Hmm, not sure how that nasty face happened. Meant to say 11h30.

Chaumont restaurants are nothing to write home about.
But I can't find agian all the boat timetable links I sent you yesterday. Is there still another thread from you?

This is my only thread here. The site I've been using for boat schedules is the one Ingo posted www.bielersee.ch I looked at the many different schedules there and didn't see a 11:30 departure from Neuchatel... I just thought maybe I was missing a schedule.

ttt

My answer got obviously lost. Here it is again:

There are 2 different boat companies operating between Solothurn - Biel/Bienne - La Neuveville - Ntel - Murten - Estavayer - Yverdon All have second class only. Tickets, railpasses etc. are valid on all boats of both companies. But they didn't manage to publisch a common timetable. Therefore, you find the Biel/Bienne - ntel - Murten boats in 2 differnt timetables:
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadm.../2013/3214.pdf
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadm.../2013/3215.pdf

Other boat lines:
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadm...013/3217.1.pdf
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadm...013/3216.1.pdf
http://www.navig.ch/pdfhoraire/horaire13-ete.pdf

Thank you Neckervd! I've made a note of all the schedules. It really is crazy the number of different boat schedules for the same area. Tell me, how exactly do you know when you reach the dock which boat you're getting on? ie: which direction you're travelling. Is there a sign of some kind that shows the schedule for the departing boat? With my luck I'll hop on the boat expecting to go in one direction and end up going to a different place.

Don't worry! The destination and sailing time of the boat is clearly indicated at the respective pier (only Biel/Bienne. Neuchatel and Murten have more than 1 pier). In addition, there is a crew member on the bridge between the pier and the boat who welcomes people boarding the boat and cries all the time where the boat goes to (at Biel Bienne for example: nach Twann - St. Petersinsel - Neuenstadt - Murten, pour Douanne - Ile de St-Pierre - La Neuveville - Morat!!)

Wonderful! Thank you. :-) I speak French fairly well so in the french areas, I can ask but my german, despite my attempts over the past few months, is woefully bad.

Oddly one would think that Deutscher Swiss or German-speaking Swiss would also speak French in this basically bi-loingual country )actually quad-lingual but most of the country is split into French and German speaking areas with Italian and Romanisch a small part only - but I have found out that the German speakers do not generally understand French and vice versa so your French will not come in handy in German areas - but both groups use English as a common language I have seen so communicating in Switzerland is never a problem.

Educated Swiss German people speak French, others don't.
The crews of boats, trains, cablecars etc. around Biel/Bienne speak all French, otherwise they wouldn't have got the job.

It's not unusual that shopkeepers at Biel greet clients who they don't know with: Bonjour der Herr
and continue:
was wuenscht der Monsieur vous desirez?

German speaking Bieler make sentences like:
D'Horlogerie isch gaeng es guets metier gsi
whereas French speaking Biennois may say:
Le Huesli de cette vielle Muetter etait tellement heimelig.
That's Biel/Bienne!

Educated Swiss German people speak French, others don't.>

Of course folks right near the demarcation language line would have to more speak both but in general it seems to me that English is the language most German and French-speaking Swiss speak to each other in and for the English-speaker many Swiss speak English IME.

...although it's often difficult to find out who is a Swiss German speaking perfectly French and who is a Suisse Romand.

And there is of course another (psychological) barrier: many Suisses Romands who speak German don't understand the Swiss German dialects. In these cases, Swiss Germans who are not very famous in French prefer to speak English rather than good German.

English is the lingua franca in many multinational firms, however.

But your statement "English is the language most German and French-speaking Swiss speak to each other" is not correct, I'm sorry!

But your statement "English is the language most German and French-speaking Swiss speak to each other" is not correct, I'm sorry!>

Sorry but I did not mean that as a fact but just what I have seen - most German and French Swiss probably rarely talk to each other anymore than French talk to German.

While you're in Basel, some fun things to do that aren't on the usual tourist radar:
Go dragon-boating on the Rhine. Wednesday evenings (18:30), you can try it free with the Basel dragonboating club. http://www.drachenboot.ch/764

Look for bargains at Basel's brockis. I'd be happy to meet you for a drink and show you around the best brockis.

If it's a hot day, cool off with a country swim in the pool at Gelterkinden, a short S-bahn ride from Basel. Bring a picnic or get a snack there. Admission is only 5 francs per person. Note: to get to the pool from the Gelterkinden train station, it's a short bus ride or a 10-15 minute walk through town.

Catch the scenic bus to Reigoldswil and then ride up in the gondola to the highest point in the area. There are two bus routes from Liestal, the 70 and the 71. The 70 is faster, but the 71 route is MUCH prettier, goes through villages and the final hill descent into Reigoldwil is fab.
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/reig...aterfalls.html

Walk among the vineyards in Ettingen (reached by the number 10 tram). Afterwards, stop at the Rebstock cafe to try the local wines, have a homemade pastry or snack, and say hello to Lucy, their sweet and friendly border collie.

On Sundays, dip a toe in France by taking the number 10 tram past Ettingen to Leymen and having Sunday lunch at La Couronne d'Or. http://www.couronne-leymen.ch/franz/fs_restaurant.html
Note: Leymen streets are steep! You can also climb up through the hills to the Leymen castle ruins.