Need Help with Planning Switzlerland Itinerary
Nov 4th, 1999, 01:38 PM
#1
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Need Help with Planning Switzlerland Itinerary
We are in the beginning stages of trying to plan a 3 week trip to Switzerland in May 2000 to see as much of the Bernese Oberland as possible and including Lugano and Lake Como. We hope to fly in and out of Zurich and use a Swiss Companion Pass for transportation within the country. We also would like to be able to stay in one of the villages like Meiringen or Wengen which many on here have praised. We are confused as to what is the best way to plan our 3 weeks so as to see as much as possible. Shoud we plan a week a piece in different areas or 2 weeks in possibly Meiringen or Wengen and one in the Lugano area. Since we hope to fly in and out of Zurich should we go to Lugano area first? Can someone also tell us if the Glacier Express can be done in a day trip form one of the places we hope to stay at like Meiringen? We would appreciate knowing any itineraries you have used which worked out best for such a trip. Any recommendations for moderately priced places to stay would also be greatly appreciated. Is 2 weeks in just the Oberland area too long, not enough?? We are not hikers and will be going just to enjoy the spectacular beauty of this area. Thank you for any advice, information, or help you can offer us with our trip. Please feel free to respond by emails also.
Nov 4th, 1999, 03:21 PM
#2
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Two weeks isn't too long in the Berner Oberland if you plan to do a lot (and I mean a lot) of hiking, or if you want to take a lot of daytrips from there. Personally, I would try to visit different parts of Switzerland with three weeks. I would spend a week in the Berner Oberland, a week in Lugano area (I would try to see other places while there too, maybe into Italy - perhaps Lake Como). That gives you German and Italian Switzerland. For the other week, I would consider stopping off in Zermatt for a couple of days, then proceding to French Switzerland - places like Lausanne, Murten (see Rick Steves), Gruyere, Fribourg, or Montreux.
I think you are right not to try to see too much. However, Switzerland is a very small country, so there are many options.
I think you are right not to try to see too much. However, Switzerland is a very small country, so there are many options.
Nov 5th, 1999, 07:01 AM
#3
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Being a hiker I am not sure I am the best person to answer your questions, but let me share with you what my wife and I have done for the past two summers in Switzerland.
1. In my opinion, Meiringen is not a good base for seeing the Bernese Oberland, unless you have a car.
2. Where you stay depends heavily on how much you want to move around the area to visit different places.
3. I recommend renting a car. Swiss trains are slow, for example the day we went from Lauterbrunnen to Luzern, we spent 6 hours all told in transit just to cover 120 - 130 miles for the round
trip. A car gives you more flexibility and convenience with reduced travel time to most destinations.
4. I prefer renting an apartment to staying in hotels. Of course, the apartment usually means a commitment of one week. But we found the cost to be much less and we had the option to prepare our own food. Part of the fun of the trip was to shop the markets like the locals and experience the different types of food, particularly bread and cheese.
5. In order to see the heart and soul of the mountains, you need to walk a little bit. I know you said you were not hikers, but there are some easy trails that are not taxing and still give access to incredible views that are otherwise hidden.
If your objective is to see the Berner Oberland, there are several logical bases. I will list my 4 top candidates and include a few pros and cons.
1. Wengen. Picturesque location. Perched on the mountain side above Lauterbrunnen, it affords great views of the Jungfrau, Eiger, and Moench.
But it is reachable directly only by train or foot. It is located on the rail line that runs from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg.
2. Grindelwald. Touristy, popular, somewhat crowded in season with many hotels, shops, restarurants, and chalets. In the late spring and summer, it can be reached easily by train or car from Interlaken. Several bus routes and cable lifts provide access to higher, more remote locations.
3. Murren. Picturesque location, on the opposite side of the valley from Wengen. It, too, gives great views of the Jungfrau, Moench, and the western part of the Oberland range. Hard to reach, hence somewhat isolated. It has a few nice hotels, apartments, and shops. Like Wengen, highly limited vehicular traffic. To get to Murren there are two choices: from Lauterbrunnen take the fernicular up to a station called Grutschalp, and then take a little train to Murren, or take the train to Lauterbrunnen, take the Post Bus to the valley station of the gondola lift
in Stechelberg, and take the lift up to Murren. If you have a car you can drive
to the Stechelberg lift station where parking is a few francs a day.
