maxx1318

Hi all,

We intend to visit Florence after Venice, Naples & Roma in September next. We also wanted to go to the Interlaken for the Jungfraujoch excursion. however we are experiencing some problem to book train tickets from Florence with minimum change as we will be a whole family of 5. If any one had ever done this trip, grateful if you would share and help us choose the right train..

PalenQ

You will have to change at least once i think as the formerly thru Florence to Switzerland Cisalpino train has been scrubbed and Italian Railways have even cancelled many trains that went into Switzerland, ending them at the border, causing another transfer - so expect to change at least once in Milan and perhaps at Brig and always at Spiez - once you get to Switzerland there are hourly trains you can just hop on. For schedules i always use the Wunderbar bahn.de or German Railways web schedule that has schedules for trains all over Europe and is to me the eaiest to use - far easier than www.trenitlia.com - which you will not be able to book on because it seems American credit cards just will not work (many Fodorites have said) - so you just buy your ticket in Florence or at any Italian train station - or if you want a ticket in hand before leaving then RailEurope is about the only solution but compare RE's fares to those on trenitalia.com (Florence to Brig) and www.sbb.ch - Swiss Railways Brig to Interlaken and compare how much more you will pay thru RE - sometimes not much more but sometimes a whole lot more. (For any RE product i always suggest using their agent www.budgeteuropetravel.com for their great personal service - i have bought railpasses from them for years and can attest to that (a good way to reach the bahn.de's English schedule page is to go to their home page and click on the link "The Best European Railways Timetable" or some such wording and up pops the English schedule page of bahn.de where you just put in Florence and Interlaken and the date and you will get all the trains for that day.
If it were me i would first compare the fares for purchase here and when you get there and if substantial savings wait until Italy and if in Italy you can only buy a ticket to Brig fine because once in Brig it is a snap to buy a ticket from there to Interlaken - trains in Italy demand seat reservations but not so in Switzerland so with a ticket you can hop any train - indeed seat reservations are not even possible in Switzerland.
And do not worry about not being able to get on trains in Italy as there are lots of trains to say Milan and from Milan to Brig and some actually will go thru from Milan to Spiez where you always have to change to reach Interlaken.

maxx1318

thank you for your suggestions. we will try it and post our comment on our return.

PalenQ

Most Fodorites prefer the impossibly dreamy mountain villages like Wengen, Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald over Interlaken itself and to get to these towns you take the train from Spiez to its terminus at Interlaken-Ost (East station - the train will first stop at Interlaken-West station - you want to buy a ticket to Interlaken-Ost if going up into the hills) and then change to mountain trains to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen (each about 20-25 mins from Interlaken) or Wengen (about 50 mins). These towns are also en route to the Jungfrau trains - you have to go thru them from Interlaken to get to the Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest train station and one surrounded by a sea of ice and glaciers and 360-degree views of Alpine majesty.

pookymimi

I'm in Interlaken right now and we got here through Milano to Lake Como then Montreux. From Montreaux we took the Golden Train, panoramic train cheaper than other trains.

You have the choice to get off on Interlaken West or Ost if you stay in Interlaken. We got off on Interlaken West as we are staying in Balmers Guesthouse, the buses leave the train station, very convenient and the Guesthouse gave us free bus tickets.

Today we went to Grindelwald, little resort foot of the Jungfraujoch, from there you can take train/gondolas to the top, weather permitted.

Weather has been very flaky for us, we got here yesterday with torrential rain, today not much better some sun then rain again, but at least we had nice weather to do some in Grindelwald is a nice expensive resort. Tomorrow we are going to attempt taking the gondolas after getting to Gimmelwald or do some hikes down from there. Thursday is our last day in Zurich and we fly back to Denver Friday. I can't believe how fast our 2 months passed.

PalenQ

Rain and periods of it are always a potential problem in this area - but if the weather turns poor day trip to Bern (lots of covered walkways in this gorgeous old city) or Lucerne, etc.