need help with switzerland itinerary
 

I need help with my itinerary for some ideas.


reaching frankfurt at 7.30 am on 16th. Cannot stay in frankfurt and hence can head to one of three directions----

Need to find out how to buy ticket from frankfurt to 1 st station in switzerland where i can activate our swiss pass. that way we can do it the cheapest way.

Direction 1:
16th sept: go to zurich and then head out to chur ( overnight in chur)to take the bernina express on the 17th.

Direction 2: go to lucerne direct and then rest there and take the golden pass on the 17th

Direction 3: head to geneva straight on the 16th rest there overnight and do reverse from montreux to interlaken on the 17th. rick steves recommends interlaken to montreux as the most scenic.

Sept 18 th: need ideas

sept 19th: need ideas

Sept 20th: need ideas

Sept 21st to Sept 25th: Stay in Lauterbrunnen and do jungfrau region. Hopefully 4 days are sufficient for the BO area. Head to Zurich stay overnight to catch a flight on 26th am.

We would like to cover Lucerne, possibly ticino area, geneva region. Any rearranging will work. except we cannot get the type of accomodation in Lauterbrunnen till 18th or 19th.

I was thinking of trying to do the bungee jump from the goldeneye jump at vescaya dam.

I will be buying 1st class pass for 6 days or even end up paying for the 15 days pass even though its not necessary just in case for two adults and 1 child/( savers pass and family pass).

how far in advance should i do reservations for the scenic trains.

I will also look at any other ideas.

Thanks a bunch.

I would love to help you, but I'm confused. What specifically do you need help on?

I have done some of your itinerary before. I'll comment on the part of your itinerary interests I have done and know some about. You're flying into Frankfurt on the 16th of September? I am not sure what the timetable of that Frankfurt to Lucern trip might be. I am guessing quite a long journey in terms of time. It looks as though if you were to hop on a train from Frankfurt over to Lucen Switzerland, it would be about 4 hours or so I'm guessing. You said you have a Swiss rail pass?I would check in with the Frankfurt station and ask them what kind of ticket would cover the German portion of your journey. Once you get in Switzerland, your Swiss pass will become valid for the Swiss portion of your travels. I would head to Lucerne From Frankfurt. Knock around a day or so there. Take in the old world charm there. Then head to the Jungfrau region for a few days. You mentioned Chur. I have to confess ignorance on Chur since I have never stayed there. Been through there, but never stayed there. Be sure to check in at the Frankfurt rail station though. I am almost certain that you can buy a ticket there for the German portion of your journey. I am almost as certain that once you get on the train, the Railway agents on the train will validate your Swiss pass. But take a few minutes to stop in the Frankffurt rail station ticket office. They can clear up any questions fast! Check out this web site. They have timetable departures and arrivals on this site. Assuming you can get through passport control and pick up your luggage in time, you just might be able to get out on the 8:50 AM train to Lucern, Switzerland. I did a search for the connection and hopefully you could get on the 8:50 AM train. Here is the web site:

http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe...43532&OK#focus. Click online timetable.



I would head to Lucern first, then over to Jungrau region (Wengen, Grindlewald, lauterbrunnen area). Good luck.

Try this link to the Swiss rail web site.Click on on-line timetables. http://www.sbb.ch/en/

Hi borivlikar1,

Yes, entering at Frankfurt will make your first few days a real headache. Your closest destination, Luzern, is still four hours away, and you don't even want to spend time there. After an overnight flight and a long train ride upon landing, you may want to just sit still for a day or two and not move on immediately. So I would aim for a place where I wanted to stay!

The train trip from Frankfurt station to Montreux takes about six hours with two or three changes. If it were me, I would just suck it up and take the long train ride to get where I wanted to be. I would spend 16th (evening), 17-20 right there at Lake Geneva and enjoy the environment.

You may want to adjust your days a bit to spend maybe three nights in Montreux, then six nights in the Jungfrau area, then two or three nights in Luzern before your flight out of Zürich.

BTW, there are lots of other places to stay in the Jungfrau area in addition to Lauterbrunnen; it might be worthwhile to adjust your schedule and then get accommodations to fit. I prefer the village of Wengen, which sits on the mountain (Lauterbrunnen tends to put me off).

Also btw, the very same rail site, easier to type, is at

www.rail.ch

Have fun!

s

@ swandav....i checked into fra main hbf to geneve. train leaves about 10.50am and reaches 4.46 pm. Are there meal options on the trains or we have to pick something at the airport itself? If at the airport itself...any suggestions where we can eat....we are vegetarians....
How do i know which option in the menu indicates that the train station is of the airport or i need to go to some central station and then take the intercity train?

