paris to zurich - switzerland
May 17th, 2006, 10:08 AM
#1
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paris to zurich - switzerland
Hi,
I wanted to know what is the best way to get to zurich from paris (flight/rail/drive). How long is the drive? Also if somebody can help us with the swiss saverpass vs. swiss card which is a better option ? We are planning to be in switzerland for 4 nights. We are 2 adults and 1 child(6 yrs), so my assumption is that my daughter should be free with a paying parent with the swiss family card, is that correct? Do we need to put it somewhere that we have our daughter travelling with us?
Thanks, a lot for your help.
I wanted to know what is the best way to get to zurich from paris (flight/rail/drive). How long is the drive? Also if somebody can help us with the swiss saverpass vs. swiss card which is a better option ? We are planning to be in switzerland for 4 nights. We are 2 adults and 1 child(6 yrs), so my assumption is that my daughter should be free with a paying parent with the swiss family card, is that correct? Do we need to put it somewhere that we have our daughter travelling with us?
Thanks, a lot for your help.
May 17th, 2006, 11:37 AM
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Hi bhureka,
Oh yes, I'm so sorry, I see it in your post now. If I were you with five days and four nights, I would pick one of the towns I mentioned (Montreux, Gstaad, Interlaken, or Luzern) and spend your time there. Train schedules are at www.rail.ch.
Hmmm, about the pass -- unfortunately, the best way to see which pass is best is to do a spreadsheet. I hate spreadsheets and I hate math; I do the drill for my own trips, but I'm really not likely to do it for others' . . . So my advice is to just do the drill!
I can say, though, that whenever I do the math, I find the Half Fare Card offers the most economical means. But some travelers have other priorities than economics (convenience, etc).
Sorry I can't help more!
s
Oh yes, I'm so sorry, I see it in your post now. If I were you with five days and four nights, I would pick one of the towns I mentioned (Montreux, Gstaad, Interlaken, or Luzern) and spend your time there. Train schedules are at www.rail.ch.
Hmmm, about the pass -- unfortunately, the best way to see which pass is best is to do a spreadsheet. I hate spreadsheets and I hate math; I do the drill for my own trips, but I'm really not likely to do it for others' . . . So my advice is to just do the drill!
I can say, though, that whenever I do the math, I find the Half Fare Card offers the most economical means. But some travelers have other priorities than economics (convenience, etc).
Sorry I can't help more!
s
May 17th, 2006, 12:03 PM
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Zurich to Paris by train is just under 6 hours if you go the fastest way (one change in Lausanne). If you choose to fly instead, you can also get to the Zurich airport by train. Driving is probably not a good option bbecause of drop-off charges for the car.
Do you know where you will go for your five days in Switzerland? That will determine which pass is best for you, or even whether a pass is your best option. I believe you can get a card for free travel for your child for use with either a pass (any kind) or with tickets. There is information about this (in English) on the Swiss rail site, but you have to search around a bit.
Do you know where you will go for your five days in Switzerland? That will determine which pass is best for you, or even whether a pass is your best option. I believe you can get a card for free travel for your child for use with either a pass (any kind) or with tickets. There is information about this (in English) on the Swiss rail site, but you have to search around a bit.
May 17th, 2006, 05:35 PM
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The number of Swiss Pass is almost bewildering, especially if you start including regional passes in the mountains such as the Berner Oberland Regional Pass.
I have worked through the arithmetic on the various passes but, as in the case of others, I have done it for my own use.
The Swiss Pass for 4 days, 2 people traveling together, costs 213 chf each.
Your 6-year old can travel free with the Swiss Family Card. (It is a no cost item, but my understanding is that you must ask for it. I never visited Switzerland when I had children with me.)
The Swiss Card, costing 178 chf, which some have mentioned, has been for me the obvious choice for two reasons:
1. The price of the pass includes a free trip into Switzerland and a free trip out when you leave. In practicality the free entry/exit trips are priced relative to the first/last Swiss station. (Last year I rode at no additional charge from Schaffhausen to Lauterbrunnen and from Lauterbrunnen to the Geneva Airport.)
2. In between your trips in and out of Switzerland, you receive 50% off of almost all other transportation tickets, including many mountain trains and cable lifts.
The Swiss Card has been my choice because of how and where I travel.
I have usually gone by train to Lauterbrunnen for an extended stay and, while there, I used mostly mountain trains and cable cars. The Swiss Pass normally yields a 25% discount on mountain transportation whereas the Swiss Card yields 50%. Given my heavy weighting toward the mountain transportation and a relatively light usage of the Swiss National train system between arrival and departure, the numbers have consistently shown the Card was my best option.
The bottom line to this discussion is simply that you need to predict with some accuracy where you are going, how you are going to get there, and how the cost of a pass would be amortized as compared with point to point tickets.
As a result, you need to be able to predict with some degree of accuracy where you will be going.
The www.sbb.ch site will give ticket prices if you drill down to a specific connection and then click on the work "booking". Sometimes mountain train prices are omitted.
I have worked through the arithmetic on the various passes but, as in the case of others, I have done it for my own use.
The Swiss Pass for 4 days, 2 people traveling together, costs 213 chf each.
Your 6-year old can travel free with the Swiss Family Card. (It is a no cost item, but my understanding is that you must ask for it. I never visited Switzerland when I had children with me.)
The Swiss Card, costing 178 chf, which some have mentioned, has been for me the obvious choice for two reasons:
1. The price of the pass includes a free trip into Switzerland and a free trip out when you leave. In practicality the free entry/exit trips are priced relative to the first/last Swiss station. (Last year I rode at no additional charge from Schaffhausen to Lauterbrunnen and from Lauterbrunnen to the Geneva Airport.)
2. In between your trips in and out of Switzerland, you receive 50% off of almost all other transportation tickets, including many mountain trains and cable lifts.
The Swiss Card has been my choice because of how and where I travel.
I have usually gone by train to Lauterbrunnen for an extended stay and, while there, I used mostly mountain trains and cable cars. The Swiss Pass normally yields a 25% discount on mountain transportation whereas the Swiss Card yields 50%. Given my heavy weighting toward the mountain transportation and a relatively light usage of the Swiss National train system between arrival and departure, the numbers have consistently shown the Card was my best option.
The bottom line to this discussion is simply that you need to predict with some accuracy where you are going, how you are going to get there, and how the cost of a pass would be amortized as compared with point to point tickets.
As a result, you need to be able to predict with some degree of accuracy where you will be going.
The www.sbb.ch site will give ticket prices if you drill down to a specific connection and then click on the work "booking". Sometimes mountain train prices are omitted.
