Interlaken to Lugano by train or car?
A couple is traveling from Interlaken to Lugano in mid-October and is considering whether to rent a car for scenic views or to take the train. They received advice to opt for the train to better enjoy the landscapes and to consider taking the Gotthard Panorama Express, especially since they plan to stay in Switzerland for a week, visiting places like Lucerne and Wengen.
- Travel by train to fully enjoy the scenery along the route.
- If you choose the Gotthard Panorama Express, make sure to reserve your seat in advance.
- Consider buying a Swiss Travel Pass, as it covers the ticket price for the Gotthard Panorama Express, with just a seat reservation needed.
- For a more scenic journey, avoid the Gotthard Base Tunnel and opt for the Göschenen route when planning train travel.
AI-generated summary-
My husband and I will be travelling from Interlaken to
Lugano mid October . I was thinking of hiring a car for the day and driving for the scenery or wouldtravelling by train be the way to go?
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Hello Gandjc and Welcome to MySwissAlps,
Go by train then you both get to enjoy the scenery. 😎
See http://www.myswissalps.com/ca rversustrain before deciding.
Then go by train.
one way car hire will be very expensive and you may be restricted weather-wise in Autumn
If you are travelling before 15 October and can get to Luzern by around 11:00 you can take the Gotthard Panorama Express (http://www.myswissalps.com/go tthardpanoramaexpress) or follow the same route on regular boat/train.
If you go by train from Luzern the most scenic route is via Göschenen. If you leave that off your Swiss Train Timetable (http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable) search you will end up going via the Gotthard Base Tunnel and spending 57km of the journey underground.
Thank you both for that information.
Rockoyster I think we’ll do as you suggested and take the Gotthard Panorama Express
Good plan. You will need reservations for the train – see bit.ly/2EOvQIv.
The boat trip was one of the highlights of my Swiss holiday last year. You can’t make reservations on the boat and if you want to access the top deck/dining room you need a 1st Class ticket or upgrade to 1st Class.
Again thank you. Do I have this right….. we are in Switzerland for 7 days, our intentions are initially to travel by train from Zurich to Lucerne then after a few days again travel by train to Wengen. We are staying in Wengen for four days where we intend to do a lot of walking but will also catch trains and cable cars including getting to Jungfrau while there. Then now the Gotthard Panorama Express to Lugano. Should I buy a Swiss travel pass then tickets for the Gotthard Panorama Express?
Whether a Swiss Travel Pass is right for you depends on your specific itinerary.
You should read “How to choose the best travel pass” (http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass), download the handy spreadsheet calculator and do the math.
With a Swiss Travel Pass you just need to buy a seat reservation on the Gotthard Panorama. Ticket price is covered by the Pass.
Thank you
Are you planning to visit Lugano as a day trip or a destination? If the former then it would be better to do it from Luzern than from Wengen. It would be a pretty long round trip from Wengen. Just saying . . . .
Thanks rockoyster , Lugano is our overnight destination before going on to Italy. Thanks again for your help.
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