Advice for 4 days in Switzerland in March
A traveler is planning a trip to Switzerland from March 6 to 9. They want advice on their itinerary, which includes visits to Lucerne, Murren, Schilthorn, Jungfraujoch, and the Glacier Express. They are particularly interested in optimizing their use of the Swiss Travel Pass and ensuring their travel plans are efficient.
- Use luggage lockers at Lucerne station; they have three sizes available for a small fee.
- Consider reserving a seat on busy trains for comfort or opting for first-class if desired for a special experience.
- If weather isn't ideal for mountain trips, explore alternatives like boat trips on Lake Thun or visiting cities like Bern or Thun.
AI-generated summary-
Hi,
I would be very grateful for any advice in connection with my upcoming visit to Switzerland, 6-9 March 2018. I will not be skiing, but I am up for a bit of walking.
I land at Zurich airport at 12 noon on 6 March, and my plan is to get the first available train to Lucerne.
Spend an hour or two in Lucerne (assuming there is a left luggage facility at Lucerne train station) and then continue my journey to Murren, arriving at my hotel late evening on 6th March.
7th March – Schilthorn and Allmendhubel. Night of 7th March, second night in Murren hotel.
8th March – Jungfraujoch. Late afternoon on 8th March travel from Murren to Brig. Night 0f 8th March, stay in Brig hotel.
9th March – Glacier Express from Brig (depart 10.12) to Chur (arrive 14.15). Spend an hour or so in Chur and then catch train to Zurich airport in time for flight at 18.55.
I have costed out the various elements of the trip and for what I want to do, the 4 day Swiss Travel Pass at 270CHF looks the best value.
Does my itinerary look ok? I’m happy to reverse 7th and 8th March itinerary and do Jungfraujoch before Schilthorn/Allmendhuble if that is a better option. I had considered staying 3 nights in Murren and getting up very early 0n 9th March, to get to Brig in time for 10.12 train, but it is very early start to the day.
The Lucerne-Interlaken Express – is it worthwhile paying for first class or reserving a seat?
The Glacier Express (Brig to Chur) – is it worthwhile paying for first class?
I see that it is often said on the forum check the weather before you buy tickets to go up Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch. Assuming that I have already paid 270CHF for a 4 day Swiss Travel Pass, I need to do these trips to justify the expense of the pass. If the weather was really bad, what else could I do to get value out of the pass?
I look forward to your advice
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Hi Kevin, and welcome to MySwissAlps!
>> 6-9 March 2018 … Spend an hour or two in Lucerne (assuming there is a left luggage facility at Lucerne train station) and then continue my journey to Murren
Yes, there are luggage lockers alongside the first and last platforms. If you use the ones alongside Platform 15, they will be closer to the platform from which your train to Interlaken Ost will depart (i.e. Platform 12).
You’ll need some coins. Lockers come in 3 sizes (measured in centimetres), at different prices.
- Small – 24.8 x 42.0 x 75.0 – CHF 6
- Medium – 31.7 x 61.5 x 75.0 – CHF 7
- Large – 44.7 x 61.5 x 88.0 – CHF 9
>> arriving at my hotel late evening on 6th March.
Sunset will be around 18:19. If you travel in the dark, you will miss some beautiful scenery between Luzern/Lucerne and Mürren.
>> 7th March – Schilthorn and Allmendhubel … 8th March – Jungfraujoch … I’m happy to reverse 7th and 8th March itinerary and do Jungfraujoch before Schilthorn/Allmendhuble if that is a better option.
It wouldn’t matter which order you did them in. If the first day has clear weather, go to the peak that is your top priority.
>> 9th March – Glacier Express from Brig (depart 10.12) to Chur (arrive 14.15). Spend an hour or so in Chur and then catch train to Zurich airport in time for flight at 18.55.
There is a tourist office in the Chur station, and they can give you a map showing where the notable sights are.
There is also some basic information here
http://www.myswitzerland.com/ en-au/old-town-chur.html
>> The Lucerne-Interlaken Express – is it worthwhile paying for first class or reserving a seat?
Second class is fine, and the carriages have large windows. The Swiss Timetable is currently predicting high occupancy levels for trains leaving Luzern for Interlaken Ost on 6 March between 16:00 and 18:30 – most likely commuters, and quite a few of them will probably get off between Luzern and Giswil, before the train ascends to the Brünig Pass. If you plan to travel during that time, for maximum comfort and convenience, you could either make a reservation (cheapest option) or upgrade to first class, which is predicted to have low to medium occupancy.
http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
>> The Glacier Express (Brig to Chur) – is it worthwhile paying for first class?
That’s a personal choice, but it is a special trip and many people like to enjoy the first-class experience.
>> I see that it is often said on the forum check the weather before you buy tickets to go up Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch. Assuming that I have already paid 270CHF for a 4 day Swiss Travel Pass, I need to do these trips to justify the expense of the pass. If the weather was really bad, what else could I do to get value out of the pass?
Bad weather alternatives for the Jungfrau Region in early March are a bit limited, as a lot of the usual alternatives are not open at that time of year. There are a few options though:
- Boat trip on Lake Thun (winter timetable, very limited departures)
http://www.bls.ch/-/media/bls/pdf/fahrpla ene/schiff/fahrplan-sommer-2018.pdf?la=en&vs=1
- Grindelwald Glacier Gorge
http://www.grindelwaldsports. ch/en/opening-hours-1749.html
- City visits to Thun, Bern, Fribourg or Solothurn
- Trip on the Golden Pass route to Montreux via Zweisimmen and back
It also depends on whether “bad weather” means simply that the peaks are in the clouds, or whether it is raining or snowing heavily. If it is simply a matter of clouds at the peaks, and there is any chance of them clearing up later in the day, I would stay nearby and explore the local villages, being ready to head up to the peaks if the clouds move off.
I think it is also worth going just as far as Kleine Scheidegg or Eigergletscher on the Jungfraujoch route if they are clear, as the scenery is magnificent. You could also check whether there are clear views from First above Grindelwald.
You can find out about conditions at the top on the following webcams:
http://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/live/webcams/
Jungfrau weather
http://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/live/weather/#jungf raujoch
Webcams Schilthorn
Alpenrose
Thank you very much for a wonderfully detailed reply to my questions. You have been very helpful
You’re welcome 🙂
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