Ideas for a day trip near Zurich by train
A traveler named Sumbul is looking for tips on how to spend two days in Zurich, as she and her husband will be arriving from Bergen and have a flight out the next day. They are considering day trips to places like Brienz, Thun, and Bern, and are curious about the possibility of taking the Bernina Express, but they want to maximize their time in a Swiss village.
- Consider visiting Ticino, as a direct train from Zurich to Lugano takes less than 3 hours and offers a different experience.
- If you want a scenic route, try the Voralpen Express from Zurich to Lucerne to St. Gallen for beautiful views.
- Look into using the Swiss Travel Pass for seamless train travel across different regions.
- Exploring the Emmen Valley via train connections can lead to charming stops like Trubschachen and Langnau i.E.
- Zermatt is also a feasible day trip, although it's a longer journey.
AI-generated summary-
Hi,
My husband and I have been to Switzerland 4 times and have covered Zurich, Lucerne area (Tell pass), and Lausanne. Last year, for the first time we ventured till the Brienz area and absolutely loved it. This year we have only 2 days with one hotel booked for Jul 30th already in Zurich as our flight leaves on the 31st. On the 29th we will fly from Bergen and reach Zurich airport by midday.
I would love your suggestions for how to spend this very valuable time. I have checked the train connections and so far found that Brienz, Thun, Bern, and Chur are some of the possibilities where we can reach in good time the same day. Chur of course made me begin thinking of the Bernina express but I am not sure how I can do the round trip. Would taking a car make better sense? Ideally a Swiss village would have been lovely but both Grindelwald and Gimmewald seem a little more difficult with connections and perhaps deserve more time.
-
Hi Sumbul,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
Zurich offers plenty of day trips option for short stays and those with a tight schedule. With fast train services, you could be on the mountains or on a lake in a different part of Switzerland in no time. Since you’ve been to Lucerne and the Jungfrau region in the past, perhaps this time you might want to explore Ticino instead. Ticino is the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. There is a regular service between Zurich and Lugano – a direct train will get you to Lugano in less than 3 hours. You can find more information about Lugano here: http://www.myswissalps.com/lugano/activities
Zermatt could also be done as a day trip from Zurich. The train journey takes a bit longer but it is certainly possible. You can find information about Zermatt here: http://www.myswissalps.com/zermatt
You can use the SBB timetable to check train schedules and plan your journey: http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable
Regards,
Anna
Hi Sumbul,
Anna’s suggestions are great options. In addition:
- You could travel Zurich – Lucerne – St. Gallen by Voralpen Express (https://www.myswissalps.com/voralpenexpress) – Zurich.
- Or make a round trip via Chur, Andermatt and Brig using sections of the Glacier Express route (see “Don’t have time to do the full route?” at http://www.myswissalps.com/glacierexpress).
- Travel to Lucerne and then to Bern via the Emmen Valley. Enter “Trubschachen”, “Entlebuch” or “Langnau i.E.” as a via-station in the timetable to see these connections. Get back to Bern via the same route or take the direct train via Olten and Aarau, which are both nice places to take a break and explore the pretty town centers.
The Bernina Express (https://www.myswissalps.com/berninaexpress) would be too far off in my opinon.
- The thread ‘Ideas for a day trip near Zurich by train’ is closed to new replies.
