[Removed user]

11 May 2016 at 5:25:54 #809170

Hi All,

My Name is Ajay. I am new to forum so please pardon for my typos and mistakes.

I am planning a trip to Switzerland while going from USA to INDIA. I am starting from US on June 1st at 1 PM and reaching in Zurich after about 12 hours. So my stay in Switzerland is from June 2nd * AM to June 7th 12 PM.

Please suggest if below plan is good or is it too aggressive. I was even willing to short this plan for day or 2 and thinking of going to Paris but I am not sure if that is a good idea. Please suggest. I appreciate your help.

Also please suggest which Rail pass is best for me. I saw that Swiss Travel pass is available for 4 or 8 days (difference for all of us is $200, I will take 8 days if I am spending 6 days in Switzerland if I plan to go to Paris then I can take 4 days)

• DAY 1- We will be landing on 2nd June 8AM @Zurich and heading to Lucerne directly by train and hope to arrive by 10am. Do some activity in Lucerne (my go to mt titlis) and evening for Lake Lucerne and sleep in Lucerne ..
• Day 2- 3rd June (Ye Happy Bday) Engelberg and Titlis ,.night in lucerne
• Day 3- 4th June we do full day Jungfrau and come back to Interlaken. Night in Interlaken
• Day 3- 4th June cover some part of Golden pass and back to interlaken for night
• Day 4- 5th June -We cover Zermatt and Matterhorn..spend night in Zermatt
• Day 5- 6th June – We take Glacier Express from Zermatt get off in Chur and travel back to Zurich ..spend night in Zurich
• Day 6- 7th June 12:45 PM departure back from Zurich. Travel to India (8-10 hour flight

Please let me know what other reservations I should make in advance other than below:

1. Hotel in Lucerne- 2 night
2. Hotel in Interlaken- 2 night
3. Hotel in Zermatte- 1 night
4. Hotel in Zurich- 1 night
5. Swiss Travel Pass
6. Glacier Train Seat Reservation
7. Any thing else..???

I also wanted to know the easiest way to take money in Switzerland? Should we take some cash and use US credit card (Looks like all website except Visa and mastercards only no AMex or Discover..)

Can we rent big locker at Zurich airport to store luggage that is not needed while roaming around in Switzerland?

Thanks in Advance!!

Ajay

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[Annika]

11 May 2016 at 17:15:59 #851864

Hello Ajay, thanks for joining us!

Here are some answers and thoughts. First of all: including Paris means that you’ll spend yet another day on traveling, that could also be enjoyed in the Swiss Alps. I’d rather just focus on Switzerland, as it’s quite a short trip, but of course I’m heavily biased and I may not be the right person to answer this question ;-). Your personal preferences are most important.

I think the itinerary you’ve listed is full, but doable. Personally I wouldn’t want to make the trip to Titlis on the day of your arrival after such a long flight. Strolling through Lucerne, and maybe making a short boat ride if you all still feel fine, would be much more relaxed. Some of your other days contain long train transfers, but it’s up you to to estimate whether your children will be fine with that. You can check the timetable and the “Route” sections on each of our attraction pages for details. I assume that Jungfraujoch and Golden Pass on day 3 are alternatives and that you don’t plan to do both of them? That would really be too much. Day 5 will be long too. The Glacier Express up to Chur is about a 6 hour train ride, and Chur-Zurich will add another 1h15. Again, that’s all fine if you and your travel party look forward to this trip.

Alternatively, you can skip Zermatt and the Glacier Express and focus on the Lucerne and Interlaken regions instead. Both have lots and lots to offer; please review the links I’ve inserted.

If you stick to your itinerary, an 8 day Swiss Travel Pass would be the most convenient solution. You can also look into a 4 day Swiss Travel Pass plus regular tickets for day 1 and a local pass for Zurich on day 6, if needed. Other options may be better if you decide to make changes to your schedule, and in the end the only way to find out for sure which pass is best is making thorough calculations based on all details of your finalized itinerary.

Apart from hotel bookings, your Swiss Travel Pass and the Glacier Express seat reservations there are no other bookings that should be made in advance.

Please refer to this page for information on money and payment options. Lockers at Zurich (Airport) will be very expensive, but you’ll probably be able to use the luggage department. You’d best contact the SBB to ask for options and fares.

[Removed user]

22 May 2016 at 6:30:38 #851865

Thanks Annika.

I have shortened this itinerary after taking some suggestions from your reply.

Day- 1 Arrive at Zurich airport 8AM- Go to Lucerne – Boat trip to Lake Lucerne- Sleep in Lucerne

Day 2- Day trip to mt Titlis – Indian Dinner at Boat around lake lucerne (just found this is only available on 3rd June) Sleep in Lucerne

Day 3 – Reach Interlaken (may take golden pass train from Lucerne to Interlaken Ost)- check in to Hotel and small tour to Lake Thun or anything else

Day 4- Go to Jungfraujoch and back to hotel in interlaken

Day 5 – Go to Zurich – check in and take small tours in Zurich

Day 6- Go back to Airport

Please suggest.

Thanks,

Ajay

[Arno]

23 May 2016 at 6:47:30 #851866

Hi Ajay,

This plan looks realistic to me, and you will see quite a few very nice places. Do take the Golden Pass line to Interlaken. It’s the only direct train, and also the most scenic option.

You can print your Swiss Travel Pass at home in order to save time on arrival. It will be ready to use so you can board your first train quickly. All options are listed here. The easiest option is to visit http://www.swissrailways.com/ en. After filling out your address, they will show the delivery options. Pick “Online Ticket” from the bottom of that list. They will e-mail the pass (no delivery fees) so you can print it at home. Note that it takes 1-3 business days to process orders, so don’t wait too long considering your travel date.

Please excuse me for the late reply. We have some technical issues right now. That’s also why you can’t reply to this message immediately. Sorry for the inconvenience, we’re working on it!

Enjoy your stay!