Maudie: i can't answer specifically - when i took the bus i just booked the night before at the Lugano train station - they phoned the post bus reservations for me. My understanding is that they put on more buses as per demand but not sure of that. Maybe the postal bus web site has a number to call you could ask or an e-mail. If you find out please let us know.

I'll check to see if these reservations can be made in the U.S. which means a travel agent down under could do the same.

MORE ABOUT THE THREE PASS POSTAL BUS EXCURSION

You'll find leaflets in the Berner Oberland touting the Three Pass Postal Bus Excursion, and though it's a long day on three different buses, it lets you experience the Alps from high up as the trip takes you over three famous Alpine passes.

From Meiringen (alt 471 m) the Susten Pass bus goes first thru Innertkirchen then thru the Gadmental region and follows a narrow river valley up to the Susten Pass (alt 2224m), where it makes a brief pit stop, before the bus and road descends to Wassen (alt 916 m) and home of the Wassen Church described under the Gotthard train line, en route to Goschenen (a main stop on the Gotthard Pass rail line if you want to head to Zurich/Lucerne or south to Lugano/Italy. Also at Goschenen you can take a shuttle train up to Andermatt (alt 1447 m), a stop on the Glacier Express route towards Brig/Zermatt or east to Davos/St Moritz. This portion of the three pass tour ends at Andermatt so if going there you can also just stay on the bus.
NEXT - FURKA AND GRIMSELPASS

FURKA AND GRIMSEL PASS BUSES
From Andermatt Bahnhof (train station, alt 1447 m) another postal bus goes to Oberwald via the rugged tortuous Furka Pass Road - this is the most sinuous road the Three Pass buses ply - constantly hairpin curving itself up and over the Furka Pass (alt 2431 m) and before plunging down to Oberwald (alt 1386 m), a small town and another train station on the Glacier Express route.

(Along the Furka Pass Road you may well glimpse steam trains plying a portion of the former course of the Glacier Express trains, described before, with the help of altamiro's great info.)

From Oberwald, a third bus takes you back to Meiringen via the Grimsel Pass route. The bus halts for a pit stop just after the actual pass (alt 2185 m) at a large barrage holding back a pristine Alpine lake. The bus actually parks on a cement slab overlooking the lake. From here it's a constant descent back to Meiringen via the Maggia Valley and the Bavona Valley.

Meiringen of course has frequent rail links to Interlaken and via the Brunig Pass to Lucerne.

THREE PASS BUS NITTY-GRITTY
Service is only in the summer, from late June thru late Sep, but in Sep especially the service may be interrupted if passes are blocked by snow. This happened two days in a row one early Sep when i wanted to take the jaunt. Buses run daily in summer.

Schedules - check the PostAuto site referenced above for current schedules, but the following haven't changed much in years:
It seems the whole 3 Pass Route can only be done in counterclockwise fashion, Meiringen-Oberwald-Andermatt-Meiringen
Lv Meiringen 9:15 or 11:10 ar Oberwald 11:05 or 12:50; lv Oberwald 13:35 ar Andermatt 15:19; lv Andermatt 15:40 ar Meiringen 17:50 - buses stop at the train stations in each town.

Part Way Variances
Lv Meiringen 9:10, ar Goschenen 11:05 - transfer to trains on Gotthard line to Zurich/Lucerne or Lugano and Milan. Or stay on bus ar Andermatt 11:20, change to Glacier Express route trains.

Lv Meiringen 9:15 or 11:10, ar Oberwald 11:05 or 12:50 - transfer to trains on Glacier Express route to Brig or Davos, St Moritz. (I did a long but great day trip once by leaving Meiringen at 9:15, then taking a train from Oberwald to Brig and then the ultra scneic Lotschberg mainline to Spiez and back to Interlaken, my base - couldn't ask for a more scenic day trip! But have a Swiss Pass or something as the fares would be very expensive without it.

You have tempted me to go on the Bernina Express. Is it true that in winter it doesn't do the full route from Davos to Brig? If it just up to Tirano, would it still be worth the trip around 20 Dec?

eu - The Glacier Express runs all winter between Zermatt, Brig and Davos and St Moritz. There are trains on the Bernina Pass route, including i believe the official Bernina Express, running all winter as well.

Maybe i'm missing your point but it seems you've mixed up these trains a bit - kindly rephrase your question if this does not answer your query. Sincerely PalQ

Priceless. Thank you so much, PQBob...

