8 or 9 days in Switzerland
 

I will arrive in Zurich on April 1. I am trying to figure out a way to maximize my time while I am there. I am thinking Interlaken, Matterhorn, and glacier express. I arrive in Zurich at 8 am. So I was curious if I should go straight to Interlaken as soon as I get there. I will be heads to Vienna after Switzerland. Preferably to fly from Zurich to Vienna. If you have any suggestions please help. Any changes would be helpful too. Also if I take the glacier express would it be worth just getting of at Chur as opposed of going all the way to St. Moritz.

I would spend 3 days or so in the Jungfrau Region and Interlaken area - more if possible as there are so so many varied things to do and then head up to Zermatt and the Matterhorn.

To me the Glacier Express between Brig and Chur is hardly the most scenic train ride in Switzerland - the most scenic part of the GE run is actually from Brig/visp to Zermatt which you will take to reach Zermatt - lots of local trains in addition to the pricey Glacier Express.

If you take the GE the other next most scenic part of it IMO is the portion from Chur to St Moritz - like when the train rolls over the fabled Albula Loops where the train rolls into and out of tunnels and onto circular viaducts as it sinuously works its way up to the St Mortiz area.

Actually what to me is the most scenic train in all of Switzerland and Europe is the Bernina Pass train - again lots of locals but also the official Bernina Express tourist oriented train like the GE in that sense. But the scenery is so so awesome - a Top of the World scenery of glacier-girdled Alpine peaks tumbling down to a placid glacier-fed lake if you do not want to go to Zermatt you could head to St Moritz and stay there a few days so you could experience the Bernina Pass trains as a whole day thing - getting off to walk to glaciers or from one station to the other, etc.

And it is a straight shot from St Moritz via Chur to Zurich or the Austrian border at Bucks and the train ride to Vienna is really scenic as well. Split your journey in say Innsbruck or Salzburg, the latter IMO one of the most gorgeous cities in all of Europe.

For Switzerland with such wide-ranging travels by all means consider the Swiss Pass, valid not only on nearly all trains but also on lake boats (a float on either lake bookending Interlaken to me is a real treat - especially on a nice sunny day when the high Alps ringing the lakes are out in all their glorious majesties, the pass also passes on postal buses and city trams and buses. Actually an 8-consecutive-day pass is a great bargain if you can fit it to your time frame - would cover virtually all your travels from city trams and buses, airport trains and all other trains just about and also gives 50% off on cable ways to mountain tops - also gives free entry to over 400 Swiss museums like some neat ones in Zurich.

for loads of great info on Swiss trains and passes I always spotlight these fine fine IMO sites - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com. Swiss passes let you just hop on any boat, train, bus, etc without formality - just flash the pass at the conductor when they come by.

Thanks for your input PalemQ. So is it best to go straight to Interlaken from the airport and how far is Zurich from Vienna by train. Also can I use my Swiss pass leaving from Zurich to Vienna since I am leaving from Switzerland to go.

Go to www.sbb.ch for train schedules and pricing.

April 1 is not an ideal time to visit the Bernese Oberland.

Just sayin'.

Tschuss,
Pepper

Hi Chris_Vinson,

I strongly disagree with PalQ about the two most-scenic parts of the GE; to me, the most scenic part is its highest point, between Andermatt and Disentis. The rest of the trip is no better or no worse than any other train ride through the mountains.

Oooh, but I do strongly agree that the Bernina Express is more scenic than the GE. And in fact, to me, the most scenic trains in order are:

Golden Pass (between Montreux & Zweisimmen)
Bernina Express (between St. Moritz & Poschiavo)
Glacier Express (particularly the part between Disentis & Andermatt)

Anyway, yes, it's a good idea and ultra easy to go directly from the airport to Interlaken and the Jungfrau area. There is a train station in the basement of the airport, and you can be there by lunchtime.

Here is one possible itinerary:

Jungfrau area x2 nights
Train to Brig, then catch the GE to St. Moritz, stay x3 nights (do the Bernina Express as a day-trip)
Train to Zürich, stay x2 nights, fly out.

Have fun as you plan!

s

In any case the classic GE, between Zermatt and Chur/St Moritz is a 6-8 marathon where even folks never been to Switzerland quickly IME get jaded by the scenery and start giving their attentions to the famous tilting wine glasses.

I strongly disagree with PalQ about the two most-scenic parts of the GE; to me, the most scenic part is its highest point, between Andermatt and Disentis. The rest of the trip is no better or no worse than any other train ride through the mountains.>

Just recently went over that stretch and was non-plussed but beauty is in the eye of the beholder - I'll take the stretch going up from St Niklass to Zermatt as awesomely scenic - actually see some glaciers as you near Zermatt -

the GE was named after glaciers it once passed by on the way up and down the Furka Pass where it did roll right close to the famous Aletsch Glacier, stretching down from the Jungfrau on its south side - but since this route was perpetually blocked during winter by snow the GE could not run year-round and to accommodate this gold maker from foreign tourists who flock to it because it is so so heavily promoted and little inherent reason IMO a new tunnel was burrowed under the Furka Pass so now there are not glaciers there to be seen.

Maybe between Disentis and Andermatt you can glimpse glaciers in the distance - I do not recall but the only glaciers I do recall were right near Zermatt.