bumper

My wife and I have just returned from 15 days in Switzerland, and even though there was more rain than we have experienced on previous European trips, we had an amazing time. I am not going to go into the same amount of detail many of the posters here do but I hope my comments will be helpful.

A couple of general comments. Many people have asked whether or not a Swiss Pass is worth it. We purchased a Swiss Saver Pass (two passengers traveling together) and used it a lot, although there were three day trips we didn't take because of the rain. When we got back, I compared the cost of the lowest priced first class ticket for all the trips we took that were covered by the Swiss Pass (trains & boats) but did not add in the value of the museum tickets and trams that were also covered by the pass. Based on this analysis, we saved approximately $300 by buying the pass (+ what we saved on museum tickets and tram fares); if we had not had the rain and taken the trips that we decided to cancel, we would have saved about $550+.

We also used the Fly/Rail Baggage and Fast Baggage programs and they were just as advertised. The Fly/Rail Baggage program allowed us to check our baggage at our US airport and have it delivered directly to the train station in Luzern. This eliminated the need for us to pick up our bags in baggage claim at the Zurich Airport and schlep them to Luzern. We then had the bags sent from Luzern to Wengen and then from Wengen to Zurich using fast baggage coupons bought on the Rail Europe site. The bags had to be dropped off at the train station by 9:00 AM and delivery was guaranteed after 6:00 PM the same day, although in both cases I picked the bags up at about 5:00 PM. We loved the convenience of not having to carry our bags from train to train.

We had planned to spend 5 days in each of Luzern, Wengen and Zurich but ended up cutting our stay in Wengen to two days and extending our stay in Zurich to eight days.

Luzern.

We loved Luzern. The weather wasn't great during most of our stay, but we still managed to see the sights and had some great meals. It was here that I discovered my new favorite chocolate. Laderach has a milk chocolate filled with Calvados - the combination of two of my favorite foods! We also reconnected with a Swiss friend who was an exchange student in high school with me over 40 years ago. I had last seen him many years ago when I stayed with his family on my last trip to Switzerland. He looked just like I remembered him - ok maybe with the exception of the grey hair. He and his wife escorted us on a trip to Rigi Kulm by boat. The weather was beautiful on the trip to and from Rigi Kulm, but, unfortunately, was cloudy on the mountain top. It was still a great trip with an excellent meal at the Rigi Kulm hotel and the best company imaginable. Our favorite restaurants during our stay in Luzern were Opus, Rathaus Brauerei, the restaurant at the Rigi Kulm Hotel and the Pfistern (fabulous fondue). We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel which was an excellent choice. We had a full breakfast included and ate at the Thai restaurant there which was very good. The service was exceptional and the bed very comfortable.

Wengen

Next, we traveled to Wengen, which is a small, car free village in a perfect setting. We stayed at the Alpenrose Hotel whcih has been in the same family for six generations. The service here was warm, friendly and very efficient. Our room had a beautiful view of the mountais. We chose to have dinner included with the room for just an additional 25sf each, which was an exceptional value. The dinners consisted of an appetizer, full salad bar, main course, cheese course and dessert. Our room was large with dual sinks in the bathroom and a great shower. The bed was very firm, which I liked, and covered with the customary duvet. Unfortunately, my wife had just come down with a bad sore throat and was miserable. Adding to her misery was the bed, which was too hard for her, a pillow that was too soft and a duvet that was too hot. She got no sleep the two nights we were there, so we made the decision to leave early and headed to the Marriott in Zurich three days early. The staff at the Alpenrose was very understanding and could have charged us the full amount for the three nights we cancelled there. However, they were very fair with us which I greatly appreciate. I would highly recommend the Alpenrose with the caveat that the bed might not be to everyone's liking.

The first day were in Wengen, the weather was good, which gave us the opportunity to walk through town and take some beautiful pictures. We also took the cable car to Mannlichen. It was clear enough to see for many miles and down into the valley. Unfortunately, the long, cold winter meant the Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg trail was closed so we did not get to enjoy the hike that so many people have raved about. The next day was a perfect day in every way. The weather was clear - not a cloud in the sky - so we took the opportunity to go to the Jungfraujoch. What a trip. BTW, the Swiss Pass saved us 25% on the cost of the ticket to the top of the Jungfrau. The trip was worth every penny! What a gorgeous view in all directions. We had champagne from the little bar on the upper level to celebrate! On the way back we ate in a restaurant next to the train station in Kleine Scheidegg (sorry can't remember the name) and then headed to Grindelwald. I was a little disappointed in Grindelwald for reasons I can't really define. It had a beautiful view if the Eiger but otherwise wasn't what I had expected.

