sth12

I'm planning a trip with my wife in late September to Switzerland and Germany - we'd like to see the Alps and some mountain towns for about 4 days, then take the train to Munich for 4 days and do Oktoberfest.

I've got lots of ideas for the Munich part of the trip, Oktoberfest and Neuschwanstein are the primary objectives.

I don't know where to begin in Switzerland - I would like to see mountain towns like Murren or Wengen, and definitely would like to do a cable car or train trip like Jungfrau or Piz Gloria. Lucerne looks nice and fairly central. Here are some specific questions:

- Where should we fly in, and how should we get to the Alps region?
- Would Lucerne work as a base, or would we eat up too much time traveling?
- Is there a small town that we could use as a base and not get bored? I'm not sure whether the towns will be dead at this time of year or not.

I'm open to any suggestions, what would you do if you had 4 days in Switzerland?

swandav2000

Hi sth12,

Here are some thoughts --

Where are you flying in from? If from the UK or elsewhere in Europe, you can find cheap flights into Basel, or maybe even into Bern. But if you are coming from North America, your best bet is to fly into Zürich, the country's largest airport. There's a train station in the basement, so it's easy to get around from there.

Yes, Luzern is a lovely city that will very easily keep you busy for four days. It sits next to some peaks and at the foot of a system of lakes, and it is gorgeous. You can ascend the peaks of Rigi, Titlis, or Pilatus, you can visit the mountain town of Engelberg, you can cruise the lakes, and you can visit lakeside villages like Weggis or Vitznau. But unfortunately, I think it is too far to do a day-trip to the Jungfrau area, which will take you about five hours of transport in each direction. Here are some links to more information about Luzern:

www.luzern.org
www.rigi.ch
www.pilatus.ch
www.titlis.ch
www.lakelucerne.ch

If you want to spend time in Mürren or Wengen, your best bet is to base yourselves there. There is plenty to keep you busy there, as well -- gentle Alpine walks, mountainside restaurants you reach by cable car, the peaks of the Jungfraujoch and the Schilthorn, etc. September is getting to be high season in the high Alps, so no it won't be dead at all. Here is a link to one site that can help answer your questions about this area:

www.myjungfrau.ch

To research your train rides, use the Swiss rail site at

www.rail.ch

Have fun!

s

sth12

Thanks very much for all the info. If we do decide to go up to Wengen or Murren, is it difficult to get there via train? Neither of us speaks any German, and it looks like there are several transfers to get there.

Luzern would certainly be easier, but we might be missing out on the high Alps experience.

sth12

I forgot to add, we're coming from the US, so we'll almost certainly fly into Zurich.

Ingo

It's actually much easier to get to Wengen or Mürren by train since both are car free (you need to park the car in Lauterbrunnen or Stechelberg and hop on a train or cable car anyway).

Another vote for Luzern. You could easily do a day trip to Engelberg for the high Alps. The gondola to Titlis takes you up on a glacier at more than 10,000 ft.

bobthenavigator

Luzern is easy and very nice.
The Berner Oberland is the BEST of the alps. Your call.

scatcat

Lucerne is beautiful. But it is nothing like Jungfrau region. I stayed in Wengen in September and I will be returning next September. I totally loved it. There are many things to see and do. I spent almost an entire day at the Jungfaujoch-Top of Europe. You can easily take the train to Grindelwald if you like. There are cable cars to other villages. You will not be bored! I was traveling alone and I had no trouble at all. I speak so very little German, but I had no problems. The trains are very easy. You will need to change trains about 3 times, but it is easy even with luggage.

Palenque

IMO the Jungfrau Region of the Berner Oberland is the highlight of any first-time traveler to Switzerland and i'd spend most of your limited time there - seeing Lucerne either en route or as a day trip from the Interlaken-Wengen area.

GregPCM

I would say Jungfrau region would be your best bet for a first trip. I like Interlaken for a place to stay. It is centrally localated and you can stay right on the lake for a reasonable price. You can go up to Jungfrau in the morning and be back in time for a nice dinner in town. You can also take a train ride on most of the very scenic routes from there as well.

Have a good trip.

Greg

swandav2000

Hi again,

Yes, as Ingo notes, it is easy to get to these villages by train; in fact it's the only way you can reach them!

Train transfers aren't any problem. Just take along a copy of the schedule so you know which track you arrive on and which one you'll leave on. At the departure track, there will be an overhead sign with the train's destination as well as the intermediate stops. Also make a note of where the first and second class cars are so you don't have to move through the train lugging your suitcases.

The transfers are engineered to a fine degree, and most travellers have no problems at all.

The best way to prepare for a train trip is to pack light, so keep that in mind!

Have fun!

s

enzian

If you have 4 days./3 nights: it is very easy to get to Luzern by train righ tform th eZürich airport (the statin is righ tin th eterminal).

Upon arrival from the US, go straight to Luzern for you first night. The next day, take the train on the Golden Pass scenic route to wngen and spend 2 nights there.

The trip to Munich from Wengen involves several changes, but you need not worry about speaking German; all the station agents will understand English.

clevelandbrown

I like Luzern, they have alps there, and a lot more, but unless you are going to spend some time there, I would skip it and go directly to the Bernese Oberland, where they have scenic alps and not much else. With only four days, I would pick one or the other.