4. Lauterbrunnen. Located on the floor of the valley, it is a transportation hub. It is located about 8 K south of Interlaken and can be reached by car or by train from the Interlaken Ost train station. From Lauterbrunnen you can reach Grindelwald, Interlaken, Murren, and Wengen by regular train/lift service.
As you may have read in earlier posts, all of these bases have their advocats.
We originally chose Lauterbrunnen because the apartment was convenient to the train station and we could go to the different venues and return easily each evening. This past summer, we had a car and could park within a few feet of our apartment and drive to where we wanted to go, except Murren and Wengen. Having tried it both ways, with a car and without a car, I will in the future opt for the car.
Now, lets discuss places to go from where you can see the mountains.
Too bad you are not hikers, because walking the trails gives some gorgeous views that you cannot otherwise see.
From Grindelwald:
1. take the long gondola ride up to Mannlichen with the north face of the Eiger in full view.
2. take the Post Bus up to Grosse Scheidegg or to Mittelaeger.
3. take the gondola up to a station called First ( not related to second!) for an eye-popping view of the eastern end of the Berner Oberland.
4. take the lift up to Pfingstegg and take the short hike, about 1.5 miles, to
a restaurant called Steieregg. (This hike is above the Unterer Grindelwaldgletscher and gives views into an arctic basin and the east ridge of the Eiger, but best of all it gives a view of the glacier that flows off of the northeast flank of the
Finsteraarhorn. This little walk with minimal effort puts you right into the heart of the steep valleys, high mountains, and glaciers that are the essence of those mountains.)
From Lauterbrunnen:
1. Visit the waterfalls, particularly Staubach Falls and Trummelbach Falls.
Trummelbach is awesome. The water flows from the glaciers on the northern flanks
of the Jungfrau and the Moench. It thunders down a series of cascades recessed deeply into the mountains. There is an elevator, stairs, paved trails and lighting.
2. Visit the Schilthorn. The lift valley station is in Stechelberg. The route goes first to Gimmelwald and then to Murren. From Murren you make the final ascent up to the top. Coming back, you can take the trainlet to Grutschalp and the fernicular to Lauterbrunnen.
(We walked the valley shelf and spend a long time just sitting and looking.)
3. Take the train to the Jungfraujoch. The ride is expensive, but memorable.
You can leave either from Lauterbrunnen or from Grindelwald for Kleine Scheidegg. There, you change trains for the final run through a tunnel carved in the rock to the Jungfrau station.
4. Go down valley toward Interlaken to the Wilderswil station and take the mountain train up to Schynige Platte. This site is on a ridge that overlooks both the Berner Oberland and the Interlaken valley, with the two lakes, the Brienzer See and the Thuner See in full view.
5. From Interlaken take a boat ride on the Thuner See or the Brienzer See or both!
From Kandersteg, which is in the next valley over, but requires a circuitous route by either car or train, you can take the chair lift up to the Oeschinen See, which is surrounded by high cliffs and peaks.
From Lauterbrunnen, the next logical place would be the Valley of the Rhone. You could drive over the Grimsel Pass or the Sustern Pass and take one of the most spectacular rides you will
ever see. No train or bus that I know of goes over this pass. The road is well engineered and requires only normal prudence. But the views are unsurpassed for highway type travel.
A good day trip would be to take the pass, drive over to Brig, drive down the valley of the Rhone to Goppenstein. At Goppenstein, you drive onto the train and ride through the Loetschenberg Tunnel to Kandersteg, where you drive off of the train and return to your
base.
There are several valleys that feed into the Rhone. The most outstanding one is the Visper Valley, which has two branches. One branch leads to Saas Grund and Saas Fee at the foot of the awesome Mischabel Range. It features The Dom which is the highest peak totally within Switzerland; it towers some 9,000 feet above the valley. Chair rides from Saas Fee begin to approach the midway point of the peaks. They give some idea as to the totally awesome dimensions of a 14,900 foot peak. The second branch of the valley leads to Taesch, which is the parking lot for Zermatt. Despite its touristy orientation, Zermatt gives access to two inspiring rides. There is the train that goes up to the Gornergrat station, which gives a full view of Monte Rosa, at more than 15,000 feet, and the glaciers that flow from it. And there is the cable car ride up to the Klein Matterhorn with the Matterhorn itself in full view. (Dress warmly!)
