Wilhem tell express Or Bernina Express

  • Removed user
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    72625 posts
    21 June 2015 at 20:10:27 #807431

    Hey Guys

    First I want to thanks for your efforts behind this website. Its really handy tool to plan a trip. I am planning my 15 days Italy-Switzerland – Paris trip in last week of August. I will be spending 7 days in Switzerland staring on 26th of August. I have plan below itinerary using inputs from this forum.

    I will be travelling from Milan and planning to take either Wilhem tell express or Bernina express. Can you suggest which route is best… I know if take Bernina express I have to spend more time in travel ..is the journey is worth for extra time… also I will be miss the boat ride but I can do Luzernlake cruise separately or on the way to Mt. Pilatus. What’s your pick … Wilhem tell express or Bernina express ?

    On day 4 & 5 I am planning to some hiking activities around the first village and visit Schilthorn…can I do these activitieson a single day …this will be give me a extra day to explore other areas in Interlaken or in Montreux or can I visit Zermatt ..?? You suggestions are welcome …

    Also is it possible to visit Chocolate & Chees factory on the way to Montreux via goldenpass line?? at which train station I should get down ? …and is there any difference in experience if I take normal trains to Montreux instead of golden line train…?

    Considering my travel is 8 days Swiss Pass is good option?

    Day 1 Option 1 Wilhem tell express. Travel from Milan to Lugano to catch the Wilhem tell express (at 11.47 am) …overnight in Luzern. Option 2 Bernina Express. Travel from Milan to tirano to catch the Bernina express (at 14.26)….overnight in Zurich

    Day 2 On top of Mt. Pilatus & Mt Ragi

    Day 3 On top of Mt Titlis and Luzern local sightseeing Luzern to Interlaken …overnight in interlaken

    Day 4 Visit First village in morning and take some hiking trips; First to Grosse Scheidegg or First to Bachsee

    Day 5 visit Lauterbrunnen valley and walk upto Stechelberg,see Trümmelbach Falls and then to Schilthorn.

    Day 6 Golden pass express from to Interlaken to Montreux … on the way visit Chocolate & Chees factory overnight in Montreux

    Day 7 Travel to Paris via Lausanne

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    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    22 June 2015 at 14:32:29 #843894

    Hello Shridhar1982,

    Thanks a lot for your compliments, good to hear that!

    The Wilhelm Tell Express and Bernina Express are both worth your time and both very different. With the Wilhelm Tell Express, you won’t go very high into the mountains; you see them from the valley, and there’s a wonderful boat trip included. The Bernina Express is perhaps a bit more spectacular. I would pick that one in your case, especially since you can still do a separate boat trip. From the boat to Mount Pilatus you will only see a small part of the lake though. More details are here:

    Zermatt takes a lot of traveling time as a day trip. There is plenty to see much closer to Interlaken: myswissalps.com/ interlaken/ activities

    If you get off the train in Montbovon, you can change to Gruyères (cheese) or Broc-Fabrique (chocolate).

    You will do a lot of traveling so the 8-day Swiss Travel Pass is a good option indeed. Please see myswissalps.com/ swisstravelpass/price to find the best point of sale.

    Removed user
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    22 June 2015 at 14:57:32 #843895

    Hi Arno

    Thanks for your inputs …I was also inclined towards Bernina Express ..thanks for final push.

    Is the activities on day 4 and 5 can be done on a single day..so i can spend a day in other part of interlaken..as suggested.

    Can you please suggest some light activities near Lausanne on final day …before departing to paris.

    Regards

    Shridhar

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    22 June 2015 at 20:17:12 #843896

    <<“Day 4 Visit First village in morning and take some hiking trips; First to Grosse Scheidegg or First to BachseeDay 5 visit Lauterbrunnen valley and walk upto Stechelberg,see Trümmelbach Falls and then to Schilthorn.”>>

    <<“Is the activities on day 4 and 5 can be done on a single day..so i can spend a day in other part of interlaken..as suggested.”>>

    I have not tried to put those together in a single day. It would be difficult. I’m guessing it is possible with an early start, however, you’ll use up a lot of time on travel in from Interlaken and back out. Also – going from the Grindelwald/First area in one branch of the valley to the Stechelberg/ Lauterbrunnen area in the other branch of the valley takes time. You have to get between them.

