traveling in Switzerland

While I haven't traveled by train in Switzerland, here is the appropriate website:

http://www.sbb.ch/en/

Bett,

There are many different ways to go, it all depends on what you want to see and how much time you have. You will be traveling from Lugano to Interlaken. We have traveled between these two towns many times and each we have taken a different route. Get out a map of Switzerland and look at the opportunities, then use the sbb website to see how long it will take. If you just put in the two cities the average time to go between then is about 5 hours. Happoy planning.

Greg

Also, you can send your baggage to your final destination for a fee (most not all Swiss train stations have this service) and you can visit places enroute from Lugano to Interlaken.

Hi dtaylorburke,

Yes, the Swiss rail information is at www.sbb.ch, or to go directly to the English pages,

www.rail.ch

I've travelled to the Jungfrau about four times, always on the train. The station for Mürren is, of course, Mürren, and you will be travelling through Interlaken but don't have to stop there. The SBB site will give you all the options for the travel.

To get more information on the whole area, take a look at

www.myjungfrau.ch

Have fun!

s

Also try at www.myswitzerland.com

What time of the year will you be travelling? Makes a difference.

Thank you all for your help. We will be traveling next May.
Any suggestions as to which villages we should visit. We plan on being in the area of Murren and Interlaken for three day and then flying out of Zurich.
Which town would be best to stay in and then explore the region.

I have one more question: I went to the SBB site and when I entered Interlaken, there were many choices. Does anyone know which Interlaken station I want.

dtaylorburke

Interlaken has two stations, Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West. A train between the two stations takes a few minutes.

Trains to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen depart from Interlaken Ost. You'll need to transit through one of these two places to get to Jungfrau. To travel to Murren, Wengen, etc. you'll also need to depart on a Lauterbrunnen train from Interlaken Ost. For Murren you need to take a cable car from Lauterbrunnen and then transfer to a train for Murren.

I know you are still debating where to stay. There are many towns to stay in:- Interlaken, Grindelwald, Wengen, etc. There's lots of information on these forums about the pros and cons of each.

justshootme,

thank you so much for the info, this is very helpful. I now know how to get from Lugano to Interlaken by train.
Next step, finding a place to say

dtaylorburke

Hi again,

I'm glad you're getting familiar with Swiss travel!

I would recommend the Hotel Alpenrose in Wengen, a 3-star; I've stayed there two times. Its site is at

www.alpenrose.ch

Have fun!

s

Just a warning. May is between ski season and summer season in Switzerland. It's the time they repair the lifts and trams. Some trails still have snow -- or least they used to before global warming. You can't expect to do everything, see everything you can see in high season.

At Lugano, you are but a bus ride from Tirano (Italy), which is the terminus of the Bernina Express, one of the most scenic and interesting train rides in the world. You could take the bus to Tirano, then the Bernina Express to Chur. That is a full day. Your next day you could take a scenic train from Chur to Luzern, then to the BO. I've not heard anyone who was disappointed with a ride on the Bernina Express. See http://www.rhb.ch for more information.

I wish I had seen this one earlier. Moreover, I hope I am hot responding too late.

There are various routes you can take, but from Lugano the best way is to go first to Luzern.

I don't know of any other way to bet there that is time efficient. Even so the trip will take over 5 hours and 3 changes of trains.

If you leave Lugano at 7:12 or 9:12 for a 3-change journey your travel time will be 5 hours, 32 minutes.

The route from Luzern is standard. Train from Luzern to Interlaken Ost where you would change trains. Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen and change again for Wengen.

The changes are mandatory because you are changing to a private line at Interlaken Ost and from a regular train with some cog rail capability to a mountain train to get to Wengen.

It is a pretty trip because you descend the Brünig Pass and then the ascent to Wengen is nice. From Wengen you have great views.

Thank you all. I'm getting a much better idea as to how to get around by train in Switzerland.

