TR: yk/rkkwan + parents' 2-week mostly Swiss sojourn; Sept 2010
Oct 7th, 2010, 09:23 PM
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<b>Day 6 The Alternate Version</b>
Our parents went up to Jungfraujoch on their honeymoon in 1970, and it was one of the highlights on their trip that time. So, it is a "must visit" place for our trip.
As yk mentioned, it's not cheap for the fare. Even after the Swiss Pass discount, it still cost 124CHF/each to cover the Wengernalbahn up to Klein Scheidegg, the r/t on the Jungfraubahn, and then the Wengernalbahn down the other way to Grindelwald. The fare would be a little lower if we came down the same way through Wengen/Lauterbrunnen.
While the Jungfraubahn is most well-known, as it goes to the highest train station in Europe at 3,454m/11,332ft; most of that route is inside a tunnel, INCLUDING the entire Jungfraujoch station. In fact, the Wengernalbahn are the more exciting and scenic rides. It's a cog railway with 800mm gauge (compared to 1 meter/1000mm for most narrow gauge rail in Switzerland), and as a result, the cars are narrower with 1-2 seating in 2nd class, vs 2-2 or even 3-2 (Rigi-Bahn).
Anyways, after seeing yk off at Wengen, we arrived Kleine Scheidegg at 10:49a, then switched to the Jungfraubahn for the 11:00a train. It made two 5-minute stops on the way up for viewing from inside the Eiger towards the Bernese Oberland, and then the Alestch Glacier. We arrived the top at 11:52a, exactly 3 hours after we departed Interlaken West.
Since it was almost lunch time, we headed straight to the Crystal Restaurant for a sit-down meal. Daily special was venison, the same thing my parents had on Jungfraujoch 40 years ago! The restaurant is on the 3rd floor above the train station, and has great view of Jungfrau and the Aletsch Glacier. Surprisingly, the cost is about the same in other sit-down restaurants on our trip. 110CHF for the three of us, with entree about 26CHF. Also surprising is that one of the servers is a Chinese guy. He went from Hong Kong to Germany in 1969, and he speaks fluent Cantonese with us.
[The building on Jungfraujoch that my parents visited in 1970 was burnt down just a year after that. The current building is much newer.]
After lunch, we did all the standard stuff - up the Sphinx Observatory, which at 3,571m/11,716ft, is the highest point in our journey. And then the ice-palace, as well as the older observation lookout. What we did NOT do is the 45-minute hike over to the Monchjochhutte for hot chocolate. The snowy path was wide and well-groomed, and the weather was splendid. But we didn't have appropriate footwear, and we didn't have time.
What surprised me was that I felt light-headed for a few times when I moved quickly up on Jungfraujoch. For those who didn't read my Tibet trip report, I spent 3 weeks in Tibet, topping out at 5,400m with no issue. But that was 3 months ago...
We left Jungfraujoch on the 3:30p train, arriving at Klein Scheidegg at 4:20p. Strangely, the downhill ride takes about the same time even without the two 5-minute stops. During the 13 minute transfer, my dad found some Mövenpick ice-cream to fill his daily quota.
The Klein Scheidegg - Grindelwald line of the Wengernalbahn is straighter than the Wenger side, but just as picturesque. I stood behind the driver for most of that ride just below the North Face of Eiger, and saw the speed was at 14km/h or 17km/h for most of the trip. Instead of connecting directly on the BOB back to Interlaken, we walked around Grindelwald for half an hour and took the next train.
One little bonus for our trip back to our hotel. We found the 18:31 IC 1088 for the shuttle from Interlaken Ost to IL West operated by Deutsche Bahn with an ICE1 trainset. First time I've been on a ICE and it is absolutely beautiful - significantly nicer than the Thalys, Eurostar Italia or Shinkansen sets I've been on recently. My parents even decided to try out one of those 6-person cabins for the 2-minute ride.
[Here's an interesting connection between my trip to Tibet and Switzerland this year. After coming back from Tibet in July, I rented the movie "Seven Years in Tibet" with Brad Pitt, and then decided to read the book by Heinrich Harrer, which I highly enjoyed and recommend. Harrer is the Austrian mountaineer that before ending up in Tibet at the end of WWII, was in the group that first climbed the North Face of Eiger in 1938, which is one of the deadliest climbs on earth.]
Shameless plugs. My very lengthy TR of my Tibet trip:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-tibet-610.cfm (Part 1)
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...10-part-ii.cfm (Part 2)
Our parents went up to Jungfraujoch on their honeymoon in 1970, and it was one of the highlights on their trip that time. So, it is a "must visit" place for our trip.
As yk mentioned, it's not cheap for the fare. Even after the Swiss Pass discount, it still cost 124CHF/each to cover the Wengernalbahn up to Klein Scheidegg, the r/t on the Jungfraubahn, and then the Wengernalbahn down the other way to Grindelwald. The fare would be a little lower if we came down the same way through Wengen/Lauterbrunnen.
While the Jungfraubahn is most well-known, as it goes to the highest train station in Europe at 3,454m/11,332ft; most of that route is inside a tunnel, INCLUDING the entire Jungfraujoch station. In fact, the Wengernalbahn are the more exciting and scenic rides. It's a cog railway with 800mm gauge (compared to 1 meter/1000mm for most narrow gauge rail in Switzerland), and as a result, the cars are narrower with 1-2 seating in 2nd class, vs 2-2 or even 3-2 (Rigi-Bahn).
Anyways, after seeing yk off at Wengen, we arrived Kleine Scheidegg at 10:49a, then switched to the Jungfraubahn for the 11:00a train. It made two 5-minute stops on the way up for viewing from inside the Eiger towards the Bernese Oberland, and then the Alestch Glacier. We arrived the top at 11:52a, exactly 3 hours after we departed Interlaken West.
