kerouac

A vignette is 40€. It takes 15 seconds to buy one at the border.

melodyesch

I think your concern is more the threat the stations within and around Paris? One thing that you might want to think about is renting your car and dropping it off somewhere along the train route while still IN France and catching the train onto Bern. Dijon, for example.

That way you wouldn't need to worry about renting from the airport, as you wouldn't need to take the car across the boarder. And most rental agencies I don't think charge a drop off fee while inside France. We've rented from Europcar and they didn't.

Either way, have a nice trip. Personally, if you do it your way, I would NOT take the time to stop at the chateau. You'd hate to do that and then run into a problem on the road and miss your drop off time in Bern.

brubenow

Weisser Tee- thank you, I'll be sure not to leave luggage in the car unattended. I think we'll end up skipping the chateau just for the sake of saving time.

Whathello- I'll be sure to ask Hertz when we pick up the car about the vignette. If they don't have one for the car, Ill do as Kerouac says and buy at the border. Do you buy at the actual border crossing or at the first gas station you come to?

Melodyesch- that's actually a good idea. I hadn't thought of just renting the car to get out of Paris then picking up the train down the road. I'll look into that. Thanks for the idea.

brubenow

Melodyesch- it was a good idea, but after doing some research, the cost of the rental car from Paris to Dijon plus the cost of the train tickets for 4 of us from Dijon to Bern, end up totaling the same amount as renting a car from Paris to Bern. I would have an easier time picking up the rental at Gare de Montparnasse rather than at Orly, but then I would have to worry about being in Dijon on time to catch the train there. So I think I'll stick with my original plan. But thanks for the suggestion- it almost worked!

kerouac

In the old days, you could buy the vignette at the Swiss customs post. But since Switzerland joined the Schengen zone, it's true that the border crossing might be unmanned, although I doubt it.

When you pick up your car, you should ask Hertz if they have one with a vignette on it already -- there are always a few cars that do, although it is rare.

brubenow

OK, I'll do that, thank you.

kerouac

One tip I can give you about driving in Switzerland is that the color codes are reversed for the main highway signs. In France, the freeway (mostly toll) signs are blue and the other main highway signs are green. In Switzerland, the freeway signs are green and the normal highway signs are blue. Since I have not always bought a vignette (you don't need one if you don't drive on the freeway), I sometimes have temporary difficulty processing which road I am allowed to use.

neckervd

Swiss border posts on highways are always manned although cars are usually not stopped.
The best place for changing from car to public transport along the Franco-Swiss border is the Aéroport de Bâle Mulhouse. From there you have frequent bus-train connections to about everywhere in Switzerland (at least every 30 min).

brubenow

Thanks for the heads up, Kerouac. The route ViaMichelin has me taking uses both the blue and the green so I'm assuming I'll be paying tolls and needing a vignette.

Neckervd I'll check into Aéroport de Bâle Mulhouse and see if it's an option to drop off a rental there. Thanks for the tip.

kerouac

If you leave your car at EuroAirport (the grandiose name they have given it since it serves 3 countries simultaneously), you won't have an international drop off charge for your car.

The bus ride from the airport to the Basel train station takes 20 minutes, if you decide you can dare to ride a Swiss train.

kerouac

Here is the link for airport transportation: http://www.euroairport.com/en/passen...ccess/bus.html

brubenow

Thanks Kerouac. I did some research and Euroairport is a viable option to drop off the rental car without having the international one-way drop off fee. It also allows me to pick up at Gare de Montparnasse rather than Orly airport.

But... As you said, I have then a 20 min. bus ride from Euroairport to Basel train station, then the cost and time of another train ride from Basel to Bern.

So... I'm thinking the extra travel time to Orly to pickup the car is canceled out by the 20 min. bus ride from Euroairport to Basel train station. The one hour less driving time from Paris to Euroairport (vs. Bern) is canceled out by the extra one hour train ride I would take from Basel to Bern.

That leaves the price difference of about 218 Euros less expensive to drive Paris to Euroairport then train to Bern, vs. driving Paris straight to Bern. Travel times seem to be equal for both options. Trying to decide if saving 218 Euros is worth the added headache of taking the bus from Euroairport to Basel train station and then taking an additional train from Basel to Bern.

neckervd

The bus ride from Basel airport to Basel railway station takes 17 min. You can get a through ticket from the airport up to Interlaken or use your Swiss Travel Pass for the airport bus too. From Basel SBB airport bus stop you walk in about 3 min through the railway station to your Interlaken bound train (usually no change at Berne).

As to Berne, I don't know if you fixed a car drop off at the railway station parking. If you have to go up to the agency at Casinoplatz, you must then go to the railway station by tramway. The walk from the Berne railway station tramway stop up to the Interlaken bound train is longer than the way between bus and train at Basel SBB.

brubenow

Neckervd and Kerouac, thank you for your help. I changed my AutoEurope reservation so that I'm picking up at Gare de Montparnasse (10 mins. from our apartment) and dropping off at the Euroairport/Aéroport de Bâle Mulhouse. In doing so, I'm getting rid of the international drop off fee. There's still a 60€ one-way fee but that's ok.

Then I'll try to follow the directions you gave me for the bus ride from the airport to Basel train station.

Is there enough room for luggage on the bus or should we consider a taxi?

Where do you buy the bus tickets and can it be done online ahead of time?

I have a Berner Oberland Regional Pass which covers me from Bern to my final stop in Wengen. So when I buy my ticket in Basel, do I just buy a point to point ticket from Basel to Bern? Or do I tell them I want a ticket from Basel to Wengen and then show them my regional pass and they deduct the fare from Bern onward?

Or should I buy the Basel to Bern portion ahead of time online to ensure we have seats?

Sorry for all the questions. Haven't taken a train in 20 years.

brubenow

bump

neckervd

COPY FROM http://www.euroairport.com/en/passen...s/various.html

"SBB Counter (Swiss Federal Railways)

Level 2 - Arrival
Public sector
Switzerland

Railway tickets for domestic and international travel
Swiss Travel System offers for foreign travellers
Rail passes (general abonnement, half-fare card, Track 7)
Tickets and passes for Tarifverbund Nordwestschweiz
RailAway offers
Worldwide hotel bookings
Event tickets provided by RailAway, Ticketcorner, Starticket, Eventim etc.

Common foreign currencies accepted, as well as credit cards, Maestro card and Postcard.

Opening hours:
Beginning of November until end of March:
Mon-Fri 09.20 - 17.30
Sat 09.20 - 15.00

Beginning of April until end of October:
Mon-Fri 09.00 - 19.40
Sat 09.00 - 18.10

Phone: +41 (0)61 325 13 57


So you will buy your Basel airport - Bern ticket (bus and train combined) at the Swiss Federal Railways counter of Basle airport. It will cost 44 CHF/adult. Kids up to 16 years free with Swiss Family Card

neckervd

"Is there enough room for luggage on the bus"
YES

"should I buy the Basel to Bern portion ahead of time online to ensure we have seats?"
NEVER!
You don't know at which time you wil arrive exactly and can therefore not book seats in a certain train. Nobody in Switzerland books seats ahead. Almost all Interlaken bound trains initiate their journey at Basel; they are completely empty when they are put on the platform (about 20 min prior to departure). They run every 30 min.

brubenow

Thank you, Neckervd. You've been really helpful! Appreciate it!