The train from Zurich to Luzern takes about an hour; the train from Zurich to Lauterbrunen takes about three hours (to some of the touristic villages up in the mountains it would take a little longer.

While the train/bus service runs everywhere, and very efficiently, I sometimes find it hard to insure I pick the right train. There are not a lot of employees around to help you, but usually a fellow passenger will help. For instance, a train may run from A to B to C to D, but they list only D on the signs, assuming you, wanting to go to C, know enough geography to realize that C is on the route to D. If you buy your tickets from a machine, you get no help. But at larger stations, like Zurich, you can buy at a counter; if you do, ask them to print a routing slip, which will tell you which track at each station to catch your train.

enzian

Wow---the spacebar went crazy in my post. I should have proofread!

As for finding the right trains---I like to print out the route and schedule in advance from the Swiss train website. You can see it in English at www.rail.ch

Put in your starting (Zürich) and ending (Wengen?) points, and a proposed time of day (using a 24-hour clock), and it will show you the schedule with all the train changes, and probably the exact track as well.

If you are buying tickets (rather than traveling with a pass) you can just show the ticket agent the route you prefer on the printout, and he or she will sell you the correct tickets for those trains.

From Zürich to Wengen, you have a choice of two routes---via Luzern, or via Bern. Each route usually involves 3 changes---at Bern or Luzern, Interlaken Ost, and Lauterbrunnen. The Luzern route is very scenic, but takes longer.

If you are flying in to Zürich you can go directly to Wengen without spending a night in Zürich if you start by mid-afternoon or so---the journey would take about 4 hours, or less if you go via Bern.

Palenque

IME you really do not need to know exact schedules of trains in Switzerland as they run at regular intervals at the exact same times after each hour - so you only need to know the pattern and how long it takes. The change of train at Interlaken-Ost is usually from one platform to an adjoining platform and at Lauterbrunnen the change of trains is the same - and necessitated by the Lauterbrunnen to Wengen train tracks being even narrower gauged than the Interlaken-Ost to Lauterbrunnen trains.

Palenque

actually the train travel time, changes included Zurich Flughafen (airport) to Wengen is just a few minutes over 3 hours - via Bern that is - and about an extra hour i'd say via Lucerne - but if not jet-lagged a few hour stop in Lucerne would be special - perhaps on the way back to Zurich, if not flying out the same day go via Lucerne - or Lucerne is a possible day trip from Wengen, say if there is rain or clouds in the high Alps and you want to go to a city where rain is not such a damper. BTW Swiss Pass is valid in full all the way airport to Wengen.

Mommcat

We also stayed two nights in Luzern and there is planty to do there.

We also stayed in Interlaken and took day trips on boat and train. It was nice to have a home base. We stayed there five nights.

Interlaken was less pricey that either Luzern or Zurich, so if you are planning full day trips it is nice to have a less expensive room, and the transportation connections were good.

Know that Jungofraujoch is 11,333 ++ feet high and you might really feel the effect. I did. The cylindrical water bottles we bought and drank most of up there were much smaller SQUARE containers when we looked at them back in Interlaken that evening!

simpsonc510

Heading to Zurich/Lucerne/Lausanne this evening from ORD on Swiss. I agree that Lucerne is a good base for day trips, but so is Interlaken! Tough choice. Tried to get DH to consider Interlaken this trip, but Lucerne it will be (again and again and again). We both love Lucerne. We find it very easy to navigate, and we've found some favorite dining options over the years. We seem to have become people (think old(er) folks...both 60ish) of habit in the last couple of years. There is comfort in already "knowing" the places and people.

Palenque

Mommcat makes a great point about the Interlaken area (including Grindelwaldand Lauterbrunnen but not pricier Wengen or Murren) having a whole lot more economical accomodations than Lucerne or IME practically anyplace in Switzerland - due i think to the sheer numbers of travelers coming here - of all budgets and especially the winter ski and summer hiking crowds, many of whom prefer ski dorms or the Nature Friends Houses or the many private hostels and even regular hotels with rates much cheaper than i've found elsewhere in Switzerland. so if budget is a concern Interlaken and its area can be a whole lot more affordable IME than say Lucerne or larger cities.

Palenque

Late September... off or in between season in the Interlaken area - and thus lots of inexpensive accommodations available - more available than in high seasons - if you want to wing it once you arrive at either Interlaken train station you have Accommodations Boards out front - with just about every hotel, guest house, hostel, etc. on it - giving descriptions of amenities, price, etc. and with a green or red light lit to indicate availability and a free phone with which to call. Always at that time of year lots of green lights and also some red lights lit but these IME are simply hotel owners taking their own holidays and shutting down because it is low season. There is a similar hotel board up in Grindelwald.

Palenque

And even for a seemingly limited itinerary in just 4 days by all means IMO check out the Swiss Railpass 4-consecutive-day version - covers practically everything that moves in Switzerland except conveyances to mountain tops, which it typically gives 50% off on - but covers boats, buses, city transports and 99% of trains. For lots on Swiss train travel and passes - www.swisstravelsystem.com - links to Swiss Federal Railways (www.sbb.ch) for schedules and fares to compare efficacy of a pass (which lets you jump on any train, bus, etc anytime) and also www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com - sources with lots of great info even if not going by rail.