Germany - Switzerland by Rail--Need Itinerary Help!
 

Hi fellow travel lovers,

I’ll be in Germany and Switzerland for 11 days in late April – early May. Am flying to Berlin and leaving via Zurich. Would love to get some sage advice about traveling via rail between these two cities. Will probably want to stop in Munich for a few days, other than that, I’m totally open to see whatever is worth seeing. I also understand there is a now a Germany – Switzerland rail pass option, which might fit my time frame and budget.

Thanks!

After you flesh out your route, plug the cities into http://www.railsaver.com/ and see what will save you the most, tickets or passes or a combination (it calculates that for you).

What I would do (and I am not you, of course), is spend a few days in Berlin, then move down to Bavaria (see both Munich and the countryside, including the Romantic Road area and possibly the Alps (if Mozart interests you, it's his 200th birthday this year, and Salzburg just across the Austrian border, his birthplace, is making the most of it)). Then see whatever interests you in Switzerland (I've never been there myself, so I can't really recommend anything). Make sure you price out both the single tickets and the rail pass (railsaver.com).

Thanks! I'm really not sure where to go in Switzerland. Everyone says Lucerne is great. Was thinking one or two days there, and then...?

In Switzerland, Lucerne is worth a visit, as is the Bernese Oberland. I have stayed in Interlaken, which is sort of the "gateway" to the areas higher up in the mountains. Get a guidebook to Switzerland and look in the sections referencing the Bernese area - Murren, Lauterbrunnen, Grindewald, etc.

Such a problem, johnz! At first I was ready to jump in with suggestions, but then I became quickly overwhelmed. There are just too many choices w/o knowing your interests.

You can daytrip to Salzburg while in Munchen (adding just a bit of cost to your railpass). Then there's Rothenburg, and Mittenwald, and Lindau on Bodensee, but these are small places. If your interest is in cities, you can see the problem here.

Switzerland has so many choices, you wouldn't believe it. Go to the library and look at pictures. Or visit Burt Wolf's website to see his commentaries on the various sections. There's Lucerne, of course, but also French Lac Leman, Italianate Ticino, the Engadine (Romansch), in addition to the very popular lakes of Thunersee and Brienzersee at the foot of the Oberland mountains. Oh my. J.

Thanks for the words of wisdom. Since I'll have less then a week in Switzerland, I'm now thinking of the following Germany - Switzerland via rail trip:

Berlin (5 days), Nuremberg (1 day), Munich (2 days), Bern (2 days), Lucerne (2 days), Zurich (2 days).

How does that look?

Why Zürich? I'd stay longer in Lucerne and do a ferry ride, visit the Rigi, Pilatus or Engelberg.

I'm flying out of Zurich, so that's why I thought I'd spend at least one full day there. But I like your ideas, Schuler--thanks!

the new Germany-Switzerland railpass may be good for you if you are traveling a bit around Switzerland - it starts at 4 days of unlimited travel in a 2-month period, midnight-midnight, or if you take an overnight train 7pm to the following midnight is one day on the flexipass (so-called 7pm rule - leave on a night train after 7pm, the next day is your day of unlimited travel) A saverpass - two names on one pass would cost $298 p.p. in 1st class - does not come in 2nd class unless you're under 26 ($244 for 5 days - solo pass)
6 days 1st class saver $328
8 days $390
10 days (max) $453
child 4-11 50% off, under 4 free
You can easily figure out the efficacy of this pass by going to the German rail web site which gives prices in euros for all German trains you'll be taking and www.sbb.ch - Swiss rail site for Swiss trains. A quick way to get the English schedule and fare page on the German pass is to go to: www.budgeteuropetravel.com and on their home page click on the link to All European Rail Schedules and instantly pops up the English page where you just put in Berlin and munich for example and you'll get all the trains for that days and prices. This home page also gives valuable tips on using the great German rail site and its many neat features besides schedules and prices. The German site gives schedules for all of Europe but only prices on German trains and some German trains to nearby countries. Swiss site gives prices in Swiss francs. On the budget europe home page you can also request their free European Planning & Rail guide that has lots on trains in Germany and Switzerland, rail maps, suggested itineraries, etc. Passes are marketed in US by Raileurope but some RE agents like BETS (800-441-2387) , who i always recommend for their expertise and willingness to spend hours on phone answering questions and from years of working with them, don't charge some of RE's handling fees. This pass is not available in Europe.
Note however that the German-Swiss Eurailpass has benefits in these two countries identical to Eurailpasses - thus in Switzerland some things are not covered that a Swiss Pass would cover - buses and you don't get the 50% off everything - buses, boats, trains, gondolas, etc that you do with the Swiss Pass for one month, including on the days you don't use a flexipass day. Point: Swiss pass may be more valuable if taking Glacier Express, going to Zermatt but if taking main Swiss federal lines - most of the trains than the Germany-Switzerland pass could well pass for savings for you.