We stayed in an apartment in Saas Grund because we could park right by our door and then drive to where we wanted to go. Saas Grund is a little isolated, but from there to Taesch is about an hours drive. The train ride into Zermatt is just a few minutes.
I have left out a lot of other detail of places where we went and sights we saw. But, without a car, we could not have done half of it. Buses and trains take too long and don't always go to your destinations at a convenient time. In case you are wondering, my wife and I are not kids, I will be 67 my next birthday. I will be happy to answer additional questions, if I can.
1. In my opinion, Meiringen is not a good base for seeing the Bernese Oberland, unless you have a car.
2. Where you stay depends heavily on how much you want to move around the area to visit different places.
3. I recommend renting a car. Swiss trains are slow, for example the day we went from Lauterbrunnen to Luzern, we spent 6 hours all told in transit just to cover 120 - 130 miles for the round
trip. A car gives you more flexibility and convenience with reduced travel time to most destinations.
4. I prefer renting an apartment to staying in hotels. Of course, the apartment usually means a commitment of one week. But we found the cost to be much less and we had the option to prepare our own food. Part of the fun of the trip was to shop the markets like the locals and experience the different types of food, particularly bread and cheese.
5. In order to see the heart and soul of the mountains, you need to walk a little bit. I know you said you were not hikers, but there are some easy trails that are not taxing and still give access to incredible views that are otherwise hidden.
If your objective is to see the Berner Oberland, there are several logical bases. I will list my 4 top candidates and include a few pros and cons.
1. Wengen. Picturesque location. Perched on the mountain side above Lauterbrunnen, it affords great views of the Jungfrau, Eiger, and Moench.
But it is reachable directly only by train or foot. It is located on the rail line that runs from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg.
2. Grindelwald. Touristy, popular, somewhat crowded in season with many hotels, shops, restarurants, and chalets. In the late spring and summer, it can be reached easily by train or car from Interlaken. Several bus routes and cable lifts provide access to higher, more remote locations.
3. Murren. Picturesque location, on the opposite side of the valley from Wengen. It, too, gives great views of the Jungfrau, Moench, and the western part of the Oberland range. Hard to reach, hence somewhat isolated. It has a few nice hotels, apartments, and shops. Like Wengen, highly limited vehicular traffic. To get to Murren there are two choices: from Lauterbrunnen take the fernicular up to a station called Grutschalp, and then take a little train to Murren, or take the train to Lauterbrunnen, take the Post Bus to the valley station of the gondola lift
in Stechelberg, and take the lift up to Murren. If you have a car you can drive
to the Stechelberg lift station where parking is a few francs a day.
4. Lauterbrunnen. Located on the floor of the valley, it is a transportation hub. It is located about 8 K south of Interlaken and can be reached by car or by train from the Interlaken Ost train station. From Lauterbrunnen you can reach Grindelwald, Interlaken, Murren, and Wengen by regular train/lift service.
As you may have read in earlier posts, all of these bases have their advocats.
We originally chose Lauterbrunnen because the apartment was convenient to the train station and we could go to the different venues and return easily each evening. This past summer, we had a car and could park within a few feet of our apartment and drive to where we wanted to go, except Murren and Wengen. Having tried it both ways, with a car and without a car, I will in the future opt for the car.
Now, lets discuss places to go from where you can see the mountains.
Too bad you are not hikers, because walking the trails gives some gorgeous views that you cannot otherwise see.
From Grindelwald:
1. take the long gondola ride up to Mannlichen with the north face of the Eiger in full view.
2. take the Post Bus up to Grosse Scheidegg or to Mittelaeger.
3. take the gondola up to a station called First ( not related to second!) for an eye-popping view of the eastern end of the Berner Oberland.