To be continued.

aliced

Enjoyed your trip report -- we are going over 8/31 for ten nights: two Lucerne, three Interlaken, two Zermatt, two Montreux and last night in Geneva. We plan to check our carry-on bags -- one smallish duffel and one 21" -- and wonder what size you opted to ship directly to Lucerne. We do not expect our luggage to be cumbersome (as it was last year w/ 3 wks in Spain w/ 45# of luggage that I think stretched my arm pulling!) Considered this shipping and considering we want to get out of the airport and to Lucerne as quickly as possibly, we may opt for this. We too pondered staying up in Wengen but in the end picked Interlaken to offer more options in poor weather. Yes, this Spring has been a cool and wet one for most of Europe. We too have an 8-day Swiss Pass and will pay fare first day to Lucerne to utilize through rest of our trip. We are planning on the Jungfrau, Murren & Wengen, and possibly Gimmelwald but will be content to get to two of these. Will print and add your recommendations before our departure.

cybertraveler

Thanks for this report. DH and I are traveling to Switzerland for a week this summer as part of a longer trip. We'll be staying in Luzern and Montreux. I'll be eagerly awaiting the rest of your report!

cybertraveler

aliced, did you already buy your Swiss Pass? I am debating whether to buy it now so that we'll be all set when we arrive from Paris by train in Geneva. Currently, I only have tickets to Geneva, but we'll be staying in Lucerne that night. This is our first trip to Switzerland, so I'm unfamiliar with the specifics on buying and using the Swiss Pass.

bumper

aliced, we both had checked bags weighing 40# + and I also carry a back pack with two cameras and a tripod, so I was thrilled to find a way to ship the checked luggage. Being used to American airlines and trains, we carried on a small bag with just enough clothing, etc. for a day in case our luggage didn't make it to Luzern, but silly us, we forgot we were dealing with the Swiss. Everything was on time.

msteacher

Great report! Sorry that illness struck in Wengen, as it really is a fabulous place. Thanks for sharing.

aliced

No, we will purchase our Swiss Pass in Zurich; Swiss Tourism in NYC advised there is no benefit to do so now; we will purchase the 8-day 2d class then, but we have reserved seats for the leg on the Golden Pass Lucerne-Interlaken for 8ch pp; we were advised these must be reserved ahead and in fact, waited a bit too long to do so-- only 8 seats were available on 9:30 am train! Can be reserved/paid online via www.goldenpass.ch. Thank you "bumper"-- we will never travel Europe again outside of carryon, we have modified our wardrobes to thinnest of the thin + packable down jackets + rainproof fold-into-pocket shells + gortex hikers for plane. I am a longstanding overpacker but have learned... Frequent hotel changes mean not looking to bottom of suitcases......

PalenQ

Great start to trip report - makes me want to go right now!

Champagne at the Jungfraujoch and some warn about altitude sickness (not high enough to bother most I think) - and too bad Wengen was a washout and your wife didn't feel well - go back sometime under better conditions. Am eager to hear what you did witg 8 days in Zurich, a town panned by many but one I also found fascinating as I assume you did.

As for cybertraveler's query: This is our first trip to Switzerland, so I'm unfamiliar with the specifics on buying and using the Swiss Pass."

Pretty easy using just hop on any train (except Glacier Express and a handful of tourist scenic trains for which you need seat reservations - other wise hop on any boat, train, postal bus, city trams or buses - just about anything that moves in Switzerland except cows! When conductor comes around just flash the pass - but there are Saverpasses, Flexiasses, etc for a good fix on all of those I always suggest these fine sites www.swisstravelsystem.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html and www.ricksteves.com. You'll find answers to your question there. But the efficacy of a pass is of course traveling around a bit like bumper did and aliced plans to - for her the pass is a no-brainer IMO.

cybertraveler

aliced, did you have to pay for the Golden Pass reservation when you booked your seats? I have looked at the website, but can't see how to get the Swiss Pass rate without buying the pass first.

