Passau to Zurich
 

I need advice regarding selection of trains from Passau to Zurich. I will be getting off of a riverboat, then heading to Zurich for 2 nights.
It appears that my choices are:
1. IC trains through Frankfort
2. Local trains through Munich
3. Going back into Austria and taking a train through Innsbruck.(This looks like it may involve several changes of trains)

My thought is to leave early in the morning from Passau going to Zurich since this will take most of the day,then checking into my Zurich hotel. The next morning I am thinking about taking the train to Lucerne for lunch and then back to Zurich.I am hoping to spend a few hours exploring Zurich in the aftrenoon and evening. My flight home is the next morning.

If I choose the routes through Germany, what types of scenery can I expect?

My goal is to see as much scenery as possible in the limited time that I have.

I am looking for suggestions about what my best option may be, both for the train trip and ideas for the best use of my day in Zurich. On my trip from Germany, I will have a mid sized piece of luggage.

I am not concerned about the comparative cost since I will have a first class rail pass.

Thanks!

There is a train from Passau at 8.07, with one transfer in Wels (Austria) to a direct Eurocity to Zurich. The routing via Salzburg, Kufstein, Innsbruck, St. Anton, into Switzerland should be the most scenic when you want to see a lot of the big mountains.

The route from Passau to Munich is somewhat dull most of the time. Rather flat terrain. Munich to Zurich starts to get nice once the route approaches the Alps/ Lake Constance.

The route via Frankfurt will offer you different sceneries than Alpine panoramas. Going thru Franconia to Frankfurt, then south towards Basel will take you thru vineyards and rolling hills, and later along the Upper Rhine valley. Also not bad for looks.

seems the quickest route is Passau-Nurnberg-Stuttgart-Zurich - quickest and fewest changes - any change in Munich could mean a long hike just inside the station

Cowboy's route is by far the most scenic however.

In Lucerne i'd highly recommend doing a boat ride on Lake Lucerne - boats leave from the train station and are fully covered by a railpass - if you have a first-class pass then you can sit on the open-air top deck

Fjord-like Lake Lucerne to me is the most beautiful of all the Swiss lakes

Thank you! You have both been very helpful!

The 8:07 from Passau to Wels looks good. However, now a new question has arisen. Can I make a 7 minute train transfer in Wels, or should I wait it out for 2 hrs until the next train?
Thanks again!

>Can I make a 7 minute train transfer in Wels, or should I wait it out for 2 hrs until the next train?

7 min is a perfectly normal time for a train change in a small station. You can still take the next train if you miss this one.