[Removed user]

18 September 2012 at 18:05:45 #805622

I am planning our Aug 2013 trip and need some help. We fly into Zurich and plan to take the train to Thun. We will spend one night in Thun and then to make the trip fun we think we will take the boat to Speiz walk around the town a bit and then get a train to Zermatt. How many “trips” will this be considered on a swiss flexi pass? If we take the boat Thun-Speiz and then train Speiz-Zermatt on the same day is that considered one or two “trips”?

Thanks for any help. Also, what could we do with our luggage in Speiz if we want to explore for a couple of hours? Are there lockers at the train station?

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[Removed user]

18 September 2012 at 22:19:51 #837206

hello and welcome to the forum.
If you are using the free day option on your pass then all trips that day are covered, so the boat trip and train trip will be free. There are lockers at Spiez railway station but I should warn you that it is quite a walk from the boat staion to the train station and mostly uphill! I am not sure if there is a bus that can take you part of the way – we have never found one from very close to the boat station. Perhaps you can look at the Spiez tourism website to see if there is information there about buses. It would also tell you what to see in Spiez. Have fun.
Maggie

[Removed user]

19 September 2012 at 9:04:42 #837207

Thanks. So is there a “free day” on all swiss flexi passes? I didn’t realize this when I looked at the options and prices. Also, will we be sorry to make this travel plan if it is so difficult to get from the boat to the train in Spiez if the walk is difficult? We will have our luggage with us and we will have to find some way to get from the boat station to the train station! Are there taxis?? Thanks for answering so many questions!
Lisa

[Arno]

19 September 2012 at 9:45:07 #837208

Hi Lisa,

You can best review the Swiss Flexi Pass page for details. The pass includes a number of free travel days. You can travel on as many trains, buses and boats as you like on such a day.

Walking from the boat dock to the rail station in Spiez is uphill but doable if you take your time (especially with luggage). It’s 20-30 minutes of walking I guess. But I would recommend to take more time to stroll around the harbour a bit and take a look at the ancient castle. There is a bus stop called “Spiez, Schiffstation” at the boat dock. Buses (refer to the timetable a couple of weeks before you depart) and a tourist train depart from this bus stop to the rail station in summer.

[Removed user]

19 September 2012 at 10:01:38 #837209

Thank you. I guess if we all have luggage on wheels then perhaps we can make the walk. If most of what we are seeing is right near the Harbor then we can see that and then take a bus to the train. Do you think that one night in Thun is enough? I was thinking of this: Land in Zurich early morning Aug. 6 train directly to Thun. Explore a bit, spend the night, explore a bit in the morning and then boat to Spiez for a bit of exploring before train to Zermatt. 3 nights in Zermatt then train to Chamoniz, 3 nights in Chamonix then train back to Zurich where we have to spend the night at the airport for an early flight out on Aug. 14.

I have not made hotel reservations yet so we could add a night in Thun and take a night away from either Zermatt or Chamonix if that makes more sense. Any ideas would be appreciated! This is a great Forum!!

Lisa

[Removed user]

19 September 2012 at 10:49:31 #837210

Hello Lisa,
a suggestion for you for the time in Thun – if you are using the Pass for your journey from the airport to Thun as your first free day, then you can use it for free entry to Thun castle in the afternoon after checking in to your hotel then have a free boat ride in the evening on Lake Thun. On weekdays there is an evening excursion from Thun to Beatenbucht and back – it leaves Thun at 18.40 and arrives back at 21.20. This is a charming way to spend your first evening in Switzerland as there are lovely views of lakeside villages, castles and mountains to get you in the mood to start your holiday. We did this on our first evening this year. We use Thun as our holiday base as it is so easy to get to other places from. For trip to Zermatt I suggest to go by the slower route via Goppenstein as it is more scenic than the quick route through the tunnel (enter Goppenstein as your via station when checking train times in the sbb. website). As Arno has advised check out the information on the Swiss Flexi Pass page – I would use first and last day of your trip and the trip to Zermatt as free days then whatever other days involve a lot of travelling (depends on which pass you buy) – other days have 50% discount. Also check out whether an 8 day Swiss Pass would be better value. Compare the costs nearer the time when you have clearer idea of your travel plans when in in Zermatt and Chamonix. You can save 15% when buying the Saver version of the passes as well – it involves the named persons on the pass travelling together. Also the Family Card can be ordered with pass (free with pass) for free travelling for the children when accompanied by pass holders. Rail passes save you a lot of money – we compared the cost of our Swiss Saver Pass plus the discounted tickets we bought for cablecars etc against all point – to – point tickets we would have needed and found we would have had to pay more than double for the point – to – point tickets at full price.
This is indeed a great forum and I am sure you will find lots of ideas here for your holiday. Enjoy the planning.
Maggie