kleeblatt

OK, I'm not very knowledgeable on train terminology but here goes:

Most of the line is single track. Trains cross each other at the train stations (mostly), where there is more than one track.

We don't have any fancy trains running this line at the moment but there is talk of a steam train that might be used in the near future. The locomotive is called Schwyz. It's an old locomotive that's being redone.

The word Voralpenexpress means: right before the alps.

The SBB uses this line as well.

MarkvonKramer

Thanks again folks. This route looks exactly like what I was looking for, doesn't add too many hours to the journey and takes us someplace new.

Now that's settled, just one more little favor. I need some advice as to a location to overnight along the way to/from Salzburg area. It looks like I can make St. Gallen by around 13:00-14:00 (coming from BO) but will already have spent 7+ hours traveling. I'm looking for a recommendation for a scenic ovenight place along the line not too far into Austria. Any suggestions?

MvK

PalenqueBob

I'll leave this to others more knowledgeable but i would suggest Lindau as being a wondrous old town in a wondrous setting out in Lake Constance (Bodensee) - with great rail links to eastern Austria.

PalenqueBob

Actually a novel way to reach Lindau would be to stay on the Voralpenexpress trains to Romanshorn, take the ferries across the lake and connect by rail to nearby Lindau from Frederickshaven.

altamiro

>But the question i have for you is that the name Voralpenexpress implies to me, like Glacier Express and Bernina Express, that there may be special Voralpen Express fancy trains on this route as well...or is it just a nickname for all trains on that line?

No, it is only the marketing name for the entre line... No special fancy trains for tourists only.

>Also do you know if this is a normal gauge line,

Yes.

>unless both track sizes are running on the same rail bed.

I think the only three-rail piece in Switzerland is between Chur and Domat/Ems, to serve Ems Chemie with tank waggons for liquid precursors.

Dukey

If you didn't want to go on into Austria before stopping I was going to recommend Appenzell as a place to stop and is easily reached by rail from St. Gallen.

In case you are at all interested the interior of the abbey church in St. Gallen is rather spectacular as is the famous library although the latter has limited visiting hours.

I would recommend going over the Aarlberg in Austria during the day for the scenery if that is the route you would actually take.

PalenqueBob

I think Dukey's suggestion of Appenzell is a good one and there is a sweet scenic rail line going up to this mountain resort. I've never ridden this line and it's high on my list. It's a short rail trip from St Gallein so you'd be there fairly early in case you want to hike, etc.

MarkvonKramer

Thanks, friends. I think the Voralpen express would do nicely.

DB's website has standard trips from "here to there" ranging from 9:14 to 12:26 travel time. I just wanted to break the monotony of an all-day train ride with some scenery and an overnight in the Tirol.

I haven't decided which way to go here and probably won't until the morning of travel after discussing with our fellow travelers but I have gained greatly from your sharing of your invaluable experience and advice. Finding a place in the Tirol is proving to be more challenging than I ever imagined. Bludenz? St. Anton? Feldkirch? Or do I even want to overnight in the Tirol. I'll consult our fellow travelers, explain the options, positives and negatives, but leave it open for now.

Thanks again for some really good insight and advice.

MvK

WallyKringen

OP sez "We'll fly into Germany (FRA) and return via same unless I can find a reasonable open-jaw FRA and MUC (or reverse) solution.".

Why? Fly into ZRH or BSL or even GVA and home from MUC. Saves a ton of time and maybe even money by not having to go back to distant FRA just to catch a plane home.

Go from whichever arrival airport you picked to the Berner Oberland, to Interlaken for example it takes 3 hours from GVA, 2 hrs from Basel SBB (plus the 25 min. bus ride from BSL airport), about the same from ZRH.

If you happen to fly into GVA, go along the lake by train to the Montreux region, stay the night to wear out the jetlag, preferably up above Montreux (a short small-train ride) in Caux or Glion, and visit the castle Chillon before heading up into the Berner Oberland. Montreux to Gstaad is about 1 1/2 hours - there is a Panorama Express that has a glass ceiling for better views, but the regular train uses the same rails and there is not much difference - lots of trains.

Then after the BO stay, piece together a pleasant multi-stage trip to the Munich region, either over the top of the Alps into Graubünden, or via Zürich - use any of the many good suggestions, and fly home from Munich when you're done there with Berchtesgaden and all that.

MarkvonKramer

Wally,

The BO is after some other destination or location, whether Berchtesgaden or Hechingen.

BO and Berchtesgaden are not the only two stops in our tour. We're doing the Mosel/Rhein on this trip too. If I can find reasonable airfare and flight times to or from ZRH, MUC, or somewhere else along our proposed itinerary, I'll modify the dates at each place but price and flight times are priority.

MvK

WallyKringen

Then fly into Cologne or Düsseldorf, travel up the Rhine, then it's a 4-hr train from Frankfurt into Switzerland, on to Munich and fly home from there. Linear wins.