Kendra

I would really appreciate advice/comments on the first draft of our Switzerland itinerary (late April/early May). We will be traveling by train.

3 nights Zurich (day trip to Lucerne; Raperswil)
3 nights Lugano (day trip to Lake Como)
2 nights Interlaken (Schilthorn, Lauterbrunnen valley)

Are we spending too much or too little time in any place? We're primarily interested in seeing mountain/lake scenery. My husband really wants to see the Matterhorn, but it looks like a long way to go.

Thanks!

altamiro

If you want to get to Zermatt you might consider stayin in Thun or Spiez instead of Interlaken. It adds about 20-30 min each way to the travel time into the Lauterbrunnen valley but cuts more than 3/4 h one way from the way to Zermatt because you are rid of one rather time-consuming change in Spiez.
Or you shift your trip by one year, then the travel time from Bern to Wallis will be reduced by 1 hour

Kendra

Thanks. What about staying in Brig instead of Interlaken? It looks like there are a lot rail connections from Brig plus we would get to do the Glacier Express from Brig to Zermatt.

altamiro

Brig is a very good base too, but from there you would have a hard time to go to Interlaken. On the other side, from Brig you would have access to the other side of the Berner Oberland, which is at least as spectacular at the Lauterbrunnen side but has less PR. Take a train from Brig to Betten, the cable car to Bettmeralp (Bettmeralp is a village and therefore the cable car ticket costs like a short bus journey), and walk through teh village to the Bettmerhorn cable car. Or go by train to Fiesch and take the Eggishorn cable car up to the top of Eggishorn.

altamiro

There is no need to wait for the Glacier Express to Zermatt - regular trains run every hour.

bettyk

Even if you go to Zermatt, there is no guarantee that you will SEE the Matterhorn. We've been twice, and both times it was so covered with clouds we didn't see anything.

Suggest you stay in Lauterbrunnen. From there, it is an easy trip to Schilthorn (regular buses from Lauterbrunnen to the cable car station in Stechelberg. The views from Schilthorn are amazing and Lauterbrunnen is very pretty (unlike Interlaken) and there are a lot of great hikes you can take from there.

Kendra

Thanks for the advice! Altamiro, are the cable cars you mentioned open in late April/early May?

JN

If you want lakes and mountain scenery, why not stay in Luzern and day trip to Zurich? Luzern, in my opinion, is more picturesque.

PalQ

As for the trains - the Swiss Flexipass would save you lots of money - buy the cheapest one - the 3 day in one month flexipass. three unlimited travel days to do Zurich-Lugano, Lugano-Interlaken and Interlaken-Zurich (if going to Zermatt consider a 4th day) and then during the other days in the month you get 50% off everything in Switzerland that moves - including expensive journeys to mountain tops like the Jungfrau - everything - city buses, trams, lake boats, gondolas, cable cars, funiculars, etc.
And on the three days of unlimited travel you also can enter 400+ museums free of charge with the pass (for example the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne - normally about $10-15 i think.
Swiss Passes are sold in Switzerland but currently, due to the fall of the dollar, are significantly cheaper in the U.S. - I always recommend BETS (www.budgeteuropetravel.com) for their Swiss rail expertise - check 2006 prices on their web site and check www.sbb.ch for prices for passes in Switzerland as well as point-point ticket prices to see what's best for you.
I might take one day from each Zurich and Lugano and add them on to the Interlaken- BOB area - leaving time there for a boat trip on Lake Thun or Lake Brienz (free with pass unlimited day or 50% off on other days)
If you have kids under 16 then they each get a free Swiss Pass to match what their parents buy (only parents qualify, not grandparents or other adults) - then the kids get free tickets even on days the pass only gives you 50% - like on the Jungfraubahn they would go free - the free ticket matches whatever you buy, making the Swiss Pass an even greater boon for families.
If you take a day off Zurich and Lugano then you could also head to Zermatt en route from Lugano to Interlaken. A great scenic rail way to go between Lugano and Interlaken is to, from Lugano rail to nearby Locarno and hop the narrow-gauge Centovalli train ("100 Valleys" - a quaint route thru a part of Italy to Domodossola, and the main rail route to Interlaken or Zermatt via Brig and Spiez. Though the train goes thru part of Italy a Swiss Pass is valid the whole way - you will have to pay a few bucks to go from Domodossola to the Swiss border where you Swiss Pass picks up again and then going thru the Simplon Tunnel to Brig.
At Brig you can hop the Glacier Express route to Zermatt or head to Spiez and Interlaken via one of Europe's most thrillingly scenic mainline trains that from Brig precariously climbs along the edge of a cliff for miles, finally being hundreds of feet above the Rhone Valley and then thru the Lotschberg Tunnel to Kandersteg and more lovely Alpine views to Spiez, where you change for the 20-min ride along the shores of idyllic Lake Thun to Interlaken-Ost, where you hop trains to Lauterbrunnen.

altamiro

>Thanks for the advice! Altamiro, are the cable cars you mentioned open in late April/early May?

