Geneva-Verbier-Zurich
 

Please help me plan my birthday trip. We are a group of 3 girls in our early 30s and are going to Switzerland for a week in March for skiing, sightseeing and fun! We land in Zurich in the morning and plan on taking the train to Geneva right away, exploring the city and spending 1 night in Geneva. Then in the morning/afternoon, we will leave for Verbier. I was told the best way to go is to take the train to Martigny. From there we plan on taking a taxi to Verbier. We still spend 4 nights in Verbier. After the 4th night, we plan on leaving Verbier in the morning and taking a train to Zurich, spending the day and 1 night there. Our flight is the following day at 5pm so we will have a bit of time in the morning to see Zurich. Does one day and one night in Geneva and Zurich each sound reasonable? I wish we had more time in each but thats all we'll have time for.

Can anyone recommend a good area to stay in Geneva and Zurich? Any must see sights/restaurants/bars/clubs we should go to?

Thanks you for reading!

Why fly in and out of Zurich? Seems Geneva would be more convenient.

Then I'd spend my extra time in Yvoire, Montreux and Vevey. Gruyere also if you can fit it in!

Forget Geneva - no fun, especially in winter, just a regular old city full of bureaucrats. Waste of time and money. Go straight to Verbier and have fun! From the train station underneath the Zürich airport you can be in Martigny in just over three hours.

See www.sbb.ch - no need to reserve, buy your tickets right in the airport building after exiting from customs and following the signs “To Trains”.

No need for a taxi. From Martigny you take the St. Bernard Express up to Verbier, via a quick stop in a place called Le Châble. Takes about an hour, there is one leaving about every hour.
For the timetables from Martigny to Verbier, download the .pdf called “Trains and Buses - Verbier” from this web page: www.verbier.ch/en/organize/useful-documents

It is current until Dec. 14, 2013 - in other words, the new timetables are about to be published, so look again in a week or so., But even for just now, this gives you a good idea - nothing may change at all, who knows.

What you’ll want to see and do in Zürich will have to depend on the weather a lot. Look up http://www.inyourpocket.com/Switzerl...tliberg_65333v and www.bodyflying.ch, and in a few days download the winter timetables for the lake cruises on public boats from www.zsg.ch/de_fahrplan-downloads.html.

For creature comforts and pampering look at http://www.inyourpocket.com/Switzerl...es-in-the-city

Zürich nightlife is not my forte currently, I don’t spend enough time there going out - there must be some nice places. Be aware that there are lots of not-so-nice places along the Langstrasse and its sidestreet - too many drunks, streetwalkers (prostitution is legal) and rowdies.

Then again, you may not experience anything untoward, and annoying things can happen anywhere, but the Langstrasse area (“Kreis 4”) has more such potential than others.

I hope some experienced Zürich night owls can advise you better.

Enjoy!

As above no need for a taxi from Martigny, get the train to Le Chable, then either get the bubble up, the bus or maybe a taxi. (Maytaxi are good).
Once in Verbier some good bars, Fer a Cheval, Hotel Farinet lounge bar and Apres Ski and the Pub Mont Fort.
Cool restraint, Le Dahu )On the piste at La Chaux), Chez Danny.
Night clubs Farinet lounge bar, Twin Peaks.
Other fun stuff Ice Karting in the sports centre. http://www.kartingextremeverbier.com/
Ski hire - I use Ski Service.

Shout if you need anything else..

check out the Swiss Pass or Half-Fare Card in comparison to regular fares (at www.sbb.ch) - Swiss Passes can be surprisingly cost effective if traveling around much and some every day - in addition to trains they cover 50% off gondolas and are valid on city trams and buses, postal buses and give free entry to 40+ Swiss museums - though you probably won't go to any of them it seems unless in Zurich.

they also pass on boats and even in March there is limited boat service on Lake Geneva I believe.

Anyway do your research and see which is best - check out these IMO fantastic sites for lots on Swiss trains, passes, etc - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.ricksteves and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html. A saverpass is for 2-5 people traveling together and is cheaper than solo passes and not all members need be on the train or conveyance for others to use the pass

VerbeirKev & Michel; you seem to know Verbier well. Has the new W hotel opened? How is that? We were thinking of going in January or February.
Thanks for the info on transport!