@treplow.....i am thinking of switzerland as a clock.....do i start clockwise or go anticlockwise. its kinda difficult to decide since our starting point is frankfurt airport. I am trying to see what scenic trains people have liked and done with kids...as well as any pointers for day trips for one more base in switzerland. Lauterbrunnen portion is fixed. I could have switched it around to the earlier part...but no good accomodations are available( looking for self serve apartments).

Does anyone have ideas in terms of the rail pass. or does the 15 days pass 1st class look the safest?

Thanks everyone.

@sunstar....you mentioned about going thru chur. Where did you overnight at ? because one way or the other we do intend to do the bernina express. so what would be a good base to do that. Mind you we would have atleast 4 pieces of luggage and a very active 4 year old.

Need accomodation recos for lucerne and geneva. Should i stay in montreux instead of geneve?

Hi borivlidar1,

I don't much like big cities, so I didn't even check the train schedule to Geneva -- the information I gave was for Montreux.

Not sure if you are using the SBB online site for your train schedules; if you are, the train station at the airport is simply "Frankfurt airport."

I always like to buy a picnic for my train trips -- cheeses, German yogurt, local wine, chocolate, prepared salads, nuts, fruits, and fresh bread. I think that would be the way to go.

With four pieces of luggage and a four-year-old, you would probably have a more enjoyable trip with fewer, rather than more, stops. You can stay at each place and explore locally; you won't run out of things to do.

Have fun!

s

@ Borivlikar1

Chur is one of the few places that I have not actually stayed at in Switzerland. Were you still planning to spend some time over in the Jungfrau region?

I will be buying 1st class pass for 6 days or even end up paying for the 15 days pass even though its not necessary just in case for two adults and 1 child/( savers pass and family pass).>

I would look at the 3-day Flexipass - and in between the first and last day of 100% covered travel you get 50% off almost everything that moves in Switzerland - use the 3 100% days for your longest, most expensive trips then pay 50% for other days - or if economic buy a 4th or 5th, etc 100% covered day - go to www.sbb.ch to see if the extra day above the minimum of 3 is worth - you would get 50% off without buying say a 4th day so to break even the 4th day's transportation would have to cost twice what regular tickets cost at sbb.ch

Anyway for loads of great info on Swiss trains, lake boats, scenic specialty trains like Golden Pass, etc i always spotlight these fantastic sites - www.swisstravelsystem.com (use links there to specialty scenic trains to make seat reservations even without yet buying a pass or a ticket); www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com; www. ricksteves.com

Is it possible to use the golden pass line or any of the scenic trains like means of transport to get from one place to the other. what i mean is can i essentially move pieces of luggage from one place to other....or are these trains geared only towards great views but not to carry luggage?

Do major stations like lucern, interlaken, zurich, geneva have luggage storing facilities either for the day or a full day and overnite? this would carryons and maybe one 26 inch suitcase or 29 inch suitcase. what kind of prices am i looking at?

@swandav....when i used rail.ch it just said frankfurt(main) hbf...am hoping it is the airport. Correct me if i am looking at it the wrong way.Also u mentioned abt using the picnic meal. Is there a supermarket at frankfurt airport where we can load up?

@palenq...i am investigating options into regiopass OB and flexipass as well just to c what might come up.

@ sunstar ....i am staying in lauterbrunnen for about 4/5 days. That should cover me.

Does anyone know what is the most scenic part of bernina and will tell express? for eg...i intend to do only the interlaken to montreux portion of goldenpass line. any helpful hints would help.

what are good sites to book hotels/bnb in switzerland apart from the foll

bnb.ch
booking.com

Golden Pass trains have plenty of room to store luggage; even in the panorama cars

how old are the kids?

My teens think a scenic train ride is an invitation for a long nap.

I like the Bernina Express - have taken it 3xs. It seems to bore everyone I've done it with though... esp Husband and kids...

William Tell the most scenic part is the boat ride section that starts in Luzern. Gorgeous. Even my husband had to look up from the paper a few time;)

Be sure to reserve well in advance and be sure to get specific seat reservations on the scenic trains.

gruezi

Hi gruezi,

my son is 4 years old. so i am thinking of going to fra to geneva straight. spend a day there and then take the golden pass to montreux to interlaken from where we can do lucerne( day trip).

From interlaken we can go to lauterbrunnen where we are going to stay about 4 days( is that sufficicent)

If you're looking for a chill-out day, I stayed at the hotel below for a night last year and loved it. Website says kids over 4 welcome, so you should be okay there. It's not far from Montreux. There are probably similar places that others can recommend, this is just the one I've experienced. You can also do it as a daytrip and just pay for the pool access, no need to stay overnight.

http://www.lavey-les-bains.ch/index.php

Last week we stayed at this apartment and I loved it!
David the owner was great help and the apartment is so well located, you can walk to Montreux and to the Chateau Chillon.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-ren...D_link_LPROP_1

"My teens think a scenic train ride is an invitation for a long nap".