Since it was almost lunch time, we headed straight to the Crystal Restaurant for a sit-down meal. Daily special was venison, the same thing my parents had on Jungfraujoch 40 years ago! The restaurant is on the 3rd floor above the train station, and has great view of Jungfrau and the Aletsch Glacier. Surprisingly, the cost is about the same in other sit-down restaurants on our trip. 110CHF for the three of us, with entree about 26CHF. Also surprising is that one of the servers is a Chinese guy. He went from Hong Kong to Germany in 1969, and he speaks fluent Cantonese with us.
[The building on Jungfraujoch that my parents visited in 1970 was burnt down just a year after that. The current building is much newer.]
After lunch, we did all the standard stuff - up the Sphinx Observatory, which at 3,571m/11,716ft, is the highest point in our journey. And then the ice-palace, as well as the older observation lookout. What we did NOT do is the 45-minute hike over to the Monchjochhutte for hot chocolate. The snowy path was wide and well-groomed, and the weather was splendid. But we didn't have appropriate footwear, and we didn't have time.
What surprised me was that I felt light-headed for a few times when I moved quickly up on Jungfraujoch. For those who didn't read my Tibet trip report, I spent 3 weeks in Tibet, topping out at 5,400m with no issue. But that was 3 months ago...
We left Jungfraujoch on the 3:30p train, arriving at Klein Scheidegg at 4:20p. Strangely, the downhill ride takes about the same time even without the two 5-minute stops. During the 13 minute transfer, my dad found some Mövenpick ice-cream to fill his daily quota.
The Klein Scheidegg - Grindelwald line of the Wengernalbahn is straighter than the Wenger side, but just as picturesque. I stood behind the driver for most of that ride just below the North Face of Eiger, and saw the speed was at 14km/h or 17km/h for most of the trip. Instead of connecting directly on the BOB back to Interlaken, we walked around Grindelwald for half an hour and took the next train.
One little bonus for our trip back to our hotel. We found the 18:31 IC 1088 for the shuttle from Interlaken Ost to IL West operated by Deutsche Bahn with an ICE1 trainset. First time I've been on a ICE and it is absolutely beautiful - significantly nicer than the Thalys, Eurostar Italia or Shinkansen sets I've been on recently. My parents even decided to try out one of those 6-person cabins for the 2-minute ride.
[Here's an interesting connection between my trip to Tibet and Switzerland this year. After coming back from Tibet in July, I rented the movie "Seven Years in Tibet" with Brad Pitt, and then decided to read the book by Heinrich Harrer, which I highly enjoyed and recommend. Harrer is the Austrian mountaineer that before ending up in Tibet at the end of WWII, was in the group that first climbed the North Face of Eiger in 1938, which is one of the deadliest climbs on earth.]
Shameless plugs. My very lengthy TR of my Tibet trip:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-tibet-610.cfm (Part 1)
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...10-part-ii.cfm (Part 2)
Oct 7th, 2010, 09:28 PM
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swandav - Yes, we noticed that airstrip in Gstaad. On the day we rode the GoldenPass train pass it, it was rented out by some auto club for testing out their Maseratis and other exotics on the runway.
Oct 7th, 2010, 09:56 PM
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Fantastic summary YK & RK ! Your presentation with so much detail is flawless and definitely a wonderful plan to follow.
I like the way you give the negative pointers together with the positive routes you took.
Looking forward to the next instalment!
I like the way you give the negative pointers together with the positive routes you took.
Looking forward to the next instalment!
Oct 8th, 2010, 03:02 AM
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I wonder if the lightheadedness was merely due to the speed of the ascent. We all had headaches when we visited the Jungfraujoch. By contrast, when I was in Colorado a few years ago, I started in Boulder, then Breckenridge a few days later, then a brief visit to Leadville (highest incorporated city in the US, at a little over 10,000 feet) and was perfectly fine.
The IC trains are quite nice. We were on an ICN for part of the trip between Lake Como and Wengen and it tilts around corners - such a thrill!
The IC trains are quite nice. We were on an ICN for part of the trip between Lake Como and Wengen and it tilts around corners - such a thrill!
Oct 8th, 2010, 09:53 AM
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flygirl - My lightheadedness was perfectly normal, since I was moving quickly. The rate of ascent wasn't even that acute, as I drove from sea-level to the top of Mauna Kea (4,205m/13,796ft) in 2 hours last year. But at that time I was more careful with my movement, so did when I did my Colorado Passes driving trip, also last year.
In fact, I was almost deliberately trying to see if my acclimation from Tibet was gone or not. Answer is an unequivocal YES.
In fact, I was almost deliberately trying to see if my acclimation from Tibet was gone or not. Answer is an unequivocal YES.
Oct 8th, 2010, 06:16 PM
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MomDD, yup, your hotel is in one of my Montreux pictures. How lucky for you to stay at such a nice place!
tod & jdc26, thanks for reading and for your comments.
flygirl, we were <u>very fortunate</u> with weather indeed. The several days that we had the BEST weather, were the days that mattered most: up Jungfrau, Glacier Express ride, Bernina Express ride, and Lugano. Less than a week after we left Interlaken, I found out that it was cloudy AND snowing up on Jungfraujoch!
tod & jdc26, thanks for reading and for your comments.
flygirl, we were <u>very fortunate</u> with weather indeed. The several days that we had the BEST weather, were the days that mattered most: up Jungfrau, Glacier Express ride, Bernina Express ride, and Lugano. Less than a week after we left Interlaken, I found out that it was cloudy AND snowing up on Jungfraujoch!
Oct 8th, 2010, 06:28 PM
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<i>"...I found out that it was cloudy AND snowing up on Jungfraujoch!"</i>
hahaha, that must have been when we were there! Snow everywhere!
