Preethi1

Hello! I am looking for help with my Switzerland itinerary!

Saturday, August 24, 2019 land at 830 AM- train to Lucerne, stay in Lucerne.

Sunday, August 25, 2019-lucerne, travel and stay in Grinenwald (or other town in that area)

Monday, August 26, 2019- stay in Grindenwald or other town in that area.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019- Grindenwald area- travel and stay in montreaux

Wednesday, August 28, 2019- montreaux (maybe gryyres)- stay in Montreaux or travel to Zermatt and stay there

Thursday, August 29, 2019- zermat

Friday, August 30, 2019- zermat

Saturday, August 31, 2019- Glacier express to st moritz. Over night st moritz

Sunday, September 01, 2019 Morning train to Zurich.

Monday, September 02, 2019 Fly home in the morning.

We are young and not afraid to do it all and have a lot of energy. Mostly interested in a nature/ hiking trip vs. cities (which is why basel, bern not on my planned itinerary). I am looking for feedback on any edits you would make as far of length of time in areas- is the hiking/ etc better in the grindewald area or Zermatt? Trying to decide if we should stay 2 nights in Montreaux (possibly want to visit gruyere as well??). also any suggested changes to order of cities you would make?

We will likely travel by train- but my boyfriend really wants to drive at some point too- so once we finalize the cities/nights we will determine what combo makes sense…

Preethi1

also- we would consider staying an extra day in Montreaux and skipping the glacier express and doing the golden pass instead.. so Lucerne to montreaux- to grindenwald to zermatt and back to zurich. would we be missing a lot by skipping glacier express if we did the golden pass? we wouldnt have much time to enjoy st moritz before heading to zurich.

PalenQ

In any case with that much train travel a Swiss Travel Pass could be great - good on boats, buses urban transports and free entry to hundreds of Swiss sights and museums. There may be a youthpass if under 26. Would be hard to mix driving with that itinerary. for lots on Swiss transports and passes check www.sbb.ch; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteeves.com.

twk

With that limited time, I'd pick one mountain area (Zermatt or the Berner Oberland) and spend more time at that single location, rather than trying to do two. The problem in the mountains is weather. If you have a low cloud ceiling, that really defeats the purpose of going to high altitude sites, and you have to find an alternative on those days. I know what the alternatives are in the BO, but really can't help you with Zermatt. However, I'm told that side of the mountains stays a little drier, so they do have that going for them.

neckervd

Golden Pass, Glacier Express, Bernina Express:
The trains are somewhat similar, but the areas they cross are really different.

" we would consider staying an extra day in Montreaux and skipping the glacier express and doing the golden pass instead"
I can hardly understant this sentence. The usual touristic 3 hrs itinerary from Interlaken to Montreux goes via Golden Pass anyway, with 1 train change at Zweisimmen.
The shorter alternative (2 1/4 hrs) would be Interlaken - Spiez (train change) - Visp (train change). Visp is a station of the Glacier Express line Zermatt - St. Moritz.

It wouldn't make any sense to go by Glacier Express up to St. Moritz just for sleeping and to backtrack the following morning all the way to Chur (in order to go to Zurich)
St. Moritz and the neighbouring villages form a spectacular hiking area (trails from vineyards and chestnut tree forests up to glaciers and to tons of mountain lakes) which deserves a stay of several days.

PalenQ

Glacier Express one of most overrated scenic trains in Europe except at beginning and ends - many trains just as scenic.

Preethi1

Thank you all for the help! what i meant was instead of doing the glacier express- we could do an extra day in montreaux- and do our routing to include the golden pass from interlaken to montreax. based on the feedback we will either do 1 night in lucerne, 3 in Grindelwald, 2 in montreaux, 2 in zermatt, and 1 in zurich or some variation...

PalenQ

Yes to Golden Pass where seat reservations are optional but advised for seats in nearly all-glass Observation Cars - for a real treat check out VIP seats on the GP web site -you sit opposite the driver in a separate compartment. I'd skip Zermatt - often shrouded in clouds the Matterhorn is and it's a large detour up and back - I'd add a night or two to Lucerne - which has oodles of day trips on the lake with boats or other places.

kja

JMO, but I would find this itinerary unsatisfying. You might want to choose EITHER Zermatt OR Montreux so you can add a day to Lucerne and add one to the Bernese Oberland (I'm not a fan of Grindelwald -- too many buses -- but its not a bad choice).

neckervd

" I'd skip Zermatt - often shrouded in clouds the Matterhorn is and it's a large detour up and back"

I could say exactly the same concerning Jungfraujoch:
" I'd skip Grindelwald - often shrouded in clouds the Jungfrau is and it's a large detour up and back"
The probability of clouds is higher at Eiger-Moench-Jungfrau than at Monte Rosa - Matterhorn.