PQBob,
Does the Engelberg mountain train leave from the Luzern station? Is it a private line?

Engleberg mountain train leaves from Lucerne and goes direct to Engelberg, twice every hour, taking about one hour - it's an S-Bahn line "S S4".

Railpasses, including Eurailpasses are valid on this line. Thus it's not a 'private' line in the sense that railpasses are valid on it, including Eurailpasses valid in Switzerland or two country Eurail passes including Switzerland.

THE OFFICIAL THREE PASSES TOUR, A K A "GLACIERS & PASSES" (Dreipassefahrt)
Finishing up with this neat bus tour - i just found a brochure i brought back and whilst you can do the three pass jaunt on your own as i wrote above by changing buses, there is an official Three Passes Tour that begins and ends in Grindelwald, picking up at Lauterbrunnen, Wilderswil, Interlaken West and Ost stations and points between Interlaken and Brienz, Meiringen and Innertkirchen from where it does the Three Passes and then returns via Innertkirchen and Meiringen, Interlaken to Grindelwald.

Thus no matter where you stay in the BOB - even Murren or Gimmelwald you can easily hook up with this once daily bus.

OFFICIAL 3 PASS BUS TOUR NITTY-GRITTY
In past few years tour has run very Tue and Fri from the 3rd week in June to mid-Sept - 'guaranteed journeys', returning to Meiringen about 17:15 and Grindelwald about 19:00. There is a lunch stop in Andermatt. Route description is provided. Price: (2005) SF 50 from 16 yrs old
SF44 with Swiss Pass
SF39 kids 4-16
(note with Swiss Pass on your own you only pay the SF10 or so 'Alpine Ticket')
buses will be scrubbed if passes are blocked by snow - not unlikely first and last few weeks.

Info: www.grindelwaldbus.ch; Grindelwald Bus Grund 10, 3818 Grindelwald
ph (0) 33 854 16 16
E-mail [email protected]

some tidbits from the brochure:
'From the first stop on the Susten Pass there is a magnificent view of the Stein Glacier.'
'along the Furka Pass you will experience the high quality and renowne skills of our drivers and you will also see from the road the Rhone Glacier'

GROSSE SCHEIDEGG ROUNDTRIP - BUS & BOAT

While talking of buses in the Interlaken BOB area one would be remiss not to mention the FANTASTIC Grosse Scheidegg Roundtrip, also offered by Grindelwald Bus as detailed above.

This day journey starts in Interlaken, goes up to Grindelwald and then up and over Grosse Sheidegg Pass from where it descends to Meiringen and Brienz, from where you take a boat on Lake Brienz to Interlaken.

This is a dramatically scenic bus ride:

Even the Interlaken to Grindelwald section is pretty, following a rushing river up the Schwarze Lutschine Valley to Grindelwald, which, arguably, offers the finest panorama of high ice-bound peaks and glaciers in all the Alps - from here the bus plies impossibly narrow roads just wide enough for the bus as it shashays around hairpin curves en route to the famed vista and pass of Grosse Scheidegg (alt 1960 m), from where you can see all over the gorgeous Grindelwald amphitheatre laid out below. The surrealistically beautiful landscape here of lush Alpine meadows framed by rugged majestic peaks will forever be ethced in your mind's eye!

But the trip even gets finer as the bus now descends a 'wildly romantic' (to quote the brochure) to Schwarzwaldalp, a remote untouched mountain village especially known for its lumbering and its many plump Swiss cows (up in higher pastures in summer) and the Rosenlaui with its awesome Glacier Gorge and past Reichenbach Falls (where Sherlock Holmes' arch enemey Dr Moriarity met his doom by falling into the falls, i believe) before twisting down every so carefully, bus driver's hand constantly on the unique oompah horn, to the valley at Meiringen and onto the famous wood carving village of Brienz, from where you board a boat to go back to Interlaken and from there back to Grindelwald for those starting there.

The price includes: Tour of a saw mill in Schwarzwaldalp, lunch in a restaurant in this idyllic remote Alpine village, entry to the Rosenlaui Gorge, boat Brienz-Interlaken.

A stupendous adventure but not for the queasy stomach type as the bus ride can be scary.

GROSSE SCHEIDEGG NITTY-GRITTY
Buses leave Interlaken West train station every Wednesday (only on Wed) from early June thru late Sep (again scrubbed if passes are blocked by snow); arriving back in Interlaken at 17:45 and Grindelwald about 19:00.
Price: Over 16 yrs old - SF90
Swiss Pass SF 78; kids 4-16 SF60, under 4 free. www.grindelwaldbus.ch for current info. Reservations required, departures guaranteed.