4. take the lift up to Pfingstegg and take the short hike, about 1.5 miles, to
a restaurant called Steieregg. (This hike is above the Unterer Grindelwaldgletscher and gives views into an arctic basin and the east ridge of the Eiger, but best of all it gives a view of the glacier that flows off of the northeast flank of the
Finsteraarhorn. This little walk with minimal effort puts you right into the heart of the steep valleys, high mountains, and glaciers that are the essence of those mountains.)
From Lauterbrunnen:
1. Visit the waterfalls, particularly Staubach Falls and Trummelbach Falls.
Trummelbach is awesome. The water flows from the glaciers on the northern flanks
of the Jungfrau and the Moench. It thunders down a series of cascades recessed deeply into the mountains. There is an elevator, stairs, paved trails and lighting.
2. Visit the Schilthorn. The lift valley station is in Stechelberg. The route goes first to Gimmelwald and then to Murren. From Murren you make the final ascent up to the top. Coming back, you can take the trainlet to Grutschalp and the fernicular to Lauterbrunnen.
(We walked the valley shelf and spend a long time just sitting and looking.)
3. Take the train to the Jungfraujoch. The ride is expensive, but memorable.
You can leave either from Lauterbrunnen or from Grindelwald for Kleine Scheidegg. There, you change trains for the final run through a tunnel carved in the rock to the Jungfrau station.
4. Go down valley toward Interlaken to the Wilderswil station and take the mountain train up to Schynige Platte. This site is on a ridge that overlooks both the Berner Oberland and the Interlaken valley, with the two lakes, the Brienzer See and the Thuner See in full view.
5. From Interlaken take a boat ride on the Thuner See or the Brienzer See or both!
From Kandersteg, which is in the next valley over, but requires a circuitous route by either car or train, you can take the chair lift up to the Oeschinen See, which is surrounded by high cliffs and peaks.
From Lauterbrunnen, the next logical place would be the Valley of the Rhone. You could drive over the Grimsel Pass or the Sustern Pass and take one of the most spectacular rides you will
ever see. No train or bus that I know of goes over this pass. The road is well engineered and requires only normal prudence. But the views are unsurpassed for highway type travel.
A good day trip would be to take the pass, drive over to Brig, drive down the valley of the Rhone to Goppenstein. At Goppenstein, you drive onto the train and ride through the Loetschenberg Tunnel to Kandersteg, where you drive off of the train and return to your
base.
There are several valleys that feed into the Rhone. The most outstanding one is the Visper Valley, which has two branches. One branch leads to Saas Grund and Saas Fee at the foot of the awesome Mischabel Range. It features The Dom which is the highest peak totally within Switzerland; it towers some 9,000 feet above the valley. Chair rides from Saas Fee begin to approach the midway point of the peaks. They give some idea as to the totally awesome dimensions of a 14,900 foot peak. The second branch of the valley leads to Taesch, which is the parking lot for Zermatt. Despite its touristy orientation, Zermatt gives access to two inspiring rides. There is the train that goes up to the Gornergrat station, which gives a full view of Monte Rosa, at more than 15,000 feet, and the glaciers that flow from it. And there is the cable car ride up to the Klein Matterhorn with the Matterhorn itself in full view. (Dress warmly!)
We stayed in an apartment in Saas Grund because we could park right by our door and then drive to where we wanted to go. Saas Grund is a little isolated, but from there to Taesch is about an hours drive. The train ride into Zermatt is just a few minutes.
I have left out a lot of other detail of places where we went and sights we saw. But, without a car, we could not have done half of it. Buses and trains take too long and don't always go to your destinations at a convenient time. In case you are wondering, my wife and I are not kids, I will be 67 my next birthday. I will be happy to answer additional questions, if I can.
Nov 5th, 1999, 07:48 AM
#4
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Posts: n/a
WOW !!! Now that is some in-depth knowledge. Thank you Bob. I knew some of what he has given you but this is
fabulous input Mary. Let me add some
small gems. My choice would be either
Grindelwald or Wengen--depending on the time of year. Stay out of Grindelwald
during the heavy tourist months. Check
out the details at www.grindelwald.ch.
My favorite hotel is Parkhotel Schoeneg
As for Lugano, check the Lugano-Dante
for a nice hotel in a great location.
However, if you are driving then go to
the Hotel Stella d' Italia on the north
shore of the Lake halfway between Lugano and Lake Como. I would use the
trains for all of this trip until you
reach Lugano-you will need a car then.
