[Anonymous]

18 October 2017 at 16:32:27 #813526

Hi Forum,

I need to enquire about the following to fine-tune my itinerary, hope someone can kindly advice:

1) In Zurich Airport, how do I get to the train station to board a direct train to Lucerne? I can’t seem to find a map of Zurich Airport on their website to indicate this.

2) In Zurich Airport, where can I leave my oversized baggage for storage of 1 month?

3) Which is the most cost-efficient WIFI card to purchase for a month usage? Any promotion and where can I purchase it in Zurich Airport? I have internet access at most of my AirBnB accommodations and would prefer one that can offer internet access for 2 persons at the same time.

4) I will be base in Wilderswil for 7 nights, should I purchase a Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland to move around Interlaken Ost, Wilderswil, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen Valley, Wengen and etc. I understand that a Swiss Travel Flex Pass does not cover areas in Interlaken.

Thank you in advance.

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[User]

Reply 1 of 5 • 19 October 2017 at 6:37:30 #871066

Hi Stephy,

1. We have a link on our Zurich airport page to their terminal plans (under the heading: more on other websites). Signage to the trains is very good at the airport. When you come through arrivals you cross a street to another building and head downstairs to the trains
2. There is a left luggage office at the airport that you can store bags for up to 3 months. It would get a little expensive if you need to use this service though.
3. We recommend Traveler’s Wifi, which we have more details on here. We have a 10% discount link there as well!
   It can handle up to 10 people connecting to the WiFi and it is extremely easy to use as well as pick up/drop off at the airport (or drop off at any mail box in Switzerland).
4. The Regional Pass – Bernese Oberland would work for you yes – but it isn’t available after Oct.31 (not a winter product). The Swiss Travel Pass and Swiss Travel Pass Flexwork everywhere in Switzerland all year-round. They are definitely valid in the Interlaken areas.
   Click the “where it’s valid” tab on the links to see a PDF map of their coverage areas.

[User]

Reply 2 of 5 • 19 October 2017 at 7:32:08 #871067

Hi Stephy-

I can help with #1 and # 2.

For some reason unknown to me. I cannot find the map of Zürich Airport Terminal on the SBB website. It should be in the section labelled Trafimage Maps under Stations and Services

So, here are some descriptions and partial maps.

The free luggage carts in the arrival hall can go up and down escalators. There are also elevators available..

If you use a luggage cart on an escalator, do not load it oto high (too full) . The carts tip at a substantial angle as they enter an escalator, and luggage piled high will fall off. Also, leave enough room between you and the cart as you get on or off an escalator, as the cart handle will need some room to tip up or down as the cart tips.

1.- After you leave the arrival hall, follow the overhead signs for “Train” or “Bahn.”

You will walk several 10’s of meters to an exit door onto the street. A building overhead provides cover against rain. Cross the street to the “Airport Center” and you are in a food court and shopping area. ( Parking is also in this building, on the upper levels). Take the escalators down two levels to the train station ticket counters on Level “01” on the map below.

This map shows the Airport Center:

travelreviewssite.com/ wp-content/uploads/2016/1 0/Zurich-Airport-Map.jpg

After you buy a ticket or if you have rail pass that does not require purchase of a ticket, look at the sign boards which list all trains and go down one of two escalators to the track level below (Level “02”). The sign boards and the individual signs over those escalators will tell you which trains are on that track.

1 and 2 are together; 3 and 4 are together.

Trains for Luzern leave at XX25 and XX49 every hour, all day long.

The train at xx49 is direct to Luzern with no changes, although it does stop in Zürich main station.

The train at XX25 require a change at Zürich Main Station. Usually, there is sufficient time to make this change of trains, but, if you miss it, don’t worry, the next one for Luzern will be along in 27 minutes from your arrival at Zürich main station.

Here is a simple map of Zurich Airport:

http://www.oneworld.com/docum ents/10180/1645662/zur ich_1024.gif/d19743e1-781d-4fc5-99e7-a546f69e63e0?t=1423215945000

2.- Left Luggage Office.

The left luggage office is no longer in the train station area. It is on an upper level of the same building.

http://www.zurich-airport.com/passengers -and-visitors/airport-services-en/baggage-service/

You may find a one month storage to be expensive.

How expensive?

Here is the link, from the above web site

http://www.zurich-airport.com/~/media/fl ughafenzh/dokumente/pa ssagiere_und_besucher/ airport_services/preis liste-neu-gepaeckaufbewahrung_sc hliessfaecher_1112.pdf

Looks like about 150 CHF for 30 days for a one large piece. Ouch!

Slowpoke

[User]

Reply 3 of 5 • 19 October 2017 at 20:45:53 #871068

My wife and I just completed this trip i.e. arriving in Zurich, traveling to Luzern and then on to Wilderswil where we rented an apartment for eight days.

The train station is easy to find at Zurich airport as it is right under the terminal … just follow the signs. We bought an 8 day Bernese Oberland Pass and it paid for itself in the first 3 days I think! I has used the spreadsheet from this site to determine that the pass was the best option and it proved itself out at either 6 or 8 days. If you go to the SBB travel Office they will sell you the pass as well as a ticket to Luzern (30CHF) and they also gave us a small chocolate bar each for the journey!

The connection between trains in Luzern was a quick switch from platform 4 to platform 12 (I think 6 minutes). No rush but do not stand around admiring the station!

If you are in a self catering apartment in Wilderswil there are 2 small supermarkets (Volg and Migros) right outside the station and one of them is open until 8 and the other until 9 p.m. We used them a number of times!

Cannot help with the sim card nor luggage storage question as we needed neither!

[User]

Reply 4 of 5 • 19 October 2017 at 23:16:57 #871069

High Gerry-

<<“The connection between trains in Luzern was a quick switch from platform

4 to platform 12 (I think 6 minutes). No rush but do not stand around

admiring the station!”>>

The nice thing about Luzern is all the trains/tracks are on one railhead, so the platforms are easy to find.

If you take the xx18 from the airport to Luzern, you must change at Zurich main station. You often will come in on track #32 ( lower level) and have to find your way to the upper main platform , where the train to Luzern typically leaves from platform #6 or #8).

By the way, I misstated the times of departure from the airport in my earlier post.

The xx18 ( not xx25) is the one that requires a change at Zürich main station. The direct train, which does stop at Zürich main statiopn, is at xx47, as I stated before. Sorry for the confusion. Perhaps I was looking at arrival times in Luzern. ;-(

The general rule for change of train transfer time in Switzerland is 4 minutes. If you see a connection time that is shorter than that, it is a clear indication that the trains are on the two sides of one platform.

In busy station, or those with complex layouts such as Zürich main station, the times will be a bit longer, but, sufficient if you know where you are going, and are not slowed by too much luggage. If you don’t know the layout, you might have a problem. On trains with a change in Zürich main station or Basel or Bern, I check the station map (TRAFIMAGE map) available on the SBB website on the first page under Stations and Services, to see where the tracks are if I have a short connection time at those stations.

http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services.html

Slowpoke

[User]

Reply 5 of 5 • 19 October 2017 at 23:18:57 #871070

Correction for my earlier Oct 19th post-

The trains which I mistakenly said leave the airport at xx25 leave at xx18. The ones at xx47 are as stated.

Slowpoke