I'm taking my mom to Switz for our first time in late August for a couple of weeks. I'd like to do 2 or 3 of the scenic train routes - which are the best that time of year. Also - is it worth it get the Swiss Saver Pass for something like this and are these trains covered under it? Is it best to get hotel rooms in between and spend a night in a couple of the major towns?

I was looking for the same info a while back and found a long thread on scenic trains on Rick Steve's website (where you can also find what a Swiss pass will cover (vs. a Eurail pass w/Switzerland included). You should read (interpret) it yourself, but I remember that the Bernini Express was often named. Here are some links for more info:

Scenic Trains:

Glacier Express
http://www.glacierexpress.ch/

GoldenPass Line
http://www.mob.ch/GPS/accueil.htm?l=d

Bernina-Express <RhB>
http://www.rhb.ch/berninaexpress/berninaexpress.d.php

Brünigbahn <SBB>
http://www.bruenig.ch/html/region.asp

Centovalli <FART>
http://www.centovalli.ch/index_d.htm

Mont-Blanc-Express <TMR>
http://www.momc.ch/deutsch/mtBlanc.html

Saint-Bernard-Express <TMR>
http://www.momc.ch/deutsch/stBernard.html

Have a great trip!

Hi sandiedog,

As you can see from mberry's post, there are quite a lot of scenic trains in the area! We could help you more if you gave us an idea of your projected route and/or places of interest.

I've done the Golden Pass a few times (Montreux to Interlaken or on to Luzern) and really love it. I've also done the Bernina (Pontresina to Poschiavo) and thought it was the best. I've heard that the Glacier Express is overrated -- but do a text search here for more detailed information. Some of my friends love the Centovalli, especially when combined with a bike ride return (all downhill . . . !).

I think you ought to decide which area(s) of Switzerland you want to explore, then we can help you find the scenic routes nearby.

Let me know if I can help further.

s

Hi, I agree with S' (surprise, surprise) that the route from Montreux to Interlaken and on to Lucerne (via the beautiful Brunig Pass) is a favorite. I also like the Lucerne to Lugano route, which (I think) can be via the William Tell Express, and can include a boatride. I don't know how many changes of hotels you're planning, but there's no need to break any of the scenic rides -- you can choose places to stay at the beginning and end of each.

As for the 'pass' issue, there are threads here where folks say you should map out your trips, total them up by using one of the rail sites (like sbb.ch), and then compare that total with the cost of the Saver Pass. They insist that you don't often 'break even.' However, if you are like me and train, boat, and bus the life out of that little card, it will indeed be 'worth it.' It just depends upon your travel style. Later and I'm so envious of your trip! J.

I'll "third" Swanda's opinions.

The Golden Pass into Montreux is superb.

The Bernina Pass trip up out of Chur to Samedan and down into Poschiavo and Tirano is my favorite. Side trips to Davos and Arosa are a plus. And the associated Swiss bus from Tirano to Lugano around Como is interesting.

The Glacier Express is somewhat overrated. The best (and quickest) part is the eastern end near Chur.

Also worthy of note is the Zurich/Vienna segment from Sargens (near Chur) to Innsbruck.

All of these routes (including the easternmost part of the Glacier Express) are covered with a regular EurailPass.

When traveling these routes, take the regular (non-Panorama car) trains (unless you can get a front seat on the Golden Pass). They allow for open windows and are less crowded, which makes for a better trip in my experience.

Good morning, sndiedog
Couple of my favorite for senic rail in Ch are.
The Bernina route from Triano to St. Moritz, have taken this a couple of times, once in a blizzard and enjoyed it at all times.
The route from St. Moritz. the Abula
Route to Filisur over and thru the Landwasser viaduct and tunnel.
The route from Luzern to Lugano goes thru some superb scenery.
Agree, tho enjoyable is that the Glacier Express is a bit too long and does get boring toward the end ...
Also that dining car reservations on theGlacier are seperate from those to get reservation on the train....
Richard of LaGrange Park, IL.

From recent experience, the best way to see as much of Switzerland as possible and not miss little towns either, is to make use of the Swiss Saver or Swiss Flexi-Pass, with which you can travel for an unlimited number of train or bus trips during a certain time period, beginning on the first trip you actually take (it's stamped the same way any Eurail pass is). We found that the pass also let us on many funiculars, mountain trains, trams...skyrides...whatever, and several museums free or with discounts.

We took the Bernina and Galcier express trains in the Panaromic car.The views were something to remember.

Would this be too ambitious of an itinerary? Arrive in Bern for a few days - then travel on the Golden Pass (south to north and perhaps pick it up mid-way) spend a couple of days in Zurich, then on to Garmisch and then train south to Italy via Innbruck?

Hi sandiedog,

Thanks so much for giving us more info!

So if you want to do the Golden Pass, here's what I'd suggest.

