kovsie

Switzerland in early April! I am planning to spend five nights solo before meeting up with DD in Lausanne, where we will spend one week. I fly in to Zurich, and think I will go straight from the airport to Lucerne. I would love to spend most of my time enjoying Switzerland's natural beauty, although I am not adverse to a castle or medieval town centre or two. I would prefer to sidestep tourist buses and crowds. I do understand that the spring /easter break will be busy, but it would be so nice to find places that are just a bit out of the way.
I have never been to Switzerland, so all will be new to me.

My questions: I read a lot about the scenic train rides e.g. Glacier Express from St Moritz to Zermatt. It seems beautiful but also very touristy. Will the postal buses that PalenQ wrote about earlier give me the same joy?

I think I will spend at least three nights in Lucerne, then perhaps move on to Grindelwald before Lausanne. OTOH I may just stay in Lucerne and take day trips from there.

Any suggestions?

kovsie

I also want to ask: am I right in thinking that it would be best to buy a Swiss Pass for each of us? (15 days for me, 8 days for DD, both 2nd class.)

neckervd

Swiss Alpine Post Buses:
http://www.postauto.ch/en/pag-starts...bot-detail.htm
The most spectacular alpine passes will be closed in April. There is just too much snow and a big danger of avalanches.
Open Post Bus lines:
Brig - Simplon Pass - Domodossola (people usually continue by panoramic Centovalli train to Locarno and by commuter train to Lugano)
Lugano - Lake Como - Maloja Pass - Silvaplana - St. Moritz
Chur - Lenzerhaide Pass - Casti - Julier Pass - Silvaplana -St. Moritz
Zernez - Pass dal Fuorn - Mustair Claustra - Mals
Mals - Pass da Resgia - Martina - Scoul
You may have a look at
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en
http://www.postauto.ch/en/pag-starts...htm?mode=video

WeisserTee

Lucerne is full of tour buses and crowds year round. It will take some fancy stepping to sidestep them. Just an FYI.

FWIW, if you stay in Lucerne, one of the lesser known scenic train rides (and one that's not "officially" designated as a named scenic train ride like the Bernina or Glacier express) is the slower, 90 minute ride between Lucerne and Bern. It's a very pretty trip.

A leisurely but scenic route to make your way to Grindelwald is to take the slow train to Bern, and either store your luggage at the Bern train station and poke around this handsome city for a bit, or head to Thun, store your luggage there and explore this small city with its castle and arcaded streets.

Lucerne has many hotel options, but a friend spent several days at the Montana earlier this month and gives it rave reviews. It's been renovated and she loved it (and said the food at the hotel's restaurant was great). Has a spa as well.
http://www.hotel-montana.ch/homepage

kovsie

Yes Weisser, I deduced as much, but I thought Lucerne is still a good base from where to explore. I will just have to accept the fact that so many other people also want to be there - and I assume it may well be true for the rest of the country as well.
Is there perhaps a smaller / less popular pretty town in the same area?
Thanks for the info - I will definitely look at Montana.

Neckervd: I will follow the links - so many good options!

Dukey1

"Touristy" means what? Of it is going to detract from that spectacular scenery then I guess there's little hope. You will not find it nearly as "busy" in Switzerland in April as it will be in the summer.

Tourists, LIKE YOU, go places for good reasons.

kovsie

Yes Dukey, I am aware of the fact that I am a tourist ... and how privileged I am to be one. I truely do not want to sound like the "I am a traveller not a tourist" snobs. It is just that I do not do very well in crowds. Last year in summer in Venice I could see how amazing the city was. I also fervently wished that I was somewhere else. Therefore, I would rather go to a less popular spot that is often just as beautiful; or take a slow train / bus rather than the highly advertised ones. Just my preference.

Pepper_von_snoot

Look at the Half-Fare Card.

Train schedules: WWW.SBB.CH

I don't like Grindelwald. Look at Wengen or Murren or even Lauterbrunnen instead.

I would only stay at a hotel in Luzern that was situated on the lake. Hotel Montana is an example.

I don't think April is a very good time to visit the Bernese Oberland.

Thun and Spiez both have castles in the town.

Tschüß

Thin

BAHItaly

Should still be ski season. So if you like to ski then the amazing Alps are waiting on you

BAHItaly

Also, we adore Grindlewald

kovsie

I grew up in Africa - no ski-ing required!

