Another question we're considering is the worthwhileness of going to Zermatt.>

Well Zermatt is much more than the Matterhorn but that is the key draw - I have day tripped there from the BO but would prefer a few-day stay - great hiking for all types of abilities and yes one of the world's most famous mountain peak visages.

I think in the BO you can serendipitiously find hotels, especially in Interlaken - August is busy but not peak season, which is winter and there are so so many hotels - I have arranged upon arrival hotels there in summer several times.

At both Interlaken train stations there is a hotel board with all hotels and accommodations listed with a green or red light by them to indicate availability and a free phone with which to call them.

I've seen these hotel boards in many Swiss train stations. And the local tourist office also can always help.

Yet special events like the Jungfrau Marathon can always throw you for a loop - did me one early September when I waltzed into Interlaken expecting to easily book a hotel but nearly all were full - the tourist office did finally get me one but check on special events in areas you want to be flexible in.

Hi PalenQ and Neckervd, we really appreciate the valuable info you gave. We're really interested in that Three Passes Postal bus. As mentioned above, we're planning to stay over in Meiringen before heading to a several day stay in Lauterbrunnen.

The info about Zermatt will play into our decision. If we choose to go, it will be for two nights. It sounds like it is a charming village, Matterhorn or no.

Our question about the school holidays was in relation to how flexible we can be in finding accommodations without reservations in certain areas. It sounds like families may still be taking holidays at this time.

We'll, no doubt, have more questions as we proceed in our planning, especially on the decision to purchase some kind of Swiss Pass. We'll begin a new thread for the remainder of our questions. Thanks again so much!

tomarkot - thank you!

You never know what to expect on any bus ride and the one I took over the Grimsel Pass - out of Meiringen was one of the weirdest bus rides I have ever taken.

Waiting to board at Meiringen's bus station was a group of young 15-16 year old Orthodox Jewish kids from NYC - not your typical studying in Switzerland prep school types but all were outside smoking cigarettes and acting well like bored teens.

The conversations on the bus between their leaders - all dressed up in Orthodox garb with long beards was rather shocking - one cuss word after the other and challenging the bosses - belittling them in ways.

But the most extraordinary thing was at the top of the Grimsel Pass summit one kid who had his bike with him, stowed away in the bus bag storage under the floor - he got off and cycled at full tilt speed down this twisting narrow two-lane road. He nearby beat us to the first train station we came to.

Well kind of a bus ride from Hell but one that lingers in my mind forever so far.

I clearly have more traveling to do. It's tough keeping up with you guys and your adventures!

Wow, PalenQ, that was quite an experience!!! Not quite the type of excitement one wants to have on a bus ride. I think we'll definitely go for the "Three Passes" postal bus. Speaking of passes, when we get our itinerary nailed down, which is slowly coming together, we'll count our number of days in the mts. of Switzerland and see if a pass would be worthwhile for us. Right now, it's looking like almost two weeks. Thanks again for your info!

Our flight home is through Paris, a definite choice. We've been to Paris several times and love it. We'll spend three nights there, and though it comes at the end of our trip, it's the first hotel we booked. September seems to be quite busy there.

THE PALM EXPRESS

is an awesome bus ride that starting from Lugano first goes over to Lake Como and follows its western shore, stopping for about a half-hour in lakeside Mennagio (Italy) then follows the lake to its northern tip before starting its ascent towards St. Moritz.

The best part of the bus ride comes when it negotiates the Maloja Pass with a series of harrowing hairpin tours, twisting up to the summit - in an area of lush verdant forests and meadows - finishing its trek at the St. Mortiz train station.

Swiss Passes are valid on the bus but you must make a seat reservation fee - I did this at the Lugano strain station - assume you could do it as well at St Moritz train station if going the other way or via the contact info gives on the Swiss Postal Bus site I gave to start this thread.

Ah yeh the Palm Express - one of the sweetest bus rides in all of Switzerland (and Italy!)

