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Old Jun 22nd, 2018, 07:38 AM
  #81  
 
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Sounds great if could get hotel in Montreux - Jazz Festival must make the place especially alive. Did you get hotel in Montreux?
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Old Jun 22nd, 2018, 12:11 PM
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Yes got the hotel in Montreux. Palenq we’ve decided to the get the 8 day pass. We land in Zurich at 8 am and take train to Lucerne . Can you pls suggest how to make the most of the pass with staying in Lucerne , Wengen and Montreux
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Old Jun 22nd, 2018, 12:36 PM
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How many days in each place?

I'd take lake boats in Lucerne up to Fluelen at tip of lake and take train back to Lucerne or do a boat to Vitznau and train to Mt Rigi's summit.

Lake boats in Montreux say over to Evian-les-Bains France for famous mineral water spa and casino - take train to Gruyeres and Broc Chocolate Factory

Wengen - again that loop to Murren/Schilthorn/Gimmelwald/Murren/Wengen - if weather funky take train down to Interlaken and do boat ride on either of two lakes bookending Interlaken - they have covered places if rainy and may be finer down below than Wengen.

Hard to tell unless know how many days in each but don't worry about getting 'most' out of pass but doing what you want and pass will be a good deal if using trains or boats or whatever daily as you seem to be doing.

and take GoldenPass scenic train Lucerne to Interlaken-Ost too - no exra fee with pass but may want to reserve seats in Panoramic cars - can do that in Lucerne.

In Lucerne at Lion's Monument - major site -use pass for free entry. Chateau Chillon too I believe near Montreux - Lord Byron's castle on Lake Geneva. Can walk, bus or take boats there from Montreux.
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Old Jun 22nd, 2018, 01:09 PM
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Days

palenq will be there 3 days each in the places mentioned
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Old Jun 22nd, 2018, 03:22 PM
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OK - But my subjective take - others will have other takes:

Lucerne 3 days - first day just relax after flight and stroll around city

Then 2 day trips by boat or say to Bern, one of Switzerland's swellest cities - boat trips again to Rigi maybe one day and Engelberg and Mt Titlis another -Swiss Passhas been fully valid on them but believe that mauy have changed back to 50% not sure - check Swiss Travel Pass map that comes with your pass to see - either way 50% off those mountain trains is still good chunk of change.

Wengen - Again subjective
1- The Murren Loop described above including the long long gondola ride to The Schilthorn, an icy outpost in middle of nowhere - James Bond's On Her Royal Majesty's Secret Service in the famous revolving restaurant/main building while it was under construction.There are also ice grottos to walk thru but the awesome sense on standing on the observation platform surrounded by icy scapes is unique. (Do reseach on all places mentioned if not familiar with.)

2- Jungfraujoch Train to Europe's highest train station surrounded by snow and ice and glaciers -one of which you can easily walk too. Get this train right from Wengen - it's only 25% off with pass but that's still a bundle - this is the most popular excursion in Jungfrau Region and rather crowded up top but still lots to do. But, you can easily mix in a few easy hikes and save some train fare - like taking the gondola from Wengen to The Mannlichen - raved viewpoint for mountains all around and over Interlaken wedged between its two lakes far below -kind of like lookng at a relief map! Then do the famous Ridge Walk - an easy slightly descending footpath that goes a few miles to Kl Scheidegg where you can hop the Jungfraujoch train which you can take right back from the Jungfraujoch summit station right to Wengen, changing at Kl Scheidegg.

3- Take train via Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken-Ost and right behind station hop boats to tour Lake Brienz - get off first at Geissbach Falls and take antique funicular up to a better better view of them. Re-board boat and go to Brienz, famed for its wood cutings on houses - take train to Meiringen and take bus or walk to Reichenbach Falls - take funicular up to viewing platform where lengendary Prof Moriarity tangled with arch foe Sherlock Holmes with the evil Prof supposedly falling to his death. Meirngen is a plesant regional town known as home of meringue, named after it. Take train back to Interlaken-Ost and train from there to Wengen. There are boat cruises on Lake Thun too that could be nice with several cool places to get off boat. But a lake tour to me is great - see the high Alps from a distance and relax on board.