PalenQ

If traveling to more than one area then look at the Swiss Pass which covers not only trains but postal buses (many may not be running in April due to snow blocking passes - some run all year) and city transit and gives free entry to 470 Swiss attractions and museums - for lots of great info on Swiss trains and passes and Half-Fare Cards (the Swiss Transfer ticket with a half off Half-Fare card available in conjunction with it is often slightly better deal than the Half-Fare Card alone.

Anyway check these infomative sites for stuff about train travel and where to go: www.budgeteuropetravel.com (download their free online European Planning & Rail Guide's Switzerland chapter for Swiss rail itineraries); www.swisstravelsystem.com and www.ricksteves.com.

WeisserTee

"Is there perhaps a smaller / less popular pretty town in the same area?"

Well, I like Zug, which is also on a lake and has mountain views. It's about a 20 minute train ride from Luzern. And it's a short hop to catch the train to Rigi, another mountain peak (not quite as impressive as Titlis, but certainly nothing to sneeze at)

swandav2000

Hi kovsie,

Yes, Zug is a lovely town on its own lake, very charming and relaxing. The lake is smaller, though, and the mountains are farther away than they are around Lake Lucerne.

There are a few small towns on Lake Lucerne that are lovely -- Weggis, Vitznau, or Brunnen. Here you'll have the mountains-spilling-into-lakes scenery and small-town ambiance. These places are a little more difficult to get to, though -- there's no train station in Weggis or Vitznau, so you have to take a train to Küssnacht and then a bus, or a ferry from Luzern. Brunnen has a train station, so you just need to take a train from Luzern.

http://www.wvrt.ch/en/weggis-vitznau-rigi/weggis
http://www.wvrt.ch/en/weggis-vitznau-rigi/vitznau1
http://www.brunnentourismus.ch/en/index.cfm

Hope you find just the right spot!

s

mokka4

I have stayed in Brunnen, but it is true, that transportation is a little more complicated. I favor Rapperswil, about 30 minutes from Zurich, still quite well-connected for daytrips. It is at the southern end of Lake Zurich, beautiful townscape from shore with castle and church above. Deer park and rise gardens near Capuchin monastery.

mokka4

Oops, ROSE gardens!

PalenQ

Brunnen and Zug are neat and less touristed than Lucerne but I kind of love Lucerne - a bigger city with more varied offerings of a big city and also a smashing lakeside setting - but yes a lot of tourists.

PalenQ

I think I will spend at least three nights in Lucerne, then perhaps move on to Grindelwald before Lausanne. OTOH I may just stay in Lucerne and take day trips from there.>

Don't miss the Grindelwald area - nothing in or around Lucerne can nearly start to compare with the majesty of the Jungfrau Region, to me and many the ultimate highlight of Switzerland - sheer cliffs rise up to glacier-girdeled peaks - a myriad of mountain trains and aerial gondolas going off in every directions - hiking paths for all abilities - Lucerne is neat but don't try to day trip from there to the Jungfrau Region - takes at least 3 hours each way - nothing IMO can rival the Grindelwald-Wengen-Lauterbrunnen 'Jungrau Region' - nothing in Lucerne or around its lake except for Engleberg and Mt Titlis but that lovely Alpine area even can't begin to compare to the plethora of varied offerings on the Grindelwald area.

Stick with Grindlewald it WILL be the highlight of your trip!

PalenQ

If you eschew being in corwded tourist mobs then April for the Jungfrau Region will see very few other tourists - an in-between the winter ski season and summer hikers - perfect - will be less crowded than say Lucerne, which gets bus tour groups all the time.

kovsie

Thanks to all of you for valuable feedback. I realise I will have to let go of my 'thing' for sharing a place with many other people.
My heart settled for a while on Brunnen, but I am afraid it will eat up too much time to travel from there to Lucern for day trips (+-45 minutes each way by train). I think I am back in Lucerne - thanks for your input there PalenQ.
Can I ask about St Moritz and the Glazier Express? As I understand from my reading, many other train routes are just as spectacular, but not as heavily advertised. Also: the Glazier Express section of the train is hooked to an 'ordinary' train. This means that the fee for the GE is mainly for having nice big windows. Is there something I am missing?
I think I like WeiserTee's suggestion of slowly making my way to Bern and then perhaps down to Grindelwald or Murren. OR shall I just stay in Lucerne and go to Bern as a daytrip (1 hour to get there).

Pepper: I am curious to know why you do not like Grindelwald!

Mokka: perhaps a daytrip from Lucern to Rapperswil will be a good idea? (+-90 minutes each way).

At least I have decided to buy the Swiss Pass!