    The SBB timetable ( link given below) says it takes 1 hour and 41 minutes to get from First to Stechelberg, twice per hour at xx11 or xx41, using 5 stages of public transport, via Zweilütschinen.

    Here are things you should know and some ways to get the data you would need to decide if it is possible to fit all that in a single day.

    1.- What time is the first and last lift, bus, cable car, cograil train or what have you, up to and down from the destinations.

    I’d spend some time laying out the whole journey. Here is a link to the SBB time table which provides schedules for all trains, boats, cable cars (lifts) in Switzerland:

    http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.htm l

    I give that link rather than the one in the forum, because the one in the forum does not have a “via” box until after you get into it.

    How much time will you spend on the walk?

    Here is a link to the First to Bachalp See walk – 2 hours and 30 minutes.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/bachsee

    How often does the connecting public transport run? Some run continuously ( lift from Grindelwald Grund to Männlichen), others every half hour ( some trains) or every twenty minutes ( some cable cars – Luftseilbahnen.). What happens if you finish your walk 5 minutes after a cable car leaves and you have to wait 25 minutes ….more than once…..

    First to Grosse Scheidegg- 1 hour 30 minutes –

    http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/first-grossescheidegg

    On the Lauterbrunnen Valley portion, you could ride the bus part or all of the way between Lauterbrunnen and Stechelberg.

    I was there last week and noted that the lifts up from Stechelberg to Gimmelwald to Mürren and on up to Schilthorn are coordinated, so that you get off of one and onto the next with little delay.

    Everyone has their own preferences, but, if I were doing it, I’d choose to spend more time in the Jungfrau proximity and less in Interlaken. Interlaken is a nice town, but you really experience the mountains when you are in Wengen, Grindelwald, Kleine Scheidegg, Mürren, etc.

    <<“Can you please suggest some light activities near Lausanne on final day …before departing to paris.”>>

    Lausanne is on a hillside. If you want some exercise, walk up and down the hillside. 😉

    1.- You could take the train ( funicular. maybe?) down to Ouchy and walk along the lake shore, in the direction toward Vevey and Montreux. (to the East.). Plenty of places to eat, good trail/road. Obviously, you would only go partway along it.

    http://www.myswitzerland.com/ en-us/metro-a-genuine-subway-up-and-down-the-mountain.html

    2.- It will be a little early for the vineyards to look their best – I like them in the fall when the golden and yellow tones have replaced the green of the leaves – but a nice train ride through the vineyards goes from Vevey to Puidoux-Chexbres Gare. The views over Lake Geneva, and over the vineyards near Lausanne (the Cote Lavaux) are really very nice. In the late afternoon, the sunshine makes them glow. (You may have to leave too early for that.)

    Either end of the short ride is reachable by train from Lausanne. Puidoux-Chexbres is a small local stop, so I’d look carefully at the schedules for that station. Vevey is on the mainline.

    You can do a circular route or an out and back route..

    3.- http://www.myswitzerland.com/ en-us/lausanne.html

    Removed user
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    23 June 2015 at 13:39:19 #843897

    Hi slowpoke ..thanks for the link and suggeations for Lausanne outings ..i had look at timetable ..now decided to stick to original plan of spending 2 days in interlaken ..i am looking at hotel options at Wengen.

    Regards

    shridhar

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    23 June 2015 at 14:07:56 #843898

    Glad I could be of some help.

    <<“:.i am looking at hotel options at Wengen.”>>

    My favorite thing to do while in Wengen is the walk from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg…..IN THAT DIRECTION, not the reverse. You want to have the Eiger in your sight, growing bigger and bigger for the full psychological effect of the walk.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/maennlichen-kleinescheidegg

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    23 June 2015 at 15:05:51 #843899

    Hi Shridhar,

    I’m not sure whether you’re looking for hotels in Interlaken or Wengen, but below pages will help you out with both:

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