sorry about all caps in last post didn't know it was on...mary

Since your trip is only 6 days, less your travel/plane days, more like 4... I'd fly in to whatever airport is closest & get to the hometown you want to see.

(Research ahead &) Find a nice B&B or small hotel there and explore that one town. Eat at local cafes, just enjoy the local atmosphere.

I'm sorry I have no specific advice for where to stay, but to keep the budget low and the trip non-stressful, try for a very simple plan!

Hi, thanks for adding details. Flying on the 10th and the 16th, you will probably have four nights in the Berner Oberland and your last night nearer your airport. (Zurich?) Therefore, to get the best hotel or b&b price I urge you again to stay all four nights at the same place.

I do think a tiny town on the rail line along Thun's lake will give you good day-trip access to Wengen and to places like Bern and Lucerne. But, of course, if you'd like your sweetie to wake up each morning to the sounds of Wengen, that's lovely too -- just not as convenient for travel to the cities. The Hirschen in Leissigen is budget and offers half board, but I'm sure there are two-star places in Wengen as well. See if there is a website with an e-mail address for the tourist office in Wengen, and write to them describing your needs. Also, if you plan to travel by train, look into the various passes.

Again, if you'll go to one of the Swiss threads, there are folks out there who can really help you choose the best pass for your trip. We're all hoping this birthday trip will be everything you wish it to be. It's such a wonderful idea! J.

Hi missabe,

It is unlikely that a rilpass will save you money on this trip.

Go to www.railsaver.com and enter your itinerary. It will tell you what your tickets will cost compared to a pass.

Mary:
Hope you are still checking and not overwhelmed by replies! Check www.wengen.com for list of holiday flats - Chalet Schneegloeggli (**) rents at 350 CHF per week, daily rentals also possible. Its on first floor (that means up one flight) apt with balcony. Chalet Iglu (***) rents at 600-770 CHF per week, shorter rentals possible. It is just 10 mins walk to shops/trains and 5 to bakery!
Site lauterbrunnen-tourismus.ch/ lists holiday apts in nearby Lauterbrunnen with pictures and english descriptions. The info office will help with rentals. Chalet Horner (***) at 55-70 CHF per night (+ visitor tax--usually about 2.5 CHF per person per night), Chalet Chasperhus (***) at 40-60 CHF per night (+ visitor tax). Compared to these prices, Hotel Staubbach (a B&B) rents at 110 CHF per night (with bathroom)!!!
Finally, check site alpenregion.ch/ click on 'english' then 'accomodation' then enter actual dates of stay and town desired (I heartily suggest Brienz) for possiblities. Brienz has two flats (Kurt Flueck-Wyss and Sonja Mai, both ***) renting for 50 CHF per night (+ a 40 to 50 CHF final cleaning fee). Visitor tax included.
SOO, a four to five night stay in Lauterbrunnen or Brienz, with your own bathroom, living room , and cooking facilities will only set you back 250-350 CHF, or about $195 to $275 for accomodations!

Hello Mary,

Although I've never stayed in Lauterbrunnen, I think this town may be the best site for your vacation. It's far enough away from the ski lifts to have budget lodging, but it's closer than the lakes at Interlaken and far less crowded than Interlaken. Bob Brown stays here regularly (in an apartment, I think), and he likes the town.

I found the two-star Hotel Oberland in Lauterbrunnen that looks great! The rooms have private bath and some have balconies; last year's winter specials show four nights for a double running 440 chf (total) or 668 chf with a visitor's card for transportation. Their half board (breakfast and dinner) option is 25 chf per person, and I would definitely go for that! The hotel's website is at http://www.hoteloberland.ch/mainframe_e, and it shows that one of the owners is Australian (so no language barrier here).

The train trip from Zurich airport will run about 3.50 hours with one change in Interlaken Ost. I'm concerned about your husband?s ability to transfer the luggage -- and to assist you -- during the change. For your convenience (and of course a $20 per bag fee), Rail Europe can sell you documents so that your luggage goes from the US airport to your Swiss town automatically. I've done this twice, and it's a good deal to preserve your energy, especially after a long flight and train ride. You fill out the customs forms and put them inside a clear green plastic tag that you attach to your luggage; the luggage handlers at Zurich airport collect those bags and send them directly to the train station, where the luggage is forwarded to your Swiss destination. More info at this site: http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/pa...il_baggage.htm

Another option would be to use the Swiss Rail's "Call Center Handicap." It offers assistance in getting on and off the train if you call or e-mail them in advance. Info at:
http://www.rail.ch/pv/mobil_e.htm. This service is offered at the Zurich airport train station and at Interlaken Ost, but not in Lauterbrunnen. You may want to ask your hotel hosts if they can pick you up at the Lauterbrunnen train station -- or arrange for a pickup