PalenQ, another wonderful. . .and tempting. . . suggestion. We've been toying around with dipping down into the lake region. Have great memories of the beauty (and nice weather) from a previous trip. We're thinking about having Plan B escapes if the weather in the highter mtns. isn't good. But this Palm Express is sounds like a great idea, weather notwithstanding. Thanks again for your input.

thanks again tom!

THE BERNINA EXPRESS BUS

Another bus linking the Bernina Pass Rail line with Lugano is the Bernina Express bus (not a postal bus I think) - it is timed to leave Tirano, southernmost terminus of the Bernina Pass Railway in conjunction with the arrival of the official Bernina Express train in Tirano.

This is not one of the dramatically scenic Swiss bus rides but a utilitarian link between Tirano and Lugano - or places like Menaggio on Lake Como, where the bus also stops.

From Tirano the bus tracks down a nice enough mountain valley but the scenery is not nearly as dramatic as the Maloja Pass bus to Lugano. But as a utilitarian link to Menaggio (on Lake Como) and Lugano it is the quickest way to do that.

Reservations are required - Swiss Passes valid but a supplement is required of about 15 Swiss francs I think.

http://rhb.ch/Bernina-Express-Bus.2189.0.html?&L=4

Note also from Tirano, Italy, southern terminus of the Bernina Pass Railway, trains also run, duplicating the Bernina Express Bus route much of the way thru Italy but then split off, going down to Lake Como via a different route - the station in Varenna-Esino is a jumping off point for Lake Como - boats to Bellagio and Como and other lakeside gems.

So to some this will be a better onward option from Tirano than the Bernina Express bus - for those going to Italy.

Not as dramatic as an Alpine bus, but one of the prettiest bus rides I've been on is the bus 71 from Liestal to Reigoldswil outside Basel. It takes you past picture postcard farms and villages that are well off the tourist radar and the descent into Reigoldswil is absolutely lovely.
http://www.aagl.ch/fileadmin/redacte...hnhof_71_2.pdf
In Reigoldswil, you can catch a gondola to one of the highest points in the region, seeing waterfalls and the countryside, then ride or hike back down (other activities as well). In the winter, if there's snow, you can also sled (sledge) down.
http://www.wasserfallenbahn.ch/de/an...n/wanderungen/

Weisser - Thanks for that info on Basel area buses - this is one area of Switzerland I have yet to explore except for Basel itself, again one of Switzetrland's vastly underrated cities IMO.

NEXT UP BUS OVER THE SAN BERNARDINO PASS - From Bellinzona to Thusis (a stop on the Glacier Express rail route - one of the lesser known bus rides but really sweet!

http://www.postbus.ch/pag-startseite...bot-detail.htm

From the official Swiss Postbus Site - The San Bernardino Pass bus line.

the San Bernardino bus trek takes you between Bellinzona and Thusis, a stop of the Glacier Express rail line - with direct trains to Chur, to pick up mainline trains to Zurich or onto Austria - soit can be a utilitarian and sweet option say going between Lugano/Bellinzona and Zurich or Austria/Geramny.

and though you do not see dramatic top of the world scenes like on say the Simplon Postal Bus line it nevertheless is thrilling in its own way - especially at the place the bus detours off the main road and takes an old road that hugs a cliff at points - does this to give riders more thrills.

a sweet sweet bus ride IMO.

It might be easier to remain in the San Bernardino bus up to Chur instead of changing to a Chur bound train at Thusis.

You may go on from Chur with other Post Buses, may be to Lenzerheide - Davos - Fluela Pass - Zernez - Ofen Pass - Mustair - South Tyrol.

Thusis–Splügen–S. Bernardino (Splügen–San Bernardino Route)

The Thusis-Splügen–S. Bernardino (Splügen–San Bernardino Route) leads from Thusis via Splügen and via San Bernardino to Bellinzona. Experience the untamed Via Mala Gorge, the mountains around San Bernardino Pass and the Misox Valley.

The San Bernardino bus I thought, according to the postbus official site ends in Thusis - you are saying the same bus goes onto Chur and v.v.?

