aussie_10

After spending a few days in the Italian Lakes area in September, not sure where to stay yet .We had planned then to travel by train to Tirano, to pick up the Bernina Express and travel on to Chur in Switzerland. We are unsure what is the best travel options after arriving in Chur. Should we travel on to Zurich late that afternoon and stay the night. Our next destination the Bernese Oberland area maybe staying in Wengen, for about 4 nights.
We then want to travel into Germany and pick up a car, visiting the Black Forest area, crossing the border into Alsace and eventually dropping the car off in the Mosel area. Picking the car up in Germany I think will be cheaper than in Switzerland, hoping to avoid drop off fees.
Trying to piece the Switzerland travel together and would value some suggestions.

aussie_10

Oh I ment Berner Oberland, typo error. Sorry

PalenQ

Trying to piece the Switzerland travel together and would value some suggestions>

Well for the train part you are traveling enough to consider some kind of Swiss Pass that would cover the Bernina Express and all other trains you mention - valid in full in the Berner Oberland up to Wengen.

For lots of great info on Swiss trains and passes and other options like the Half-fare Card I always spotlight these IMO fantastic sites - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com. Passes are valid not only on trains but also lake boats (a ride on either lake bookending Interlaken to me is as great as anything else in the Berner Oberland!) and postal buses and city buses and trams and also gives free entry to 400+ Swiss museums.

aussie_10

Thanks for your suggestions PalenQ.
Should I add any nights to Interlaken? The boat trips, which lake would you suggest. Where to pick up the boat from.

I have had a quick look at the Swiss rail site, great site thanks for the suggestion. I will go back and investigate further.

My only concern with doing the Bernina Express is that we will be going a long way out of the way to get to our prioity destination of the the Berner Oberland region.
What do you think?

PalenQ

4 nights seems about right for most folks in the Berner Oberland and Interlaken is a great base from which to do day trips on days when not so unusiual funky weather can set in at any time of year in the Alps - easy day trips to say Lucerne, Bern or even a lake boat trip - weather down in Interlaken IME of visiting there many many times can often be nice even if the mountains are clouded in with rain.

I'll try to answer your other questions when I have more time and keep topping your thread - just putting 'ttt' in the reply box means topping your thread so that it reappears from the Fodor Black Hole so others who may want to comment will see it - a common practice for Fodors postings.

aussie_10

I was looking at staying in Wengen. What are your thoughts on this area. Would really like to stay in the beautiful hills. We like to walk.
Originally thought about Lauterbrunnen for better connections but Wengen does look nice.

pja1

Hi aussie_10,

Just wanted to comment on Wengen. On our 1 trip to Switzerland, our 4 nights in Wengen were by far the highlight of our trip, which included Zermatt (Matterhorn), Luzern, St. Moritz and Appenzell. The only trouble we had with staying in Wengen was we had to leave. Best memory... early evening we walked a while from Wengen to some benches overlooking the valley below and we had a circle of snow capped peaks surrounding us. Perfectly silent except for a few distant cowbells as we watched the sun set. It's magical.

aussie_10

Hi pja1

Thanks for your comment and recommendation for Wengen. I travelled to Switzerland on a camping tour many years ago when I was 19 staying in Lauterbrunnen. I have always wanted to go back and spend more time and soak up the atmosphere.

Can't wait

PalenQ

Wengen is very different from Lauterbrunnen - for one thing it is in the hills - Lauterbrunnen in a deep valley - Wengen is churchmouse quiet at night - Lauterbrunnen hops because there are lots of younger 20s types there - in part because of the Contiki camp you may have stayed in years ago.

Grindelwald is my favorite base actually up in the hills - to me has the best views as it sits in the middle of a large amphitheater with verdant meadows rising up on all sides to greet glacier-girdled peaks and cliffs thousands feet high.

Grindelwald too attracts an all-ages crowd and is often lively at night.

So Wengen for quiet but if into night life at all check out the other two - or even Interlaken for the matter - Interlaken is my favorite base for the whole area and is a town much maligned by folks who only see its tacky main drag - yet the Unterseen or Matten sections are incredibly quaint and have neat guest houses and hotels with awesome views of the Jungfrau Massif from their balconies.