I think the most economical pass for you will be the Swiss Card or the Swiss Transfer Card. The flat rate for the round-trip journey from the Zurich airport to Lauterbrunnen (for example) is 105 or 130 chf per person. The Swiss Card costs 170 chf per person, and offers free transportation from the airport to your destination, then 50% reduction on all trains (except the last portions up to the Jungfraujoch and the Schilthorn peaks) during your stay. The Swiss Transfer Card costs 118 chf but has no further discounts. I can't find any information on the Jungfraubahn Pass (discontinued???), and the Berneroberland Regional Pass isn't valid during winter months. I suggest you e-mail your hotel hosts (naturally, only after you have confirmed reservations) and ask them about the best local pass. I suspect that for only four days, your best bet would be the Swiss Card with its 50% reductions on the trains.

Well, I hope this helps. I hope you enjoy this time of research!

s

Message: Mary -

What a wonderful gift for your husband! My husband I really enjoy Wengen and the entire Berner Oberland. You're going early enough that you will avoid the Christmas ski holidays, and you should be able to locate moderately priced accommodation. You will be visiting in the low season, so you will definitely run into some closures, but this can work to your advangage - it will be much quieter, and the prices will be lower!

I recommend that you stay in Wengen the entire time (6-7 days). You should be able to locate an inexpensive apartment for the duration (renting by the week is cheaper) - you might want to look at the following sites:

http://www.villasintl.com/Europe/Swi...halet_Gertrud/

http://www.wengen.com/fewo/fewolist.php?Betten=1

http://www.twenj.com/swwengen.html

You can save $ by self-catering - preparing your own meals. There is a COOP store in Wengen where you can easily purchase provisions, and thereby avoid eating out. There are also a few bakeries in town which provide ready made sandwiches for light, inexpensive meals.

You can easily catch trains from Wengen to visit other villages in the area. We usually purchase an 8 or 15 day Swiss Rail pass, but I you may not need this. I'm sure other posters on this board can assist you regarding regional passes that might better suit your needs.

I've visited Switzerland many times in the off season - last year we visited in early December and just loved it!

I wish you and your husband a wonderful journey!



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Hi Mary,

Per your latest post on the "SGFTWLS IV" thread, I'm posting this response in both places.

Well I looked at all my guidebooks and my best maps and finally found your Wangen. It's in Canton Solothurn though it's closer to Olten. If you find Zurich on your map, go east until you see Aarau, then go east some more (15 km?) to find Olten and then Wangen is about 5 km east of that. It's very, very small. It's a lot closer to Zurich than Wengen is, so, yes, you still fly into Zurich.

The good news is that you can get there by train directly from the Zurich airport in about an hour with 0 changes! The round-trip fare is 52 chf per person. Looks like there are about two direct trains an hour with a third option that requires a change at the main train station in downtown Zurich. When you get closer to your departure date, print out several of your train options (with platforms noted) so you'll know just where you're going. For this destination, I don't think you'll profit from any kind of Swiss pass or card -- I think you won't be able to get your money's worth!

I had a devil of a time finding hotels in Olten/Wangen -- most of the tourist offices' sites are only in German, and they seemed to be based on commerce & industry, not tourism. But I finally did find a great hotel -- with English pages on its website. It's the Kreuz in Kappel, just outside of Wangen & Olten. The doubles are 120-130 chf per night, and it looks charming. Its web page is www.kreuz-kappel.ch. If you click on "Easy to find," you'll see a map that includes the village of Wangen. There are other hotels in Olten, but all I found were four stars starting at 90 chf per person/per night. You may have more luck if you spend more time doing google searches or combing through the pages at www.myswitzerland.com or www.smit.ch (tourist office for "Middle Switzerland").

The hotel's pages recommend day trips to Berne, Luzern, Basel, and Interlaken, and they also have some information on hiking in the area -- but I couldn't read the German.

Anyway, because the hotel does have English pages, you can confidently correspond with them in English. Let them know about your special needs, and I'm sure they'll help you with your planning and your excursions.

So, best of luck! Come back when you need more details, etc.

s

Mary,

I'm so, so sorry. It's WEST, not east. Go WEST of Zurich, then west of Aarau, then west to Wangen. I'm so geographically challenged!! I hope I didn't cause **too much** confusion!

s

Mary-have you checked Swiss Airline for deals on airfare ? There is an offer through 12/03...pay fare for one person & the companion flies free. Must charge on a Mastercard. I have done this and it is a "real deal". check it on their website.