Fly into Geneva & spend a few days on a town or village on the lake (Morges, Vevey, or Montreux spring to mind). Then take the Golden Pass to Interlaken or on to Luzern and stay there a few days -- make the decision if you want to be right IN the mountains (stay in Wengen or Grindelwald) or if you want to be on a lake (stay in Luzern). Then go on to Zurich/Garmisch/Innsbruck/Italy. To me, this makes more sense than going Bern-Montreux-Zurich, which is backtracking. If you're only interested in mountain views, forget about the scenic train and just get a scenic hotel -- in Wengen or Grindelwald!!

Let us know if we can help further --

s

This is such great info. Thanks for everyone's input. I already have plans to be in Bern with friends so perhaps a better itinerary for me is to start in Bern, then do the Bernina Express to Lugano and spend a couple of days in Lugano (is there much to do there?) and skip the Germany/Austria portion.
I'm just looking for an easy way to see as much of that part of Europe as possible. Any must sees that I'll miss out on with this itinerary?

Hi sandiedog,

Well, that's certainly a plan . . . do you know that getting from Bern to Pontresina (for the Bernina Express) will take about five hours by train? That's a whole wasted day of travel just to get to your start point! I think I'd go to Luzern and do the William Tell down to Lugano if I were you! I guess I consider Luzern to be a must-see for Switzerland, as is the Berner Oberland (villages of Wengen & Grindelwald). Will you get to the mountains while visiting your friends?

s

We plan to do daytrips from Bern to Interlaken and Lucerne so I will see those areas. Am I getting too hung up on scenic train ride? Will we see enough of the scenery just on those daystrips? I'm just not familiar enough with Switz. Is it worth heading up to Garmisch from Bern? I hear that the trip from Garmisch through Innsbruck to Verona is a nice train trip.

sandiedog,

Yes, I think you're emphasizing the "scenic trains" too much. These "scenic trains" are pretty much a marketing device plus large windows; most trains in Switzerland are very scenic, especially those on your routes to the BO and around Luzern.

It's hard to compare mountains -- though of course we do!! A poster named Ingo prefers the Swiss alps to those in southern Germany, and I also prefer the Swiss mountains to those in Austria. Do a text search here to get a good perspective from other travelers' tips & trip reports.

As I said before, I think you ought to decide where you want to go before you decide the routing!! Tell us where you're going, and we'll help you find a scenic way to get there.

s

Hi, Sandie. If I understand correctly, you are committed to staying several days in Bern, yes? (Did you catch S's mention that the Bernina Express does not begin in Bern? --with my apologies if you knew that already.)

Anyway, I'd suggest that you fit in Lucerne (or a town on its lake) as S' has described, and think of your three destinations as Bern, Lucerne, and Lugano. That's three very different views of Switzerland, and there are numerous daytrips possible from each. You will have beautiful scenery if you make sure that your rail route goes from Bern to Interlaken to Lucerne (which includes the Brunig Pass). As for heading south, you probably have two choices -- You can do the very pretty William Tell route from Lucerne to Lugano (and include the boat part if you wish), or you could probably go from Bern to Montreux and take that train route to Locarno and on to Lugano (IMO good views but not always a comfortable train). Of course, with that plan, you'd want to make a separate daytrip to Lucerne while in Bern. I'm rattling. I recommend the Brunig Pass route and the William Tell.
Good luck with your choices - so many wonderful places. J.

p.s. Sandie, I just realized that we don't know where you are flying in and out of. Maybe we don't have the big picture. Is this trip intended to combine Switzerland with Germany, Austria, and Italy? Or was your original intention a trip to Switzerland, and now all sorts of other places are tempting you? (I can certainly understand how that can happen, especially if you're thinking this is a once in a lifetime thing for your Mom.) If you can tell us that, it may cause us to adjust our input.

As to your question re Lugano: It is related to Italy in atmosphere, language, cuisine, and it's a very beautiful, interesting town with picturesque villages nearby on its lake (Gandria, Morcote), and a town of castles just to the north (Bellinzona). But Ticino is not the Switzerland you see usually on calendars. J.

I actually live in Milan - recently moved here - so I'll be going in and out of Milan area. But I'm not tied to any timeframe or itinerary. I like your suggestion about taking the William Tell down to Lugano - I can catch a train from anywhere back to Milan. Thanks!

I too love trains, scenic or non-scenic, but what amazed and interested me about taking the Golden Pass last summer was the ride past Gstaad but before Lausanne through tiny Swiss villages barely found on a map. It was exhilarating, especially combined with the mountainous backdrop.

Well, I've done some research based on all the info you all have provided and here's an option:

On our last day, we will take the train to Lucerne and spend a day there and then the following day get up and take the William Tell down to Lugano. One question - is Lucerne accessible on foot from the train station? Can anyone recommend a decent 3 star hotel in Lucerne that we can get to relatively easily?
Sound like a good plan?

My wife and I walked from the station to the Hotel des Balances in 2002. We had LARGE rolling luggage, and will only have carry on size in the future!!

It was an easy walk, but the cobblestones hinder the rolling wheels a bit. The des Balances was a GREAT hotel. We had a room with a balcony directly across from the Jesuit Church, looking out on the river and covered bridges and on toward Lake Lucerne. It was only $150.00 in 2002, but I see it is about $350.00 t his year. All in all, it was our favorite hotel on that trip!