PS: I apologize for highjacking this thread, and I'll start a new thread soon with more specific questions.

bumper

Before I jump into a discussion about our stay in Zurich, just a couple of comments on the Swiss Pass. We bought ours before we left so we could hit the ground running in the Zurich Airport. The train station at the airport is one or two levels down from the arrivals area, so after we cleared customs (which was very quick) we were on the train in just a few minutes. Many of our trips involved train changes with only 4-5 minutes between trains. Having the SwissPass made that as easy as just hustling one or two (at most four) tracks over and jumping on the train. One big help was having the sbb.ch app on our cell phones. www.sbb.ch is the website for the Swiss train system. It was invaluable in planning the trip and even more valuable in providing the information for connecting trains. Before we arrived at the connecting station we would pull up the sbb app to see what track our train would be on. Then once in the station we would look on the board in the large stations or the printed schedules posted in the smaller ones to confirm the platform. The only reservation we had ahead of time was on the GoldenPass Panorama train from Luzern to Interlaken Ost, so if we missed a train it just meant waiting for the next one. I am the train lover in the family. My wife has always thought train travel was boring, with the exception of the TGV trains in France. But on this trip she took full responsibility for checking the schedules, getting us to the right platform and pointing out the sights along the way. She is dying to get back to Switzerland and do more traing hopping! We only missed two connections, one because the sbb information wasn't correct and we didn't double check in the station to make sure it was accurate and the other on the connection to Triberg, Germany where passengers getting on the train blocked our path off and the doors shut before we could get off. More on that later.


A couple more general observations. I would highly recommend getting to the most popular sites in the Bernese Alps as early as possible. I'll try not to sound too chauvanistic in these remarks, but I may not succeed, so if I offend anyone it is unintentional. When we met with my Swiss friend, he mentioned the Swiss Minister of Tourism (if that is the correct title) had inititiated a program several years ago to heavily market Switzerland as a tourist destination in India, China and Japan. He should get a huge bonus because it has been completely successful. There were many tour groups of Japanese, Chinese and Indian tourists at Mount Titlis, the Jungfraujoch and the Rheinfalls. We certainly have some rude American tourists, but they don't come in large groups of pushing, shoving and stampeding tourists that we experienced from the countries targeted by the Minister of Tourism. They in no way diminished our enjoyment of these sites, but they were a force to be reckoned with! At Titlis the Rotair cablecar evidently has a weight limit, that if exceeded, automatically shuts down the car. We had to wait 10 minutes or so after repeated requests, then pleas, then demands for ten people who had crowded in at the last minute (after the operator had said no more people!)to get off and allow the cable car to move. We would have gotten off, except we were one of the first ones on and were slammed up against the back of the car and couldn't move.

Ok. On to Zurich. Pal, there have been many posters here that have panned Zurich and recommended no more than an overnight here. My wife enjoyed Zurich more than the other two cities we stayed in. I preferred Luzern but really enjoyed Zurich , as well. We got into Zurich late in the day we traveled from Wengen, so we had seven full days there.

The first day in Zurich, I was on a mission. Eight years ago we took the TGV train from Paris to Geneva to buy my wife a watch for our anniversary. I think I got a tie. She found an Omega watch that she still loves and I decided that some day we would return to Switzerland and I would would get an Omega watch. It's not that I don't love my two watches from my two alma maters, Lehigh University and the University of Missouri, but I wanted one that was a little more special. So we headed out for a stroll down Bahnhofstrasse and ended up at Sprungli for lunch, which I would highly recommend, and then at the Omega store for my big purchase. I had done some research, so I knew the watches that were in my price range (not a lot of them) so I was able to cut to the chase quickly. After a little show and tell and a modest amount of negotiating, I had my watch. Seated at the next table in the showroom were an Indian couple with their late teens/early twenties daughter. The parents had obviously brought her there to buy her a watch. She could not have been more bored. I overheard the saleswoman say, this watch is $38,000 dollars. The daughter just shrugged her shoulders as in, "Whatever". Then the father asked the saleswoman for a price on the wall clock that was a replica of one of their watches. The saleswoman said it was not for sale and the father asked to see the manager. We left before any deal was consummated. My wife and I decided the present for the daughter was in exchange for an agreement to marry the man they had selected for her. After my purchase, we continued our walk down the Bahnhofstrasse with me feeling a little conspicuous at first carrying the Omega bag, but I quickly realized my bag fit in very well with the bags other strollers were carrying. That night we had dinner at Le Dezelay, a restaurant two of our best friends had recommended. It turned out to be my favorite restaurant of the trip. My wife had a veal dish and I had their specialty, veal "Zurich style", which is veal in a special cream sauce. It was fabulous. We always had a Swiss wine to go with our meals in Switzerland and actually found them to be quite good. My meal was served with a side I had many times on this trip - rosti. Rosti can best be described as the best hash browns you've ever had.

The next day was rainy so we spent the morning visiting Zurich's Alstadt (Old Town) which we really found to be quite charming. The afternoon and evening we spent in Baden at the casino. I made a little money playing blackjack and my wife broke even playing the slots, so it was a fun trip.

