Day trip Alps from Zurich, next day to Strasbourg
A traveler plans to visit Zurich starting December 14th and wants advice on a day trip for December 15th, focusing on scenic train rides through the Alps. They are considering the Glacier Express and seek recommendations for possible round trips and the best train passes for extensive travel in Europe.
- Take a round trip from Zurich to Bern, Interlaken, and Lucerne for beautiful views.
- Use the Saver Day Pass for your transportation needs as it covers much of the travel costs.
- Download the SBB Mobile app for easy timetable checking and ticket purchasing.
- The Jungfrau Region offers better views than the Glacier Express, which may not feature glaciers despite its name.
AI-generated summary-
Hi everyone,
I will be arriving in Zurich on December 14th. On the 15th, my goal is to take a day trip and take a train ride through the alps. The next day I will leave from Zurich and go to Strasbourg, France and then Stuttgart, Munich, and back to Zurich all by train. My questions are: What city should I go to from Zurich and what city should I leave to go back to Zurich via train? I have all day. Should I do the glacier express? Since I am going to be spending a lot of time on trains throughout Europe, what would be the best train passes to get? I have been reading forum posts, and this may seem like a lot, but I am completely new to all of this so any help would be appreciated.
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Hello vrdanger and Welcome to MySwissAlps,
The major panoramic trains such as the Glacier Express tend to be more suited to moving from one part of Switzerland to the other rather than as a round trip from a single base.
With only 1 day available I would suggest you have a look at a round trip Zurich – Bern – Interlaken – Luzern – Zurich. From Interlaken take an excursion into the Jungfrau Region.
A Saver Day Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/sa verdaypass) will cover much of your transport costs.
By far the best way to check timetables, find fares* and buy tickets on-line if required is using the SBB Mobile app (bit.ly/2ICIUHi). In the unlikely event you don’t have a device capable of running the app then you can use the timetable on the SBB website (bit.ly/2HH1U7B). If you are not familiar with using the timetable it will pay to first read the instructions on this page – http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable.
* The SBB website shows half-fare prices by default, the mobile app allows you to nominate whether to show full or half-fares (by editing the passenger details in settings) and is also smart enough to offer you the Saver Day Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/sa verdaypass) if that offers the best fare. The app also show a platform map (at least at the larger stations) to help you make conections.
See also:
From Zurich to Strasbourg you could consider the train through the Black Forest from Zurich via Singen and Offenburg.
Thank you so much for that information. I will definitely download the app. I have been seeing people talk about going Zurich – Chur-Brig – Zurich, with the Glacier express between Chur and Brig. Is the itinerary you mentioned similar to the views I would get on the Chur to Brig GE? If I get the eurorail global pass, would the train rides in Switzerland be covered? Sorry for all the questions, but this seems like the best place to get answers.
“Is the itinerary you mentioned similar to the views I would get on the Chur to Brig GE?“
The views in the Jungfrau Region (https://www.myswissalp s.com/jungfrauregion) are far better than the Glacier Express (https://www.myswissalp s.com/glacierexpress) (which despite its name does NOT include views of any glaciers).
“If I get the eurorail global pass, would the train rides in Switzerland be covered?“
Generally, yes but see http://www.myswissalps.com/eu railglobalpass/validit y.
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