VARIANTS- HIKING
If not into the bus tour you can duplicate this route by taking a regular bus from Grindelwald up to Grosse Scheidegg and then walking down the valley all the way to Meiringen. (We actually hiked up from Grindelwald and walked down the valley to Meiringen but this is a marathon hike - keep in mind going downhill can be as taxing on the body as doing uphill.) In Meiringen you can hop the train to Brienz and boat or train to Interlaken from there.)

There is i believe regular bus service Grindelwald-Meiringen over this route but to be sure check the Grindelwald Bus web site. This bus is not valid ohn Swiss Passes.

If you do not mind I have a question for PBob.
Considering doing some scenic train travel through Switzerland in late November. Have only been in Switzerland in the summer. Any of your scenic train trips in Switzerland worthwhile in late November or would the weather tend to be foggy with less to see?

mjs - questions are always welcomed!

Though i too have never been to Switzerland in November, which i think could be a rainy, cloudy season, i think trains like Bernina Express, Glacier Express, Brig-Bern, Brunig Pass, etc. would still be nice, but ones to mountain tops like Pilatus, Jungfraujoch, etc. would rarely have a clear day perhaps, but this can be the case even in summer.

So my gut feeling is no - still would be scenic but days do grow short so you have less time to view the awesome scenery.

Maybe Enzian, Schuler or altamiro, who are familiar with Switzerland throughout the year could comment better but i say they're still well worth it. Lake boats run skeleton schedules or not at all and postal buses going over passes don't run of course. PalQ.

Questions- always welcomed!

MJS:
Before you come, take a look at the weather forecast and then make plans accordingly.

For good weather, go to the mountains.
For rainy weather, stay in the cities and go to the Christmas markets.

For the last two years, we've had a mild November with fog in the valley and clear blue skies in the mountains. Last year, it started snowing end of November.

Thanks Schuler - you've clarified for me that November may not be an optimal month - if valleys are oft fogged up then i'd say lines like the Glacier Express that mainly go thru valleys may not be the greatest. But if mountain tops are more clear then Bernina Pass type routes may still be great.

SIMPLON PASS BUS
As long as we're talking of great Swiss postal bus rides, i'll turn attention to one that ranks up there with all the others as a very scenic ride - by bus over the Simplon Pass to Italy.
Starting from Brig (alt 681 m), in front of the train station, the Simplon bus immediately starts climbing on the sinuous serpentine-like road that for centuries was the only way over the Simplon Pass before the Simplon Rail Tunnel was opened about a century ago. Who knows maybe even Hannibal and his elephants and Napoleon and his dog went over the pass on their military campaigns.

In about an hour the Simplon Pass (alt 2006 m) and a Top of the World type landscape is reached - a short pit stop here at the Hospiz, a hotel i believe. (Get off here for nice hiking and hop subsequent buses.)

Now it's downhill all the way to Domodossola, Italy (alt 271 m), where the bus terminates at the train station.

From the pass the bus goes largely along a gushing and narrow river valley to Gondo (alt 855 m), the last stop before the Italian frontier and border check. The very narrow gorge around Gondo was the cause of tragedy a few years back when the little village was practically wiped off the map by a torrential flood that killed several villagers i believe.

From Gondo the bus descends to Iselle (alt 629 m), at the small train station from where you can hop local trains back to Brig) or continues on to Domodossola, Italy, where at the station you can also catch trains back to Brig, or south to Stresa and Lake Maggiore and Milan.

Hi Bob,
I have another question if you don't mind.

Just came across a great travel guide at the library, Switzerland, Rail Road Lake by Bradt (3rd edition). It has a wealth of information including all the timetable numbers. Now to my question, are timetables available freely at stations? I cannot possibly print off every conceivable timetable scenario to take with me, it would weigh a ton.

If timetables are not available then what is your suggestion?

Thanks,
Maudie

Maudie- yes Switzerland has an avalanche of free printed timetables to pass out at stations - they have racks and racks of them. And you can go up to the ticket window/information window and they will print out computerized schedules for where you want to go.

And as trains usually go twice hourly on most routes, you don't really need schedules but just need to show up and there will be a train within a few minutes.

Great news, thanks yet again Bob.

You are a treasure - wish I could send you a big bunch of flowers or how about a nice bottle of Margaret River wine???? I will do it in my thoughts - hope you enjoy!