Still shaking my head at your Rigi / Luzern / Bern all in one day. Your folks are real troopers!
I may have to try that Wengen-->Lauterbrunnen hike next time. You sure got some good photos of the valley then!
hahaha, that must have been when we were there! Snow everywhere!
Still shaking my head at your Rigi / Luzern / Bern all in one day. Your folks are real troopers!
I may have to try that Wengen-->Lauterbrunnen hike next time. You sure got some good photos of the valley then!
Oct 8th, 2010, 06:41 PM
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<MomDD, yup, your hotel is in one of my Montreux pictures. How lucky for you to stay at such a nice place!>
It was a wonderful wonderful trip YK... very good memories I cherish as I am not sure when we will be getting back - and trip reports like yours help to keep the memories fresh - so thank you for sharing! I was walking through the Chateau de Chillon again with you
It was a wonderful wonderful trip YK... very good memories I cherish as I am not sure when we will be getting back - and trip reports like yours help to keep the memories fresh - so thank you for sharing! I was walking through the Chateau de Chillon again with you
Oct 10th, 2010, 06:46 PM
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<b>CHAPTER 5 - From Valais to Graubünden
Day 7
Glacier Express <i>All Aboard!</i></b>
http://www.glacierexpress.ch/EN/Pages/default.aspx
We checked out of Swiss Inn in Interlaken, bidded goodbye to Veronica and her husband JP. JP gave us a ride to the train station.
Our plan today is to ride the famous <b>Glacier Express</b>. However, we didn't want to go to Zermatt ("a dead end" as Dad calls it). So, we decided to pick up the GE from Visp heading towards St Moritz.
From Interlaken, we first took a train to Spiez, then changed for a train to Visp. The second train was extremely crowded, despite it being a double-decker. In any case, the transfer was easy and seamless, very doable with our luggage.
We boarded the #904 - the earlier of the 2 daily GE trains towards St Moritz. As mentioned at the beginning of this thread, I had made seat reservations (33 CHF pp) for us a few weeks prior to our trip. The 904 has two 1st cl carriages, and three 2nd cl carriages. As far as we could tell, the entire train was full. There were 2 large tour groups in two of the three 2nd class carriages.
When I first boarded the train, my first impression was, << WOW! >> So much has changed since I last rode the GE in 2003! Back then, the train cars used were just ordinary carriages, with no bells or whistles whatsoever. My trip in 2003 was in end of May, and my train car was mostly empty.
Now, GE has completely revamped its train cars. All cars have panorama windows: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6296.jpg
In addition, at each pod (2x2 seats facing each other, with a table in between), there are GE route brochures, lunch menus, earphones, and a booklet showing which type of souvenirs are available for purchase on board. Each seat has a audio outlet for you to plug in the complimentary earphones to listen to the onboard commentary. There is choice of several languages, though we found many of the push buttons on the audio system don't work any more.
The tour group in our car has a 3-course lunch included. Although we had already bought sandwiches earlier, we couldn't resist the temptation of the lunch menu. So, Mom had goulash soup and Dad had cheese plate. Tablecloth is laid out on our table and food is served using real dinnerware. Very luxurious indeed.
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6305.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6304.jpg
The scenery during the ride is obviously great, and we were extremely lucky to have perfect weather to experience this. The train passed along river valleys (both the Rhone and the Rhine), through tunnels, climbed over mountain passes, and traveled over viaducts. With the commentary, I found this 6.5-hr journey much more interesting than when I took it in 2003. Therefore, while the GE is very touristy, it was an improvement than what it was (IMHO).
Having said that, it was difficult to take photos because of glare from the windows. So I'll just post a couple:
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6300.jpg
Looking at the front of our train going over a viaduct
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6318.jpg
Both tour groups got off at Chur, so our train car was pretty much empty. We were free to roam around and each got a window seat.
[<b>Side note:</b> I know some people here advoate riding regular trains for this route instead of the touristy Glacier Express. For us who want to cover most of the route in one day with luggage in tow, taking regular trains would be close to impossible, as many more train transfers are required. Therefore, <u>for us</u>, the GE worked out well as we could just sit back and relax after we boarded at Visp, and not had to get off until we reached our destination.]
We got off at <b>Celerina</b>, a small, quaint town *just* before St Moritz. Why? Because hotels in Celerina are 1/2 the price than hotels in St Moritz. I was a bit hesitant when I booked this, but after some research (w/lots of help from Ingo), Celerina is a viable option. Our hotel, <u>All in One Hotel Inn Lodge</u>, is a 12-min walk <i>downhill</i> from the Celerina train station. It is very doable for us, though it may be difficult for people with heavy suitcases.
Church tower in Celerina, and surrounding mtns: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6336.jpg
After we checked in, we quickly left the hotel to catch a local bus over to <b>St Moritz</b>. Despite numerous visits to Switzerland, Dad has never been to St Moritz. The bus stop is a 5-min walk from our hotel, and the bus runs every 10 minutes. The center of St Moritz is just 4 stops away, a 7-min ride. We were in St Moritz in no time.
We walked around the town center, then followed the road down towards St Moritz-Bad. As it was dusk, we had some wonderful views of Lake St Moritz and the surrounding mountains.
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6342.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6338.jpg
Looking back at St Moritz from St Moritz-Bad:
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6344.jpg
Even though our hotel room in Celerina has a kitchenette, we decided to eat dinner in St Moritz-Bad. We picked Siam Wind, a Thai restaurant inside Hotel Laudinella, as Mom was craving for Asian food. The hotel has 6-7 different restaurants serving various cuisines.
Our dinner was surprisingly good. Mom had beef fried rice, and she thought it was done better than many Chinese restaurants. It was nicely cooked but not oily. Dad had Laksa which he praised as well. rkkwan had ostrich curry, while I had catfish fillets in a lemon-chili sauce. We were even offered tap water by the waitstaff! It was a very satisfying meal for 115 CHF.
