Glacier Express
 

We're trying to streamline our Switzerland itinerary in order to make time for Venice. Question: Is Venice worth the extra travel time? Should we start the Glacier Express in Brig instead of Zermatt, end in St. Moritz and then train to Venice. We have to fly in and out of Zurich.
We're planning on starting in Lucerne (2 nights), Interlaken (3 nights) , the Glacier Express, maybe the Lakes (Como, Maggiorie). We have two weeks.
Thanks

Hi Shayna - I'm a newbie at this, in the midst of planning my own (first) trip. But I wanted to point you in the direction of Rick Steve's website where you'll find a whole thread on "scenic trains" (see graffiti wall). I found that quite informative. Good luck - I'll be looking for answers to your post.

I personally don't think you'll miss much if you skip the Zermatt-Brig segment. It's a very loooooong trip, so it will be nice to cut it by 1.5hrs to just 6.5hrs.

I agree with yk Glacier Express being too long a train ride (that I did once a long time ago and I like trains). Even more,if you can the Glacier Express train completely and take instead Bernina Express, Chur to Tirano would be nice. I hear Pontresina-Poschiavo(sp?) on Bernina Exp.line is the most scenic and want to do one day.

we went 3 nights lucerne 2 nights st. moritz 1 night zermatt 3 nights lausanne. we took the glacier express and the bernina express following a A&K itinerary. we really regretted not having another day in zermatt(THE MATTERHORN). ST. MORITZ was our least favorite city.

>if you can the Glacier Express..
if you can SKIP the Glacier Express, I meant. But then I wonder how you can get to Chur without taking the Glacier Exp.line.

It would be helpful to know what time of year you will be in Switzerland in terms of the amount of daylight you'll have. I'm going to Switzerland in less than two weeks and will be taking the G.E> for the third time.
I dis agree about cutting out the Zermatt-Brig portion...I actually disagree about cutting out ANY portion if you don't have to. However, in order to start out in Zermatt you have to get there by train in the first place so you'll have already done that portion once anyway.
Yes, you can start out in Brig and end in St. Moritz...overnight there and then take the Bernina express to Tirano and change again for the ride down to Milan which skirts the eastern shore of Lake Como for the change to a train for Venice.

you might want to go to eurail.com . i would not bother paying for reservations as they are expensive and we have never needed them to get seats in first class in the entire 7 weeks we trained in europe

WRONG ANSWER: you can get on the GE without a reservation but you will NOT, and I cannot repeat it strongly enough: NOT get into the panorama coach WITHOUT a seat reservation regardless of the time of year. To sit there is worth every penny and then some.

jon jon is absolutely correct. i was thinking about all the other trips we took on our eurail pass during our journey. i wasted a lot of $ on those reservations. SORRY

Do yourself a favor and stay in CH for your 2 weeks--to include the Italy lakes. Save Venice for your next trip. You have more than a plate full with the places you propose. I would do:
Luzern--2
Berner Oberland--3
Zermatt--2
GA to St. Mortiz--1
Bernina Express to Tirano and on to Varenna on Lago Como--3
Bus to Lugano--back to Zurich.

Or something like that. Good luck !

Thanks for all your help. Venice another time! Questions?
Should we try to go to both Como and Maggiorie areas? Both Lugano and Locarno?

Not without a car !

Oh yes, if you decide to skip the Bernina Express to Tirano then merely bus down to Menaggio on the west shore of Como rather than Varenna on the east shore--where the train goes.