Is my itinerary the Best of Switzerland?
Apr 26th, 2015, 02:27 AM
#61
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Solution 1:
Take your luggage with you, deposit it at Bulle railway station and backtrack to Gruyeres. That will take you 1 hr more, but you can use your stay at Bulle railway station for a snack or even a rapid meal (restaurant in the railway station).
You have to be back at Gruyeres before 7pm in order to get back your luggage and have therefore to leave Gruyeres or Epagny around 6pm. You may then leave Gruyeres at 18.52 and arrive at Montreux by Goldenpass Panoramic at 20.13
Solution 2:
Send your luggage to Gstaad. Leave Gruyeres at 16.59 - Gstaad ar 18.09, fetch your luggage, dp 18.53 by Goldenpass Panoramic to Montreux ar 20.13.
Solution 3:
Take the belongings you need for 1 night with you, send all the other luggage to Montreux and get it the morning after.
Solution 4 (the best one):
Sleep at Gruyeres. I don't know the reason for which you can't leave Interlaken before 9am. But with this timetable, you will not have enough time for the visit of Gruyeres city and castle (incl. museums), the cheese diary and the chocolate factory. If you sleep at Gruyeres and leave the following morning, you can visit everything.
Take your luggage with you, deposit it at Bulle railway station and backtrack to Gruyeres. That will take you 1 hr more, but you can use your stay at Bulle railway station for a snack or even a rapid meal (restaurant in the railway station).
You have to be back at Gruyeres before 7pm in order to get back your luggage and have therefore to leave Gruyeres or Epagny around 6pm. You may then leave Gruyeres at 18.52 and arrive at Montreux by Goldenpass Panoramic at 20.13
Solution 2:
Send your luggage to Gstaad. Leave Gruyeres at 16.59 - Gstaad ar 18.09, fetch your luggage, dp 18.53 by Goldenpass Panoramic to Montreux ar 20.13.
Solution 3:
Take the belongings you need for 1 night with you, send all the other luggage to Montreux and get it the morning after.
Solution 4 (the best one):
Sleep at Gruyeres. I don't know the reason for which you can't leave Interlaken before 9am. But with this timetable, you will not have enough time for the visit of Gruyeres city and castle (incl. museums), the cheese diary and the chocolate factory. If you sleep at Gruyeres and leave the following morning, you can visit everything.
Apr 26th, 2015, 03:06 AM
#62
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Hi again,
I like neckervd's solution #2 the best; the luggage office at Gstaad is open until 19.00. And it'll still be light until 20.00.
If you do solution #1, I would just beg you to eat in Gruyeres rather than in Bulle. The cheese, the double cream . . . ahhh . . . you shouldn't have any room in your stomach for any food for the rest of the day, lol!
s
I like neckervd's solution #2 the best; the luggage office at Gstaad is open until 19.00. And it'll still be light until 20.00.
If you do solution #1, I would just beg you to eat in Gruyeres rather than in Bulle. The cheese, the double cream . . . ahhh . . . you shouldn't have any room in your stomach for any food for the rest of the day, lol!
s
Apr 26th, 2015, 08:31 AM
#64
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Neckervd, there are trains leaving Interlaken Ost to Zweisimmen at 7:29 a.m. and 8:30 am with connection at Spiez. They are InterCity and Regional trains, not GOLDENPASS PANORAMIC non-stop train from Iterlaken Ost to Zweisimmen. The first GOLDENPASS PANORAMIC train leaves Iterlaken Ost at 9:08. I continue on GOLDENPASS PANORAMIC train to Montbovon with departure from Zweisimmen at 10:25 with arrival to Montbovon at 11:27. If I take train from Montbovon to Gruyeres at 11:40 I'll be at Gruyeres at 11:58. I can leave Gruyeres at 17:59 with connection to GOLDENPASS PANORAMIC train in Montbovon at 18:26. Arrival to Montreux at 19:13. Isn't 6 hours enough to explore Gruyeres? If not I can take 18:59 train from Gruyeres with arrival to Montreux at 20:13 with 7 hours in Gruyeres. I think it is not a big deal to have a carry-on with our stuff for one night. Also if we hand in our luggage at Interlaken Ost, not Lauterbrunnen we probably will be able to get it at Montreux train station when the baggage opens (open from 8:00 to 18:00). Do you think that 6 or even 7 hours in Gruyeres is still not enough to visit Gruyeres city and castle (incl. museums), the cheese diary and the chocolate factory?
Apr 26th, 2015, 02:02 PM
#65
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6-7 hours in Gruyeres! Heck in a couple of hours I was ready to move on - I found the castle nicer on the outside than inside - just another castle IME - nothing to write home about - the Gruyeres cheese dairy was just a walk thru self-guided thing that took about 5 minutes when I was there. did not take the chocolate tour but that is obviously an hour or so no longer I would think.
Apr 26th, 2015, 05:15 PM
#66
I think 6-7 hours is perfect.