<i>Siam Wind
Hotel Laudinella
Via Tegiatscha 17
7500 St Moritz</i>
https://www.laudinella.ch/Siam_Wind.16.0.html?&L=1
At night, the bus back to Celerina runs once every 30 minutes. Once we got on the bus, we were back at our hotel in 20 minutes.
Our hotel room is classified as Studio M. The entrance level has the bathroom and a living room with the kitchenette. The sofa in the living room can be turned into a double bed. Up a flight of stairs is a loft with 2 twin beds. There is also a table in the living room with 4 chairs, but space is tight when the bed is opened up for sleeping. It is a bit cramped for 4 of us, but since we were there for 1 night only, it was fine.
Living room w/sofa bed
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6328.jpg
The other end of living room is kitchenette
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6329.jpg
Table + 4 chairs below the staircase, which leads up to the loft http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6331.jpg
Twin beds in loft http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6332.jpg
<i>All-In-One Hotel Inn Lodge
Via Nouva 3
7505 Celerina</i>
http://www.innlodge.ch/
[Transport tech info:
<i>9:06-9:22 IC 962 Interlaken West to Spiez (SBB, standard guage)
IC towards Basel.
9:36-10:02 IC 812 Spiez to Visp (SBB, standard gauge)
This train comes from Romanshorn on the Bordensee in NE Switzerland, and goes to Brig. We would ride it through the new 35km/21mi Lötschberg Base Tunnel, currently longest land tunnel in the world. This train uses bi-level cars, but was still packed and we had to stand.
10:25-16:53 D 904 Visp to Celerina (MGB/RhB, meter gauge, cog in steep MGB portion only)
This is the famous Glacier Express with mandatory reservations. The train is run by MGB until Disentis, then switch to RhB's crew. Our train also combined there with the Davos section till Chur, before separating again.</i>]
Day 7
Glacier Express <i>All Aboard!</i></b>
http://www.glacierexpress.ch/EN/Pages/default.aspx
We checked out of Swiss Inn in Interlaken, bidded goodbye to Veronica and her husband JP. JP gave us a ride to the train station.
Our plan today is to ride the famous <b>Glacier Express</b>. However, we didn't want to go to Zermatt ("a dead end" as Dad calls it). So, we decided to pick up the GE from Visp heading towards St Moritz.
From Interlaken, we first took a train to Spiez, then changed for a train to Visp. The second train was extremely crowded, despite it being a double-decker. In any case, the transfer was easy and seamless, very doable with our luggage.
We boarded the #904 - the earlier of the 2 daily GE trains towards St Moritz. As mentioned at the beginning of this thread, I had made seat reservations (33 CHF pp) for us a few weeks prior to our trip. The 904 has two 1st cl carriages, and three 2nd cl carriages. As far as we could tell, the entire train was full. There were 2 large tour groups in two of the three 2nd class carriages.
When I first boarded the train, my first impression was, << WOW! >> So much has changed since I last rode the GE in 2003! Back then, the train cars used were just ordinary carriages, with no bells or whistles whatsoever. My trip in 2003 was in end of May, and my train car was mostly empty.
Now, GE has completely revamped its train cars. All cars have panorama windows: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6296.jpg
In addition, at each pod (2x2 seats facing each other, with a table in between), there are GE route brochures, lunch menus, earphones, and a booklet showing which type of souvenirs are available for purchase on board. Each seat has a audio outlet for you to plug in the complimentary earphones to listen to the onboard commentary. There is choice of several languages, though we found many of the push buttons on the audio system don't work any more.
The tour group in our car has a 3-course lunch included. Although we had already bought sandwiches earlier, we couldn't resist the temptation of the lunch menu. So, Mom had goulash soup and Dad had cheese plate. Tablecloth is laid out on our table and food is served using real dinnerware. Very luxurious indeed.
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6305.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6304.jpg
The scenery during the ride is obviously great, and we were extremely lucky to have perfect weather to experience this. The train passed along river valleys (both the Rhone and the Rhine), through tunnels, climbed over mountain passes, and traveled over viaducts. With the commentary, I found this 6.5-hr journey much more interesting than when I took it in 2003. Therefore, while the GE is very touristy, it was an improvement than what it was (IMHO).
Having said that, it was difficult to take photos because of glare from the windows. So I'll just post a couple:
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6300.jpg
Looking at the front of our train going over a viaduct
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6318.jpg
Both tour groups got off at Chur, so our train car was pretty much empty. We were free to roam around and each got a window seat.
[<b>Side note:</b> I know some people here advoate riding regular trains for this route instead of the touristy Glacier Express. For us who want to cover most of the route in one day with luggage in tow, taking regular trains would be close to impossible, as many more train transfers are required. Therefore, <u>for us</u>, the GE worked out well as we could just sit back and relax after we boarded at Visp, and not had to get off until we reached our destination.]
We got off at <b>Celerina</b>, a small, quaint town *just* before St Moritz. Why? Because hotels in Celerina are 1/2 the price than hotels in St Moritz. I was a bit hesitant when I booked this, but after some research (w/lots of help from Ingo), Celerina is a viable option. Our hotel, <u>All in One Hotel Inn Lodge</u>, is a 12-min walk <i>downhill</i> from the Celerina train station. It is very doable for us, though it may be difficult for people with heavy suitcases.
Church tower in Celerina, and surrounding mtns: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6336.jpg
After we checked in, we quickly left the hotel to catch a local bus over to <b>St Moritz</b>. Despite numerous visits to Switzerland, Dad has never been to St Moritz. The bus stop is a 5-min walk from our hotel, and the bus runs every 10 minutes. The center of St Moritz is just 4 stops away, a 7-min ride. We were in St Moritz in no time.