About the Eggishorn cable car I'm not sure - they certainly have some week or two in low season reserved for maintenance. Have a look at www.eggishorn.ch,
as to the Bettmeralp cable car - it is the only way to reach several villages. You can rest assured that it does not close for weeks. Otherwise they would have to shuttle villagers around by copter. They (the swiss army) did it for a month when both road and rail connection to Engelberg were cut last summer by floods, but I don't want to think about the costs.

liljuicy03

Hi everyone. How long is the train from Zurich to Lugano? And do you also know how long it would be to drive? And to Luzerne? Thanks!

sunstar

I know the tourist office in Zurich hates this, but why so much time in Zurich?

I would either go right to Lucern or go to Jungfrau area and stay close by there.

To me, now this is just me now, but I would do it like this:

Go to Lucern and stay there the 3 days or stay in Lucern one night then spend 4 days in Jungfrau area. Ir 2 days in Lucern and 3 days in Jungfrau area. Or better still,spend all 5 days in Jungfrau, Lauterbrunen area.

Matter area(Zermatt) is about a 4.5 hour train ride from Lauterbrunnen valley area.


Since you only have the eight days in Switzerland, I would either do Zermatt area (Matterhorn) or Lauterbrunnen area(Jungfrau). I would not do both on only 8 days. Again, that's just me.

Last year since the Lauterbrunnen area was flooded, I cancelled my plans to the Jungfrau area and stayed in Saas Fee and Zermatt.

Unless you have 2 weeks, I would not do both areas. Too far to go on to few days IMO!

Here is how I'd do it:

1 night in Lucern
3 nights in Lauterbrunnen
1 day of train travel to Lugano area
3 nights in Lugano.

I would skip Zurich

Unless Ihave misread your plans, this is how I would do this. You did mention that you wanted to see mountains and countryside.

Here is another plan

4 nights in Zermatt

1 day of travel time to Lugano

and 3 days in Lugano area

Plan 2 I skip Lauterbrunnen area. I do not think it is agood idea to combine the two areas on so few days.

I see where you're coming from by wanting to stay in Brig, but Brig is still too far from Lauterbrunnen , Interlaken, Jungfau area.

If you stay in Zermatt instead of Lauterbrunnen area, there is no need to stay in Brig.

Have I throughly confused you? I am. LOL

Either drop Zermatt or Lauterbrunnen area and pick one of those. Drop Zurich, unless you just have to be in Zurich.

PalQ

Zurich-Lugano = 3 hrs by train
Zurich-Luzern = 45 mins
hourly trains at least on both routes.
Zurich-Lugano another scenic train ride.

travelinsue

I totally agree with Sunstar. There is not that much to see in Zurich.

We spent 5 nights in Lauterbrunnen with 2 day trips: Montreaux via the Golden Pass Scenic Railroad and Bern.

Lauterbrunnen is quiet and has access to some great sites: Jungfrau, Schilthorn Piz Gloria, Trummelbach Falls, and Gondolas. We loved it and cannot wait to go back.

sunstar

Kendra,

I remember seeing on the train this elderly British couple who told me that they had returned from Zermatt the previous evening. I asked them if they had spent a few days there and they said: No, we just went there for one day's excursion.

I know they were worn out!

You can do both areas.it can certainly be done but from a time thing, but it will require spending much of your time on trains and it will zap away what available time a person has for seeing the sights totally away.

I think you all should drop Zurich and spend one day and one night in Lucerne. Then spend the next 3-4 days in Lauterbrunnen-Jungfrau region. There is so much to do and see there. 3 days is not enough time in Jungfrau area as we all know.

Someone mentioned staying in Spietz. That will help, but that will still require a long day if Kendra wants to pop over to Zermatt.

One other thing about Lucerne. The music fest is foing on there I think in late August and in September. Getting a room could be difficult. Those going to Lucerne this August and September, better make plans.