Maudie

I just wanted to say thanks for the answers to my question about the Swiss trains in November.
Did not sound that promising. Considered the south of France instead but at last minute decided to head off to Thailand for a completely different vacation as we have already spent three weeks in Europe this summer.

Maudie - thanks - though the wine sounds good instead i'd appreciate it if after returning you'd contribute your experience of Swiss trains here - always can learn by actual experiences. So that's an order! Have a swell trip. PalQ

PalenqueBob,

You mention that only 1st class cars on the Bernina Express are panoramic. The Bernina Express website says the following:

"All trains operate with 1st and 2nd class panorama coaches"

Is this a change? Or is this inaccurate and you really do need to reserve a 1st class car?

Thanks!

Sorry i missed this...but yes i think this is a recent development on the official Bernina Express cars. In any case i think the Panoramic Car thing is a bit overhyped - all Swiss trains have large, usually clean windows and the views are the same.

That said some Swiss Specialty trains i believe now have a kind of super panoramic first class car - swivel seats and even more plush than usual.

Actually like i said before i prefer riding the ordinary 'real' trains as their windows are fine and i can hop from side to side at will - unlike the usually near full to capacity official express trains i've seen.

I will try to get a definitive answer but assume the Bernina Express website is correct.

>"All trains operate with 1st and 2nd class panorama coaches"

No, it is not a mistake. I was in Chur today and saw the 2nd class panorama coaches. However I agree with PalenqeBob as usual - there is no reason for booking the special express trains unless you have a lot of luggage with you. The much more frequent "normal" trains provide the same view, are only slightly less plush, but often require some more changes (usually well timed)

Re: Panoramic cars on Glacier Express in both classes.

Of course we know this by High Wall's personal sighting in Chur but it has been confirmed by a wagon and seat chart i just received from the Glacier Express group.

In first class there are two Panoramawagen in 1st class each with 28 seats.
There is also a Panoramawagen in 2nd class with 48 seats in the same amount of space.

These three cars run on trains # 904, 906, 907, 908, 909 and 911

This perhaps corresponds to the re-introduction of Glacier Express service which had been suspended during last fall for a thorough rehab of the rolling stock.

In addition there appear to be Personenwagen (non Panoramic) wagons in both classes on trains as well.

PlanequeBob (or anybody else who wants to jump in),

What a wealth of great information!

I am in the very early stages of planning a trip (nothing firm at this point) and need some advice. What I would like to do is to combine a visit to the Italian lake district (probably Lake Como) and Switzerland. I can get good air connections to Milan and to Zurich, so I am thinking of arriving in one of those and departing from the other. I am open to suggestions, but it seems to me that travel by train is the best bet, however I have very limited experience with European trains. I would like to limit the trip to about 10 days. This will limit where I can plan on going in Switzerland. Finally, the trip would probably be in late September and/or early October 2007.

Suggestions for routes, places to visit, etc.?

Thanks.

Having been in the first class panorama cars of the Glacier Express twice, and the regular cars twice -- I will never ever accept the panorama car again -- in the summer. To be honest the views seemed just as good from the regular train -- there is rarely much to see by looking up -- and the sun coming down through all that glass baked us thoroughly. We had to keep escaping to another car for a breather to avoid the oven of the panorama car.

bookmarking

cwj---there are very good train connections from certain places in the Lake District to Switzerland. From Como to Luzern is 3.5 hours on a direct train (no changes, but you might like to get off a spend some time in Lugano en route). From Luzern, there are many options.

Or from Locarno, at the northern end of Lago Maggiore, it is only 3 hours to Luzern, again with no changes. But if you are in Locarno, you might as well take the very scenic Centovalli railway to Domodossola, and then enter Switzerland via Brig:

http://www.centovalli.ch/

Enzian,

What about the possibility of starting and ending in Milan. Go north from Milan via Como, make some sort of loop in Switzerland, and return to Milan as you describe through Brig?

Warner

That would be a very nice trip---stopping in Como (or maybe ferry to Varenna); Luzern; someplace in the Berner Oberland (Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, etc.; then maybe Kandersteg (see www.oeschinensee.ch for pictures of the lovely lake near there); and then back to Milan via Brig.

Or you could take the Golden Pass train from Luzern to Montreux, and then to Brig and Milan from there.

Either one is a nice loop, very doable in 10 days.

kopp: i hope you don't mind me copying this here for future reference if this thread ever gets around to the BOB. thanks for posting it on the other thread!