We walked around the town center, then followed the road down towards St Moritz-Bad. As it was dusk, we had some wonderful views of Lake St Moritz and the surrounding mountains.
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6342.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6338.jpg
Looking back at St Moritz from St Moritz-Bad:
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6344.jpg
Even though our hotel room in Celerina has a kitchenette, we decided to eat dinner in St Moritz-Bad. We picked Siam Wind, a Thai restaurant inside Hotel Laudinella, as Mom was craving for Asian food. The hotel has 6-7 different restaurants serving various cuisines.
Our dinner was surprisingly good. Mom had beef fried rice, and she thought it was done better than many Chinese restaurants. It was nicely cooked but not oily. Dad had Laksa which he praised as well. rkkwan had ostrich curry, while I had catfish fillets in a lemon-chili sauce. We were even offered tap water by the waitstaff! It was a very satisfying meal for 115 CHF.
<i>Siam Wind
Hotel Laudinella
Via Tegiatscha 17
7500 St Moritz</i>
https://www.laudinella.ch/Siam_Wind.16.0.html?&L=1
At night, the bus back to Celerina runs once every 30 minutes. Once we got on the bus, we were back at our hotel in 20 minutes.
Our hotel room is classified as Studio M. The entrance level has the bathroom and a living room with the kitchenette. The sofa in the living room can be turned into a double bed. Up a flight of stairs is a loft with 2 twin beds. There is also a table in the living room with 4 chairs, but space is tight when the bed is opened up for sleeping. It is a bit cramped for 4 of us, but since we were there for 1 night only, it was fine.
Living room w/sofa bed
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6328.jpg
The other end of living room is kitchenette
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6329.jpg
Table + 4 chairs below the staircase, which leads up to the loft http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6331.jpg
Twin beds in loft http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6332.jpg
<i>All-In-One Hotel Inn Lodge
Via Nouva 3
7505 Celerina</i>
http://www.innlodge.ch/
[Transport tech info:
<i>9:06-9:22 IC 962 Interlaken West to Spiez (SBB, standard guage)
IC towards Basel.
9:36-10:02 IC 812 Spiez to Visp (SBB, standard gauge)
This train comes from Romanshorn on the Bordensee in NE Switzerland, and goes to Brig. We would ride it through the new 35km/21mi Lötschberg Base Tunnel, currently longest land tunnel in the world. This train uses bi-level cars, but was still packed and we had to stand.
10:25-16:53 D 904 Visp to Celerina (MGB/RhB, meter gauge, cog in steep MGB portion only)
This is the famous Glacier Express with mandatory reservations. The train is run by MGB until Disentis, then switch to RhB's crew. Our train also combined there with the Davos section till Chur, before separating again.</i>]
Oct 11th, 2010, 01:27 AM
#73
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I found the Glacier Express ride extremely interesting, in fact, at times it was sensory overload. I can also understand why some may find it boring, and in fact, I saw some people on our train that looks utterly bored by the time we got to Chur.
To analyze it, there are four main things that makes it interesting. Food and service, scenery, geography, and technical aspects. For myself, all are super exciting, especially the geography part. But my guess is that quite a few on the train don't know/care about that, along with the technical aspects of the train/route. Just too bad for them.
To analyze it, there are four main things that makes it interesting. Food and service, scenery, geography, and technical aspects. For myself, all are super exciting, especially the geography part. But my guess is that quite a few on the train don't know/care about that, along with the technical aspects of the train/route. Just too bad for them.
Oct 11th, 2010, 10:17 AM
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Thanks again to you both for this detailed, very interesting trip report. Love it!
Glad you liked the lodge in Celerina. The rooms look like I expected them to look ... quite industrial charm IMO, LOL. But fine for one night, agreed.
I am blown away you had dinner at Siam Wind in Hotel Laudinella. I used to stay there on my frequent Engadin visits between mid 1990s and, say, 2005. I liked the hotel very much until they did some changes (additional wing, lobby, restaurants) for the downhill ski World Championships. I always booked through a German travel company (Neckermann) and got great rates, like 50 - 60 Euro per night and person incl. half-board, and stay 7, pay 6 nights. Half-board meant I could have dinner in one of the hotel's restaurants of my choice, each night picking a different one. GREAT! The Siam Wind was not my favourite (I am not much into Thai food) although it is quite famous and I must admit the food was very good.
As for the GE - I've taken that route too often (both train and car), so it's quite boring for me. For someone who travels it first or second time it must be very interesting/scenic. IMO the Bernina Express is more spectacular, but that's subjective, of course.
Looking forward to more!
I.
Glad you liked the lodge in Celerina. The rooms look like I expected them to look ... quite industrial charm IMO, LOL. But fine for one night, agreed.
I am blown away you had dinner at Siam Wind in Hotel Laudinella. I used to stay there on my frequent Engadin visits between mid 1990s and, say, 2005. I liked the hotel very much until they did some changes (additional wing, lobby, restaurants) for the downhill ski World Championships. I always booked through a German travel company (Neckermann) and got great rates, like 50 - 60 Euro per night and person incl. half-board, and stay 7, pay 6 nights. Half-board meant I could have dinner in one of the hotel's restaurants of my choice, each night picking a different one. GREAT! The Siam Wind was not my favourite (I am not much into Thai food) although it is quite famous and I must admit the food was very good.
As for the GE - I've taken that route too often (both train and car), so it's quite boring for me. For someone who travels it first or second time it must be very interesting/scenic. IMO the Bernina Express is more spectacular, but that's subjective, of course.
Looking forward to more!
I.