Mimar

To answer your question about the BO lakes, Interlaken is between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. The boats leave from the train stations or across the street from the train stations. Interlaken West station for Lake Thun, Interlaken Ost for Lake Brienz. (The trains up into the mountains, to Lauterbrunnen and Wengen, etc, leave from Interlaken Ost.)

Near Brienz town is the Swiss Open air museum, with examples of houses from the different cantons and demonstrations of trades like cheese-making. The bus to the park/museum meets the boat in Brienz town.

If you have to pick just one, Lake Thun is more inhabited. We espcially liked the cute town of Spiez. Lake Brienz is wilder and easier to get to from Wengen.

aussie_10

Yes PalenQ I probably stayed at the Contiki camp!

Hmmm Grindelwald as a base. I must admit I thought it would be too far to get around? Although it does look beautiful, I have been googling it since your suggestion. I have not decided on our base, but know I would prefer up around the hills area rather than Interlaken. Wengen seems to crop a lot in threads. Thats why I looked at it initially.

But I am more than open to lots more suggestions as to where to stay.

Mimar thank you for your suggestions for the lakes. Great information I will investigate further. Have you been to the Swiss Open Air Museum? Sounds interesting.

swandav2000

Just to add a correction to PalQ's note about Interlaken --

Interlaken is also maligned by those who have seen more than its tacky main drag -- folks such as myself. I've spent more than one afternoon getting lost in its backstreets and small squares and crossing back and forth on the bridges along the river, and I still would never stay there. It's simply too far from the mountains, it's too crowded (particularly in summertime), and it has no charm imo.

s

Mimar

Yes, we went to the Ballenberg Open Air/FreiLicht museum and found it quite interesting, a mini Switzerland. Depends on whether you like that kind of stuff. Here's a link: www.ballenberg.ch

PalenQ

and it has no charm imo.>

no charm - none - are you sure you really got off the main drag - if you did you could not say that! Have you been to Unterseen - have you looked as tower's pictures of Interlaken and Unterseen - have you been to Matten - if so how can you not call those sections charming?

I'm not sure what you would call charming then!

But each to their own in terms of what they call charming!

PalenQ

tower on Feb 4, 13
these are just some selected pics to give you some ideas. I try to make up with editing what I don't have as a photographer! Stu

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...rOberland2009#

swandav2000 - look at the pictures and tell me how can you say Interlaken has NO charm?

swandav2000

PalQ

I looked at the pictures (pretty much as I remember it).

Relative to Knoxville or Tampa, Interlaken has charm.

Relative to Wengen or Mürren, Interlaken has no charm.

s

pja1

Hi,

I have to agree with swandav2000... Comparing Interlaken to Wengen is apples and oranges. My opinion, I'd go with Wengen (or "in" the mountains)every time. I couldn't imagine having the opportunity to be so close to "Heaven" and settling in a city.

aussie_10

Thank you for your replies.
I have done lots more reading and researching and have decided that we will stay "in the mountains". Still tossing up between Wengen, Murren or even Lauterbrunnen. But do like the idea of looking down into the valley rather than looking up.

Still thinking of overnighting (or 2) in Lucerne after our Bernina Express trip,before travelling on to "the Mountains". It seems like a better option than Zurich.

PalenQ

If staying in Lucerne you can then take the Brunig Pass scenic rail route over the Brunig Pass to Interlaken-Ost (East) - jumpiong off point for trains to Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen-Wengen and the cable car/gtrain combo from Lauterbrunnen to Murren (Murren is more isolated time-wise by public transit than Wengen or Lauterbrunnen - Swiss Passes cover 100% of the route to Murren in spite of it involving an aerial cableway - normally only covered 50% but in this case since the cable way is an essential part of getting to a real town (not just a mountain top) it is covered 100% - one of the few such thrilling aerial cable ways to ber 100% covered - another is the one from Gimmelwald down to Stechelberg in the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

IME Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen are for younger folks - hikers, skiiers, etc who want a little apres-ski or apres-hiking and Wengen or Murren are for older folks who desire quiet and tranquility over night life.

If basing in Wengen or Murren the Swiss Pass becomes more valuable if doing day trips since it covers passage there in full.

In any case you cannot go wrong with your choice.

aussie_10

Thanks PalenQ, for your excellent advice.
I am leaning towards Wengen, I value your first hand knowledge. Any recommendations for accommodation in Wengen?

We will definitely get the Swiss Pass, 1st or 2nd class? And I will also look into the Brunig Pass route, as well.