The following day was rainy again so we spent it at two museums - the Kunsthaus, which is the museum of fine arts and the Landesmuseum, which is the Swiss History Museum. We enjoyed both museums very much. In between the museum visits, we had lunch at Sternen Grill which started a number of years ago as a sausage stand and grew so popular that they took over a building and built a restaurant a couple? of years ago. I had ther signature sausage with their special spicy mustard and my wife had a different sausage. Both came with wonderful rosti and were washed down with excellent Swiss beer!

The next morning we were off to Appenzell and Rapperswil. We loved Appenzell. Appenzell is a quaint little town steeped in tradition down to the costumes many of the natives wear. It has an excellent history museum and a most interesting church. The museum has several floors showcasing the art, clothing and furnishings of the Appenzeller region. The church had a very unusual interior. It could best be described as having an altar surrounded by a forest of plants and trees. From Appenzel, we travelled to Rapperswil, primarily to take the paddleboat back to Zurich. We hadn't really allowed enough time to enjoy Rapperswil, which was too bad, because it was a beautiful day and Rapperswil was a charming town. However, we loved the boat trip back to Zurich and would definitely do that again.

For some time, my wife has wanted an authentic cuckoo clock, so the next day we took the train, with several changes, to Triberg Germany, deep in the heart of the Black Forest. On the first leg of the trip I asked the conductor if the Swiss Pass would cover the cost of the trip to Friberg. He said it would only pay for the Swiss portion of the trip and the balance from Schauffhausen to Triberg would require an additional ticket, which he sold us. It was a pretty ride and the trip went well until we got to Triberg. We were a little slow getting up and going to the exit door and by the time we got there other passengers were getting on the train and blocked our exit. This was a quick stop and the doors shut before we got off, so we had to ride to the next stop. Unfortunately,the train back was an hour later so we had to wait. Also, since this was Germany, the official currency was the euro and no one would accept Swiss francs. Luckily, the ticket agent who sold us our ticket back to Triberg was willing to take Swiss francs in payment and gave us the change in euros which were just enough to buy a couple of German pastries washed down by a coffee and a tea. The next surprise came when we got to Triberg. There was a bus waiting at the train station but we didn't realize we should take it to get to the city center. We thought the town would be close to the train station. We were wrong. It was a long, steep climb to the center of Triberg. However, once there we found a wonderful clock store called (in German) the store of 1,000 clocks. We found the perfect clock, had it shipped, and stopped for lunch and very enjoyable German restaurant. I remember I had Jager schnitzel and my wife had chicken. We then took the train back to Schauffhausen to visit the Rheinfalls. We took a cab to the falls and arranged with the driver to return in an hour to pick us up. I am glad we did that because it would have been a fairly long walk to the falls - downhill going, but a pretty steep climb coming back. The falls were as awesome as advertised, so I am glad we stopped.

We took another day to spend shopping in Zurich. Zurich has several very nice department stores, including Manor, Jelmoli and Globus. My wife spent a lot of time shopping but little time buying. We also wanted to bring back some souvenirs for the students I mentor, our catsitter and my wife's office staff so we went to Schweizer Heimatwerk and Teddy's Souvenir Shop where we found some wondrful gifts. Later, we also visited two of Zurich's large churches, the Fraumunster and the Grossmunster. The two tall towers of the Grossmunster can be seen almost anywhere in the city. This was the church of the Protestant Reformer, Ulrich Zwingli. The Fraumunster is distinguished by stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall. Both churches were beautiful and well worth a visit. Because it was a beautiful day, we had lunch in the courtyard beside the Limmatt at the cafe of the Storchen Hotel. It was such a beautiful day that it required a glass of champagne to celebrate. That evening we went to the Jules Verne Panorama Bar, which is on the top floor of its building above the Brasserie Lipp. It has one of the best views in Zurich.

On our last day we took the train to Uetliberg, which is a nice trip mainly through a forest. The train tracks at the end of the line were being repaired, so it was a pretty steep climb to the summit. However, the reward for the climb was a panoramic view of the whole Zurich area. It was a beautiful day and a very fitting end to our trip.

A couple of final thoughts. Switzerland is a very expensive country. Based on my reading, I had budgeted $100 for lunch and $200 for dinner for my wife and me. That was a pretty accurate estimate for an appetizer,a main course, dessert and one glass of wine for each of us at a good - but not fancy - restaurant. Once or twice we went over for lunch and generally came pretty close to the estimate for dinner. Another way to estimate the cost of meals is to double the cost of a meal at a similar restaurant in a city like Chicago or Miami. We had very good, lower priced meals (although high compared to what we are used to) at the self-service restaurants at the Manor and Jelmoli Department stores.