Oct 11th, 2010, 11:42 AM
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Ingo - I think you'll hear what yk and I think about the GE vs BE comparison. But to me it's exciting that you can start the day in the Rhone Valley, cross two high passes, then down the source of the most important river in Western Europe, go up another spectacular line again and into the Danube watershed.
And went from French region to German to Romanash. All within same ride inside one tiny country. That's absolutely fascinating.
BTW, want to add that we did get off twice during the trip - at Disentis and Chur where they switch crews and engines.
And went from French region to German to Romanash. All within same ride inside one tiny country. That's absolutely fascinating.
BTW, want to add that we did get off twice during the trip - at Disentis and Chur where they switch crews and engines.
Oct 11th, 2010, 12:18 PM
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Thanks for posting your impressions, rkkwan. Agreed. Definitely a fascinating ride.
With the BE (from Chur to Tirano) you cross two high passes, too (well, almost, since the train takes a tunnel under the Albula), "from the most important river in Western Europe, go up another spectacular line again and into the Danube watershed" and then, after going over the Bernina pass descend down to the river that flows into the Adriatic sea. So that's also travelling through three different, major water systems in Europe. And with the BE you go from German to Romansch to Italian. On an even shorter train ride.
See, in these regards they are quite similar. Everyone is of course free to like one or the other better. More people travel on the GE, but I suspect it has more to do with the famous starting/end points Zermatt and St. Moritz, the longer tradition of the train and the marketing.
I am really looking forward to your comments on the BE!
Ingo
With the BE (from Chur to Tirano) you cross two high passes, too (well, almost, since the train takes a tunnel under the Albula), "from the most important river in Western Europe, go up another spectacular line again and into the Danube watershed" and then, after going over the Bernina pass descend down to the river that flows into the Adriatic sea. So that's also travelling through three different, major water systems in Europe. And with the BE you go from German to Romansch to Italian. On an even shorter train ride.
See, in these regards they are quite similar. Everyone is of course free to like one or the other better. More people travel on the GE, but I suspect it has more to do with the famous starting/end points Zermatt and St. Moritz, the longer tradition of the train and the marketing.
I am really looking forward to your comments on the BE!
Ingo
Oct 11th, 2010, 12:24 PM
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Well, I feel like a complete dolt, yk. I never knew you and rkkwan were siblings!
Great report, and what wonderful children you are to take your parents on such a lovely trip to celebrate their ruby anniversary!
BC
Great report, and what wonderful children you are to take your parents on such a lovely trip to celebrate their ruby anniversary!
BC
Oct 12th, 2010, 01:40 PM
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Ingo, we didn't mind the somewhat sterile/industrial look of the InnLodge. The bare concrete walls did a great job of sound-proofing: we didn't hear any noise at night. I think the InnLodge is not for people who are looking for rustic charm, but for us, it was more than adequate, esp at the low rate we paid.
As for GE vs BE, I now have taken both twice, and I still much prefer BE over GE. What I wrote in my last installment is that I find GE more interesting this time around, esp with the commentary and route maps provided by the "tourist train".
BC, I have a feeling that most people here didn't know either. We tend to travel to different places/continents.
As for GE vs BE, I now have taken both twice, and I still much prefer BE over GE. What I wrote in my last installment is that I find GE more interesting this time around, esp with the commentary and route maps provided by the "tourist train".
BC, I have a feeling that most people here didn't know either. We tend to travel to different places/continents.
Oct 12th, 2010, 02:33 PM
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Yk, I'm glad to know it's just not me. I've enjoyed your posts, and also have enjoyed posts your brother has written on his journeys to Italy as well as Asia. What a terrific report this has been--wonderful, practical info as well as your impressions. It's been lovely.
BC
BC
Oct 12th, 2010, 02:43 PM
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<b>CHAPTER 6 - Along the <i>Bernina Express</i> route
Day 8</b>
After our short one-night stay in Celerina, we packed up in the AM to catch a regional train to <b>Tirano</b>. This stretch of railway is a UNESCO world heritage site, and like the Glacier Express, there is a tourist train called the <b>Bernina Express</b>.
http://www.rhb.ch/index.php?id=33?&L=4
The official BE has few stops, and it doesn't stop in Celerina. We were more than happy to take a regular train anyway, as it doesn't require mandatory seat reservation (which the official BE does). The Bernina Express route goes through the smaller <b>Celerina-Staz</b> station, conveniently located just 5 minutes away from our hotel over flat terrain. As a result, we didn't have to hike back up to the main Celerina station.
One last look at Celerina: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6347.jpg
Charming Celerina-Staz station "house" (The word "Schlarigna" is the Romansch word for Celerina; and you can see the info booth at the bottom-right of the photo)
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6351.jpg
I have read that the Celerian-Staz station is a "by request" stop, so we got to the station fairly early for our 9:48am train. My understanding is that normally, the info booth has 3 buttons:
• STOP
• CALL
• LISTEN (for info)
But as you can see from this photo, our info booth does not have the <STOP> button
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6348.jpg
Fortunately, there were others (Swiss tourists) waiting for the same train. They told us the train would be stopping here after they had listened to the announcement (by pushing the <LISTEN> button on the info booth).
9:48am came and went. One minute passed, 2 minutes passed, 3 minutes passed... and still no train. It's unusual for Swiss trains to be late! Then, we heard the sound of an approaching train, so we all got our luggage ready... and the train just zipped right past us! We were all in shock initially, then on closer inspection, we saw it was the official BE train. It was supposed to leave St Moritz at 9:34am (and goes through Celerina a few minutes later). So, the BE train is running late. Since it's the "express" train with fewer stops, it has to go on the tracks before our slower, regional train can run.
Now, one of the Swiss couples noticed a blinking blue light at the info booth. They pushed the <LISTEN> button again. This time, there is a new recording informing us that *our* train would be late.