Thank you for your responses!

joannyc - we found a good price on flights to Zurich so that part is already booked. Flying to GVA would have been ideal.

Is Geneva really a waste? We just wanted to hit up a city on our way to Verbier. We figured 4 nights in Verbier would be enough.

Is there another city we should try or go straight to Verbier?

"Hit up a city" - which one depends on what for?

If it's to see a city with a typical historic center (going back to 1200) that still functions as a business and government center, not as a "museum" - then stop over in Bern, the Capital of the Swiss Federation. It has the train station right at the edge of that "Altstadt" (old city center), with pedestrianized streets flanked by arcades so window shopping even on rainy days is fun. Good views from the terrace-garden called "Rosengarten" (rose garden - but no roses in winter of course), and from the platform park outside the cathedral (called "Münster") and outside the Parliament Building (called "Bundeshaus"). Read up on Bern and see.

If it's for nightlife, stay in Zürich.

If it's for picturesque location and surroundings, with a lake (of incredibly warped shape) and good views, make it Lucerne.

Geneva has only a tiny little bit of all three above characteristics but, really, in winter you don't want to go there. Too far, too boring, too expensive.

On www.sbb.ch use the "via" line to figure out how to make such a stopover between Zürich and Martigny.

Bern to me is one of Europe's most unheralded cities by tourists but in actuality is a gem - like michel describes above - I loved the old center - there was a big volleyball tournament going on last time in a main square - loved the Bear Pits and bears and the rushing river below it - Vern just a neat net old town - to me the nicest city I've seen in Switzerland - all Swiss cities are 'nice' but some are too sterile for me - not Bern however!

Is Geneva really a waste? We just wanted to hit up a city on our way to Verbier. We figured 4 nights in Verbier would be enough.

Is there another city we should try or go straight to Verbier?>

though Geneva IMO is not a waste but a pleasant city in most regards many folks enjoy Lausanne, Montreux or Vevey, all on a train line from Geneva to the Verbier area and all on lovely Lake Geneva. Many would prefer their first night in a more romantic and smaller town than Geneva - Lausanne is a big town cut Montreux and Vevey much smaller and more intimate.

Geneva in winter has so little to offer, it's not the same as in summer when the streetside cafés and the lakeside promenade and the jet d'eau and the boats coming and going give it a certain ambiance. In winter - with early darkness (no daylight saving yet in March) and rain and brisk temperatures and everybody hurrying to and from their office jobs - it's no fun for these girls.

Montreux is pretty, I lived there for a year, but winter was again not the same even though it tends to have a milder climate than other parts of Switzerland.

These nycgirls are best off spending the few days they have in Verbier, with half a day shopping in Berne on the way through (only takes a few hours coming off the train before picking up another) and one night clubbing in Zurich which has by far the most options, being the largest city and of a less conservative nature than, say, Bern and Basel.

It won't be NYC but it will do nicely.

And they can shop to they drop or run out of money on Zurich's glitzy Bahnhofstrsse, often called the world's most luxurious shopping street.

Zurich has a neat old town that yes is more lively at night than many IME somnolent Swiss cities where the sidewalks literally get rolled up at night.

Ah yes - the Bahnhofstrasse, where - if you're a dedicated shopper - the credit cards in your pocket burn a hole through the fabric as you stand and gawk at the shop windows, even more so than on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills or at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan...

Even NYC girls could be in for a surprise, although, having just been to the Big Apple again and looked around, I doubt it...

Forget the taxi from Le Chable to Verbier. There are continously running (no waiting time) gondolas from Le Chabele railway station to Verbier until 19.30 as well as buses at 19.50, 20.50 and 21.50

A Swiss Pass would cover the buses in full I think and if a cable way connects two towns it is also covered in full - if only to a mountain top then it's 50% (which could be better with a flexipass than using a 100% covered travel day).

Televerbier (gondolas Le Chable - Verbier - Ruinettes - La Chaux - Col des Gentianes - Mont Fort, Tortin - Col des Gentianes, Tortin - Col de Chassoure, Ruinettes - Les Attelas - Mont Gele, Verbier - Savoleyres - Tsoumaz/Mayens de Riddes) is NOT integrated in the Swiss Travel System.
A Skipass covering the whole area up to Nendaz and Thyon (95 lifts, 420 km of prepared pists) costs 70 CHF per day, 200 CHF for 3 days and 400 CHF for a week. Half fare for children.
(1 USD = 0,90 CHF)

Nevertheless Le Chable-Verbier-Tsoumaz gondolas do get a 25% reduction with a Swiss Pass according to the Swiss Pass validity map I have just looked at.

