Cooking up my next trip here and trying to include Dijon as a stop before going home from Paris.

One route I am contemplating is to fly into Zurich and take the train from ZRH Airport directly to Lucerne for a couple of days. Then maybe Vevey for a night or two, then Dijon and Paris.

If I can get a good fare through Geneva, I would skip Zurich/Lucerne (obviously)and spend the first leg of my trip in Vevey or Lausanne.

How's the train ride between Lucerne and Lausanne/Vevey? Scenic? And how about the train from Lausanne to Dijon?

Also, in my research through the Deutschebahn website, I've been using Dijon Ville as my destination rather than the other Dijon station options - should I be?

I'd be grateful for any opinions and advice. Thank you.

Until the others have a chance to reply, I'll mention that the route Lucerne-Lausanne (via Bern) is very different (but quicker) than Lucerne-Vevey (via Interlaken). The second takes you through some spectacular mountain scenery and along a couple of pretty lakes. The first is mostly farmland, but of course, I can't remember a rail route in Switzerland that wasn't lovely. ttt. J.

adding a link for info re the second route I mentioned above. The timetable is shown at the bottom. If you go to sbb.ch and simply plug in Lucerne to Lausanne or Lucerne to Vevey, the other routing will come up, much shorter, but IMO, not as spectacular. J.

http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/Gold....html?&L=2

Thanks so much, jmw44.
I always try to work in at least one scenic train ride on every trip - the journey should be the point as well as the destination, right?

Dijon Ville i'm pretty sure is the only main rail station in Dijon - no Dijon TGV new station as yet outside of town so put in Dijon-Ville i would.

> If you go to sbb.ch and simply plug in Lucerne to Lausanne or Lucerne to Vevey

... as SBB expects that people use the train mainly as a means for getting from A to B
You have to use a "Via" station (e.g. Zweisimmen or Gstaad) to make clear to the SBB computer what you want besides getting from A to B

Absolutely, dovima, and the route through the Brunig Pass before Lakes Brienz and Thun and the stretch from Zweisimmen is gorgeous, too.

Yes, altamira, you'd think that would work, wouldn't you? However, if you try requesting a timetable from Lucerne to Montreux via Zweisimmen, check out the routes that pop up. Technology insists that it knows better than to select GoldenPass all the way. (I had previously tried via Gstaad and via Interlaken; ditto.) The only way I could find the complete Golden Pass timetable is at the link I cited above. J.

rats, correction, dovima. That should read "the route through the Brunig Pass before Lakes Brienz and Thun is a charmer, and . . . ."

>Dijon Ville I'm pretty sure is the only main rail station in Dijon<
You're right Pal,and works started a couple of days ago on the main yard. New access for buses and less cars...
Welcome to Dijon dovima

Thank you everyone for the help and encouragement!

I might also add that, of necessity, this trip needs to be on the short side (7 - 8 nights max). I'd like the last three nights to be in Paris. All suggestions on how best to divvy up the preceding nights are welcome. I don't intend to "see it all" on this trip, just maybe discover some more "must come back for a better look" spots. Thanks.

Well, dovima, you've pretty much set your timetable in your first post, if it is to be 7 or 8 days with the last three in Paris. If we figure a five-night sampler, then I'd say one night in Lucerne(you'll arrive there early), then the most scenic long day via the Brunig Pass, Zweisimmen, Gstaad down to Montreux and then to Vevey (just a few more minutes on the train that continues to Lausanne). Two nights in Vevey, so you can wander a bit, then one night in Dijon. That's four nights. If you've got one more, I'd add it to Vevey. There are lots of things to do and see in the vicinity, both along the lac and up into the hills above Montreux. You did say this was just a taste; therefore, maybe the folks who promote the mountain villages above Interlaken will permit you to save those for another trip. J.

Thanks jmw44!
I'll consider all my options.
Vevey has always been a destination for me because I was such an avid reader of M.F.K. Fisher, and she made it sound so nice.

Strongly consider the bargain 4-consecutive day Swiss Pass for your Swiss travels - at $165 p.p. it would cover all your travels in Suisse - including city buses, trams, boats on Lake Lucerne and lake Geneva, etc. compare to regular fares at www.sbb.ch; passes can be bought at stations in Switzerland but for some reason at about 15% higher than in US even though RailEurope, the marketer of them in US is part owned by Swiss Rail. As always i recommend BETS (www.budgeteuropetravel.com for their expertise and lack of RE fees on orders like these. Request their free European Planning & Rail Guide that has an excellent chapter on Swiss trains, and the places you are going. www.ricksteves.com also has good info on Swiss trains and passes and check out www.swisstravelsytem.com for a look at such specialty trains and boats like the Golden Pass route you should take to Montreux for much more scenic and only slightly slower route and the lovely GPass route between Lucerne over the Brunig Pass and then along pristine Lake Brienz to Interlaken. Each has super-duper panoramic cars. Passes good on these and all trains.

Thanks for all the links, PalenQ. If my advance planning is out of whack, is it possible to buy this pass at the Geneva or Zurich airports? Or is like Japan Rail where you have to buy a voucher in your own country and exchange once you get there?