Our regional train arrived over 10 minutes late. This is the most delay we experienced during our 2-week trip (not counting the lake ferries). While the regional train doesn't have the bells & whistles that the tourist train provides (no earphones, no commentary), it does have a route brochure with descriptions so we can read it ourselves. At each table is a route map: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6355.jpg
At the end of each carriage, is a big LCD screen with clear display of the next
stop(s), and whether it's a "by request" stop or not. Everything is so well thought out and so clear that I truly think Switzerland is the most tourist-friendly country. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6354.jpg
Another plus of the regional train is that approx 1/3 of the windows can be lowered, so we can take photos without the terrible glare we encountered the day before on the GE train.
When our train arrived at <b>Pontresina</b> 20 minutes later, we were shocked to see the entire platform was full - mostly Swiss hikers. We were thankful we got on at Celerina and had a booth to ourselves. The train became packed and many had to stand. Most of them got off just before or right at Bernina Pass (Ospizio Bernina).
I *love* the Bernina Express route. It's the highest railway in the world that does not require cogwheel (Bernina Pass is at 2328m). I love the snow-capped mountains as we climbed up the pass from the Engadine side http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6356.jpg
Then we reach the top: Ospizio Bernina and Lago Bianco http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6361.jpg
On descent, the train stopped at Alp Grüm where we get a great view of Palü Glacier http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6363.jpg
A final look at Palü Glacier & Lago Palü http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6369.jpg
Soon, the Poschiavo Valley comes into view http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6370.jpg
We would descend close to 2000m from Ospizio Bernina down to Tirano. To achieve this, our train goes through lots of tunnels that it basically circles and zig-zags its way down the mountain. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6376.jpg
Town of Privilasco: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6383.jpg
Poschiavo in the distance: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6387.jpg
Lago di Poschiavo: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6390.jpg
Right after the town of Brusio, we arrive at the most famous section - the 360-degree <b>circular viaduct</b>
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6403.jpg
Looking back at the tail of our train (with an <i>open-air wagon</i> at the very end!) http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6406.jpg
Our train managed to catch up along the way and we arrived at Tirano right on time. Although there are no luggage lockers at the Tirano train station, we were able to leave our suitcases at the rail office for 5 CHF each. [They only charged us 10 CHF for our 4 small suitcases.]
Tirano looks much more prosperous now than in 2003, with a lot more restaurants right in the vicinity of the rail station. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6410.jpg
We picked one that is famous for its pizzas, only to find out that pizzas are not available today.
Dad got risotto with salmon-trout; Mom had bratwurst with lasagna <i>and</i> fries; rkkwan had deer schnitzel w/polenta; and I had Scaloppine alla milanese. Every dish was very heavy with tons of starch. It was amazing we were able to get out of our chairs! (lunch was 63 euro).
<i>Ristorante Bernina
Via Roma 24
23037 Tirano, Italy</i>
After lunch, we wandered around town before returning to the station for our luggage and our <b>Bernina Express BUS</b> to Lugano. The bus requires seat reservation (12 CHF pp). I was shocked to find 2 coaches - this route is definitely in much higher demand than before.
Our Rhaetian Railway Red Bus: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6414.jpg
Our bus first passes by Lake Como before going over a pass to get to Lake Lugano. First glimpse of Lake Lugano: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6419.jpg
The final stretch of the route is on a road that hugs the Lake Lugano shoreline. With mountain cliffs on one side and the lake on the other, the road is barely wide enough for 2 lanes of traffic. More often than not, traffic is at a standstill because some parts can only allow one vehicle to pass through.
The traffic on this stretch was TERRIBLE, much much worse than what I encountered in 2003. We wonder if it's because Switzerland has joined Schengen, making it hassle-free for Swiss and Italians to pass between borders, so many more people are driving this route now? At times, I swear the bus was going to get scratched, either by rocks on the cliff-side or by the oncoming vehicle from the other direction.
Once we passed the border back into Switzerland, the traffic jam disappears. Even though the terrain hasn't changed, on the Swiss side, instead of winding narrow roads, we get bridges and tunnels wherever it is necessary.
I cannot be more amazed when we arrived at Lugano right on schedule: not a minute early, not a minute late.
[<i>9:48-12:21 R 1621 Celerina Staz to Tirano, Italy (RhB, meter gauge)
We rode a regular local train instead of the Bernina Express panorama car, over the Bernina Pass. Tirano is last stop on line, just a few km over the border.
14:25-17:30 BUS 5951 Tirano, Italy to Lugano (coach run by Postbus)
Two coaches run together through the top of Lake Como to Lugano. All in Italy except last few km.</i>]
P.S. I realize that I'm getting more and more verbose with each installment. I tried to be succinct, but it just didn't work out. I'm hoping all these minute details I included will be helpful to someone some day...
Day 8</b>
After our short one-night stay in Celerina, we packed up in the AM to catch a regional train to <b>Tirano</b>. This stretch of railway is a UNESCO world heritage site, and like the Glacier Express, there is a tourist train called the <b>Bernina Express</b>.
http://www.rhb.ch/index.php?id=33?&L=4
The official BE has few stops, and it doesn't stop in Celerina. We were more than happy to take a regular train anyway, as it doesn't require mandatory seat reservation (which the official BE does). The Bernina Express route goes through the smaller <b>Celerina-Staz</b> station, conveniently located just 5 minutes away from our hotel over flat terrain. As a result, we didn't have to hike back up to the main Celerina station.
One last look at Celerina: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6347.jpg
Charming Celerina-Staz station "house" (The word "Schlarigna" is the Romansch word for Celerina; and you can see the info booth at the bottom-right of the photo)
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6351.jpg
I have read that the Celerian-Staz station is a "by request" stop, so we got to the station fairly early for our 9:48am train. My understanding is that normally, the info booth has 3 buttons:
• STOP
• CALL
• LISTEN (for info)
But as you can see from this photo, our info booth does not have the <STOP> button
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6348.jpg
Fortunately, there were others (Swiss tourists) waiting for the same train. They told us the train would be stopping here after they had listened to the announcement (by pushing the <LISTEN> button on the info booth).