I would include day trips to Stresa on
Lake Maggiore and to Lake Orta.
A variation on a theme would be to train to Zermatt from Interlaken and
then catch the Glacier Express to St.
Moritz for a nite. From there take the
Bernina express---spectacular--down to
Tirano Italy and then to Varenna on the
east shore of Lake Como. Ferry to Bellagio to stay and then on to Lugano
from there. You will love Lugano. I plan to build my summer villa on the hill above Lugano as soon as I hit the
lottery. Hope this all helps. I plan to
print the post from Bob Brown for my
archives---great stuff.
fabulous input Mary. Let me add some
small gems. My choice would be either
Grindelwald or Wengen--depending on the time of year. Stay out of Grindelwald
during the heavy tourist months. Check
out the details at www.grindelwald.ch.
My favorite hotel is Parkhotel Schoeneg
As for Lugano, check the Lugano-Dante
for a nice hotel in a great location.
However, if you are driving then go to
the Hotel Stella d' Italia on the north
shore of the Lake halfway between Lugano and Lake Como. I would use the
trains for all of this trip until you
reach Lugano-you will need a car then.
I would include day trips to Stresa on
Lake Maggiore and to Lake Orta.
A variation on a theme would be to train to Zermatt from Interlaken and
then catch the Glacier Express to St.
Moritz for a nite. From there take the
Bernina express---spectacular--down to
Tirano Italy and then to Varenna on the
east shore of Lake Como. Ferry to Bellagio to stay and then on to Lugano
from there. You will love Lugano. I plan to build my summer villa on the hill above Lugano as soon as I hit the
lottery. Hope this all helps. I plan to
print the post from Bob Brown for my
archives---great stuff.
Nov 5th, 1999, 11:17 AM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
I would like to echo the Navigator's comments about the Glacier Express. It goes where cars cannot go! That little caper is on tap for the future. St. Moritz is hard to get to when coming from Interlaken. The route is somewhat indirect. There is so much to see and do in Switzerland, that I need a few more weeks to scratch more of the surface.
Nov 5th, 1999, 06:51 PM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
May I add a double WOW! WOW! for Bob Brown's fantastic, thorough, concise, travel guide for our trip!! I have printed it and all the others up and thank everyone for taking the time to give us so much help. It was more than I expected and greatly appreciated.
This will be our first trip on our own to Europe (in May we took a bus tour) and we do not feel we can take on the responsibility of renting a car in a foreign country this time so the train is a must for this trip. From your advice it looks like Wengen or Lauterbrunnen would be our best base in the Oberland and we would prefer an apartment near to Postbus transportation and trains.
I was wondering why Bob the Navigator feels we will need a car for our one week in Lugano. Can we not take day trips with the rail to Lake Como and other scenic spots here also?
You all have been so helpful, I do not want to impose but we are confused about how we can fit in a one day trip on the Glacier Express if we stay in Wengen (or Lauterbrunnen) and Lugano later since it is about a 7 hour trip. Must we take our luggage on the Express and move to another location at the end of the journey?? Could someone please clarify how this is done? Once again, our deepest appreciation and thanks for all of the help and advice from everyone.
Nov 6th, 1999, 07:09 AM
#7
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Hi Mary. Glad to be of help. The old school teacher still likes to inform people, I guess. After 30 plus years it is hard to get out of the mode.
The Glacier Express runs between Zermatt and St. Moritz via Brig, Andermatt, and Samedan, and stops at about every hamlet and dairy in between. It is, to be sort of blunt, a very slow train, but it is faster than walking! From Zermatt it follows the river down valley to the Rhone at Visp. There it turns east via Brig to Andermatt, which is deep in the valley east of the Rhone Glacier.
From there it meanders through valleys and tunnels to Samedan and on the St. Moritz. The trip takes place during the heart of the day, so that you arrive at either end station mid afternoon -- 4:30 or so.
You can check the schedule yourself at the Swiss Bundesbahn website.
The URL is www.sbb.ch There is an English version. If you look in the upper right corner of the screen you will see some English; click on that and the English captions appear. When you get the schedule make sure you specifiy Zermatt to St. Moritz via Andermatt. As I recall you also have to specify St. Moritz Bahnhof if you originate at the St. Moritz end.