Montreux
1- Take Golden Pass train Interlaken-Ost (train from Wengen via Lauterbrunnen)
2- Train to Gruyeres, fine fine ancient walled town with castle and then to the nearby Broc Chocolate Factory nearby if interested in doing a Willy Wonkaesque tour there.
3- Take boat on Lake Geneva -to places like Lausanne,Nion, Evian-les-Bains, France or for a long cruise to Geneva.-

Well that would be getting a lot from your pass but there are obviously myriads of options.
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Old Jun 22nd, 2018, 07:35 PM
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Thank you palenq. You seem to have travelled quite a bit
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Old Jun 23rd, 2018, 06:36 AM
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Thanks - Have a good trip!
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Old Jun 24th, 2018, 06:39 AM
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OK I tally, Wengen............I don't think the Swiss Rail pass covered the Mannlichen, but ask at your hotel as I think the hotels have a pass that gives a discount, and they pick up at train if you call them.
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Old Jun 25th, 2018, 11:53 AM
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Swiss Travel Pass gives 50% off gondolas to The Mannlichen as on nearly all such lifts - only ones covered 100% are ones like Lauterbrunnen-Grutschalp-Murren and Murren/Gimmelwald-Stechleberg because the rule seems to be that if a conveyance links two actual inhabited places and not just mountain tops it's fully covered - so use Swiss Travel Pass for 50% off unless hotel has better discount.
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Old Jun 26th, 2018, 07:39 AM
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Palenq - Wengen-Lauterbrunnen-Murren-Schilthorn-Gimmelwald-Stechelberg-Lauterbrunnen-Wengen loop - how many hours for this loop and what time do you we need to start to make it back to Wengen in time ?
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Old Jun 27th, 2018, 04:53 AM
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I tally please do a little note back to this site, tittle "our trip to Wengen" or something like that, I am curious how you will like the itinerary. Have a great trip.
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Old Jun 27th, 2018, 10:28 AM
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Sure Sue pls can you help me understand the loop that Palenq had suggested ?
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Old Jun 27th, 2018, 04:00 PM
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OK- I'll try - take train down to Lauterbrunnen from Wengen
At Lauterbrunnen train station hop cable car up cliff to Grutschalp where you catch train to Murren
Waltz thru Murren to cable car station to ride one of Alp's longest cables to The Schilthorn - as described before above and various images of it here: https://www.google.com/search?q=schi...iw=659&bih=706

And back thru Murren to Gimmelwald
small farming hamlet in totally awesome setting

https://www.google.com/search?q=gimm...h=706&dpr=1.25

Take cable way down to Stechelberg in Lauterbrunnen Valley - one of most thrilling cable car rides anywhere as it seems to plunge down to the valley far below - Nervous Nellies stay in middle away from window views.

Take postal bus back to Lauterbrunnen - stop at Trummelbach Falls just before Lauterbrunnen - unique water cascade inside a mountain - catwalks let you see it up close - rain gear provided: https://www.google.com/search?q=trum...iw=659&bih=706

Bus or walk back to Lauterbrunnen and train to Wengen.

The whole trip is dramatically scenic and at Schilthorn you have ice grottos to walk thru and again viewing terrace and revolving restaurant with views literally seeming to be in the middle of nowhere.

Stechelberg-Lauterbrunnen is a sweet flat few-mile walk on paths following a bubbling creek.



The
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Old Jun 28th, 2018, 07:23 AM
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Just got to Wengen and loving it .
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Old Jun 28th, 2018, 07:57 AM
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How's the weather - lucky if clear and the Jungfrau Massif is out in its majesty - do you have a good view from your hotel room - balcony?

Cheers and do report back on a separate trip report if inclined as it benefits others to know current experiences.
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Old Jun 28th, 2018, 01:02 PM
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Wengen

Got into Wengen in evening . Weather was clear , took the golden pass . Went out for dinner to Lauterbrunnen. Staying at hotel Belvedere
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Old Jun 28th, 2018, 02:01 PM
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Sidewalks rolled up by now?
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Old Jun 29th, 2018, 06:01 AM
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Wow, sure wish I was back there, one of prettiest places that I have even seen. Want to go back. Enjoy.
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Old Jun 29th, 2018, 08:46 AM
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Itally2011 - keep us posted what you do - like today - where did you go, etc. It's fun to read about.
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Old Jun 29th, 2018, 11:16 AM
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Whereabouts


Went up to Jungfraujoch today and back down to Wengen my son played around in a playground and now eating dinner at pasta and more .

tomorrow plan on doing the loop you suggested . There seem to be some good parks on those trails you’ve suggested .

Already upset that we are leaving here dayafter .

my sons bday tomorrow in Wengen .
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