Switzerland itinerary
 

I've gotten many good tips from these posts over the past few months but this is my first post: my husband and I are traveling to Switzerland, flying into Zurich. We already have air tickets and this initial land itinerary: 9/02 Arrive Zurich; 9/03 Zurich. 9/04 train to Lucerne & overnight; 9/05 train to Interlaken with final destination Murren; 9/06 to 9/08 Murren to see Jungfrajoch, Schilthorn, the falls & lakes, etc. 9/09 Train to Bellagio. 9/10 - 9/13 Bellagio. 9/14 train to Milan from where we fly back to US on 9/16. My questions: need recommendations for lodgings in Zurich & Murren? Which train is best to get from Zurich to Lucerne and then to Interlaken? I've read so many different choices, my head is spinning. Also, what's the difference or which is best, rail pass, again, there are so many. We really only need a 2 country, but haven't seen anything less than 3 countries. This is very important: Should we stay one more day in the BO or stick to the itinerary we have with the extra day in Italy? Thank you in advance for any suggesions and advice.

Lourdes

Well, to start off you need access to a decent railroad itinerary since there is no rail service DIRECTLY to Bellagio...perhaps you already know this but the nearest rail station is across the lake in Varenna which means routing yourself through Milan and then taking the ferry to Varenna. You'll want to check those ferry schedules to see how they coincide with your return to Milan. The distance from the RR station in Varenna to the ferry dock is about a 10-15 minute walk downhill; taxis meet every train but they do NOT meet every ferry but the ferry office will call one for you if you don't want to walk back UP the hill to the train station in Varenna. Give yourself enough time between the time the ferry from Bellagio lands to make your departing train.
Someone will probably give you the like for the GermanRail on-line timetable which is one of the most comprehensive; you can check the train times for the rail service Zurich-Lucerne (those trains usually run about every hour out of Zurich); Lucerne to Interlaken is pretty frequent also..make sure you go to the right Interlaken station (East, not West) to change for your further trains up the mountains.
Enjoy your trip.

Oops, sorry..I mean't taking a ferry FROM Varenna over to Bellagio.

Hello Lourdes,

I think you'll have a great time with this plan. I do have one suggestion though.

First, I suggest you stay in Luzern for three nights instead of Zurich -2 & Luzern-1. While Zurich is an interesting city, it's still a city! Luzern has more to offer a visiter, I think. It's smaller, more picturesque, and the setting among lakes and mountains is stunning. In Luzern, you can walk along the lakeside promenade; you can explore the old town with its many squares, fountains, bridges, and buildings; you can take a ferry ride on the lake; and you can visit the lakeside villages of Weggis, Brunnen, and Vitznau.

In addition, Luzern only about an hour from Zurich airport by train (catch the train in the airport's basement), so it's a very easy haul even after a long flight. If you want to learn more about Luzern, go to www.luzern.org.

Transportation from Muerren to Bellagio will be a very long and trying day. Just to get from Muerren to Como will take approx. 6.40 hours (with six changes), 6.46 hours (with four changes), or 7.28 hours (with four changes) -- depending on the time you go. I don't have any specific alternatives to offer you (maybe others will), but just be prepared for the problems of carrying cases and making changes and sitting for long hours.

As for the pass question, I've rarely found any passes to be cost-effective. Some travellers find them to be worthwhile for the convenience and flexibility they offer, but I'm not one of them. I find the Swiss half-fare card (99 chf) to be the best value -- you pay half fare for all your in-country train trips.

For rail schedules and pass information, go to www.rail.ch (though it seems to be down at the moment). To find the cheapest pass, go to www.railsaver.com.

For lodging recommendations, please let us know what kind of place you want -- cheap, luxe, or medium; views, service, convenience, or amenities -- etc. I've never stayed in Muerren (usually opt for Grindelwald or Wengen), and when I visit Zurich I stay in the suburbs.

Let me know if I can help further.

s

Hi again,

ok, I'm bored.

I plugged the itinerary Zurich-Luzern-Murren-Bellagio into the railsaver calculator, and they calculated a total cost of train tickets at approx. $146 per person (Zurich-Luzern at $13; Luzern-Murren at $32; Murren-Bellagio at $92; Bellagio-Milan at $9). They recommned no pass.