Thanks so much, Pal Q! That was very nice of you!

Hello again,

I read somewhere on here that one could use Lucerne or Bern as a base and then go to various places from their. If I really wanted to see Bern, I could do a day trip from Lucerne. Hmmmmm...I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts. Thanks.

Yes both would be good bases with excellent rail links - an hour or so between them with two trains an hour. From Lucerne you can take the breaktaking Brunig Pass narrow-gauge rail route to Interlaken over the Brunig Pass and be there in two hours and then go to Bern from there for a wonderful scenic trip. Lucerne has so much as a base - boats on the lake - perhaps most beautiful boat ride in Swiss Alps.

Thanks, again, PalQ. You're so generous! I was just about scenic Swiss rail routes on Rick Steve's site: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/desti...srailjourn.htm

He recommends the Golden Pass. So, now, I'd love to hear thoughts on going from Lucerne down to Geneva, via the Golden pass. Maybe a day in Geneva and, since I have to leave from Zurich on, spend one day in Geneva and then train back to Zurich (it's only 2.5 hours).

I'd choose Lucerne over Bern (just my opinion).

Ticino (the Italian part of Switzerland) is very pleasant. You'd have some gorgeous weather there, for exploring lakes and such. Locarno is my favorite, but there is also Lugano. My husband's laptop desktop photo was of a lovely scene taken in Lugano last spring.

Do enjoy!! Switzerland is my favorite country in Europe.

Hi johnz323,

Unless you just like big cities, I wouldn't go all the way to Geneva. The Golden Pass stops in Montreux, so you should consider staying there for your night. Montreux has a lovely 11 km flowered lakeside promenade, the Chillon castle, nearby vineyards -- plenty to keep you busy.

s

Thank you Simpsonoc and Swandavj. I was considering staying in Montreux and/or skipping Geneva and going to Lasuanne. I just want to be able to get back to Zurich quickly, so I'm wondering if the train route from Geneva to Zurich stops in Lasuanne, or if I can connect with it leaving from Montreux so I don't have to take the Golden Pass BACK!

As always, I welcome all thoughts...

Thanks.

Some departures Geneva-Zurich do stop ion Lausanne and others do not; you'd have to consult the schedules.

The trip Montreux-Zurich takes a little more than 2.5 hours and those fastest outings go through, and possibly a change in, Lausanne...IOW not over the Golden Pass route.

Thanks, Intrepid. I must say I'm getting a great crash course on Swiss geography!

I also checked the train schedule on railsaver.com. Looks like Zurich is always within a two to 2.5 hour ride. Even if I decided to go down to Lugano!

So, now the question is, if I do the Golden Pass, and I had to choose between a day or so in Montreux or Lausanne, which one would you kind, knowledgeable, folks recommend?

The Chillon castle was a highlight of our family's last trip, so I would vote for Montreux. We also enjoyed the lake side promendade and views across the lake.