vksingh

Dear Forum members,

Greetings. !!

I have 8 days/ Nights in Switzerland. I am entering from Innsbruk, Austria.

Based on the internet searches, and suggestions - I have decided as follows:

[a] Lucerne (3 days) + Lauterbrunen area (1 day)
[b] Montreux area (2 days)
[c] Zurich during last leg of journey

However, the challenge now is that part of the journey from lucerne to montreux is being repeated and this I want to avoid

Is there a better suggestion please on how to plan the trip.

regards

vivek

swandav2000

Hi vksingh,

There are two routes between Luzern/Zürich and Montreux: the quick way via Olten and Lausanne, or the longer, scenic, Golden Pass route via Zweisimmen and Gstaad. You can easily take one going to Montreux and one coming from Montreux.

You can find these routes on the Swiss rail site

www.sbb.ch

Have fun as you plan!

s

neckervd

You tell us that you will stay in the Interlaken area anyway. From there you have at least 4 possiblilities to reach Montreux:
Interlaken - Golden Pass - Montreux
Interlaken - Meiringen - Grimsel Pass - Oberwald - Brig - Montreux
Interlaken - Spiez - Visp - Montreux
Interlaken - Berne - Fribourg - Lausanne - Montreux

Montreux - Zurich:
Montreux - Lausanne - Bern - Zurich
Montreux - Lausanne - Biel/Bienne - Zurich
Montreux - Visp - Zurich
and from end May until end September only:
Montreux - Yverdon - boat - Murten - train - Zurich
Montreux - Yverdon - boat - Biel/Bienne - train - Zurich
Montreux - Neuchâtel - boat - Solothurn - train - Zurich

Innsbruck - Lucerne:
Innsbruck - Sargans - Rapperswil - Voralpen Express - Lucerne
Innsbruck - Zurich - Lucerne
Innsbruck - Chur - Glacier Express - Andermatt - Lucerne
Innsbruck - Landeck - Scuol - Samedan - Andermatt - Lucerne

vksingh

Dear All,

Thank you for kind replies.. I really appreciate you taking time out to help fellow traveller.. Helped me to sort out my itinerary

I don't want to rush my holiday as many travellers do when time is short, in desperation to cover lot of things.

Switzerland has exceptionally beautiful & lot to offer for everyone. I believe, it will not justify if I do not spend time at select locations.

Hence, my goal is to have a relaxed holiday and based on the feedback, I seek your advice for following two options:

Option 1: 3rd May ~ 10th May ( 11th May departure)

[a] 3rd May start from Innsbruck to Mountreux via Glacier express, change of train from Brig
[b] 3rd evening enjoy Mountreux Stay for 2 nights
[c] 4th - Chateau de Chillon/ Cheese factory etc/ Vevey
[d] 5th - morning depart for LAuterbrunen (Golden pass) - spend evening local visits
[e] 6th - Gindelwald/ Jungfrau
[f] 7th - Depart for lucern (local visit - museums etc and relax)
[g] 8th - Lake trip etc
[h] 9th ~ 10th - Zurich visit

Now to me also this looks extremely exhausting, but needed to put this to forum to know whether its practical and doable..
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Option 2: 3rd May ~ 10th May ( 11th May departure)

[a] 3rd May start from Innsbruck to Lauterbrunen via Glacier express, change of train from Brig
[b] 3rd - relax in lauterbrunen
[c] 4th - Gindelwald/ Jungfrau
[d] 5th - Schilthorn/ Interlaken ...?? if possible
[e] 6th ~8th : Lucern area including visit to Bern if possible
[f] 9th ~ 10th - Zurich visit

To me this looks more relaxed and in line with my thought process.. but guidance needed form forum
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Option 3: 3rd May ~ 10th May ( 11th May departure)

[a] 3rd May start from Innsbruck to Mountreux via Glacier express, change of train from Brig
[b] 3rd evening enjoy Mountreux Stay for 3 nights
[c] 4th - Chateau de Chillon/ Cheese factory etc
[d] 5th - Vevey and local sightseeing
[e] 6th ~8th : Lucern area including visit to Bern if possible
[f] 9th ~ 10th - Zurich visit
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Request the forum members for following advise:

[a] Though evident, need to know which is better from logistics and my objective point of view - specially from the seeing the real Switzerland
[b] Though I have been researching, what would be top sightseeing options, based on option finalised
[c] I there any way I can optimise my travel / itinerary
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I hope I am not asking too much..