1 hr tour of chocolate factory
1-2 hrs to walk around Gruyeres
1-2 hrs for lunch in Gruyeres
1-2 hrs tour of Gruyeres castle and any museums that interest you
Time to go from Broc to Gruyeres
1 hr tour of chocolate factory
1-2 hrs to walk around Gruyeres
1-2 hrs for lunch in Gruyeres
1-2 hrs tour of Gruyeres castle and any museums that interest you
Time to go from Broc to Gruyeres
Apr 27th, 2015, 09:13 AM
#67
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Lev:
As you seem you have suddenly no more luggage problems, you will have more time, of course!
Cheese diary: you must visit during the cheese making demonstration (around 9am or 12.30pm), otherwise you will have been there for almost nothing, like Palen.
http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/la-maiso...ese-Dairy.html
The chocolate factory is situated at Broc Fabrique, about 45 min away from the medieval city (if you travel by local bus and train). That means 1 1/2 hrs one way and back. The guided tour through the factory lasts about 1 1/2 hrs. There are usually some waiting times, longer on weekends than during the week. The timetables of the guided tours and those of the trains to and from Gruyeres (every hr) are not coordinated. The whole chocolate factory excursion can therefore easily take 4 hrs or more.
The train from Broc to Gruyeres continues to Montbovon, a advantage if you have no luggage.
May be that the castle looks better from outside than from inside. But inside, you find a very interesting multimedia show about the bacchanal life of the incredibly indepted last count of Gruyeres and his problems with his Bernese money lenders. Finally the cities of Berne and Fribourg took over the whole Gruyeres county, from Bulle/Broc up to Gstaad. That was the beginning of the expansion of the Swiss Confederation towards the Lake Geneva area (16th century).
As you seem you have suddenly no more luggage problems, you will have more time, of course!
Cheese diary: you must visit during the cheese making demonstration (around 9am or 12.30pm), otherwise you will have been there for almost nothing, like Palen.
http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/la-maiso...ese-Dairy.html
The chocolate factory is situated at Broc Fabrique, about 45 min away from the medieval city (if you travel by local bus and train). That means 1 1/2 hrs one way and back. The guided tour through the factory lasts about 1 1/2 hrs. There are usually some waiting times, longer on weekends than during the week. The timetables of the guided tours and those of the trains to and from Gruyeres (every hr) are not coordinated. The whole chocolate factory excursion can therefore easily take 4 hrs or more.
The train from Broc to Gruyeres continues to Montbovon, a advantage if you have no luggage.
May be that the castle looks better from outside than from inside. But inside, you find a very interesting multimedia show about the bacchanal life of the incredibly indepted last count of Gruyeres and his problems with his Bernese money lenders. Finally the cities of Berne and Fribourg took over the whole Gruyeres county, from Bulle/Broc up to Gstaad. That was the beginning of the expansion of the Swiss Confederation towards the Lake Geneva area (16th century).
Apr 27th, 2015, 01:16 PM
#69
I didn't have a guided tour of the chocolate factory. They gave me an "appointed time" which was within 15 minutes tops and sent me on my way to the dark elevator that begins the tour. I wandered through the tour alone.
And, the attendant left me alone in the tasting room!!! YAY!!!!!!!!
And, the attendant left me alone in the tasting room!!! YAY!!!!!!!!
Apr 27th, 2015, 01:38 PM
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Apr 27th, 2015, 04:33 PM
#71
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Thank you neckervd and others.
Yes, traveling with a little luggage will give us more flexibility. I appreciate your feedback very much. As of now, I am not sure if it is worth visiting the Chocolate Factory taking into consideration our tight schedule on that day.
I can take a train from Interlaken Ost at 9:08 to Broc Fabrique arriving at 12:24 and after visiting Cailler Chocolate Factory take a train to Gruyeres and visit the Cheese Factory opposite the train station and places in Gruyeres, but as I understand visiting the Chocolate Factory can take a lot of time.. I think the best way is to concentrate on Gruyeres and the Cheese Factory first and take a train from Gruyeres to Broc Fabrique at 14:58. The Chocolade Factory probably won't be crowded in the late afternoon. I will be able to catch 17:36 or 18:36 train from Broc Fabrique to Montreux through Montbovon. Under this scenario we will have no time for lunch and will be kind of rushed.. and all this because of Chocolate Factory.. Should we really care about it that much? Rick Steves does not give any stars to it. Maybe just enjoy a few hours in Gruyeres?
Gruyeres seems to be a charming town and there is the Castle and a couple of museums (N.R. Ginger Museum and Tibet Museum)..
Yes, traveling with a little luggage will give us more flexibility. I appreciate your feedback very much. As of now, I am not sure if it is worth visiting the Chocolate Factory taking into consideration our tight schedule on that day.
I can take a train from Interlaken Ost at 9:08 to Broc Fabrique arriving at 12:24 and after visiting Cailler Chocolate Factory take a train to Gruyeres and visit the Cheese Factory opposite the train station and places in Gruyeres, but as I understand visiting the Chocolate Factory can take a lot of time.. I think the best way is to concentrate on Gruyeres and the Cheese Factory first and take a train from Gruyeres to Broc Fabrique at 14:58. The Chocolade Factory probably won't be crowded in the late afternoon. I will be able to catch 17:36 or 18:36 train from Broc Fabrique to Montreux through Montbovon. Under this scenario we will have no time for lunch and will be kind of rushed.. and all this because of Chocolate Factory.. Should we really care about it that much? Rick Steves does not give any stars to it. Maybe just enjoy a few hours in Gruyeres?