PalQ

Many folks go to Zermatt just to glimpse the famous Matterhorn - and this sight is amazing and reason to detour up here. BUT if only spending one day here you may or very well may NOT see the Matterhorn, which can often is seems be obscured by clouds. there are many other reasons to come here - especially for its varied hiking possibilities but if the Matterhorn is your only reason you may be disappointed if it's a no-show.
The Interlaken-BOB area however is not just a one blockbuster sight, though you could say the whole area is and there are many more varied things to do, especially for the non-hiker. I agree put as many days in here as possible.

modeb

Hi Kendra,
We just got back from a 8 day trip to Switzerland in May(read my trip report 'Mesmerising Switzerland' on this forum) and visited very much the places you have chalked out. I too would suggest not spending so much time in Zurich and rather spend 3 days in Rapperswil - a quaint and scenic small town. Whilst in Rapperswil, you can do a daytrip to Appenzell which I have heard has old-style Swiss villages amidst awesome scenery. We next went to Lugano - which is same as your itinerary and this place too is beautiful. We stayed a little away from Lugano in a Hotel called Lago Di Lugano in Bissone - which was an excellent place for families with kids.
You are next planning on staying at Interlaken which is good; but I would suggest staying at a more non-touristy place like Brienz which has breathtaking scenery and lovely quiet-town charm plus being very well connected to all places like the Jungfrau, Schilthorn etc plus Titlis. About cable cars; most of the MUST-SEE places are open in May like cablecar to Schilthorn, Titlis etc. Though cable car at Kandersteg's Oeschinersee is closed till 15th May; many cablecars/funiculars in Meiringen are also not open. You will find lovely scenery in May though because of the beautiful spring flowers and quite good weather too. We had been to Zermatt 4 yrs back in August and we LOVED the place because of the car-free ambience. Ofcourse going up in the cablecar to the point to see the Matterhorn was great too - that place has a lovely lake high up in the mountains. We just sat there for hours to have a glimpse of Matterhorn; but didn't see it. Nevertheless, we loved being so high up amidst the mountains and the lake and would recommend visiting Zermatt if possible. Hope u have a good trip next year!

Kendra

Thanks for all of the advice! I think we have decided to cut one night each out of Zurich and Lugano and base ourselves in Brig instead of Interlaken due to the rail connections. From Brig, we can do fairly easy daytrips to Zermatt, Interlaken area and Chateau Chillon. The trips from Brig to Zermatt and Chateau Chillon were each an hour and a half one way. That doesn't seem so bad to me especially since the train rides will be scenic.

I realize the day trip to Interlaken will be a long day, but it looks like we can make some stops to break it up. From Brig to Spiez is only an hour; from there, it's not a long train ride to Interlaken and then onto Lauterbrunnen.

Altamiro, thanks for the suggestions for the Aletsch area. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like any of the cable cars will be running when we're there (hence the day trip to Interlaken area -we really want to do the Schilthorn if the weather is good and have a look around Lauterbrunnen).

PalQ, thanks for mentioning the Centovalli railway. Would you recommend Locarno over Lugano?

Thanks again!

PalQ

I wouldn't recommend Locarno over Lugano or vice versa though i enjoy Lugano more than Locarno.
Lugano, though a bigger town, seems to have even more charm than Locarno and Lake Lugano seems nicer even than the sliver of Lake Maggiore that comes up to Locarno and boats services from Lugano seem more extensive than from Locarno - i love to boat on Swiss lakes and lake Lugano is very nice - you can actually take the boat over to an enclave of Italy surrounded by Switzerland - Campione. But both Locarno and Lugano are nice - trains connect the two in about an hour - change at Bellinzona.
Swiss passes are valid on boats on Lake Lugano but not on Lake Locarno if that makes a difference.

PalQ

To get to Lugano from Interlaken area you still best take the Centovalli train to Locarno then switch to at least hourly trains to Lugano via Bellinzona. so it's only about an hour further along and Lugano is on the mainline to Zurich - the scenic Gotthard Route - if taking this line there is a unique thing to experience as not long after emerging from the Gotthard Rail tunnel at Wassen you pass the town's idyllic white tall-steepeled church - then a few minutes later you blink as you pass the same church, but going in the other direction - then a few minutes later you blink again as you pass the same church a third time - all because the train is doing spiral loops inside the mountain, emerging into daylight as it passes the same church at different levels as the train descends - the second time you pass the church going the opposite way from the first and third times!