[Removed user]

4 March 2011 at 21:38:00 #804148

All, brilliant forum and a lot of info here.
1st time visiting Swiss, arriving Zurich early morn monday from London and have flight back from there next night.
Need your help to figure out the best plan to visit top places in Swiss. Ofcourse would love to see Alps, visit Berner Oberland/ Interlaken / Murren.
Please could someone suggest which rail passes to take, best places to visit, approx travel times so that we can reach zurich airport in time for our flights back.
I have got my night stay at Zurich hotel, and have got my Schengen visa on the basis of it…now that I have seen the travel plans here, I am thinking it might be better to skip Zurich altogether and move straight to other places and stay overnight. Does anyone here knows, can u change the hotel you staying after you got your schengen?
Thanks So muchhh guys

[Annika]

5 March 2011 at 7:39:55 #832262

Hi fello, and thank you for your compliments! In your case, it would indeed be best to focus on the Bernese Oberland, as this is relatively close to Zurich and offers breathtaking scenery. The train trip Zurich-Interlaken only takes about 2h15 to 2h30 (travelling times can be found in the timetable), so you could travel onto Interlaken right after your arrival at the Zurich Airport and spend the rest of the day (and the next day) in the Bernese Oberland. Highlights are the Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn and many other viewing points (Kleine Scheidegg, Männlichen, First, Schynige Platte) to be reached by mountain train and cable car. You may want to take an easy hike as well; some are listed at our Bernese Oberland hiking page.

Which pass, if any, is best, ultimately depends on your exact travel plans. Let’s say you’ll be making these trips:
Zurich Airport <> Interlaken Ost
Interlaken Ost <> Mürren
Interlaken Ost > Lauterbrunnen > Wengen > Kleine Scheidegg > Grindelwald > Interlaken Ost
The total costs (regular fares, per person and in 2nd class) would be CHF 325.40. With a Swiss Half Fare Card, the total costs would be CHF 272.20, so in this example a Swiss Half Fare Card would be an economical solution. Our FAQ help you to find out which pass is best for your personal itinerary.

I’m not sure about the terms and conditions concerning your Schengen visa. A visa is only issued if you’ve handed over the right documents, showing the reason for your stay in Switzerland, your travel insurance, and so on. In the list at the Swiss Federal Department's website, hotel reservations aren’t mentioned as a criterion, so I guess it’s okay to change hotels afterwards (please note that the hotel you’ve booked in Zurich may charge you for your cancellation). However, my advice is to contact the Federal Office for Migration to obtain a clear answer.

[Annika]

5 March 2011 at 8:11:35 #832263

By the way fello, the text in your topic appeared with some strange codes, probably referring to the font you were using. I’ve deleted these, but of course I’ve made no further changes. This explains why the note ‘edited’ has appeared under your message.

[Removed user]

6 March 2011 at 12:37:22 #832264

Thanks so much Annika for taking time to reply!! Thats really really helpful 🙂