Personally anytime I had to chose between a bus and a train I'd take the train - if they duplicate routes - but if the same bus keeps going then I can see the utilitarian reason for doing that.

You may have a look at the timetable
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadm...014/90.171.pdf

thans neckrvd - the official site seemed to indicate the Splugen/Ban Bernardino bus ended at Thusis - are all those buses the same - if there a special bus aimed at tourists like the Bernina Experss official train vs local trains?

I remember the bus I took made a special detour to squeeze thru a narrow tunnel on a minor road - the old road I believe rather than going thru a new longer tunnel and the bus paused for folks to have photo ops and visual ops - are all buses in the schedule the same - I presume so but not 100% sure.

NEXT UP - THE GRINDELWALD BUS (Not a postal bus!) offering a thrilling bus trek from Grindelwald to Grosse Scheidegg, on the eastern flank of the Grindelwald amphiteahter - with Kleine (small) Scheidegg on the western tip - the bus ride can tie in with a hike down to Meiringen - or doing part of that by bus as well - via Reichenbach Falls, where Sherlock Holmes tangled with Prof Moriarity, with the bad professor seemingly falling to his death after bein pushed into the turbulent waters.

http://translate.google.com/translat...%26es_sm%3D122

There are
fast buses Bellinzona - Chur,
slower buses Bellinzona - Thusis with more intermediate stops,
very slow local buses Bellinzona - San Bernardino and Hinterrhein Thusis,
as well as
slow buses via San Bernardino Pass (in summer only).

Some drivers stop at some idyllic places if they are too early. The official journey time according to the timetable is rather a bit too long in order to avoid delays in case of heavy traffic or extremely bad weather conditions.

Some drivers stop at some idyllic places if they are too early.>

And or if they need a cigarette break IME on several buses drivers always seem to light up practically before the bus stops!

TH4E GRINDELWALD BUS - offers a handful of different excursions in the Grindelwald area - and is I believe the only form of public transportation on roads above Grindelwald - well roads - really they are tiny lanes the smallish buses tortuously negotiate.

There are several neat options with the bus - foremost IME is to take it all the way over the Grosse Scheidegg down to Meiringen, stopping en route at say Reichenbach Falls or other places.

To me the valley going down from Grosse Sheidegg to Reichenbach Falls is as gorgeous as any valley in Switzerland - I actually hiked it all the way from Grindelwald to Meiringen - in my younger days and did not actually take the bus though did the same course.

From Meiringen you can take a train to Interlaken-Ost for trains back to Grindelwald or your Jungfrau base or take a train to Brienz and take a lake boat back to Interlaken-Ost - a long day but a great great day out - the Grindelwald Bus to Meringen, boat or train to Interlaken, etc.

More on the various options later - such as getting off en route to Gr Scheidegg and hiking to First and then the awesome trail to Bachalpsee and back to Grindelwald from that area either by foot or cable way from First.

Again the Grindelwald Bus is not a postal bus and thus Swiss Passes, Swiss Cards, etc are not valid on it I believe.

You may also hike from Bachalpsee via Fernandes Hut to Bussalp and board there a Grindelwald Bus (perfect round trip without backtracking to First)

thanks neckervd for the excellent suggestion! Those hikes are simply marvelous - not too many other hikers like on some areas so you can get the feeling of isolation in such a gorgeous area - good for the mind as well as body.

Someone mentioned Leukerbad on another thread and reminded me of another neat postal bus ride - from the Leuk train station up to Leukerbad.

I remember this one especially well because of the telepathetic Banana Incident! Details to follow!

Hr

the Banana Story

Postal buses are usually memorable for their startling scenic and often scary rides but the bus from Leuk SBB Bahnhof to Leukerbad was different.

When I boarded there was a group next to me on the very back seat that was passing a banana around - well not a real banana but a plastic clone of one - with the story told by the gal who was its master that she took it on all her trips - it was her good luck charm and passed it around several times during the rather short trip to Leukerbad. That banana indeed had visited so many countries that it had its own passport probably!