Mine survived, actually they liked it as the scenery is just priceless. The Golden Panoramic Train is not meant to transport people with tons of luggage, but we made it and some others also. You just seat in your cubicle and put the luggage between seats or under your table, everything doable. The Golden train is cheaper than the regular train, so I would take it.

Hi again,

Yes, the trains that run on the Golden Pass route have room for your bags. There are regular trains that run the route, and there are trains that have coaches with larger windows, but both have plenty of room for bags.

No the station you list there is the main station in the center of town. You need to input "Frankfurt airport" to get the airport station.

Looks like your plans are coming together!

s

s it possible to use the golden pass line or any of the scenic trains like means of transport to get from one place to the other. what i mean is can i essentially move pieces of luggage from one place to other....or are these trains geared only towards great views but not to carry luggage?

I assume you mean the Send a Bag Ahead scheme where you 'check' your bag in say Interlaken-Ost and retrieve it later in say Montreux or Lucerne - leaving you luggage free druing the ride - and answer is Yes - same as any train - actually your bags would probably go on another of hourly regular trains -not guaranteed to be on your train just that it will be at your destination station by 5pm (or whatever time) - 15 Swiss Francs or so a bag.

>when i used rail.ch it just said frankfurt(main) hbf...am hoping it is the airport.

HBf means main station.

If you want to depart from the airport, then just enter Frankfurt Airport.

Hi again,

Like to clarify a bit what PalenQ wrote about the SBB luggage service.

There is same-day service that costs 20 chf; you hand over your bags before 09.00 and can pick them up after 18.00.

There is two-day service that costs 10 chf; you hand over your bags, and pick them up on the day after next.

Here's a link to the info:
http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisemarkt/...isegepaeck.htm

Hope this helps

s

here' so far

16th going from frankfurt airport to montreux ( need to still figure how to get swisspass validated in basel which is border crossing for us).
17th ---try to do goldenpass line head towards lucerne with luggage
18th -- staying at lucerne(till the 20th figure out how to go to lugano to do bernina experess if it is still working) and do lucerne sightseeing
20th---head towards lauterbrunnen be there uptil25th mid morning and do the OB area.
25th-- afternoon head to zurich and just relax
26th-- leave for washington dulles.

Need to figure out how to buy swisscom sim card at frankfurt airport for iphone or maybe get down at basel and do that?

I still want to try to do bungee jumping at vezcaya dam...so if you have any ideas as to how to do that...please let me know.

Thanks for the info about luggage.

16th going from frankfurt airport to montreux ( need to still figure how to get swisspass validated in basel which is border crossing for us).>

Well if the train continues on past Basel then according to conditions of use you can validate the railpass on the train - the conductor does this only on trains continuing into the country your pass is valid in.

But if the train terminates in Basel then you will have to take it to a ticket window counter in Basel before boarding the Swiss train to Montreux (or Lausanne where you may have to change for Montreux)

I would not expect much of a wait at ticket windows in Basel - go to any ticket window but if there is a Eurail Aid sign over one of them go there as this is for foreign tourists help using railpasses.

And if you really want to facilitate the validation process you can have your pass pre-activated by the agent who issues it - when you buy it - you give the dates you want it to be validated and then when you get the pass it is already validated so you need not do anything once in Switzerland.

You cannot buy Swiss SIM card in Germany. Of course you could buy a German SIM card but as soon as you cross into Switzerland high roaming fees would apply.

The question is, do you really need a SIM card right away? Can't you simply buy one at the first day's destination, once you settled into a hotel etc.?

borivlikar1, I remember assisting you in one of your previous trips (I forget which destination). Let me try and answer some of your questions.

1. You seem to be hung up on riding some attractive train journey portions. The fancy names on the trains like "Golden Pass Express" or "Glacier Express" etc are just marketing gimmicks. All train rides in Switzerland are very scenic, and please do not make a specific train journey as your "destination" in Switzerland. There are far more beautiful things to see outside the trains, i.e. walking around the mountains of Bernese Oberland, or doing other things in the immensely beautiful spots that the country has to offer.

2.I think you will waste a lot of money if you buy a 15-day first class pass, as your trip is of hardly 10 days. First of all, Swiss trains are excellent, and second class is a great way to travel. Never had any problems in finding a seat anywhere, and we were there in August. I guess September will be even less crowded. Besides, much of your travel will be in the B.O. area, where you plan to spend 4-5 days. There are no 1st class coaches on any of the trains that run in the mountains there, so your 1st class pass will be wasteful anyway.