And be sure to check on a Swiss Pass even for somewhat seemingly limited rail travel - these passes IMO are an absolute bargain and you may travel more than envisioned - like taking lake boats on Lake Lugano or the lakes the bookend Inter (between) Laken - Interlaken and passes cover in full travel up to Murren from the Lauterbrunnen Valley - including the thrilling new aerial cablecar from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp, a few thousand feet straight up and then the train along the cliff to Murren and cableway to Gimmelwald and then another scintillating aerial cableway that plunges down to the Lauterbrunnen Valley at Stechelberg and then the postal bus the few miles back to Lauterbrunnen. For tons of great info on Swiss trains and passes (and Half-Fare Card; Swiss Card; Swiss Transfer Ticket - other options) check out: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.ricksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com.

Any yes the train is the way to go in Switzerland - heck Murren cannot even be reached by private vehicles.

The changes are mandatory because you are changing to a private line at Interlaken Ost and from a regular train with some cog rail capability to a mountain train to get to Wengen.>

yes but the change is only because track gauges are different - main line standard gauge from Spiez to Interlaken-Ost then narrow-gauge to Lauterbrunnen - then even narrower gauge from there to Wengen. But everyone gets off one train and onto the other on an adjoining platform. Yet laden with luggage changing trains is never fun.

Once again thanks. Since we will be traveling in Italy first, does it make sense to get a Eurail pass. We can use it for both Italy and Switzerland, but I don't know if it covers the smaller venues e.g. trams,boats etc. Anyone have any feedback.

Dtaylorburke

An emphatic No - the benefits of a Swiss Pass far outstrip the benefits of a Switzerland-Italy or Eurailpass - for one thing from Interlaken-Ost to Murren it would only give a 25% discount whereas the Swiss Pass covers it 100% and once in Murren Eurail would not even give a discount on many of the non-train lifts Swiss Passes give a carte blanche 50% off on

and in Italy train travel is cheaper than most of Europe - use the Swiss Pass to go from the Swiss border (Lugano) and point to point tickets you just buy at the station in Italy to reach Lugano.

Palenque,Thanks, a Swiss Pass is what we'll do.

We stayed at hotel oberland in lauterbrunnen in sept and were very pleased. Very convenient to trains and cable cars!

Regarding where to stay, I also enjoyed the Alpenrose in Wengen. Try to get a view of the mountains.

In Murren have stayed at both the Eiger and the Alpenruhe. The Eiger has nicer rooms and is quieter, but the Alpenruhe has a very pretty dining room as well as a lovely terrace in back with gorgeous views. Both have very clean rooms. The Alpenruhe is right next to the Gondola Station so that is where the noise comes in... However you can watch the comings and goings and the parasailers nearby for hours over a glass of pilsner. The common areas in the Eiger are very dated... Also, there is a great masseuse at the Alpenruhe. Try the hot stone massage after a day of hiking. The Eiger is rather pricey comparatively.

I prefer Murren to Wengen, but love both. Lauterbrunnen gives you access to the entire area but you are set down in a valley which I don't care for as much as being up higher where the views are more spectacular.

I didn't love Grindelwald, but many do. If you have to skip somewhere, I would say skip that.

You will love this area - a favorite of mine in Switzerland.

gruezi

Murren and Wengen have fantastic views and i'd be hard pressed to say which is the sweetest - but IMO Murren is more isolated than Wengen - if doing day trips Wengen is better situated transit wise - the chairlift to Mannlichen from Wengen puts you up to the trail to Kleine Scheidegg or another cableway down to Grindelwald.

I am not sure how the new aerial cableway Lauterbrunnen-Grutschalp - (for train to Murren) is doing by at least with the old funicular you could have lenghty waits at Grutschalp or Lauterbrunnen to get on one - assuming the new aerial cableway has more capacity and goes faster but not sure. A Swiss Pass does cover transit to Murren and Wengen 100%

Once again thanks everyone. we will now start concentrating on where to stay.