I don't mean to be a spoil sport on taking the Glacier Express, but you put your finger squarely on the problem with this particular trip: How do you get back to where you came from? You either retrace your steps or take an alternate route. Because of the timing, and points of origin/destination, you either make a fiercely long day of it, or stay overnight. And, St. Morizt isn't my idea of cheap!! If you need any help accessing the SBB site, email me directly at my terry email address.
I understand your apprehension about renting a car in a foreign country; I, too, have had the same trepidations.
But, with a good map, you can drive in Switzerland if you can drive in the USA.
On our first trip, we took the train from the Zurich Airport to Lauterbrunnen because I did not want to battle the highway when jet lagged and sleepy. At the end of our week in Lauterbrunnen, we picked up an Avis car in Interlaken for a week and returned it in Zurich, at the airport. The Avis folks were very good; we rode the train down vally from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost, called the agency, and a fellow drove over and picked us up. A major convenience.
In making a choice between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen, I think you need to plan what you intend to do while you are there. Lauterbrunnen is very busy around the train station because many people drive there, park, and take the train up to the Jungfrau, or take the semi elevator up to Grutschalp for the train to Muerren. Essentially, it is a one street town, with most of the shops on the right side as you face up-valley.
There are a few hotels, several restaurants, a couple of camp grounds up-valley, several apartment buildings, a couple of government buildings, and a gas station or two. There are plenty of people around, but things tend to fold
up a little early except for the watering holes at the hotels. Of the group, the Silberthorn is probably the best -- at least it has the best food.
Relatively speaking, Wengen has more hotels and night life.
To reiterate, we selected Lauterbrunnen for two reasons: it is a transportation hub, and an apartment was available in a good location at a fair price. A bonus is that the owner makes her home in the same building, and despite her Swiss last name, she is English, so language is only a minor problem!! Just in case you are interested: the name of the place is Chalet Horner
Lauterbrunnen and Teresa Stäger’s number is 41 33 855 3243.
The 41 is the country code for Switzerland, and the 33 is the Swiss area code. The time we arrived by train, she met us at the station with her car. Even though her building is very close to the station, it was a nice gesture. (When we left, she was in England, so we walked to the station with our luggage -- no big deal as we only had two pieces each and my big one rolls.) The point here being that we could walk out of the door at 7:15 and be on the 7:26 train for Grindelwald, or Interlaken. (Of course we bought our ticket the night before.)
I can't help you much on the Lugano question because I have not been there, yet. Maybe next time.
The Glacier Express runs between Zermatt and St. Moritz via Brig, Andermatt, and Samedan, and stops at about every hamlet and dairy in between. It is, to be sort of blunt, a very slow train, but it is faster than walking! From Zermatt it follows the river down valley to the Rhone at Visp. There it turns east via Brig to Andermatt, which is deep in the valley east of the Rhone Glacier.
From there it meanders through valleys and tunnels to Samedan and on the St. Moritz. The trip takes place during the heart of the day, so that you arrive at either end station mid afternoon -- 4:30 or so.
You can check the schedule yourself at the Swiss Bundesbahn website.
The URL is www.sbb.ch There is an English version. If you look in the upper right corner of the screen you will see some English; click on that and the English captions appear. When you get the schedule make sure you specifiy Zermatt to St. Moritz via Andermatt. As I recall you also have to specify St. Moritz Bahnhof if you originate at the St. Moritz end.
I don't mean to be a spoil sport on taking the Glacier Express, but you put your finger squarely on the problem with this particular trip: How do you get back to where you came from? You either retrace your steps or take an alternate route. Because of the timing, and points of origin/destination, you either make a fiercely long day of it, or stay overnight. And, St. Morizt isn't my idea of cheap!! If you need any help accessing the SBB site, email me directly at my terry email address.
I understand your apprehension about renting a car in a foreign country; I, too, have had the same trepidations.
But, with a good map, you can drive in Switzerland if you can drive in the USA.
