Switzerland Itinerary help
Feb 13th, 2017, 07:34 AM
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Switzerland Itinerary help
Heading to Europe this July for 30 days, planned to spend Switzerland for 12 days.
St. Moritz - 3 days
Luzern - 4 days
Interlaken 4 days
Any suggestions to travel around above locations? I will be travelling from Innsbruck, Austria to Switzerland and then continue my journey to Strasbourg.
I would like to visit Caumasee, Wondering if someone has tips to get there? from Zurich or Luzern?
Fernando
St. Moritz - 3 days
Luzern - 4 days
Interlaken 4 days
Any suggestions to travel around above locations? I will be travelling from Innsbruck, Austria to Switzerland and then continue my journey to Strasbourg.
I would like to visit Caumasee, Wondering if someone has tips to get there? from Zurich or Luzern?
Fernando
Feb 13th, 2017, 07:44 AM
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St. Moritz - 3 days
Luzern - 4 days
Interlaken 4 days
What is best way to travel between above locations? I will be travelling from Innsbruck, Austria to Switzerland and then continue my journey to Strasbourg.
Let me know if you have any advice!
Luzern - 4 days
Interlaken 4 days
What is best way to travel between above locations? I will be travelling from Innsbruck, Austria to Switzerland and then continue my journey to Strasbourg.
Let me know if you have any advice!
Feb 13th, 2017, 07:56 AM
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Any suggestions to travel around above locations?>
Trains and gondolas are the only way around Alpine areas and are great between them too - for lots of info on Swiss transports and passes - a Swiss Pass may be great for you- check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com.
Swiss Passes are valid on boats too and rides on Lake Lucerne for one are great -spend the whole day getting on and off at neat sights like Mt Rigi.
Trains and gondolas are the only way around Alpine areas and are great between them too - for lots of info on Swiss transports and passes - a Swiss Pass may be great for you- check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com.
Swiss Passes are valid on boats too and rides on Lake Lucerne for one are great -spend the whole day getting on and off at neat sights like Mt Rigi.
Feb 13th, 2017, 10:20 AM
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"Trains and gondolas are the only way around Alpine areas"
Another mode of transportation that PalenQ must have momentarily forgotten about and that is great in Switzerland and goes where trains don't go is the "Postal Bus" system called "Postauto". They get into valleys and over mountain passes and around lakes that you'd otherwise not be able to reach. https://www.postauto.ch
I agree that St. Moritz is not the most desirable town to base yourselves. Some joke that it stands for "Mo Ritz" - more flash. Porsches in St. M. are like VWs in other towns, and Rolex rules. Get the idea?
Go to nearby Sils Maria or other lovely towns and villages in the area called Engadin, it's a great place.
The thing about Interlaken is this: Serves as a hub for excursions in the region, a practical town on the flat between two lakes, with train access and boats on both lakes. However, it's not really "in" the mountains, so you need to decide if you want to make a trip into the mountains every morning, or if you wish to wake up already somewhere up in the mountains - Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, etc.
Research the area, it is called Berner Oberland - see www.myswitzerland.com/en/bernese-oberland1.html
Another mode of transportation that PalenQ must have momentarily forgotten about and that is great in Switzerland and goes where trains don't go is the "Postal Bus" system called "Postauto". They get into valleys and over mountain passes and around lakes that you'd otherwise not be able to reach. https://www.postauto.ch
I agree that St. Moritz is not the most desirable town to base yourselves. Some joke that it stands for "Mo Ritz" - more flash. Porsches in St. M. are like VWs in other towns, and Rolex rules. Get the idea?
Go to nearby Sils Maria or other lovely towns and villages in the area called Engadin, it's a great place.
The thing about Interlaken is this: Serves as a hub for excursions in the region, a practical town on the flat between two lakes, with train access and boats on both lakes. However, it's not really "in" the mountains, so you need to decide if you want to make a trip into the mountains every morning, or if you wish to wake up already somewhere up in the mountains - Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, etc.
Research the area, it is called Berner Oberland - see www.myswitzerland.com/en/bernese-oberland1.html
Feb 13th, 2017, 11:23 AM
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Another mode of transportation that PalenQ must have momentarily forgotten about and that is great in Switzerland and goes where trains don't go is the "Postal Bus" system called "Postauto?
Right to - even though I wrote a thread on them (about them not whilst on them).
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...witzerland.cfm
Right to - even though I wrote a thread on them (about them not whilst on them).
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...witzerland.cfm
Feb 13th, 2017, 11:40 AM
#7
In terms of how to get there: you really need to use rail and you can buy tickets online at either the SwissRail site:
www.sbb.ch/en OR you could use the Austrian Rail site: https://www.oebb.at/en I personally prefer the Swiss site but that's subjective.
In terms of getting back and forth between locations, either rail or the Post Bus system.