Author: kopp
Date: 01/04/2007, 11:53 am
Hello PalQ,

We've done the SP train several times, and it does indeed live up to its billing as quite dramatic.

The train goes up the hill quite slowly and at quite a slope. The seats are long wooden benches, facing each other. I find it most comfortable to sit on the downslope going up.

You need to have your camera ready for every twist and turn. As the train winds around the hills, the views of Interlaken and the lakes are fabulous.

But then on the final approach, point your camera out to the right and the most stunning views of the Jungfrau, Eiger, all the way to the Schilthorn, etc. are before you. To see it all from this vantage point is nothing short of breathtaking.

Now you find yourself at the station's end, where the views from the table are stunning. A full-service restaurant awaits your dining pleasure. Somehow, though, an ice cream sundae seems to fit the bill for us. Be sure to get a table by the cliff's edge. WOW!

For hiking, there are numerous trails with spectacular views of Interlaken's lakes on one side and the mountains on the other. Quite rugged in parts and quite steep (for us anyway), but once you get up there, OMG, drop-dead views!

The Alpine Garden is a lovely terraced area where you will find literally hundreds of varieties of wildflowers, even the beautiful Edelweiss which are hard for us to usually find on our walks. More hiking in this area also. There is a slight admission charge for walking thru this garden area.

On a clear day, the trains are packed. Lots of local folks with their kids. Sometimes going down can mean waiting for a train or two for a place to sit.

This is a real gem!

Forgot to add kopp is talking about Schynige Platte railway (SP) that goes from Wilderswil, a mile out of Interlaken-Ost, up the Schynige Platte, location of the acclaimed Alpine Garden and fab views as kopp details. this is a slow-moving train as it takes 52 mins to cover the 7km of constantly ascending or descending tracks. I've seen the trains often in the station at Wilderswil and it seems many or all are steam operated.

SWISS PASS PRICES
in a recent check Swiss Pass prices still, rather inexplicably, remain significantly cheaper than for the exact same pass bought in Switzerland. Odd enough because RailEurope, the main US outlet, is about 25%-30% owned by the Swiss Railways.
Many folks criticize RailEurope, usually quite justly, for inflating ticket prices on point-points in Europe but in this case it seems Swiss Rail is the guilty partner?
But mailing fees in the US can run $15-30 - though RailEurope waives the free on orders of $399 or more - many Swiss Passes even times 2 do not reach that level. BETS (www.budgeteuropetravel.com), whom i always recommend for any Swiss rail product, has no fee except rush orders. they also answer any questions - 800-441-2387 whether you buy a pass or not, one reason i recommend them.
Swiss Cards are only about $5 cheaper here currently so you may as well cop those at stations in Switzerland. Swiss Transfer Tickets i believe are only sold outside the country.

bookmarking

The Swiss Travel System web site gives current schedules and rundowns of all the scneic Swiss specialty trains, like Glacier Express, Chocolate Train, Golden Pass, Bernina Express, William Tell, etc.
www.swisstravelsystem.ch

PARIS JAZZ FESTIVAL
More free music, the Paris Jazz Festival swings throughout the months of June and July with free concerts in the Bois de Vincennes' Parc Floral.

www.parcfloraldeparis.com

Sorry about the above post mistakingly posted here.

BIG CHANGE IN SWISS FLEXIPASS CONDITIONS

It's been debated on Fodor threads about the Swiss Flexipass and the one-month validity period giving 50% off everything for a whole month along with a number of 100% covered days.

Conflicting language lead to a debate whether after your days of 100% travel were used up if you then got the 50% off still for the rest of the month. Language was ambiguous but after e-mails to Swiss Rail and RailEurope and calls to BETS it was determined that the 50% was granted even if days were exhausted.

And apparently that was the condition but the condition has been changed, at least according to a RailEurope e-mail saying rules had been changed and now the 50% is not available after the 100% days have been used it. They called it a change of conditions from the previous.
For most folks as they use the last day to return to an airport or border point and probably need the last 100% travel day the change means little.

But for others you will have to keep one day left to get the 50% off for the month. At least this is what RailEurope says, and they are the main marketer of Swiss passes in US - indeed Swiss rail is part owner of RailEurope.

And, in relation to the above Q about flexipass 50% off - now i'm wondering if before the first day of 100% travel use you'd get the discount or is it only available from the first 100% day use until the last 100% day use is exhausted.

