Edward2005

All input is welcome! This my draft itinerary for my Swiss vacation May 23-June 4 (dates are locked in as I've already purchased a ticket).

Fly into Zurich, hop on train to Murten for 2 nights. Seems like a good way to ease into Switzerland without dealing with the madness of a big city right off the bat. Easy day trips to Bern and Avanches.

Train to Lausanne for 3 nights. Cruise Lake Geneva to Chillon to tour castle.

Golden Pass train to Interlaken and into Berner Oberland. Stay at Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald for 5 nights. Hiking, biking, Schilthorn & Jungfrau peaks, Trummelbach falls, sleeping in, late night backgammon with other hostelers.

Train to Zurich for 1 night. Reluctantly fly home next day.

It looks like I can get a $310 Swill Rail Pass that will cover all rail travel (including Golden Pass) and gives a 25% discount on the gondolas, funiculars, and lifts around the Berner Oberland.

In terms of lodging, 2 nights at the Ringmaur in Murten will cost $100 total, 3 nights at the Lausanne Guesthouse will cost $200 total, 5 nights at the Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald will cost $82 total (you read that right), and 1 night in Zurich's Hotel Bristol will set me back $123. My total lodging should cost a total of about $500.

So, here's what my budget looks like:
$310 for rail pass (2nd class)
$500 for lodging
$550 for food ($50/day)
$165 for museums & sightseeing ($15/day)
$165 for buses, funiculars, etc. ($15/day)
$220 for miscellaneous ($20/day)

That's a total of $1,910 for ll days, or $173 per day plus airfare.

I thought about flying out of Geneva to avoid backtracking to Zurich, but for whatever reason the flights all stop over in Paris and cost an extra $300, so that's out.

bob_brown

Why in the world would you pick Gimmelwald? Steves book?
It is a dot on the landscape; a hamlet.
You will miss the best in the area.
I have gone to Lauterbrunnen 7 of the last 8 summers, and I have walked through Gimmelwald several times. And believe, it takes about 4 minutes.

The Jungfrau trip will bust your budget I might add, even with a pass.

Edward2005

Good catch on the Jungfraubahn! It's discounted but not covered by the Swiss Pass. That will add about $65. Thanks!

I really like Gimmelwald because it's just a dot and it has the Mountain Hostel (dirt cheap and lots of fun). Besides, it's easy to get to every place else in the Oberland. I like Lauterbrunnen, too, but it's just a preference thing.

swandav2000

Hi Edward2005,

Your itinerary looks fine (I'm a huge fan of the Lake Geneva area), but I believe you're over-paying for your train travel. Here's the 2nd class point-point breakdown of your trip:

Zurich airport-Murten, 55 chf (29.50 HF)

Murten-Avenches rt, 6.40 chf (3.20 HF)

Murten-Bern rt, 24.80 chf (12.40 HF)

Murten-Lausanne, 24 chf (12 HF)

Lausanne-Gimmelwald, 59.60 (29.80 HF)

Gimmelwald-Zurich, 67.60 (33.80 HF)

So the totals are 237.60 chf ($199) with straight point-point tickets. If you buy a Half-Fare card for 99 chf, your tickets will be 219.80 chf ($184) with discounts on all transport in the BO.

So, **if** economizing is important to you, you ought to buy a Half Fare card instead of the Pass. But if the freedom of the Pass is more important -- never mind!!

You can get the ticket prices at www.rail.ch (click on "booking" after you get the schedule for the trip). To get information on the Half Fare card, go to www.rail.ch, click on "travel," then "Swiss Travel System."

Good luck!

s

Edward2005

Thanks, s, I will look into that!

Intrepid1

In case you aren't aware, you can get the pass or the card or whatever you decide to use IN Switzerland. DO NOT buy it from an outside agency such as RailEurope or RailSaver..no need.

Trummelbach Falls are pretty spectacular and unique and think you'll enjoy those. Ditto Chillon.