I agree about Interlaken: great for what it is but "in the mountains" in terms of the stereotypical "in the mountains" like some of the other places which are, truly "up above" Interlaken is not.
If you go as far as Interlaken (and you are going to pretty much HAVE to go there by rail for the Berner Oberland you may as well go a bit further IMO.
www.sbb.ch/en OR you could use the Austrian Rail site: https://www.oebb.at/en I personally prefer the Swiss site but that's subjective.
In terms of getting back and forth between locations, either rail or the Post Bus system.
I agree about Interlaken: great for what it is but "in the mountains" in terms of the stereotypical "in the mountains" like some of the other places which are, truly "up above" Interlaken is not.
If you go as far as Interlaken (and you are going to pretty much HAVE to go there by rail for the Berner Oberland you may as well go a bit further IMO.
Feb 13th, 2017, 02:43 PM
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don't buy individual tickets online before looking at the Half-Fare Card or Swiss Flexi Pass +1/2 off Half-Fare Card-unless you are buying a few tickets and can get the rare discount no need to buy any tickets ahead of time -will be same price usually at station but again for three separate locations -especially ones far removed from the other like St Moritz and Lucerne, a Swiss Pass of some kind will be often a better deal and never need to buy tickets on regular trains - just flash the pass.
Post Bus is also covered by passes and is only useful for you in the St Moritz area -especially the awesome Maloja Pass bus from St Moritz-otherwise the Bernina Pass Railway leads to glaciers and the Switzerland of your dreams as well -fully covered by passes except for official Bernina Express guided tour type trains that demand a cheap supplement with a pass and a seat reservation; regular trains over same route -just hop on with a pass and get on and off at will.
Post Bus is also covered by passes and is only useful for you in the St Moritz area -especially the awesome Maloja Pass bus from St Moritz-otherwise the Bernina Pass Railway leads to glaciers and the Switzerland of your dreams as well -fully covered by passes except for official Bernina Express guided tour type trains that demand a cheap supplement with a pass and a seat reservation; regular trains over same route -just hop on with a pass and get on and off at will.
Feb 13th, 2017, 04:25 PM
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I must admit that I found St. Moritz completely unappealing. In contrast, I loved the area. With just 3 days – and I’m not seeing how you are accounting for travel time in your plan – I would think better options would be Pontresina, Sils, or Silvaplana.
Unless you have a particular reason for staying in Interlaken, you might want to consider going into the Bernese Oberland for your time in that area, perhaps to Wengen or Lauterbrunnen (depending on your specific goals).
For travel options – including Caumassee – consult the Swiss Rail site:
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch
I strongly recommend the Michelin Green Guide for Switzerland.
BTW, I used postal buses in various parts of Switzerland – it really depends on where, exactly, you want to go. These buses are covered by the same Swiss rail site I just linked in -- as are boats.
While I can certainly understand your desire to see all these places, I wonder if you will actually have time to see and experience what you want. Here's what I recommend: Get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times on the internet, and mark them on a calendar. Pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together.
Hope that helps!
Unless you have a particular reason for staying in Interlaken, you might want to consider going into the Bernese Oberland for your time in that area, perhaps to Wengen or Lauterbrunnen (depending on your specific goals).
For travel options – including Caumassee – consult the Swiss Rail site:
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch
I strongly recommend the Michelin Green Guide for Switzerland.
BTW, I used postal buses in various parts of Switzerland – it really depends on where, exactly, you want to go. These buses are covered by the same Swiss rail site I just linked in -- as are boats.
While I can certainly understand your desire to see all these places, I wonder if you will actually have time to see and experience what you want. Here's what I recommend: Get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times on the internet, and mark them on a calendar. Pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together.
Hope that helps!
Feb 14th, 2017, 07:24 AM
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No one has ever it seemed have had much nice to say about St. Moritz. It's not that it is not nice enough but glitzy modern -not what most are looking for - nearby Pontresina gets great reviews- more rural bucolic atmospshere.
Feb 14th, 2017, 04:33 PM
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"Glitzy modern" is not the description I would use for the part of St. Moritz I saw -- which was old and drab. But in honesty, I spent just long enough there to change from one form of transportation to another.
Feb 15th, 2017, 03:21 PM
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I agree that St. Moritz is not the most desirable town to base yourselves. Some joke that it stands for "Mo Ritz" - more flash. Porsches in St. M. are like VWs in other towns, and Rolex rules. Get the idea?>
this is what I meant by glitzy (from michel's post above)!
this is what I meant by glitzy (from michel's post above)!
Feb 15th, 2017, 04:30 PM
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While we're bashing St. Moritz and disagreeing on just what it looks like, I'm encouraging OP and anyone else to use Google Maps, click in the middle of town, and zoom in heavily then use Street View and "walk" around. It's like being there, except for the expense...