On our first trip, we took the train from the Zurich Airport to Lauterbrunnen because I did not want to battle the highway when jet lagged and sleepy. At the end of our week in Lauterbrunnen, we picked up an Avis car in Interlaken for a week and returned it in Zurich, at the airport. The Avis folks were very good; we rode the train down vally from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost, called the agency, and a fellow drove over and picked us up. A major convenience.
In making a choice between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen, I think you need to plan what you intend to do while you are there. Lauterbrunnen is very busy around the train station because many people drive there, park, and take the train up to the Jungfrau, or take the semi elevator up to Grutschalp for the train to Muerren. Essentially, it is a one street town, with most of the shops on the right side as you face up-valley.
There are a few hotels, several restaurants, a couple of camp grounds up-valley, several apartment buildings, a couple of government buildings, and a gas station or two. There are plenty of people around, but things tend to fold
up a little early except for the watering holes at the hotels. Of the group, the Silberthorn is probably the best -- at least it has the best food.
Relatively speaking, Wengen has more hotels and night life.
To reiterate, we selected Lauterbrunnen for two reasons: it is a transportation hub, and an apartment was available in a good location at a fair price. A bonus is that the owner makes her home in the same building, and despite her Swiss last name, she is English, so language is only a minor problem!! Just in case you are interested: the name of the place is Chalet Horner
Lauterbrunnen and Teresa Stäger’s number is 41 33 855 3243.
The 41 is the country code for Switzerland, and the 33 is the Swiss area code. The time we arrived by train, she met us at the station with her car. Even though her building is very close to the station, it was a nice gesture. (When we left, she was in England, so we walked to the station with our luggage -- no big deal as we only had two pieces each and my big one rolls.) The point here being that we could walk out of the door at 7:15 and be on the 7:26 train for Grindelwald, or Interlaken. (Of course we bought our ticket the night before.)
I can't help you much on the Lugano question because I have not been there, yet. Maybe next time.
Nov 6th, 1999, 07:22 AM
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Mary, You do not need a car in Lugano but you would if you plan to EXPLORE the entire Lakes area. The transport to
Lake Como is the local bus--about :45 to the village of Mennagio and then the ferry to Bellagio. The St. Moritz option assumes you would approach Lake
Como from the other direction and spend
a couple of nites there. Lugano is an expensive town so do not feel you have to stay there for a week. I would stay
in Bellagio for at least 2 nites at either the Belvedere or Du Lac--both are 3 stars at about $130. Good luck.
Lake Como is the local bus--about :45 to the village of Mennagio and then the ferry to Bellagio. The St. Moritz option assumes you would approach Lake
Como from the other direction and spend
a couple of nites there. Lugano is an expensive town so do not feel you have to stay there for a week. I would stay
in Bellagio for at least 2 nites at either the Belvedere or Du Lac--both are 3 stars at about $130. Good luck.
Nov 6th, 1999, 07:50 AM
#9
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After looking at the SBB website, I cannot figure any way that you can go from Lugano to St. Moritz to Brig on the Glacier Express and back to Lugano in one day. I also tried to locate a schedule that would permit a trip from Lauterbrunnen to Brig to St. Moritz and back to Lauterbrunnen in one long day. I have not yet seen a schedule that would even allow such a trip, regardless of time. Maybe hiring a helicopter would work!!
Nov 6th, 1999, 12:24 PM
#10
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Hi Guys! You are such great "teachers" that I now feel I have enough info from you to at least be able to do some work on my own. (If not, you can just put me in the corner with the "dunce cap" on!<g) Now that I know the route of the Glacier Express I can reroute the trip to go to the Lugano area "first" and possibly use that week to work ourselves up to our 2 week base in Luterbrunnen or Wengen and then leave from there to return to Zurich to fly home. I sure hope the Glacier Express is worth the trouble! Maybe we can even fit in the Bernia Express too if we don't stay the entire week in one place in the Lugano/Lake Como area. If I have not learned from all your great information and wisdom by now, then, maybe I should stay home!<g Thanks to
Nov 6th, 1999, 07:08 PM
#11
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My family spent 2 weeks in Switzerland last summer, staying in an apartment "above" Meiringen and using the Swiss pass. Although Meiringen is "one valley over" from the Bernese Oberland, it is an easy and beautiful trip to Interlaken, which is the hub for transportation throughout the area. Once you learn to use the transportation system, you can get about anywhere, using postal buses, boats, lifts, city buses, and, of course, trains. I thought it was a wonderful way to travel, and very convenient! Being outside the Bernese Oberland itself made it easy to travel to other parts of Switzerland, such as Bern and the area around Lucern also. I very much liked the idea of being able to stay in one place and take day trips. I am pretty sure you would have to make a move to see Lugano, however. It was our first trip to the area and we went with the Untours group, which has apartments in Lugano and in other areas around the Bernese Oberland, and, best of all, gives you very detailed instructions on using the transportation system to see whatever you want to see, and the confidence to do it!