Scenario - landing in Zurich and just going to Lucerne the first day one may want to pay 50% for this cheap ticket and not use the first 100% day on a pass. I'm trying to track down this answer and will report back.

Lotschberg Tunnel First Trains?
Copying a post talking about the new Lotschberg Tunnel that recently opened to freight rail traffic and soon for passengers - if going from Germany-Bern-Interlaken to Brig and Zermatt or Italy you'll pass by this major north-south international rail route

Author: PalenQ
Date: 06/18/2007
The new Lotschberg train tunnel in Switzerland, at about 21 miles and called the world's longest underdground (not water) tunnel, is finished and reports had a train going thru it for the first time.

But the report i saw was nebulous as to whether the tunnel is opening to full-fledged rail travel or the infrastructure is finally done and regular passenger trains will follow - if so when?

Anyone will any idea of if trains are already using the tunnel or when please enlighten me. thanks

and this is a sweet and sour development to me. Sweet in that Germany-Italy travel time will soon be under 2 hours but sour because instead of what is to me the most scenic mainline train ride in Europe - especially after the old Lotschberg Tunnel's south portal when the train rolls along a narrow ledge overlooking the Rhone River Valley thousands of feet below - kind of like levitating over the valley.

And before the north portal you could also get sweet views of the Kandersteg Valley

But now at Fruitingen you'll enter the tunnel and emerge in the Rhone Valley near Visp and then head right into the Simplon Tunnel to Italy - seeing very little of the awesome Alpine scenery you're tunneling under.

Trains will be speeded up by about an hour, however, making Milan and Italy all that closer.

I assume the classic old line will still have regional trains so if have the extra time take the high road - the old road.

Author: altamiro
Date: 06/18/2007, 12:31 pm
>But the report i saw was nebulous as to whether the tunnel is opening to full-fledged rail travel or the infrastructure is finally done and regular passenger trains will follow - if so when?

Only test trains now. Next official schedule change (mid-december) will introduce the new Lötschberg link into the general scheme of things.

>I assume the classic old line will still have regional trains so if have the extra time take the high road - the old road.

I wholeheartedly agree! "Flying" down into the Rhone valley is easily worth the detour.
Author: bob_brown
Date: 06/18/2007, 02:37 pm
"The first goods trains will be able to use the tunnel from June 16, 2007. A full passenger service will start from December 9, 2007."

The above quote from swissinfo.org can be found here:

http://tinyurl.com/yrbszt

I am still looking for information about the old tunnel that carried passenger vehicles through the mountains.

As slow as that train went I don't see how it could be used in the new tunnel.


Author: altamiro
>As slow as that train went I don't see how it could be used in the new tunnel.

It won't - the car will be still shuttled by train between Kandersteg and Goppenstein. In this regard nothing will change.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Author: PalenQ
Date: 06/18/2007, 03:07 pm
high wall - that's surprising because i thought now they could ferry cars from Fruitigen to Domodossola - trucks of course are what they want to get off the roads.

I though when i saw the construction at Fruitigen two years ago they looked like car or truck carrying loading docks but must have been wrong so am shocked the Kandersteg-Goppenstein car train will be all. (There are no roads over the Lotschberg Pass so putting on a train is the only way or else about 100 mile detour i think.)

Bob - thanks about the goods trains using the new tunnel - that was what i saw coming out for the first train - a freight train.

a few years ago i hiked the BLS 'Train Teaching path' or whatever they call it between one town and the Kandersteg loading dock train ferry. I would not recommend this path at all as it's a series of ladders basically - very very strenuous and only glimpses of the line, where there are interpretative signs in German only.

Author: bob_brown
So if the old tunnel is used to carry cars, then we still get the thrill of that highway descent to the Valley of the Rhone. I have done it both going down and coming up more than once. Fun trip.

There is a bakery in Gampel that has great Schneken. I hope I can find it again this summer.

(A Schneken is a curled or rolled up flat pastry that has all kind of goodies rolled up inside.)

Author: altamiro
>high wall - that's surprising because i thought now they could ferry cars from Fruitigen to Domodossola - trucks of course are what they want to get off the roads

There are some issues with the trains of different speeds, since I think there is no place within the tunnel where a fast train would overtake the slow one. So I assume they will send freight trains through the tunnel in the night and mostly passenger trains during the day. There are also more and more tendencies to load trucks up on the railcars in Basel or Konstanz and unload them in Domodossola.

I am already really curious about the Gotthard base tunnel and Porta Alpina when it opens in 2016 (?)...