9:48am came and went. One minute passed, 2 minutes passed, 3 minutes passed... and still no train. It's unusual for Swiss trains to be late! Then, we heard the sound of an approaching train, so we all got our luggage ready... and the train just zipped right past us! We were all in shock initially, then on closer inspection, we saw it was the official BE train. It was supposed to leave St Moritz at 9:34am (and goes through Celerina a few minutes later). So, the BE train is running late. Since it's the "express" train with fewer stops, it has to go on the tracks before our slower, regional train can run.
Now, one of the Swiss couples noticed a blinking blue light at the info booth. They pushed the <LISTEN> button again. This time, there is a new recording informing us that *our* train would be late.
Our regional train arrived over 10 minutes late. This is the most delay we experienced during our 2-week trip (not counting the lake ferries). While the regional train doesn't have the bells & whistles that the tourist train provides (no earphones, no commentary), it does have a route brochure with descriptions so we can read it ourselves. At each table is a route map: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6355.jpg
At the end of each carriage, is a big LCD screen with clear display of the next
stop(s), and whether it's a "by request" stop or not. Everything is so well thought out and so clear that I truly think Switzerland is the most tourist-friendly country. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6354.jpg
Another plus of the regional train is that approx 1/3 of the windows can be lowered, so we can take photos without the terrible glare we encountered the day before on the GE train.
When our train arrived at <b>Pontresina</b> 20 minutes later, we were shocked to see the entire platform was full - mostly Swiss hikers. We were thankful we got on at Celerina and had a booth to ourselves. The train became packed and many had to stand. Most of them got off just before or right at Bernina Pass (Ospizio Bernina).
I *love* the Bernina Express route. It's the highest railway in the world that does not require cogwheel (Bernina Pass is at 2328m). I love the snow-capped mountains as we climbed up the pass from the Engadine side http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6356.jpg
Then we reach the top: Ospizio Bernina and Lago Bianco http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6361.jpg
On descent, the train stopped at Alp Grüm where we get a great view of Palü Glacier http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6363.jpg
A final look at Palü Glacier & Lago Palü http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6369.jpg
Soon, the Poschiavo Valley comes into view http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6370.jpg
We would descend close to 2000m from Ospizio Bernina down to Tirano. To achieve this, our train goes through lots of tunnels that it basically circles and zig-zags its way down the mountain. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6376.jpg
Town of Privilasco: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6383.jpg
Poschiavo in the distance: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6387.jpg
Lago di Poschiavo: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6390.jpg
Right after the town of Brusio, we arrive at the most famous section - the 360-degree <b>circular viaduct</b>
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6403.jpg
Looking back at the tail of our train (with an <i>open-air wagon</i> at the very end!) http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6406.jpg
Our train managed to catch up along the way and we arrived at Tirano right on time. Although there are no luggage lockers at the Tirano train station, we were able to leave our suitcases at the rail office for 5 CHF each. [They only charged us 10 CHF for our 4 small suitcases.]
Tirano looks much more prosperous now than in 2003, with a lot more restaurants right in the vicinity of the rail station. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6410.jpg
We picked one that is famous for its pizzas, only to find out that pizzas are not available today.
Dad got risotto with salmon-trout; Mom had bratwurst with lasagna <i>and</i> fries; rkkwan had deer schnitzel w/polenta; and I had Scaloppine alla milanese. Every dish was very heavy with tons of starch. It was amazing we were able to get out of our chairs! (lunch was 63 euro).<i>Ristorante Bernina
Via Roma 24
23037 Tirano, Italy</i>
After lunch, we wandered around town before returning to the station for our luggage and our <b>Bernina Express BUS</b> to Lugano. The bus requires seat reservation (12 CHF pp). I was shocked to find 2 coaches - this route is definitely in much higher demand than before.
Our Rhaetian Railway Red Bus: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6414.jpg
Our bus first passes by Lake Como before going over a pass to get to Lake Lugano. First glimpse of Lake Lugano: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_6419.jpg
The final stretch of the route is on a road that hugs the Lake Lugano shoreline. With mountain cliffs on one side and the lake on the other, the road is barely wide enough for 2 lanes of traffic. More often than not, traffic is at a standstill because some parts can only allow one vehicle to pass through.
The traffic on this stretch was TERRIBLE, much much worse than what I encountered in 2003. We wonder if it's because Switzerland has joined Schengen, making it hassle-free for Swiss and Italians to pass between borders, so many more people are driving this route now? At times, I swear the bus was going to get scratched, either by rocks on the cliff-side or by the oncoming vehicle from the other direction.
Once we passed the border back into Switzerland, the traffic jam disappears. Even though the terrain hasn't changed, on the Swiss side, instead of winding narrow roads, we get bridges and tunnels wherever it is necessary.
I cannot be more amazed when we arrived at Lugano right on schedule: not a minute early, not a minute late.
[<i>9:48-12:21 R 1621 Celerina Staz to Tirano, Italy (RhB, meter gauge)
We rode a regular local train instead of the Bernina Express panorama car, over the Bernina Pass. Tirano is last stop on line, just a few km over the border.
14:25-17:30 BUS 5951 Tirano, Italy to Lugano (coach run by Postbus)
Two coaches run together through the top of Lake Como to Lugano. All in Italy except last few km.</i>]
P.S. I realize that I'm getting more and more verbose with each installment. I tried to be succinct, but it just didn't work out. I'm hoping all these minute details I included will be helpful to someone some day...