English is widely spoken in Switzerland. We never needed to fall back on our high school French or try to use our guidebook German, although our "Gruezi" and "Danke" were appreciated. We found the Swiss people to be very friendly, eager to help and fond of Americans. We thought the food was exceptionally good, especially the veal, rosti, fondue and raclette.

I don't know what Heaven is like or even if I'll get there. But if I do, I hope it will be like a walk through a beautiful Swiss mountain meadow next to a stream rushing from the Alps to the rivers far below, entertained by a chorus of chattering birds and a symphony of cowbells and accompanied by the smiles of the wonderful Swiss people.

It was a great trip and we can't wait to return.

PalenQ

aliced, did you have to pay for the Golden Pass reservation when you booked your seats? I have looked at the website, but can't see how to get the Swiss Pass rate without buying the pass first.>

folks have reported they did it without having any ticket or pass from the site but I never tried. You may trying calling Byron at www.budgeteuropetravel.com and ask him - I have bought passes from him for years and he will answer IME any question even if not buying anything - he is a RailEurope agent who could also book the GP I believe. What segment of GP are you trying to book - most segments do not require booking or can be booked easily upon arrival. Ballyhooed VIP seats must be booked months in advance.

msteacher

Great report. I especially like (and agree with) your last paragraph about heaven. Well done!

cybertraveler

bumper, thanks for sharing so many great details, especially about the Swiss Pass. Pal, I called and spoke with Byron today: what a fantastic suggestion! I now have reservations on the Golden Pass train, and ordered the Swiss Passes, which will arrive by Wednesday. BTW, the price at budgeteuropetravel.com was the same as that on myswitzerland.com, but since it is in USD, there is no foreign transaction fee.

I agree with msteacher: that last paragraph about heaven was wonderful! Thanks again for the great trip report!

simpsonc510

I agree with OP that Lucerne is preferred over Zurich. We always stay at least 3-4 days or more in Zurich, and might manage the same amount in Lucerne, if I'm lucky. Lucerne, for me, is more easily managed for shopping. After so many times in that city, I know where I must go to find what I'm searching for! But when in Zurich, I love love love Jelmoli! I've bought very few items in Globus, and I don't find it as appealing as Jelmoli. DH also likes Jelmoli. We like their deli/market area in the basement. We both enjoyed sampling a half-dozen or so tastes of various balsamico types and finally picked one that we both thought tasted wonderful.

We have never done any of the museums in Zurich (always too busy doing business-related things) but enjoyed the Transport Museum in Lucerne very much.

That boat ride from Rapperswil (which I also thought was a nice town). We've only had one boat ride on the Zurichsee, and one on the Lucerne Lake. Hoping for nice weather in both locations in mid-September, and maybe, just maybe, we can work in at least one boat trip!

Thanks for your report. Switzerland is my favorite country in Europe. So glad I'm fortunate enough to get to go there at least twice a year! (knock on wood)

aliced

PalenQ, yes, we paid for the 'reservation' not the Swiss Pass upon reserving our seats Lucerne-Interlaken which was 8 ch pp. It seems on this day, the train is at 9:30 am and 3 pm, definitely want the morning train.

Huggy

Hr

Neerav

From my calculations and including all the great sight seeings that you have reported...I have found the half pass makes more sense..

1..because its just 120 CHF
2..the 50% off at jungrau trip alone pays for 80% of the half-fare card...

to the OP..a note about lot of indians travelling..

I am an Indian myself...and while I have to agree lot of us prefer to go on group tours and huge groups of that...(I am not huge fan of that) ..the credit for it does not go to the swiss tourism minister...For years we have not been able to travel foreign a lot...mostly due to low salaries...and bad exchange rates..but now in the last 10-15 yrs Indian tourists are everywhere.....with Rising salaries...young population...burgeoning middle-class ...they are going to the normal places and beyond...

but I have to accept..we Indians have a bit of romanticism with Switzerland...due to the fact that we have so many bollywood movies that are filmed there...right since the 80s and 90s.....and thats why on my first trip to Europe this Sep..I am going to Switzerland too..for 8 days..your Trip Report certainly helps!!

Pepper_von_snoot

I am REPEAT visitor to Switzerland.

Repeat visitor to Bernese Oberland.

I ALWAYS come out ahead using the HALF-FARE CARD.

But some here will not listen and take advice from people who went to Switzerland in 1985 and think they know everything.


Thin

aussie_10

We will be in Switzerland in September.
Thanks for your trip report.
We too will be travelling from Lucerne to Wengen. I would love to send our bags on without having to cart them ourselves. Do you have any more information on this process? Do we need to book this ahead?

Gretchen

I don't wonder that you saved money when you were there for such an extended time. Maybe more if using a different one? One size may not fit all.