4 N trip for Switzerland
 

Hello Folks,
After finalizing my trip for Netherlands(Amsterdam and nearby areas) and France(Paris+Disneyland) with your suggestions, now need few more with Switzerland trip.

I will be traveling from Paris to Basel by TGV and reaching Basel around 5:30 PM ...
After reaching, roam around the city (if possible) and stay night in Basel. (1N)

Next Morning, travel to Lauterbrunnen and stay at Camping Jungfrau - Holiday Park for 2 nights. (2N)

Move to Lucrene city on 3rd day morning, visit Lucrenee whole day and take evening train to Zurich.
night in Zurich. (1N)

Roam around Zurich on 4th day and take a return flight from there in evening at 6:30 PM..

Queries :
1) Need suggestions for places to visit during 2 day in Lauterbrunnen
2) As i will be traveling by train i.e. Basel to Lauterbrunnen , Lauterbrunnen to Lucrene and Lucrene to Zurich apart from if i need to take some other train to visit .. so buying a swiss pass for 3 days is worth ? i can plan to buy a pass for 20-21-22 days ..
3) what about other express trains (glacier etc .. )

Lucerne has a direct rail link to the Zurich airport. Trains leave every 30 minutes and take 70 minutes to get there. So you could stay in Lucerne on your last night and skip Zurich entirely. I think most people would recommend exploring Lucerne instead of Zurich for a first time visitor to Switzerland.

The area around Lauterbrunnen has a lot to offer in the summer months. Lots of hiking options, biking, outings to the Jungfraujoch and the Schilthorn peaks, lake cruises, a Swiss open-air museum, paragliding, Trummelback falls, and easy access to Bern as a day trip.

Not an expert on Switzerland but have been to Lauterbrunnen valley twice so I'll throw out a few thoughts:
1. Why spend night in Basel. I'd shift that night to Lauterbrunnen so that I could have 2 full days there.
2. We stayed in Wengen on one trip and Murren on the other, and LOVED being up on the mountain. Don't stay in Lauterbrunnen. You'll just find yourself looking up into the mountains thinking "wow...wish I was up there!".
3. Things to do - Trummelbach Falls, trip up to Schilthorn or Jungfrau, boat tour on Thun or Brienz lakes (do this on way in or out), para sail into the valley
4. Take a hike - one we really enjoyed was to take the train up to the Schynige Platte station and walk along the ridge of the mountain with the lake on one side and the mountains on the other

This will be one of the most beautiful places you have ever been...needs at least 2 full days.

For lots of info on Swiss trains and transports -you may want to look at a 4-consecutive Swiss Pass- check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

the only scenic train you could take on your itinerary is the Golden Pass scenic train Interlaken-Lucerne - goes up and over the Brunig Pass.

PalenQ, would you suggest me to buy a swiss pass given the itinerary that i have shown above?
As i saw that traveling by train is costly in Switzerland without pass and with pass we get cheaper deals also everwhere ?

check the regular fares at www.sbb.ch - Swiss Railways web site -it all depends on how much you travel once in say Lauterbrunnen -pass gives 50% off all cable ways and most trains to mountain tops- and for easiness of use just hop on any regular train, boat, bus, tram anytime.

Hard to say but you probably would not lose much by buying a pass and could spend more if not buying - it all depends - like a lake boat trip on Lake Lucerne that day - a few-hour float could be neat.

But do the maths.

Do the usual Fodor-people-things around Lauterbrunnen. If the weather is really bad, visit Berne or may be the St. Beatus Caves and Oberhofen Castle.

Railpass: all depends on the mountain railways resp. boats you may use from Lauterbrunnen and Lucerne.
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/billette.html

@wekiva, my purpose of staying a night in basel is based on that i may get 2-3 hours in Basel assuming days are long in summers and roam around Basel city before starting early morning to Lauterbrunen ..
>> 3. Things to do - Trummelbach Falls, trip up to Schilthorn or Jungfrau, boat tour on Thun or Brienz lakes (do this on way in or out), >>
Above trips are like guided tours organized by some one else or one can plan by yourself .. I think for all these places, transportation might not be an issue or we have to cover lot of ground by walk ?

I was planning to take a return journey via golden pass train from Interlakken to Zweisimmen and then to Montreux for one day, is it feasible?

I was planning to take a return journey via golden pass train from Interlakken to Zweisimmen and then to Montreux for one day, is it feasible?>

possible but a long day -I would take the mainline faster route back via Lasuanne - Bern - Interlaken.

this is not a dramatically scenic train line though it is scenic but not awesomely like the portion Interlaken-Ost to Lucerne - otherwise you may find the long day on trains a bit tedious. You would have very little time in Montreux.

I'd say skip it and do excursions around Lake Lucerne or Lakes Thun or Brienz.

"I was planning to take a return journey via golden pass train from Interlakken to Zweisimmen and then to Montreux for one day, is it feasible?"

As you want to move to Lucerne anyway, you would better take your luggage with you, put it into the lockers at Montreux railway station and go directly from Montreux to Lucerne in the evening. May be like this:
Lauterbrunnen dp 8.33 - Interlaken - Goldenpass Panoramic - Montreux ar 12.13, short commuter train or citybus ride to Chillon castle and back. Board then the 5pm historic paddle steamboat and ride along the Lavaux vineyards to Lausanne ar 18.32 (from April 14th), leave Lausanne at 19.50 by direct Lucerne bound train and arrive there at 22.00.

>> 3. Things to do - Trummelbach Falls, trip up to Schilthorn or Jungfrau, boat tour on Thun or Brienz lakes (do this on way in or out), >>
Above trips are like guided tours organized by some one else or one can plan by yourself .. I think for all these places, transportation might not be an issue or we have to cover lot of ground by walk ?

These are all things you can do yourself. For the Falls you just take a bus ride north south from Lauterbrunnen for 10 minutes and pay to enter. It's incredible where the melting water from several glaciers formed neat caves you can walk through.

Schilthorn or Jungfrau are two mountain tops on opposite sides of the Lauterbrunnen valley. You can probably get tickets to the top of each at the train station in Lauterbrunnen. It's far more expensive than you would think it would be...maybe $100 if you don't have some type of pass (there are many which PalenQ can help clarify).

The boat tours of Thun or Brienz would be scheduled and paid for in Interlaken. We took the old paddle boat from Spiez to Interlaken and loved it.

You'll use trains to get to all of these-except the bus to the falls.

I've stayed in Grindelwald, Murren, Wengen and Lauterbrunnen.

They all have their good points.

I rather like Lauterbrunnen - it's a transport hub, and you can get anywhere in the BO from there with ease.

Don't be deterred from staying in Lauterbrunnen - if you are short on time and have a long wish list for the BO, it could well be the best choice for you.

The boat tours of Thun or Brienz would be scheduled and paid for in Interlaken>

Ditto to Wakiva's boat tour suggestion. To clarify - you can just show up for those boats -no need to reserve and not sure that that is even possible.

. It's far more expensive than you would think it would be...maybe $100>

I think it is may be more than that.

Yes check out the Berner Oberland Pass - sold locally - that covers many transports in both the Jungfrau and Lucerne areas. Buy a cheap ticket at www.voyages-sncf.com for discount tickets all the way to Interlaken or at least close to it.