[Flowto]

2 June 2026 at 18:47:27 #2797122

I’m a Canadian. Would love to travel to 🇨🇭  in August before a retreat booked for the first week on an island in Greece. Unless the consensus in this forum is that Aigust is too tourist full and it would be better to arrive in Switzerland in mid to late Sept after Greece.

I’d like to take at least one train trip …one that lasts more than 1 day. Probably prefer to stay in economical places rather than most expensive high end hotels..

Any suggestions about where to start the trip/where to arrive and which trains to book…appreciated!

Thanks

S

💡 Save time and get daily forum questions & answers by e-mail

[Anna]

Reply 1 of 5 • 2 June 2026 at 21:01:48 #2797126

Hi Flowto,

Welcome to MySwissAlps.

If you don’t like big crowds and you are flexible with dates, I’d recommend travelling to Switzerland in September. August is considered peak summer season and coincides with the school holidays here so it will be busy in most places. You can find useful information on the best time to visit here: https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/practical/best-time-to-visit/

If you are interested in scenic trains and don’t mind long journeys, I’d definitely recommend taking the Glacier Express or the Bernina Express. However you need to plan ahead and book seats in advance. You can find information about the scenic trains here: https://www.myswissalps.com/activities/scenic-trains/

You can view sample itineraries here: https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/itineraries/examples/

Hope this gets you started.

Regards,
Anna

[Roger Sexton]

Reply 2 of 5 • 2 June 2026 at 22:43:53 #2797127

Hello Flowto

I would unhesitatingly recommend mid/late September.  In recent years I have taken several Autumn holidays in the Alps, and they have all been successful.  Less crowded, but still usually good weather.  All mountain lines will still be open, and all the lake boats will still be operating.  Accommodation will be cheaper.

I will try and give you a full answer tomorrow on the transport issue.  I think you have a misconception about the size of Switzerland.  It is small.

One thing is certain.  Public transport in Switzerland (in all its forms) is extremely good.  Probably the best in the world,  All important routes have at least an hourly service, and are timed to interconnect.  And those hourly services run 365-days-a-year.

Pending my full answer which I hope will be tomorrow, study a map of Switzerland.  Note that Lucerne (Luzerne in German) is bang in the middle.  Geneva is at the far western end.  Zurich is 35 miles (55 kilometres) north of Lucerne.

Kind regards
Roger

[Flowto]

Reply 3 of 5 • 3 June 2026 at 1:00:54 #2797128

Thanks Anna. I will have a look at the links you shared. Very much appreciated.
In terms of trains I imagined travelling from outside of Switzerland into Switzerland by train, then embarking on further shorter train trips within the country.
Sounds like Sept is ideal relative to summer. I need to be in nature, with as few ppl as possible. Some ppl would be a good #. Lots of ppl, not right now.
Recovering from loss of a close family member and starting  new life.

[Flowto]

Reply 3 of 5 • 3 June 2026 at 1:06:48 #2797129

Kind gesture on your part Roger, to respond to my question about travel and trains in Switzerland. I imagined entering the country by train from another country instead of renting a car.
Traditionally, I drive long distances in Canada to get to my favorite lakes and mountains to hike and kayak. So I’d really prefer to train than drive.
Sounds like Sept preferable to busy Summertimes.
Anna provided some links which I will explore.

Have just thought now that perhaps there’s a way to find a cabin or hime somewhere in a smaller village where I could rent for a month. Even considering a home swap …I live on a lake in Ontario.

[Roger Sexton]

Reply 3 of 5 • 3 June 2026 at 12:58:55 #2797209

Hello again

Have a detailed map of Switzerland in front of you.  Also have to hand a map of the Eastern Mediterranean.

I am assuming that you will be visiting Switzerland in mid-September after your retreat on a Greek island.

Getting from the Greek Island to Switzerland.

Fly.  That will be a lot quicker and (probably) cheaper and much easier.

Ferry + Trains

Get a ferry (or ferries) to a port in south-east Italy, probably Brindisi or Bari.

