Unexpected Stay In Zurich-Help With Day Trips By Train
 

Hello everyone,
DH has had a short notice business trip to Zurich, unexpectedly tacked on to the end of a 25th anniversary trip that we're taking to the Czech Republic and Germany, leaving this Sunday. For the short notice, his company is covering all costs(for me), has scheduled our hotel in Zurich(Zurich Marriott Hotel)for 5 nights and even purchased a 4 day Swiss Pass for us(hurray). Will not complain about being tied to Zurich for our lodging, since we aren't paying a bit of it-we feel very fortunate. DH only has meetings on the 1st day and last day of this time period, so we have 3 full days on our own. With his schedule, we should have a few hours each of the two days in Zurich to see some of the city, which we have only passed through on other trips. We stayed in Luzern on another trip, using it as a base and visiting Mt. Pilatus, Mt. Rigi, Bern and Bellinzona/Locarno by train as day trips. Hoping someone can suggest some other trips that we can do by train easily in a day. Off the top of my head, I've thought about St. Gallen, Brienz, Basel and Rapperswil, all of which we considered on our previous trip. Would Neuchatel or Gruyeres be too far if we got an early start?

We are a late 50's couple, moderately fit(one with a tricky knee)so prefer to wander around pretty little villages (and cities as well), love and appreciate beautiful architecture, old churches/castles, history, good food & wine and just soaking in the beauty that is Switzerland.

We would be so thankful to hear any of your own experiences with day trips as time is short to properly research. I do have a guidebook that I will take from our last trip. Also would love to have any suggestions for making the most of our little time in Zurich.

Thank you in advance for your time to answer!

Nothing is far and there are plenty of trips you can take outside of Zurich.
Try this:
http://www.stanserhorn.ch/en/#_=_

Both lakes are beautiful and you can see and visit a few castles on lake Thun, Oberhofen and Spiez.

<i>Unexpected Stay In Zurich-Help With Day Trips By Train
Posted by: bumbleb on Apr 12, 16 at 6:44pm</i>

Zug. Less than half an hour by train.

Of the places you mention for day-trips, I adored Basel (which, I believe, would be 1 or 1.5 hours away). Gruyere is, I think, about 2.5 hours away -- but then you need to actually get to the town itself, which will add some time. Brienz is, I think, a bit far afield for a day trip from Zurich -- about 2.5 hours by train, and then time to get to Ballenberg, etc. (St. Gallen and Rapperswil didn't make my final cut, even though both sounded delightful, so I can't comment on either except to say that each would seem to be a manageable distance.)

Some other options: If you have an interest in art, Winterthur is very near (about 1/2 hour away) and has a surprising number of small museums, each with some outstanding pieces. I thoroughly enjoyed Solothurn (about an hour away) and Stein-am-Rhein, Thun, and Fribourg/Freiburg (each about 1.5 hours each way). And if you have any interest in prehistory, the Latenium is well worth visiting even if it is a bit further afield (2 to 2.5 hours each way).

Zurich itself is, IMO, seriously underrated -- I hope you are able to enjoy it! I'm not sure if you are looking specifically for things to do "after work," but as I recall, there are't very many sites that are open in the evening. But I could be wrong! I believe that the excellent National Museum is open until 7 on Thursdays and the Kunsthaus, which I thought well worth visiting, is open until 8 p.m. on both Wed. and Thurs.

I am confident that I good guidebook will provide infinitely better information than anything I can say, but you might want to take a look at my trip report for a few other ideas -- just click on my screen name to find it.

Hope that helps!

I went to St. Gallen:

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...ecting-zurich/

If Konstanz hadn't been hosting Oktoberfest, I would probably have gone there instead.

All depends on your interests, the weather and the season. Almost everything can be done as a day trip from Zurich.

Neuchatel: 1 1/2 hrs by train, trains run every 30 min
can be combined with:

Zurich - Bern - Murten by train; visit of the walled medeival city of Murten, afternoon boat (1 1/4 hrs cruise) to Neuchatel, visit of the old city, the cathedral, the castle..;

Zurich - Solothurn by train, Solthurn dp 9.10 by Aar river boat to Biel/Bienne ar 11.55, dp 12.00 by connecting Lake Biel boat to La Neuveville, lunch at reaturant at the lake's shore, visit of the tiny medieval city, dp by train 15.04 - Neuchatgel ar 15.23;

visit of the celtic Lake Dwellings Museum at Ntel Hauterive;

visit of the Swiss Watch making museum at La Chaux de Fonds (27 min by train - every 30 min - from Ntel.

etc. etc.

Zurich - Gruyeres city centre lasts 2 1/2 hrs by train and bus, change at Fribourg, Bulle and Gruyeres railway station. Can be combined with the visit of the chocolate factory at Broc and with the medieval city of Fribourg.

If you like mountrain lakes an glaciers, you may go in 4 hrs by train to Diavolezza (glacier in front of Piz Bernina etc.)
and stop over around Lake Silvaplana or Lake Segl on the way back.

You may also visit the Rhine Falls, the medieval city and castle of Schaffhausen and proceed by Rhine river boat up to Lake Constance

Thanks all for your replies! We are aware that our trips out will be ruled by the weather and plan to be flexible and have ideas for fair and foul weather in mind. As always, there will be so much more to do than there is time to do it in.

@kja-your trip report was so eloquent and inspiring! Have you ever considered being a travel writer? You have a way of making the reader feel like they are there with you! Thanks for the suggestions also. We are actually excited about our time in Zurich and hope to see the National Museum, the Kunsthaus and the Old Town. Solothurn and Winterthur going on the list also. They both sound fascinating!

@thursdaysd-loved reading about your time in Zurich and St. Gallen. Thanks for the link!

@neckervd-you helped us with suggestions on a previous trip and always appreciate your replies and ideas! We definitely have Murten/Neuchatel on our list as well as Schaffhausen. Thanks!

@longroadahead-Stanserhorn would be a great option if we have a good weather day. Thanks for the idea!

@spaarne-will look into Zug and thanks for the suggestion.

Hi B,

Lindau (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-...Vacations.html ) is only 2 hr away, no change of trains. See www.bahn.de

The Pfahlbaumuseum in Uhldingen (just down the shore) is also very interesting. ( https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...rttemberg.html

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Thank you, ira, for your suggestion. I do have a weakness for a pretty little waterfront town and the lighthouse is an added bonus!

Thanks for your kind words, bumbleb! I hope you enjoy what you see as much as I enjoyed what I saw. :-)