Gruyeres seems to be a charming town and there is the Castle and a couple of museums (N.R. Ginger Museum and Tibet Museum)..
Apr 27th, 2015, 09:13 PM
#73
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Yes, I'd skip the Cailler factory and spend that time in Gruyeres. Imo, it would be a true shame not to have some cheese dishes there and not to sample the double cream.
You may want to substitute a visit to a chocolate atelier -- a small shop that makes its own chocolate -- instead of the visit to the factory. There's one in Interlaken, I think.
s
You may want to substitute a visit to a chocolate atelier -- a small shop that makes its own chocolate -- instead of the visit to the factory. There's one in Interlaken, I think.
s
Apr 28th, 2015, 05:00 AM
#74
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The nicest way to move between Gruyeres castle and Broc Factory is of course the 5 kms long hiking trail via the covered Sarine Bridge (Pont qui Branle) - La Chapelle des Marches and Forcel.
Or cross the Gruyeres city gate and go down to Epagny Village bus stop (1 km) where you can board the Charmey - Jaun bound bus (always at the minute ...55) and get out 5 min later at the Broc Le Home bus stop, close to the factory.
Or cross the Gruyeres city gate and go down to Epagny Village bus stop (1 km) where you can board the Charmey - Jaun bound bus (always at the minute ...55) and get out 5 min later at the Broc Le Home bus stop, close to the factory.
Apr 28th, 2015, 05:21 AM
#75
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Lev:
visit the cheese diary during the cheese making demonstration or skip it.
http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/la-maiso...ese-Dairy.html
As to the chocolate factory, I wouldn't plan too much. May be you will have time for that after your visit of Gruyeres, may be not.
Last departures from Broc to Montreux:
18.36 (Goldenpass), 19.36 (standard train), 22.02 (via Romont - Lausanne)
The chocolate factory closes at 18.00
visit the cheese diary during the cheese making demonstration or skip it.
http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/la-maiso...ese-Dairy.html
As to the chocolate factory, I wouldn't plan too much. May be you will have time for that after your visit of Gruyeres, may be not.
Last departures from Broc to Montreux:
18.36 (Goldenpass), 19.36 (standard train), 22.02 (via Romont - Lausanne)
The chocolate factory closes at 18.00
Apr 28th, 2015, 07:45 AM
#76
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neckervd, thank you very much for great recommendations. Cheese making demonstration is 12:30 - 14:30. We will arrive to Gruyeres at noon. So we will definitely attend the demonstration at 12:30. Then we'll explore Gruyeres (I printed Little guided visit of Gruyeres from the Internet). It is a great idea to just walk to the Chocolate Factory or take a bus. I think we can make it. Is there a map of the hiking trail somewhere on the Internet?
Apr 28th, 2015, 09:38 AM
#78
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26 minutes by S-Bahn train which stops a lot so it may not be that far - will be curious to know exactly how long a walk we're talking about if we're talking about the same Chocolate Factory - the Callier Nestle one at Broc.
Apr 28th, 2015, 11:52 AM
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Palen:
it seems to me that I wrote about 5 hrs ago
"The nicest way to move between Gruyeres castle and Broc Factory is of course the 5 KMS LONG HIKING TRAIL via the covered Sarine Bridge (Pont qui Branle) - La Chapelle des Marches and Forcel.
Or cross the Gruyeres city gate and go down to Epagny Village bus stop (1 km) where you can board the Charmey - Jaun bound bus (always at the minute ...55) and get out 5 min later at the Broc Le Home bus stop, close to the factory."
it seems to me that I wrote about 5 hrs ago
"The nicest way to move between Gruyeres castle and Broc Factory is of course the 5 KMS LONG HIKING TRAIL via the covered Sarine Bridge (Pont qui Branle) - La Chapelle des Marches and Forcel.
Or cross the Gruyeres city gate and go down to Epagny Village bus stop (1 km) where you can board the Charmey - Jaun bound bus (always at the minute ...55) and get out 5 min later at the Broc Le Home bus stop, close to the factory."
Apr 28th, 2015, 12:00 PM
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Swiss Map: http://map.geo.admin.ch/?lang=en&X=1...xelkarte-farbe
Click into the map at the place where you guess to find Gruyeres and zoom then up to a bic scale.
You will then see the small path going down from the castle (Chât) to the Sarine river up to the Pont qui Branle (bridge) and then all along the river up to Les Marches, then to Forcel and finally along the railway line up to Broc Fabrique (factory).
Click into the map at the place where you guess to find Gruyeres and zoom then up to a bic scale.
You will then see the small path going down from the castle (Chât) to the Sarine river up to the Pont qui Branle (bridge) and then all along the river up to Les Marches, then to Forcel and finally along the railway line up to Broc Fabrique (factory).