OK - not that much but I found out that the gal was from a small town very close to mine in Michigan, rather weird in itself, but just the day before I seen the name of that town in Meringen's tiny English chapel - a church in Meiringen, once a British watering hole (Sherlock Holmes tangled with arch enemy Prof Moriarity on the nearby Reichenbah Falls - with the evil Prof presumably falling to his death in the torrid waters).

And in this tiny chapel indeed did have a Sherlock Holmes Museum and there were some letters written to Sherlock Holmes - one with a return address from that very tiny burg in Northern Michigan - same as the Banana Lady was from!

OK coincidence but NEXT...

After looking around Leukerbad (taking a day trip there from Interlaken just to case it out) I got on a down to Leuk SBB BHhf bus and sitting in the EXACT same back row seat as the women who had the fake plastic banana and who was going on so much about it - was a young gal eating a.....

BANANA - a real banana!

Now that is not coincidence but surely telepathetic!

anyway as a bus ride goes the one from Leuk SBB Bfh to Leukerbad is so-so - take it only to access an amazing Alpine resort not for any thrilling bus ride. And a fairly short ride to boot. Don't go out of your way for the bus ride but yes to get to Leukerbad, a place sadly off many tourists' radars for some reason.

https://www.google.com/search?q=imag...=1600&bih=1075

Ah those iconic yellow Swiss Postal Buses!

Incredible, and what memories.

Do they run in winter on the same schedule?

Winters many of the ones going over high passes do not run because those passes are often blocked by snow - ones actually linking larger cities like Leukerbad to train lines do run regularly so it depends. Check the official Postal Bus web site given somewhere above.

Some pictures of a almost unknown short Swiss Post Bus line as there exist dozens of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve7_nL3qYns

BTW: the following alpine post bus lines are open all the year round:
Gstaad - Col du Pillon - Les Diablerets
Val d'Hérens
Val d'Anniviers
Saas Fee - Brig - Simplon - Italy
Bellinzona - San Bernardino - Chur
Chur - Lenzerheide - Julier - St. Moritz
Chur - Lenzerheide - Davos
Zernez - Ofenpass - Malles (Italy)
Urnaesch - Schwaegalp - Unterwasser - Wildhaus - Buchs - Vaduz - Malbun

neckervd - thanks again for your valuable inputs! I'm surprised Simplon bus route is open the whole way.

There are less Brig - Domodossola buses in winter than in summer. The scenic round trip Berne dp 8.39 - Kandersteg - Goppenstein - Brig - Simplon Post Bus - Domodossola - trenino panoramico Val Vigezzo/Centovalli - Locarno ar 15.19 and back via Gotthard - Lucerne is popular all the year round.

The scenic round trip Berne dp 8.39 - Kandersteg - Goppenstein - Brig - Simplon Post Bus - Domodossola>

You do mean taking a train from Bern to Brig via the old route and not all by bus or is there some bus doing the whole thing?

The old route up and thru the old Lotschberg Tunnel is infinitely more scenic than the new high-speed train route using the new Lotschberg Base Tunnel which is all in tunnel the whole way from Frutingen to Brig - you see nothing of the supreme scenery as you do by taking the old route (which takes about an hour longer to Brig).

Yes, Bern - Brig by train via the old route.

Yes, Bern - Brig by train via the old route.>

Yes that route is so so scenic - pity now folks speed thru a tunnel under that spectacular scenery that you can still see by train by taking the old route which still have regular regional trains on it to Brig - if not in a hurry take you time by doing the old route via the old Lotschberg Tunnel.

Will be in Bern in January. Would you recommend this route for that time of year? How would i know which train will take us via the "old" route?

Yes - it is a mainline freight line still and has frequent regional trains - so from Spiez take a local regional train to Brig via Goppenstein - thru the old tunnel - the most awesomely scenic part is the prodigous descent down to the Rhone Valley, where the train seems to go too close to a ledge with drop-offs of hundreds of feet - kind of like landing in an airplane.

Fast trains going thru the new tunnel are called IC or InterCity trains - the older route regional trains are noted as 'Regional".