To answer a specific question you had, you can check your bags at a railroad station and they will travel without you to your next destination if you like. So, you don't have to haul them along with you on the train or bus or whatever.
To answer a specific question you had, you can check your bags at a railroad station and they will travel without you to your next destination if you like. So, you don't have to haul them along with you on the train or bus or whatever.
Nov 10th, 1999, 02:44 PM
#12
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I just want to respond to a comment in an earlier post about Grindelwald being "touristy." It is definitely a tourist town, but the tourists are mostly European, and I found it to be an excellent base for that area. Its big enough to have everything you need, but not too big. The villages that are only accessible by cable car or foot (example, Gimmelwald) are nice, but very small and very isolated. You are going to want to spend all day out in the mountains. At night it's nice to come back to a place with a choice of restaurants, spa facilities, etc.
I wanted to post this only to clarify that Grindelwald is, in my opinion, not "touristy" in the sense of being crowded, overpriced, tacky, or anything we normally associate with that word. Rather, it is "touristy" in the sense that it attracts tourists, in part because it has a number of amenities to offer them. (In my opinion, Gimmelwald, though very picturesque, fits the 1st sense of "touristy"--Rick Steeves' recommendation has ensured that everyone in the village is an American tourist.)
I wanted to post this only to clarify that Grindelwald is, in my opinion, not "touristy" in the sense of being crowded, overpriced, tacky, or anything we normally associate with that word. Rather, it is "touristy" in the sense that it attracts tourists, in part because it has a number of amenities to offer them. (In my opinion, Gimmelwald, though very picturesque, fits the 1st sense of "touristy"--Rick Steeves' recommendation has ensured that everyone in the village is an American tourist.)
Nov 11th, 1999, 02:17 PM
#14
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I agree wholeheartedly with John about Grindelwald. We spent four nights there last summer, along with three weeks scattered about the rest of Switzerland and it is the one place we are returning this summer for four more nights. Couldn't begin to do all there was there in that time, and still won't this summer. And after doing both the car thing and the train thing all over Europe, Switzerland is the one country I most love to travel by train. Sure you can't do the Glacier Express in one day from Lugano or wherever, but I'd like to see you drive that either. The Swiss Pass is the greatest, even allowing you to hop on and off boats on the many fantastic lakes and getting off wherever you like. And the trains are simply wonderful--you just have to use several different bases, so that you don't have too far to go and back in any given day. And for what it's worth, my opinion of the Glacier Express is that it really is no better than most other trains in Switzerland, in fact less comfortable than most, even in first class. It's best feature is that it goes to Zermatt, which still stops my heart every time I arrive.
Nov 23rd, 1999, 12:26 PM
#15
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If you want to do the Glacier Express trip, I recommand to travel from Lauterbrunnen/Wengen via Interlaken-Spiez-Brig-Andermatt-St.Moritz and to stay there for one or two nights. After this you couöd take the postbus which runs daily from St.Moritz to Lugano along the Lake Lugano.
You could take the things you need for two days with you and send your luggage from Lauterbrunnen/Wengen to Lugano by train. This service costs 10.- for each piece of luggage.
The address of the English version of the Swiss Railways Homepage is www.rail.ch
If you have questions about rail travelling in Switzerland feel free to contact me personally.
You could take the things you need for two days with you and send your luggage from Lauterbrunnen/Wengen to Lugano by train. This service costs 10.- for each piece of luggage.
The address of the English version of the Swiss Railways Homepage is www.rail.ch
If you have questions about rail travelling in Switzerland feel free to contact me personally.
