My plans for Switzerland
Mar 9th, 2012, 11:11 PM
#21
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Bern was originally my first choice as a base. Seemed a good place to be if it's raining! I shall spend a day or two there commuting from Spiez. It has some interesting art and just sounded like a nice town.
Have just surfaced from satisfying myself re the value or not of an Italy rail Pass for me. Am exhausted but pleased I have such good experience with spreadsheets.
Have just surfaced from satisfying myself re the value or not of an Italy rail Pass for me. Am exhausted but pleased I have such good experience with spreadsheets.
Mar 10th, 2012, 05:29 AM
#22
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Italy passes are not as easy to judge as a Swiss Pass - but if you want fully flexible travel - able to decide once there which trains to take and if you go first class, which my decades of riding Italian trains makes me strongly recommend for the average tourist on the trip of a lifetime just a few long trips can make the pass pay off - yet the Fodor's mantra you will no doubt here is that a railpass in Italy is never cost effective where in reality it can be - but not knowing here your travel plans it is hard to judge.
Mar 10th, 2012, 06:48 AM
#23
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Between Spiez and Bern is Thun - do not neglect at least trekking around lovely Thun as well - river runs thru it with old bridges - you can take a lake boat there from Spiez or if into hiking I took the ridge footpath overlooking the lake the few miles from Spiez to Thun.
Mar 11th, 2012, 12:01 AM
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Yes - am spending a day with Thun and Thunersee - looking forward to that. I thoroughly checked pros and cons of Italy Pass and it was not cost effective for me. I can however see that it could be for others with different travel plans.
Mar 12th, 2012, 04:26 PM
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a factor with railpasses in Italy is that to ride most trains a surcharge of 10 euros is charged on top of using the pass - so that makes the pass less cost effective and also since you cannot just hop on any train anytime like in many countries flexibility is lost - you must make the required seat reservation before boarding - cannot just show up and hop on.
Mar 13th, 2012, 10:11 AM
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http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html
Though you are going for a 22-day pass there is a super-duper special available for travel thru the end of May on a Swiss Pass - two people travel for the price of one - a 2 for 1 sale but only on 4-day consecutive and 4-day flexipass Swiss Passes. Details above.
Though you are going for a 22-day pass there is a super-duper special available for travel thru the end of May on a Swiss Pass - two people travel for the price of one - a 2 for 1 sale but only on 4-day consecutive and 4-day flexipass Swiss Passes. Details above.