Then take a fast  ‘Frecciarossa’ train from Brindisi or Bari up the east side of Italy to Milan. Eight hours forty minutes from Brindisi, an hour less from Bari.  Seat reservations will be needed.

From Milan catch the RE80 ‘TILO’ train which leaves Milano Centrale at 43 minutes past each hour.  Get off at Lugano.  The journey takes 75 minutes.

https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-guide/italy-switzerland/

Lugano is the first important town in Switzerland.  But it will be expensive.  Locarno (the eventual destination of the RE80) is likely to be cheaper.

https://www.myswissalps.com/town/lugano/
https://www.myswissalps.com/town/locarno/

From Lugano and Bellinzona there are fast trains twice an hour to central Switzerland and Zurich.  Takes about two hours to Zurich, a bit less to Lucerne.  A change at Arth-Goldau may be necessary.

Long Train Journeys in Switzerland

The longest journey timewise is the super luxury (and therefore expensive) Glacier Express mentioned by Anna in her reply.  It takes a bit over eight hours to go from St Moritz to Zermatt (two expensive mountain resorts).

The longest regular train journey distance wise is the IC1 service which runs hourly from St Gallen to Geneva, via Wil, Winterthur, Zurich, Bern, Fribourg and Lausanne.  The journey is 367 kms (230 miles).  It takes about four-and-a-half hours.

Another relatively long run is Lugano to Basel (IC21).  The trains are hourly, but a change at Arth-Goldau may be required.   The distance is 264 kms (165 miles).  The journey takes about three hours.

Probably prefer to stay in economical places rather than most expensive high end hotels.

I have been hinting that if you are on a budget, some of the places I have named should be avoided.  Also avoid the city of Lucerne in September.

I would suggest Brunnen (eastern end of Lake Lucerne) or Thun or Spiez (both major public transport hubs) in the Berner Oberland.  (Interlaken and the mountain resorts in the Jungfrau region are likely to be more expensive.)

https://www.myswissalps.com/town/thun/

Public Transport Passes.

As I indicated in my previous reply, Switzerland has absolutely wonderful public transport.  Above all, the various modes- trains buses, boats, urban streetcars, (and the Metro in Lausanne) are integrated into one system.  And this integration extends to the tickets.

It is customary for travel advisers to talk of ‘Train Passes’, but in the context of Switzerland that is, strictly speaking, wrong.  The three passes I am about to mention are all multi-modal

Swiss Travel Pass

The price is high, but if you want to see a lot of Switzerland in a few days then you must invest in a Swiss Travel Pass.  It gives you the freedom of the world’s best public transport system.  Only lines which simply ‘go up mountains’ are excluded, On those lines you (usually) get a discount.

https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/

(Note that on the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express you would still have to pay the high seat reservation charges.  I would however stress that the lines traversed by these luxury express are also served by hourly regional trains which are, of course, free with the Swiss Travel Pass.)

Lucerne Travel Pass

If you stay at Brunnen (or anywhere else in the LAKE Lucerne  area) and just want to explore central Switzerland, then this is very probably the pass for you.  It covers the trains, boats and buses in the region, and does give FREE travel on pretty well all the lines in the region which just go up mountains.

https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/lucerne-travel-pass/

Berner Oberland Pass

If you stay in Thun, Spiez or any of the smaller villages on the shores of Lakes Thun and Brienz, and you just want to explore the Berner Oberland, then this is very probably the pass for you. It covers the trains, boats and buses in the region, and does give FREE travel on MOST of the lines in the region which just go up mountains.  But be warned that you only get a 50% discount on the expensive Grindelwald-First cable car.

The Berner Oberland Pass does give free travel up the very high Schilthorn, but only a small discount on the VERY VERY expensive line to Jungfraujoch.

https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/berner-oberland-pass/

Getting Back to Canada.

There are certainly flights from Zurich.  I am not sure if there are flights from Geneva.

Kind regards

Roger