I suggest while you are in the Montreux area (because Chillon will NOT take up the entire day) that you consider taking the train up above to Rochers de Naye. The trip up is pretty spectacular in and of itself and once on top the views out over Lac leman are breathtaking IMO (provided the weather at the top cooperates).

After you finish at Chillon you might consider walking back along the lake to Montreux..easily done with nice views.

What time is youtr flight out of Zurich? You realize there is a rail station at the airport and you can sometimes avoid, if you wish, going into the city at all.

Have a great trip..there is, as you'll soon learn, a LOT more to Switzerland than just the mountains.

Edward2005

Thanks, Intrepid. No, I was not aware the various Swiss rail passes could be bought in Switzerland. I haven't bought mine yet, so I will check their prices before I make a move.

I have never been to French Switzerland, so I am looking forward to it. I was planning on the Montreaux & Chillon area as a whole day trip. The walk sounds very nice.

My flight out of Zurich is at 10am. I think I'd rather stay in the city to get at least a look at it. It appears the rail connection to the airport is frequent and quick.

Cicerone

I may be alone in this, but Murten totally underwhelms me. It is set off like Disneyland from the main “new” part of the town, which is industrial and frankly ugly in the way that modern concrete Swiss industrial areas can be ugly. You can literally walk the entire town in under 10 minutes, which I don’t object to, but it hardly merits 2 days; I guess if you were going to Avenches and Bern each day than you would have enough to fill your days, but to use Murten as a base, seems a bit of a waste. The main street is pretty and arcaded, but I found it disappointing that it was filled with hardware stores, souvenir shops and a Manor Department store. The lake is OK, but not anywhere near as beautiful as many many other lakes in Switzerland, i.e. no Alp vistas. The one interesting thing to do (which you don’t seem to be doing) is to take the boat trip to Neuchatel through canals and over the lakes.

I would suggest you stay in Bern and make day trips. Better yet, stay the whole time in the Vevey/Montreaux area. The little villages of the Lavaux are, IMO, so much more charming than Murten, and you can make a day trip to Murten if you want.

I live in Zurich, and it is not a “big” city and has no madness and merits at least 2 days. The back streets of the right bank of the Old Town have as beautiful a medivial feel as Murten and some very interesting antique shops, bookshops and restaurants. You can go to Regensberg about 15 minutes away by train to see another walled medivial town that is better, IMO, than Murten. There are some good walks/hikes and biking from and around the city as well.

Edward2005

bttt

Edward2005

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JN

Any reason not to stay in Luzern, rather than Murten? I've never been to the latter, but the scenery in Luzern is awesome--and it's only 75 minutes from the airport.

While generally expensive, Luzern does have less costly hotels such as the Tourist Hotel, Mr. Pickwick and others.

jmw44

I visited Murten a number of years ago and did find the old walled town to be very interesting and picturesque. However, my first thought is that you could stay in Lausanne for the combined time and daytrip to Murten (1:15 to 1:32 trip) as well as to Avenches and Bern and a zillion great places on Lac Leman and nearby. Lausanne would not be a mad big city start to your trip. J.

jmw44

I've just read Cicerone's post a second time and must say again that my visit to Murten was quite awhile ago. I still think it would be worth a daytrip from Lausanne, perhaps combined Avenches along the way. Cicerone's mention of Regensberg near Zurich is a good thought, too, as well as the description of Zurich's old town as picturesque. Compared to Lausanne and Bern, though, it does have a big city feel to it. J.

Edward2005

Yes, I think I like the idea of home-basing in Lausanne. I wonder if renting a car for a few days is a good idea here? I could rent it in Lausanne and drop it off in Bern.

nanda_zrh

This is just a thought - hostels are often not the cheapest mode of accomodation. A few years ago, we got a whole apartment in Lauterbrunnen for the price of two bunk dorm beds at the Interlaken YHA. This was a 2 br apartment with full kitchen and bathroom with lovely views and easy walk to lauterbrunnen station. It was located at the top floor of a swiss house.

So don't forget to check out villages' homepages (eg: www.lauterbrunnen.ch) where they do sometimes advertise private homes that have something for rent.