Austria to Switzerland
 

I am still planning the last leg of my Italy, Austria and Switzerland trip. Can someone confirm for me how long it would take to travel by train from St. Johann im Pongau, Austria to the Interlaken area of Switzerland (Wengen, Grindelwald, etc)? If I am looking at the train schedules correctly it looks like about 9 1/2 hrs. I really want to see that area but 9 1/2 hrs on a train is a long time. Also any suggestions for good accomadations in the Interlaken area?
Thanks again for any advice you can give me!

Yes, 9 1/2 hours is correct. The reason that it takes so long is that there are multiple changes of train. It would be about 6 1/2 hours from St. Johann to Zurich, then about 3 more from Zurich to Wengen or Grindelwald changing in Bern and Interlaken Ost.

We did the reverse last year: Lauterbrunnen to Zell am See. It was a long day but not horrible. Kind of a relaxing day after traveling for two weeks. There were four changes for us if I am remembering correctly. Even arrived early at one stop and was able to catch the earlier train. Added bonus.

I told you more than once (in your previous threads) that it would make more sense to visit Switzerland BETWEEN your 2 stays in Northern Lombardy and in the Salzburg area than backtracking all the way from Salzburg.
But if you prefer to waste a full day with a train ride from Salzburg along a lot of mountrain valleys up to the Swiss border and then via Zurich to the Jungfrau area, you are freee to do so.

Neckervd, I understand what you are saying but we are committed to our first week in timeshare at ponte di legno then second week in St Johann im Pongau, back to back. I realize now it would have made more since to do this in the opposite order but we cannot change our reservations therefore we will make the best of it and ride the train for a day. We will do the Bernina Express while we are in Ponte di Legno if we decide to do that experience.

If going to the Jungfrau Region and then the Bernina Express you are traveling enough on trains to warrant a good look at the Swiss Pass or Half-Fare Card or Swiss Card - all of them cover many conveyances in the Jungfrau Region and lake boats, postal buses. Great sites for info on Swiss trains and Bernina Express: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

The Bernina Express is to me the most dramatically scenic train in Switzerland if not Europe - don't miss it. A unique way to get there from the Interlaken area is to take a thrilling postal bus ride to Andermatt to join the Glacier Exress route to St Moritz vs going via Spiez, Brig and Andermatt.

Thanks PalenQ for the info. Just to clear up for everyone our agenda is to fly into Rome for 3 days and nights, then spend one week in Ponte di Legno with our timeshare. We will probably do the Bernina Express on a day trip from there since that was recommended by someone on here. Then we go to St. Johann im Pongau for another week in our timeshare. After that we have 4 days and nights left before we fly out of Zurich. That's why I am thinking of leaving Austria, spending Sat on a train for the Interlaken area and still having 3 full days in that area before flying out of Zurich Wed at noon. I'm open to any other ideas or suggestions however our flights and timeshare weeks are committed. Thanks!

Palen:
just in order to make it clear:
Grammy will stay at Ponte di Legno, geographically close to Tirano, but 2 1/4 hrs away by public bus (with 1 lay over): earliest possible arrival at Tirano at 10.20 am, latest possible departure from Tirano at 17.00.
After his stay at Ponte di Legno, he will travel during a whole day from there via Trento - Innsbruck to a small place close to Salzburg and stay there for another week.
Then he will sacrify another full day for the way back to Innsbruck - Zurich - Wengen.
4 days later, he will fly home from Zurich.

Within Switzerland, he will travel from the border to Wengen and from Wengen to Zurich airport for sure and he MAY travel from Tirano to Pontresina or so and back and from Wengen to other places in the Jungfrau area.

Under these circumstances, a Swiss Pass (or rather a FLEXI Pass) might not be the best solution.
May be he gets a highly discounted web ticket from Salzburg up to Zurich, may be he travels via Munich and takes there the bus up to Zurich, may be he doesn't make many excursions from Wengen .......

it depends on the "maybe" I guess. But if that's all they are doing then yes no pass.