RT jounrey times:
Interlaken - Jungfraujoch: 4 hrs 10 min
Visp - Gornergrat: 4 hrs

So, let's decide the OP.

neckervd

" Glacier Express one of most overrated scenic trains in Europe except at beginning and ends"

so, the ride along Lake Oberalp is obviously part of the "boring" middle leg
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&tbm=isch&q=oberalpsee&chips=qberalpsee,online_ chipsberalppass,online_chipsee,online_chips:la ke&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjJ4bvg2tniAhUPExoKHehVCuQQ4lYIN igL&biw=1920&bih=916&dpr=1
like the crossing of the Ruinaulta Canyon
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en/exp...-grand-canyon/

PalenQ

Neckervd - have you ever taken the Glacier Express? Most tourists do Zermatt to Chur or St Moritz and times I've been on the train folks are drinking from the tilting wine glasses more than watching the scenery. Much more scenic trains in Jungfrau area for example so it ain't that the scenery is not nice but during that marathon ride for casual tourist gets rather ordinaire even though it's somewhat extraordinaire.

Would you agree the GlEX is far from the most scenic train in Switzerland but one may think so as I've seen many tv ads recently touting it. Plus it costs a lot more than ordinary trains.

neckervd

Palen, you are right: most foreign tourists don't look out of the window when sitting in trains.
But that doesn't mean, that a itinerary is not scenic.

For me, the most scenic train (incl. rope railways) and bus line legs in Switzerland are:

Zermatt - Gornergrat
Wengen - Eigergletscher
Pontresina - Bernina - Tirano
Visp - Saas Fee - Mittelallalin
Sierre - St-Luc - Chandolin
Le Chatelard - Emosson
Sierre - Montana
Gruetschalp - Muerren - Allmendhubel
Hohtenn - Brig - Simplon Pass - Gondo - Domodossola - Centovalli - Locarno - Cadenazzo - Magadino - Luino
St. Moritz - Chiavenna - Menaggio - Lugano - Capolago - Monte Generoso
Montreux - Montbovon - Gruyeres
Lausanne - Puidoux-Chexbres - Vevey
Meiringen - Grimsel Pass - Nufenen Pass - Airolo - Gotthard Pass - Andermatt - Susten Pass - Meiringen
Ligerz - Preles
Biel/Bienne - Neuchatel - Chambrelien - Les Hauts-Geneveys
Vitznau - Rig Kulm
Alpnachstad - Pilatus Kulm
Wilderswil - Schynige Platte
Martigny - Chamonix
St. Moritz - Chantarella - Corviglia
Sion - Arolla
Andermatt - Disentis - Reichenau
Filisur - Bravuogn - Samedan - Scuol-Tarasp - Tschlin
Bex - Villars - Bretaye
Montreux - Rochers de Naye
Lugano - Monte San Salvatore
Magadino-Vira - Indemini
Davos - Fluela Pass - Susch
Nyon - St-Cergue - La Givrine
Neuchatel - Yverdon - Baulmes - Ste-Croix - Les Rasses
Biasca - Pass dal Lucomagn - Disentis
Thun - Interlaken - Meiringen - Brunig Pass

PalenQ

Easier to list trains that are NOT scenic!

Here's mine:

https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...trains-571126/

neckervd

PALENQUES SCENIC SWISS TRAINS is really amazing. My complimnts!

As you saw, I added the scenic trains/funiculars in the 3Lakes/Jura area.
And if you really want to enjoy Switzerland, you shouldn't sit more than 2 hrs in the same train. Combinations of trains, boats, gondolas, funiculars and postbuses are always better. And as not only the railway llines are scenic, but also the towns where the trains pass through, people should leave their trains, put the luggage in the lockers they find in any somewhat important train station and visit places like Martigny, Sion, Brig, Thun, Bern, Fribourg, Neuchatel, Solothurn, Bellinzona, Lugano.......

And scenic railway lines don't end at the Swiss border.
Continue from Martigny/Vallorcine to Chamonix - St. Gervais - Annecy - Chambery - Grenoble - Monestier - Gap - (bus) - Digne - Nice,
continue from Martigny to Orsieres - (bus) - Grand St.Bernard Hospice - (bus) - Aosta - Turin - Cuneo - Limone - Tenda - Breil - Sospel - Nice,
continue from Poschiavo to Tirano - (bus) - Edolo - Lake Iseo - Brescia,
continue from Scuol-Tarasp by bus to Malles and then by train to Meran - Bozen - Brixen - Franzensfeste - Toblach - Lienz - Spittal Millstaettersee - Villach - Jesenice - Lake Bled - Soca Bridge - New Gorica - Sezana - Trieste,
etc. etc.