Drive a few days; rail the rest in Switzerland
 

I keep going back and forth about whether to rent a car or take the train. I know most posters here favor the train. My dilemna is that I can seem more because I will spend less time traveling. For example Montreux to Gruyeres is 25 minutes by car and about 1h4 40min by train. Bern is only 50 minutes by car but it takes twice that long by train. Since I will only have 1 1/2 days to spend in the Montreux/Bern area, it seems like I could meander more by car. Ideally I would rent the car for two days (at geneva airport-drop it at Montreux), and then travel by rail through the Berner Oberland (thun, brienz, wengen) and lucerne.

We will be in Switzerland for 81/2 days. I'm debating about whether to rent a car for 4 days and do the montreux-bern area as planned, spend two nights near brienz and then drop the car and take the train for the last 5. One disadvantage to this is that we'll miss taking the Golden Pass and I was looking forward to one good train ride. Another concern is that it may get awfully expensive to do both. I suppose I could just rent the car for the whole time and drive around in the evening (it should stay light pretty late in late May) after hiking or visiting historic and cultural sites.

I'm open to any suggestions.

Here's a general principle I use in making a car rental decision - - not always 100% true - - but it is for the most part.

Rent 1 day - - pay for: 3 days
Rent 2 days - - pay for: 3 days
Rent 3 days - - pay for: 3 days
Rent 4 days - - pay for: 4 days
Rent 5 days - - pay for: 5 days
Rent 6 days - - pay for: 5 days
Rent 7 days - - pay for: 5 days
Rent 8 days - - pay for: 6 days
Rent 9 days - - pay for: 7 days

Thus, 7 days is the "sweet" spot; however, you have to balance that against how many days (out of 7, for example) will you really genuinely need the car - - versus parking and other expenses you have to bear because you rationalized a full 7 days rental.

Best wishes,

Rex

Hi stillhouse,

Here's something that's brand-spanking-new at SBB: Carsharing! I've never done it, but here's the site for basic info:

http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisemarkt/...carsharing.htm

It provides a link to the company, www.mobility.ch, but that site is only in French & German.

As I understand it, there are 800 vehicles located at 350 train stations, and you rent the car just for the day/trip. So maybe you'd just pick up the car at the Montreux gare and use it for the day & return it. I haven't gotten to the fares yet.

Have fun investigating!

s

We tend to drive when we go to Switzerland because we can enjoy it better by car. I also don't think the swiss trains are as nice as the trains in Germany in general and yet the fares are quite high. If there are two or more people travelling together, it would probably cost the same as renting a car. If you're looking for cheap short term rentals, check out sixti.com (or sixti.ch)

Thanks, I checked both suggestions. Sixti.com looks like a bargain if you can drop the car back at the same location. The website didn't seem to allow for a one way trip and pickups were only available in Geneva and Zurich. The other consideration is that while the rental of the car itself is cheap (especially if a mini will do) there is a charge for excess mileage (e.g. for a 9 day rental of a midi only 1050km were allowed. After that the rental charge was approx 22 cents per km.

The carsharing through raillink is great if you don't need the car for long and or aren't going far. I tried estimating a trip from montreux-gruyeres-bern-murten-montreux, assuming I'd have the car about 10 hours. It would cost about 90SF. That's not so bad, but unfortunately there is a 4 month trial membership cost of an additional 70SF. I'm going to keep playing with this, though to see where else I would want a car and what the total ultimately would be.

I can rent a compact car from Auto Europe for 9 days for 350US$. The killer will be the cost of gas which I haven't yet calculated.

Still haven't decided on car vs rail, so other thoughts are appreciated.

Can you really drive from Montreux to Gruyeres in 25 minutes and what will the driver see during this run? There is a spectacular train journey from Montreux to Gruyeres. You have to change trains several times, but all of you will be able to enjoy the scenery. You could then train to Bern.
Go to the Swiss Rail site and check out the map and the pass options. The pass usually includes local transit systems.
I haven't driven in Switzerland since 1976 and always use the excellent Swiss transportation system.
You also save on the often expensive parking in the cities. Even a small car slurps up expensive gasoline. Have you checked Swiss gas prices lately?

Stillhouse -

I'm a huge fan of Swiss Rail. I've never driven in Switzerland and don't feel the need to, but I cover alot of ground and tend to spend time in car free resorts.

Here are some figures that might help you reach a decision.

The 2nd class 8 day Swiss Pass is currently $255 per person.

The 2nd class 8 day Swiss Saver Pass (for 2 or more people) is $217 per person.

If you decide to travel by train, you may have to pay for point to point tickets on your last day of travel, but if you're just going to the airport, it's not a big deal. Another option is to pay for a 15 day pass and only use what you need, but if it's just for one extra day, it won't make sense financially.