Of course, if you'll be taking a lot of local train or bus trips as you explore each area, you may want to get a regional pass -- the William Tell pass for Luzern and either the Jungfrau Pass or the Berner Oberland Pass for the Murren area. Lots has been written about these passes here -- do a text search. Again, I don't find them cost-effective. If you can, sketch out a sampling of your day-trips and then price them out at rail.ch.

I know this is confusing, but sometimes planning and researching adds to the fun!

Let me know if I can help again . . .

s

Oh boy! 6 to 7 hours on multiple trains from Murren to Bellagio!! No, I didn't know the trip would be so long!! Is is possible to fly to Milan without returning to Zurich or diverting to Geneva? Then all we'd need to do is take the train to Varenna & ferry to Bellagio... Any local airports? As far as the type of lodging we prefer, we usually stay at 3-4 star hotels. Additionally, in Murren & Lucerne we'd like a direct view to the mountains. Are there any advantages to staying in Wengen or Grindelwald over Murren? Please advise.
Thank you.

Lourdes

Hello Again,

Well, the nearest airport to Muerren is at Bern (www.alpar.ch), but I couldn't find any flights to Milan. I'm not sure you'll have any success with that plan --

As for advantages to staying in Grindelwald or Wengen -- they're a little more convenient (fewer transfers) than Muerren if you plan to take excursions off/around the mountains. Grindelwald is not as charming because it's larger, and it allows cars. Wengen, to me, is a good compromise: car-free, more remote than Grindelwald but not as remote as Muerren. I've stayed at the Alpenrose (www.alpenrose.ch), a three star with great views. I didn't give it a great review at the rants and raves here because the atmosphere was a bit *too* motherly for my taste. But then I'm a bit unusual . . . I've always wanted to stay at the four-star Regina in Wengen too (not to be confused with the five-star Regina in Grindelwald). In Grindelwald, I've stayed at the four-star Schweizerhof three times -- it's very convenient for skiing.

In Luzern, I've stayed at the four-star Des Balances hotel, but it only offers a river view, not the stunning lakes and mountains view that'll knock your socks off. You can see the mountains, but only over the rooftops of the buildings opposite. I think the best views go to the five-star hotels ringing the lake. There may be one or two four-star hotels a little ways above the town, like the Montana. I have found two four-star hotels on the lake, but they're some distance from the train station and the main part of town. One is the Hotel Seeburg (www.hotelseeburg.ch), and the other is the Seehotel Pilatus (www.pilatushotel.ch). I don't have any first-hand reviews of them though.

A further option would be to stay in one of the villages on the lake, about 15 or 20 minutes from Luzern. You can get more (more hotel, more view!) for your money. I stayed at the Hotel Alpina in Weggis and liked it a lot; in fact, the manager gave me a cd of piano music when I left!

Let us know if you have further questions.

s

Hello S & JonJon: Thanks so much for all your help and research. S, I will definitely check out those hotels ASAP - gotta get busy!

Thanks again,
Lourdes

One simple solution is to visit Luzern after M&uuml;rren, that way the train journey is a <i>little</i> more convenient. Also consider just taking the train to Locarno and bus to Menaggio and then ferry to Bellagio, or train to Como from Luzern and ferry.

In Luzern the Montana is a good choice if you get rooms looking out over the lake - we did and had gorgeous views on waking, going to sleep etc. View from the dining room are also incredibleso it makes breakfast fun. But if you get stuck with rooms facing the other way there is really no view at all. Our trip was May so there were many rooms empty and we had a choice at reasonalbe rates. I don;t know about September.

Hi, Lourdes. Did you ever consider Lake Lugano instead of Como? That would keep you w/in the Swiss transport system (if you're considering a Swiss Pass), and it's a lake with several lovely lake towns and plenty of Italianate atmosphere. The above suggestion of Murren first and then Lucerne would make the trip to Lugano a snap. And connections to the airport at Milan should be easy, as well. Just a thought. J.

I would not miss Bern.. day trip is enough. Beautiful city..

Zungus:

I checked out Bern. Sounds like a nice town to visit. Have added it as a day trip from Murren. Thanks.