Train From Freiberg to Zermatt
 

My party of four will be touring the Black Forest by car before heading to Switzerland. It was suggested that I drop the car in Freiberg to avoid the drop off charges and then train to Zermatt. We will spend 2 nights in Zermatt before training to Murren. 4 nights in Murren before training to Zurich to fly home. Can you help me with the best train route to go from Freiberg to Zermatt. Is there a scenic train that you would recommend? Should I buy a combo Germany/Swiss Pass. Any other information would be greatly appreciated.

Freiberg is in Saxony - nowhere near the Black Forest but solid 8 hours away. Please recheck your travel plan respective your spelling or you will get a mess. You probably mean FreiBURG.

Here's a sample using the official Swiss train site to book tickets:

https://traintickets.myswitzerland.c...nY=0&nC=0&nS=0

I imagine you mean Freiburg (Breisgau), the last major stop in Germany before Basel.

You should book Freiburg(Breisgau) to Zermatt in advance at the German Railways website as you will then get cheap Sparpreis advance-purchase fares from just €29 - which is actually cheaper than the Swiss domestic fare from Basel to Zermatt!

Within Switzerland, use www.sbb.ch to find train times and prices. There's no need to reserve most Swiss domestic trains, just buy at the station.

The easiest way to get from Freiburg (the Freiburg closest to the Black Forest) is to catch a train to Basel, then switch to a train to Visp, then to Zermatt.

From Freiburg to Basel, the scenery is pleasant but not exciting. From Basel to Visp, you will see some of the Alps between Bern and Spiez unless the weather is poor. You then go into a long tunnel coming out near Visp. From Visp to Zermatt, the trip offers a nice helping of Alpine eye candy. You will get even more if, while you're in Zermatt, you take the Gornergrat train, as you should if weather allows.

If you catch the 9:01 ICE from Freiburg to Basel, you'll have about 35-40 mins before your train to Visp departs, enough time to get yourself a coffee or tea and snacks for the ride. There are both Coop and Migros grocery stores in the train station; the Coop is smaller but has shorter lines but OTOH, the Migros has counters selling sandwiches and takeaway foods. There is also a branch of the ubiquitous Basel-based Sutter bakery chain plus a place selling soft pretzels and a faux American bakery that sells overpriced, terrible doughnuts. All the usual Swiss train station eateries and cafes.

NO to the Germany-Switzerland Eurailpass as it does not cover nearly as much in Switzerland as a Swiss Pass will - like getting to Murren - the Eurailpass would give at most 25% off Interlaken-Ost to Murren whereas a Swiss Pass will cover it in full. Plus Swiss Passes can give 50% off trips to mountain tops on days the pass is being used and Eurails zilch. A Swiss Pass is a great deal for your train plans - the Eurail will not even cover 25% from Visp or Brig to Zermatt I think but the Swiss Pass covers it in full.

for lots on Swiss trains and passes check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Listen to man in 61. He knows his stuff and has a site dedicated to train travel.

Why not keep your car until the last day and return the car at Singen or Konstanz (both Germany), both 40 miles fron Zurich airport and both 1 hr by (frequent) train from Zurich airport?

According to your Black Forest intinerary, a drop off at Konstanz, Singen, Waldshut, Säckingen, Rheinfelden (Baden), Loerrach, Weil am Rhein could also make sense if you plan to continue in Switzerland by train.

Trains from Freiburg im Breisgau via Berne to Zermatt about every hr from 5.31 until 19.01

More scenic alternatives:
Berne Brig by scenig train Loetschberger, Berne dp every hr from 7.39 until 19.39 - Zermatt ar about 3 1/2 hrs later.
Basel - Lucerne - Andermatt - Fiesch - Brig - Zermatt
Basel - Berne or Lucerne - Meiringen - PostBus - Grimselpass - Oberwald - train - Zermatt.

You will get even more if, while you're in Zermatt, you take the Gornergrat train, as you should if weather allows.>

Ah yeh the weather is very fickle up there - often see the Matterhorn shrouded in clouds or fog - so if only gong to glimpse perhaps the world's most famous mountain plan on spending a few days and even then...