SBB site are: arrival from Gruyer to Montbovon at 4.20pm and Golden pass line train leaving at 4,28pm from Montbovon. Is it possible to make this connection? If not the earlier train is 1 hour before. Is bus an option? A similar short transit time when going from Thun to Interlaken Ost to get the golden pass line to Lucerne. I

Are there some goldenpass line trains (the one starting at 3.45pm on montreux to be exact) not available on the internet for seat reservation. do we have to reserve seats only once we get to geneva?

- Lavaux trails: im looking at may be a 2 hr trail/ 2.1/2 maximum with a 4/6year old who are good walkers. Was thinking of starting in Cully and walking to Lutry. (can include a 1 hr lavoux panaroma trip from cully towards Dézaley as well if recomended to reduce the walking for the kids) Spending a bit of time exploring the village and taking the boat back to montreux. Almost all notes are on walking from lutry to cully instead of the reverse. Is there a reason for this – climb vs going downhill? how hilly is this hike?

- Came across some foderites who had used a bus trf company call 'student Agency' which does trf from Cesky krumlov for 7.5 Euro a head. (total 30 euro)Seems a good deal opposed to the 140 euro for private trf. Any experience with them?

- Salzburg – hiring a car and driving via st gilen, wolfgang to Hallstatt for a day trip on the second day in Salzburg. Should we book a car now or can we get one once we get to Salzburg..we are ok with manual or auto car.

- Vienna, train to Melk, boat to durnstein and train back - is this a full or half trip? is it worth sacrificing a day out of the 21/2 we have in vienna.

- if we have extra time in montreux is it worth taking the trip to Rochers de Naye . it seems best with snow scenery?.

so looking forward to the trip....thnx foderites for all the excellent advise received in helping to plan this trip!!

Cathinjoetown

I can answer a few questions:

Re: Salzburg, I would certainly book a car now, don't risk higher walk-up rates and more important, availability.

The Melk trip as you outlined is close to a full day, starting early you could do Melk only in a half day. After many trips I could still spend a week in Vienna so depends on your interests.

The little train up to Rochers de Naye is fun, wonderful views if a clear day, don't bother otherwise.

nikidi

thnx Cathinjoetown..!

Molker/swandav2000/palenQ/Dukey1..as the experts in the area would greatly value your input!

one last Q to add to the above - Can i use the last of my 3 day austrian rail pass for the wachau valley trip train travels.

swandav2000

Hi nikidi,

I just like to start my Lavaux walks in Lutry -- I like to poke around the town, have a bite to eat, and enjoy the ambiance of the town while I'm still fresh. Cully is quite small, nothing really there but a few restaurants and folks' houses.

Yes, it will be quite easy to make that 8-minute connection at Montbovon. Montbovon is truly, truly small -- a little shack serves as the rail station. The train from Gruyeres will pull in, and the Golden Pass train will likely be waiting on the next track. You just walk across the tracks.

I've never reserved seats on the Golden Pass trains, and I've stayed in many towns along its route for weeks at a time, in August. I would use these trains once or twice a day. No need at all for reservations.

Hope that answers your concerns for that part of the trip!

s

swandav2000

Oh sorry, didn't see your question about Rochers-de-Naye.

Since you'll be spending time among the big mountains of the Alps, I think you can safely skip the time up at RdN. The best thing about Montreux is its lakeside scenery and ambiance, so that's what I would concentrate on while there.

s

PhillyFan

We chose to do the Melk trip and I'm glad we did. We did a city tour type of trip where we were bussed to a place on the Danube, and took a river trip to Melk. The scenery along the river was beautiful, as was the abbey. I was told this was an expensive way to do this (it was convenient!), and I would have liked the opportunity to see some of the smaller towns for a least a short while, but we couldn't do that via this method.

nikidi

thnx swandav2000, your right!!.that makes more sense. so then will take the boat there explore lutry and walk to cully.a much better plan and such a relief re the trains i didnt want to waste an hour at montbovon waiting for a train.

yep will give Rochers de Naye a miss.

phillyfan, thnx for your input on the melk excursion.i'm quite keen to do that too.

any austria/Czech experts re the transfers?
anyone used the 'student Agency' co for trfs?

ParisAmsterdam

Re car rental... in most cases it's cheaper to book ahead.

kja

> following the suggested route of visiting Broc factory and Gruyeres, enroute to Wengen on the same day

Are you staying in Gruyeres? I don't think it has any options for luggage storage.

> Was thinking of starting in Cully and walking to Lutry ... Is there a reason for this – climb vs going downhill? how hilly is this hike?

Here's some info on the trail between Lutry and Cully.

http://www.geotrails.ch/detail.php?t...=40590&lang=en

swandav2000

Hi again,

As kja notes, there is no luggage storage in Gruyeres.

However, it is possible to send your cases separately using the SBB's Fast Baggage service. If you check the cases before 09.00, you can pick them up in Wengen that evening after 18.00.

Alternately, there is a large coat room in the cheese dairy building in Gruyeres -- you may ask politely if you can leave your cases there, but it is not secure.

Have fun!

s