two weeks trip to Switzerland and French Rivwra
 

My husband and I planning trip for about14 days to Switzerland and French Rivera. Any suggestion where to start and finish this trip. We probably going to use French Switzerland train pass . Any advice
would be greatly appreciated

Where will you come from?
How will you travel to Switzerland?
Where will you cross the border?
To which place will you go ofter Nice?
In which season will you travel?
What are your interests?
Do you plan to use mountain railways and buses (often not included in eurailpasses)?

We will be coming from USA beginning of September by plane to Zurich or Paris, or any other city you may suggest to make it more convenient or cheaper. We planning to buy pass not sure which is better? we would like to stay there about 8-9 days and then take train to Nice. Spend in the Riviera the rest of the stay before flying back home. Not sure if multi city flight is more appropriate? I know its more expensive...
We would like to see some cities and ofcourse some parts of the Alps. Please help with planing including places to stay. we would like to make it as less pricy as possible. Thanks a lot for your help!

You may have a look at
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en

what is the best way to get from Basel airport to Zurich airport and what would be the price for two people?

"what is the best way to get from Basel airport to Zurich airport and what would be the price for two people?"

Consult the sbb website -- neckervd already gave you the link.

There are numerous direct trains - including to the train station underneath Zurich airport. Takes about an hour.

Go to bahn.de for the schedule.

We probably going to use French Switzerland train pass >

If traveling around, even from a base for 8 straight days then the 8-conscutive-day Swiss Pass could be a great deal - if hiking in an area for some days then no. But if you are visiting more than one place especially and doing day trips around them yes.

Anyway here are some fab sites for learning about Swiss trains and passes and things like the Half-Fare Card: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Passes cover besides most trains lake boats, postal buses, city transports and gives free entry to 470+ Swiss museums and attractions like the popular Ballenberg Open-Air Museum overlooking Lake Brienz, one of the two lakes bookending Interlaken - $20 entry fee waived for passholders.

Thanks all for the great advises!
What would be the best plan for 9 days, starting in Zurich(Lucerne) and ending in Lausanne, and then take train to Nice. We would like to see few cities and around and also enjoy alpine train in Bernice Oberland.
Please help us, its our first trip to Switzerland.

Let's see Zurich landing day take short train ride to Lucerne

2-3 Lucerne - do a lake boat trip! Or Mt Pilatus or Mt Rigi both of which can be twinned with a boat ride

4- Take scenic train part of Golden Pass route up and over Brunig Pass to Interlaken-Ost and change trains for the hill town of your choice.

4-5-6-7 Jungfrau Region - say base in Grindelwald or Wengen

8-9- Take Golden Pass scenic train Interlaken to Montreux stay in Vevey or Montreux - a few miles from Lausanne - do a day trip on lovely Lake Geneva by boat - visit Castle Chillon or do the Chocolate train route to Gruyeres and Broc to tour the chocolate factory there.

10 - take train to Paris from Lausanne

an 8-consecutive-day Swiss Pass may be just the right ticket - valid on Golden Pass in full and lake boats in full and of course all regular trains not going just to mountain tops - 50% off usually for that except Jungfraujoch train from Wengen to Grindelwald to summit - 25% off.

If traveling nine days just stay around Montreux or do a cheap lake boat ride last day and train to Lausanne on day 10 would only be a few bucks.

Oh you are going to Nice - then you want to go to Geneva not Lausanne for best rail connections, via Lyon and TGVs from there - an all-day trip unless you break it up in say Provence - Avignon area which has so so much to see and do too.

But why Lausane if train to Nice - maybe something I do not know?

"Please help us, its our first trip to Switzerland." -- A good guidebook or two should prove invaluable. I thought the Michelin Green Guide particularly useful.

Thank you PalenQ and Kja.! I will be definitely using all your suggestions , and may be back with more questions...

Hi Milapogo,

PalenQ's itinerary is a good one, a great overview of some of the best spots in Switzerland.

However, I really wouldn't use one of your few days in Montreux to do the Chocolate Train. For one thing, you'll be going back over the very same territory/tracks that you were on on day 8 when you moved from the Jungfrau region to Montreux, so it would be a repeat of what you've already seen. For another thing, it will take up an entire day, robbing you of seeing some of Montreux and Lake Geneva.

Instead, you could do the parts of the Chocolate Train on your own while you are enroute on the Golden Pass from the Jungfrau area. You would have to send your luggage using the SBB's Fast Baggage service, then you would have all day to do the trip. Take the train to Montbovon and make the quick connection to get to Gruyeres to see the cheese factory, then stop in Broc-Fabrique to see the chocolate factory, then go back to Montbovon and continue to Montreux.

Let us know as more questions come up -- and have fun as you plan!

s

>>Not sure if multi city flight is more appropriate? I know its more expensive…<<

Not generally true. Open Jaw/multi city tickets usually cost about the same -- or very little more than R-T. And when you factor in the extra hassle/cost of getting back to your arrival airport, R-T can actually cost more.

Well I agree about the Chococlate Train on a limited time frame - just giving possibilities - a day trip to Gruyeres, a fine fine walled town would be an easy one though. So many nice possibilities - even just walking along the lake shore from Montreux a few miles to Chateau Chillon can make for a sweet sweet day!

I enjoyed taking the boat from Montreux to Evian-les-Bains in France (fully covered by a Swiss Pass) - a swank spa town famous of course for Evian mineral water - a taste of France just a short boat ride away.

Open jaw tickets can even cost less than round trips - like London with its exorbitant landing or take off or both fees mixed with an airport with less fees - airfares often make little sense anyway - sometimes flying from say Dallas to Detroit to Amsterdam I've seen costs less than Detroit to Amsterdam! Not sure if this still happens but was routine once - price it out and see what the difference is and I think you'll realize janisj makes a lot of good points.

Hello,
I really love all suggestions ! now we have our flights secured , we arrive to Zurich on Sept.3 and decide to stay for 2nights in Lucerne . we would love to spend one day for Mt. Pilates and another lake Lucerne and see around Lucerne.
Then from Sept 6 -8 Interlaken for 3 nights to explore the area. Need some suggestions please!
Leaving to Lasagne for 1 day, 2 nights,Sept.9-10, need some suggestions !please!
Then train to Geneva on Sept 10 to take the flight from Geneva to Nice on
Sept 11.
We will be back to Zurich on Sept !6 in the morning, to fly back home on Sept 18, so we may be spending day to go Basel and see Zurich.
please any correction and or suggestions really welcome.

also, do you think 10days French-Swiss Pass is better than just 8 days Swiss Pass. It would be the same price. do we have to use it in France or we can just use it in Switzerland ?
Thank all you very much.
Thank you all so much!
Al

I repeat my recommendation that you get a good guidebook or two, or at least consult a few at a library.