I don't know how many people are in your party, but personally, I think 90 CHF is alot for a one day car rental.

Keep in mind that Swiss Passes also cover the Golden Pass route (although there may be a reservation fee). They also cover post buses, lake steamers, and some funiculars. You also get discounts on most cable cars, gondolas, etc.

The Swiss rail system is clean and incredibly efficient. It's also nice to just sit back and let someone else drive.

Okay, that's my argument for taking the train.

Let us know what you decide.

Good luck.

I'm also a big railfan, especially in Switzerland, BUT I realize that a car gives ultimate flexibility IF you actually take advantage of that flexibility.

My only other question is WHO is doing the driving and is that person getting as much enjoyment as the person(s) who are sitting back and relaxing and "going along for the ride?"

I too question the ability to get from one place to another as easily in a car as on the train; sometimes yes and sometimes no.

But, ultimately, you have to make a final decision and go with it. On your SECOND TRIP you'll know ALL "the" answers.

I see from another posting that you are traveling with your 18 year old son. He would be eligible for a youth pass, which would decrease your costs for the train. (Too bad he's not younger; kids under 16, I think, ride free).

I favor trains, because I am the driver in our family and I would rather watch the scenery than the road. That, and I like to have wine with dinner, so I don't want to have to drive home.

Don't forget that the train passes also give you access to local busses, postal busses, and lakeboats (something you might want to try from Thun or Brienz).

If you really want to see the countryside, take the train and rent bicycles at the train station. Of course, there is the little matter of elevation changes.

I may be the lone ranger for touring Switzerland by car, but if you're still considering Sixti, you can use maporama.com to figure out your total kilometer for the route. I think your Geneva to Geneva circle tour is under 700 km, so there are plenty of extra kilometers for meandering before you reach the 1050 km allowance.

By far, it's the most economical way of seeing Switzerland at $10 per day plus gas. I also prefer to have a car so I can stop anywhere I please without having to drag a suitcase.

That said, I have to be honest with you, I have never rented a car from Sixti. You have to consider how comfortable it'll be for you driving a small car for 8 days. I normally concentrate on one area at a time when I visit Swtzerland, so driving is definitely better than taking the train, but you're planning a grand circle.

Nothing wrong with car rental! The roads in Switzerland are near perfection. I've done the trip Vevey to Gruyeres by car and it was nice and easy. Very convenient, plenty of availability to look at the passing scenery.

I visit a friend who lives there and we use her car for day trips. To get around town to town (i.e., from Montreux to Vevey or Lausanne or Geneva) then we go by train or bus.

Is this your first trip to Switzerland? If so, I'd suggest the train. First, you really get to see the scenery, not try to juggle driving, watching and looking for road signs in a different language. Second, there is nothing more fun than taking a train, having a wine or beer in the dining car, meeting people and/or just kicking back and letting someone else worry about getting you there. Third, unless you are in an Amtrack town, we have nothing like that here. Finally, if you have an 18 year old with you, he'll love it too: a chance to stretch his legs, get away from the parents a bit and experience something totally European.

Then, once you learn the area and can't resist the urge to return, you can consider taking a car. I don't think you'll regret the train.

I too have decided to hire a car for our five days in Switzerland. We got quite a good price for a seven day rental (cheaper than the opposition company for their five day price). My decision was based on a number of issues a main one being that the roads are fantastic in Switzerland. I like the option of being able to get 'off the beaten track' if the desire so takes us. Yes I definitely like the idea of driving through Switzerland and having the freedom to come and go when I choose.

I have done both train and car in Switzerland a number of times. As the previous poster said the roads are generally wonderful. The downsides--the cars are usually small and don't hold much luggage, gas prices are high, the driver does get cheated when it comes to scenery (and I've done all the driving), in the cities (Bern, Geneva and Zurich especially) a car is an expensive, unnecessary headache, and it is totally useless in the car-free resorts like Zermatt and Wengen. However, I agree that if you're outside of the cities, a car can be a big time saver and gets you to certain places quickly and easily that the train doesn't (for example the Schilthorn cable-car and much of the Engadine). For this reason, we usually do some of each.

Thanks for all the feedback. Although I keep wavering, I'm leaning toward renting a car for the 9 days we're in Switzerland. I got a rate of $359US from Auto Europe and my son is in favor of driving. I need to try predicting gas prices, parking etc to determine how much more it will ultimately cost.

Yes, I'm the driver, but I don't have a problem sightseeing and driving--and I have the ultimate control of stopping whenever I want to. Interestingly, given the predominant view that the train is better, I had emailed the swiss tourist bureau (myswitzerland.com) to inquire about parking costs around Lauterbrunnen and the person responded volunteered that renting a car was a wonderful way to see Switzerland and enjoy all of the small towns.