But if staying in that area most of your trip then the pass neckervd talks about would be best - if traveling around to various parts of Switzerland then look at either the Half-Fare Card or Swiss Pass.

neckervd - do you know if the Half-Fare thing covers though cables as well?

thanks

Palen: we have obviously not the same map.
I get my map trough the link (area of validity) at the bottom of
http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/...html?id=137558

I am look at a 2013 Swiss Pass map published by SwissTravelSystem.com. Clearly shows lines to those places in dotted black - which it says gets 25% off with a pass. I am not saying I know anything more - just reading the map.

neckervd - I could not find any map on your link even though there is a thing to click on for a map of coverage but it won't pop up - where did you see a map of Swiss Pass coverage indicating no discount on those? And again I do not know but wish to know just to know for sure.

Thanks

I loaded down the actual Swiss Pass map published by Swisstravelsystem.com too, by clicking to the "thing" you mention and got a map which didn't show the lines you saw dotted in black.
But it seems to me that I got the map with the dotted lines you describe just a few months ago (with the same procedure).

I also opened the website of Televerbier http://www.verbierbooking.ch/fr/remo...s/tarifs-0-185
and there too, I couldn't find any mention of reductions granted to Swiss Pass and Half Fare Card holders.

Televerbier are in fact free to fix their tariffs as they don't get any subsidies from the Swiss Confederation or from the Canton of Valais. These contributions go to the Post bus Le Chable - Verbier which runs all the year round and where all passes are valid.

I've been to Verbier and did just take the train to Martigny then the St Bernard thing. I was staying in Montreux, though, and I did actually go there from Zurich, so I think that would be more convenient than going to Geneva first. Or Lausanne if you must.

neckervd - thanks for the work - things do change and I have yet to get a 2014 map.

If you land in Zurich and fly out of Zurich you may want to look at the Swiss Transfer Ticket which simply gives a ticket via train and any other conveyance needed to any point in Switzerland then later when going back any train to Zurich. Nothing else is included but you can hop any train anytime en route and even get on and off in the same day - go to Geneva or Verbier first and then back to Zurich.

"you can hop any train anytime en route and even get on and off in the same day - go to Geneva or Verbier first and then back to Zurich."

Under http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/...ticket-en.html you will read:
"The transfer to and from your destination must be via the most direct route"
The most direct route is ZRH - Zurich HB - Bern - Visp (train change) - Martigny (change) - Sembrancher (change) - Le Chable (change) - Verbier
an itinerary rather far away from Geneva.

neckervd - I had a brain freeze - was thinking it did not have to be to one destination and back from that same place which it does - but good perhaps if commuting from Zurich to Verbier and back. thanks for the correcto!

Yes I was mixing up the Swiss Transfer ticket with the Swiss Card which offers a trip from any border point or airport to any place in Switzerland and then you can go from there on your final trip to any border point or train station - and you get 50% off anything in between those two trips just like the Half-Fare Card - anyone considering a Half-Fare Card should also look at the Swiss Card for the exact same benefits plus the two trips to begin and end your Swiss sojourn - has proven to be a bit cheaper for some scenarios where in the past.

anyway a Swiss Transfer ticket costs $153 in 2013 for 2nd class - return trip from any border or airport to anyplace in Switzerland and back - if one were going Zurich airport to Verbier according to www.sbb.ch a normal ticket one way 2nd class would cost 98.80 CHF or about $115 each way - so if doing only that and staying put the Swiss Transfer ticket may be a great deal, especially when arriving by plane and you can head directly to the next train and hop on.

BTW the Swiss Transfer Ticket is not sold in Switzerland but only thru Raileurope (25% owned by the Swiss Federal Railways) and its authorized agents - so there could be mailing fees involved but still for many just going from an airport or border station to one point fairly far away and staying put - it could be a great deal.

then either get the bubble up>

VerbierKev - I assume this is a nickname for an aerial gondola> Cute!