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AVS004 Jan 31st, 2009 02:32 PM

Help with a side-trip in Switzerland
 
I will have one available day in Switzerland in May and would like to take a side trip from Zurich as follows Zurich-(Bellinzona)- St. Gotthard Pass- Andermatt- Devil's Bridge.

Any suggestions on how to accomplish this without renting a car? Preferably with such connections that would allow for some time to explore these places and to return in the evening to Zurich

Any advice would be appreciated

speckles Jan 31st, 2009 05:31 PM

You can get from Zurich to Bellinzona in 2.25 hours via train. Bellinzona to Andermatt is 1.25 hours. Or Zurich to Andermatt is 2 hours. The following Swiss rail website (in English) is very handy.

http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe...4&OK#focus

Try local Andermatt tourist websites to see what might be availble from there.

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/infra.cfm/rkey/722


speckles Jan 31st, 2009 05:36 PM

Here is a website for St Gotthard Pass. I wasn't able to get an English version up, just German. It looks as though the pass is closed until 1 June each year, so you may be too early to see it.

http://www.gotthard-hospiz.ch/

speckles Jan 31st, 2009 05:42 PM

There is a museum at the top of the pass open from May-Oct. But it looks as though buses only run from Jul - Sep each year.

http://www.switzerland.isyours.com/e.../gotthard.html

DalaiLlama Jan 31st, 2009 06:59 PM

As you can tell from prior replies, you can basically do this, or something similar. But the seasonal conditions may impact your plans.

When you get to Zürich, go to the travel office in the central train station (not the ticket windows), a few days before you want to make this trip. Bring a book, there may be a wait.

The mountain passes may or may not allow for what you want to do in May, and an agent will find out and suggest an alternative if needed.

Why Bellinzona? It is not nearly as nice a place to visit as the nearby lakefront towns like Locarno (walk up to the Madonna del Sasso church), or Ascona, or go to Lugano and up on the Monte Bré.

If your day off is a Fri-Sat-Sun, here's an alternative if the above doesn't work out (if for example things on the Gotthard just aren't accessible if there were late snowstorms etc.).

Take the train from Zürich to Lugano, in time to catch the 11:40 departure of the Palm Express, a once-a-day coach ride that goes through a pretty bit of Italy along a lake to St. Moritz in the Engadin region, one of the prettiest jewels of Switzerland.

Look around, go to Sils on the lake (bring your camera!), take a late train back to Zürich.

For Palm Express: http://tinyurl.com/7rp4lc

trains at www.rail.ch



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