Thank you all in advance

neckervd

May 3rd
Do you really want to waste a full day in trains?
Innsbruck dp 7.40 - Sargans 10.23/10.33 - Chur 10.52/11.26 - Brig 15.40 - Lauterbrunnen ar 17.25 resp Montreux ar 17.22.
I suppose you know that the most scenic legs of Glacier Express are St. Moritz - Chur and Brig - Zermatt/Matterhorn, (just those that you plan to skip) and that Bernina Express is usually considered more scenic than Glacier Express.

If I were you, I would rather leave Innsbruck the day before at 15.43, change at Landeck to a Swiss post Bus and arrive at Scuol at 18.28, spend the night in this exrtemely nice Engiadina village and thermal spa, go on the next morning at 9.34 by train to Pontresina and by Bernina Express to Tirano ar 13.00, have lunch there, continue at 14.20 by bus along Lake Como and Lake Lugano to Lugano ar 17.30 and sleep there.
Trains from Lugano to Lucerne run at least every hr. From Lucerne you could then continue to Interlaken etc - Golden Pass - Montreux and reach Zurich airport directly from Montreux in less than 3 hrs.
...

kja

I was under the impression -- which could well be wrong -- that early May is not an ideal time to visit the Bernese Oberland. I trust that the experts will weigh in.

I think neckervd has given you a very interesting option.

PalenQ

mid-May and early May are off seasons between summer hiking and winter sports and some key lifts may be out of operation for repairs at that time of year- check if you are planning to take any to see if they will be working then.

swandav2000

Hi vksingh,

A Swiss citizen I used to know called May "the mud month" because the snow was melting into rivers and onto pastures and because of all the rain. No, it's really not a good time to be in the mountains. It's fine for down in the flats or for around a lake though.

I agree with neckervd that you've planned in far too many trains trips & travels. I personally don't like to see scenic trains treated as a destination in themselves. While they are fine if you are going from point A to point B anyway, they are really a very poor way to see the landscape. Best way is to get outside and get away from man-made stuff -- find an easy trail and follow it for 20 minutes or so, and the scenery will be stunning. Far better imo to be outside with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face and the scenery as 360 deg.

As for the rest of your trip, option #1 doesn't give you nearly enough time to see what you've listed. Seeing the Chillon castle takes about 3-4 hours (the best thing about Montreux, imo, is the flowered lakeside promenade, and the best way to see it is to take the 45-minute-walk from Montreux to Chillon). Then, it will take 1h15 to travel from Montreux to Gruyeres to see the cheese demonstration, and I assume you'll want to spend a few hours there to enjoy the village on the hill or maybe another hour to go inside the castle. Then 1h15 back to Montreux. And for Vevey -- I really wouldn't give it less than 4 hours; that's enough time to explore the tangle of tiny streets, to enjoy the lakeside, and to have a bite to eat. So -- each of those activities is basically half-a-day.

You can conceivably see Gruyeres and the cheese factory while enroute either from Interlaken or to Interlaken -- it's just a small detour from Montbovon on the Golden Pass routing.

Your option 3 gives you a decent schedule for the Montreux area.

Have fun as you plan!

s

PalenQ

that Bernina Express is usually considered more scenic than Glacier Express>

Glacier Express most over-rated scenic train in Europe - highly publicized, graces tour brochure covers, marketed heavily but IMO not nearly as scenic as the Bernina Pass line and just about any train in the Jungfrau Region. Parts of it are sweet scenic as neckervd says but to take it as a marathon 9-hour run St Moritz to Zermatt has many folks pondering their tilting wine glasses and wine than the for Switzerland so-so scenery for much of the long march.