Trip to Switzerland
Mar 26th, 2010, 12:36 PM
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Trip to Switzerland
We would go to Switzerland by air and land at Geneva Airport at around 2.30 pm in June this year. We are planning to purchase four consecutive days swiss rail pass. From Geneva, we will go to our hotel at Interlaken and using it as base, we will devote one day for Jungfrau, one day for Luzern and Mt. Titlis and one day for Bern.My queries are as follows:
1. How much time is required to go to these places from Interlaken Ost?
2. What are the important places to see in Geneva in 2-3 hours so that on the first day we can see these places and then transfer to Interlaken in the evening, say, at 6.30 pm? How far are these places from the Airport? Which trains/buses/metro go there? How can we go to Interlaken from Geneva using our swiss rail pass? How much is the journey time?
3. What time of the day does the swiss rail pass expire? This is important as we are planning to travel back to Rome in the evening of fourth day. How much is the price of the ticket from Interlaken to Rome Termini Station? Is the swiss rail pass going to save money? If so, how?
1. How much time is required to go to these places from Interlaken Ost?
2. What are the important places to see in Geneva in 2-3 hours so that on the first day we can see these places and then transfer to Interlaken in the evening, say, at 6.30 pm? How far are these places from the Airport? Which trains/buses/metro go there? How can we go to Interlaken from Geneva using our swiss rail pass? How much is the journey time?
3. What time of the day does the swiss rail pass expire? This is important as we are planning to travel back to Rome in the evening of fourth day. How much is the price of the ticket from Interlaken to Rome Termini Station? Is the swiss rail pass going to save money? If so, how?
Mar 26th, 2010, 12:48 PM
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How can we go to Interlaken from Geneva using our swiss rail pass? How much is the journey time?>
There are direct trains hourly from Geneva Airport to Bern, where you switch to frequent trains to Interlaken - probably takes about three hours all told
3. What time of the day does the swiss rail pass expire?>
It expires at midnight of the final day - passes are figured in calendar days - midnight to midnight.
For questions like these as well as travel times, etc check out these superb sites: www.swisstravelsystem.com - with links to the Swiss Federal Railways site www.sbb.ch where you will find train schedules for any date you want - but pretty much they are all the same every hour everyday so if you date is not loaded yet just pick an earlier day that is - and also www.budgeteuropetravel.com - a really nice IMO chapter on Switzerland and Swiss trains; www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com
What do you mean travel back to Rome the evening - there are no longer any overnight trains from Switzerland to Rome - so you have to go during the daytime and it's a several hour journey - you use your Swiss Pass to the Swiss border - Brig if going to Rome from Interlaken (via Spiez) and then before boarding the train in Interlaken take your Swiss Pass to the ticket window and explain that you want to buy the supplemental Italian portion ticket so you need not get off the train at the Italian border to do so. that said there is a snafu between Italian and Swiss trains recently - with nearly no cross-border trains so you may well have to switch at Brig anyway - but try to buy the ticket in Interlaken - or for peace of mind by the Italian ticket from the same agent you buy your Swiss Pass from - maybe someone will know if it is possible to buy the Brig-Rome ticket in Interlaken, which i assume it is as always but with the recent spat between the two countries train systems i do not know.
There are direct trains hourly from Geneva Airport to Bern, where you switch to frequent trains to Interlaken - probably takes about three hours all told
3. What time of the day does the swiss rail pass expire?>
It expires at midnight of the final day - passes are figured in calendar days - midnight to midnight.
For questions like these as well as travel times, etc check out these superb sites: www.swisstravelsystem.com - with links to the Swiss Federal Railways site www.sbb.ch where you will find train schedules for any date you want - but pretty much they are all the same every hour everyday so if you date is not loaded yet just pick an earlier day that is - and also www.budgeteuropetravel.com - a really nice IMO chapter on Switzerland and Swiss trains; www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com
What do you mean travel back to Rome the evening - there are no longer any overnight trains from Switzerland to Rome - so you have to go during the daytime and it's a several hour journey - you use your Swiss Pass to the Swiss border - Brig if going to Rome from Interlaken (via Spiez) and then before boarding the train in Interlaken take your Swiss Pass to the ticket window and explain that you want to buy the supplemental Italian portion ticket so you need not get off the train at the Italian border to do so. that said there is a snafu between Italian and Swiss trains recently - with nearly no cross-border trains so you may well have to switch at Brig anyway - but try to buy the ticket in Interlaken - or for peace of mind by the Italian ticket from the same agent you buy your Swiss Pass from - maybe someone will know if it is possible to buy the Brig-Rome ticket in Interlaken, which i assume it is as always but with the recent spat between the two countries train systems i do not know.
Mar 26th, 2010, 01:10 PM
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I have another option regarding coming back to Rome. I am getting cheap air ticket from Basel to Rome. Is it adviseable? How much is the journey time from Interlaken/Bern to Bassel Airport?
Mar 28th, 2010, 04:49 AM
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I do not quite understand why you are devoting an entire day to travel from Interlaken through Luzern to Engleberg and Mt. Titlis.
Yes,
I realize the ascent to Mt. Titlis is interesting and you get to use the "rotair" revolving cable car on the third stage. Yes, the views are spectacular when you tet to the top and yes the trip from Luzern to Engleberg is pretty...
BUT, there are so MANY spectacular views right about Interlaken I personally think you are wasting time and CLOSER viewing opportunities with this segment but to each their own.
Yes,
I realize the ascent to Mt. Titlis is interesting and you get to use the "rotair" revolving cable car on the third stage. Yes, the views are spectacular when you tet to the top and yes the trip from Luzern to Engleberg is pretty...
BUT, there are so MANY spectacular views right about Interlaken I personally think you are wasting time and CLOSER viewing opportunities with this segment but to each their own.
Mar 29th, 2010, 10:19 AM
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How much is the journey time from Interlaken/Bern to Bassel Airport?> Not more than a couple of hours to Basel then five miles by bus or taxi to the airport.
Since it is such a long train ride from Interlaken to Rome i would consider flying if the price was right - by train you would probably spend about $80-100 from the Swiss border to Rome.
Since it is such a long train ride from Interlaken to Rome i would consider flying if the price was right - by train you would probably spend about $80-100 from the Swiss border to Rome.
Mar 30th, 2010, 01:45 AM
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Thanks Palenque. What is the fare for journey by train from Interlaken to Rome? I am not able to find it anywhere. Do we really not get the night/evening train from Interlaken to Rome so that we reach in the morning of next day? A reply from an expert is solicited.
Mar 30th, 2010, 10:57 AM
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Well a quick note for now - there are no overnight trains from Interlaken or anywhere in Switzerland to Rome - they were cancelled last year. To figure out the Interlaken to Rome train fare go to sbb.ch - Swiss Rail site and get the fare (in Swiss francs - about $1 to 1 Swiss Franc for practical purposes) and then go to www.trenitalia.com and get a fare from Como to Rome - try Lugano to Rome but Como is just a few minutes after Lugano so just a few bucks and add the fares together - but if you have a Swiss Pass you will only need a ticket for Lugano (or Como) to Rome - i think you could buy this Italian portion in Interlaken's trains stations but not positive. RailEurope in the U.S. will sell an Interlaken (or Lugano) to Rome ticket but at a bit higher price - yet that can be priceless for peace of mind, etc. For any RailEurope product i always advise calling one of their agents - BETS (800-441-2387; www.budgeteuropetravel.com) and ask the price and you could book as well - ask for Byron who i have bought passes from for years and can attest to his great personal service.