3. If you wish to use your Swiss Pass on the first day of your journey, when you travel from Frankfurt to wherever (Lucerne or Geneva), go to the Frankfurt Rail Office at the station, and they will validate the Swiss Pass for you right there. You can then buy a train ticket for the German portion of the journey. We managed to get our Austrian Rail Pass validated at Lucerne train station, so you should have no problems getting your Swiss Pass validated at Frankfurt train station.

4. I would choose fewer destinations in Switzerland. 4 days in Lauterbrunnen is the bare minimum, you could extend it to 5 days. Would definitely recommend 2 days in Lucerne. If you are keen on staying in Zurich for 2 days (as suggested in your itinerary), you really have no time for anything else. If Zurich is not high priority (and I don't see why it should be high priority), choose atmost one other destination.

5. I would highly recommend that you buy the 8-day second class Swiss Pass. Since there are 3 of you travelling together, go for the Saverpass, which gives a discount. I know your journey is for 10 days. So on the first day, buy a full ticket from Frankfurt to your first destination, where you will spend 2 days anyway, and get your Swiss Pass activated after that, so that it lasts you the rest of your journey. Or else, for your last leg of the journey (when you return to Zurich to catch your flight), you can purchase point-to-point tickets, and utilize your Swiss Pass for the first 8 days. Which is preferable, would depend upon your final itinerary. If your first destination is Lucerne, the Swiss Pass will be useful there in doing trips to Pilatus, Rigi etc. However, Swiss Pass is not too useful in a city like Zurich. Buying an 8-day Swiss Saverpass would be extremely cost-effective, and you will not miss out on anything.

6. Vegetarian food is not a problem anywhere in Switzerland. We are also veggies, and had absolutely no problems. Let that be the least of your worries.

7. Click on my screen-name and scroll through my trip reports till you find one on Switzerland. You may find many ideas of interest to you there. Enjoy the lovely easy hiking trails in the Lauterbrunnen-Murren-Grindelwald area, and you will fall in love with Switzerland. Or the strolls aside the lovely Lake Lucerne, or the fantastic trip up Mt Pilatus. Don't waste your time inside train coaches, riding gimmicky trains.

Forgot to add. If I remember correctly, kids under 5 years travel free on Swiss trains. So you probably need to buy Swiss Passes for only 2 people. If you opt for a common pass (both names entered on the same pass), you get 15% discount.

Hi all
this is our final itinerary;

@indiancouple....thanks for the wonderful insight. will get in touch with you.

16th: arriving at fra...leave for lausanne
16th-- 18th: be in lausanne( do montreux, geneva and possibly a wine region...we dont drink alcohol but might be fun still.)

18th leave on golden pass line to lucerne.
18th to the 20th ---lucerne and local sightseeing...take in a couple of boat rides..and mt titlis i think( maybe pilatus)

20th--25th Lauterbrunnen. do the Bo area.

we will do some light cooking in lauterbrunnen. som q's

we would need
1.)small bottle of oil( about 120 ml, 4 oz). better to buy at Coop? or take from the US?
2.) dishwashing and laundry soap ( any small quantities available at coop? this would be the coop at lauterbrunnen specifically).

Or should we carry it from the US. do not want to carry liquids if possible...and hate to waste by buying them in big quantities @Coop.

Also many of you have recommended to buy food essentials or picnic basket items in Migros or Coop. Please specify so that we may have more definitive ideas.

Thanks to you all..our trip is slowly taking form and shape.

we would need
1.)small bottle of oil( about 120 ml, 4 oz). better to buy at Coop? or take from the US?
2.) dishwashing and laundry soap ( any small quantities available at coop? this would be the coop at lauterbrunnen specifically).

Or should we carry it from the US. do not want to carry liquids if possible...and hate to waste by buying them in big quantities @Coop.

Also many of you have recommended to buy food essentials or picnic basket items in Migros or Coop. Please specify so that we may have more definitive ideas>

OK - What kind of oil - cooking oil - not sure you would anymore find that small a bottle in Coop or Migros than at home - pretty much expect everything size-wise as you would at home - if you can carry it in checked luggage then you could save a lot over having to buy a big bottle there

ditto with diswashing and laundry soap -standard type sizes we have i would think - for small quantities bring your own in checked luggage if possible.

As for what to buy at Coop or Migros - anything you can from film to camera batteries to postcards to pop or bottled water- the huge Coop by Interlaken-Ost station has everything any superstore would have - in Lauterbrunnen the Coop is much smaller and has necessities if needed.

Point is i would not expect such small quantities available but not sure but can say you could save several bucks by bringing your own - but if that is a hassle be sure that you can buy practically anything you need at the Coop in Lauterbrunnen.