[Anonymous]

25 February 2017 at 23:54:38 #810902

Hi,

We (2 families with kids) are looking to spend 3-4 days In Switzerland before catching the Bernina express to Italy.

Considering the below, what itinerary would you recommend: which airport would you recommend we fly into and which locations should we stay in to make the below trip possible

Ideal itinerary wld be :

• Flight from London to Swiss (Zurich/ Geneva)
• 3/4 days in Swiss to cover these attractions:
  • Mt Jungfrau
  • Mt Titlis
  • Other scenic attractions
• 5th day : Travel to Chur to catch Berninan express to Italy

Thanks.

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

[User]

Reply 1 of 11 • 26 February 2017 at 9:43:25 #859351

Hi Veejay and welcome to MySwissAlps!

Zurich airport would be the closest to your listed attractions.

Mt. Titlis is located in Central Switzerland and the most popular base for that are would be Luzern.

Jungfraujoch is in the Jungfrau region and the most convenient base would, I think, be Interlaken.

If you are only staying for 3 or 4 nights I would be tempted to stay in one of those two towns and do day trips to the sights you want to see.

It would be best to read up on the links above to see which region is most interesting for you and base your choice on that.

Let me know if you have further questions!

Lucas

[User]

Reply 2 of 11 • 26 February 2017 at 18:07:12 #859352

Thanks Lucas.

That is quite helpful. In terms of detailed itinerary, would appreciate your/ others perspectives on the below:

: Since we will be traveling mid-April to Jungfrauch, Titlis, do we risk missing out any part of the attraction ? Also are there any particular attractions a must-see near Luzern, Interlaken, Jungfraun and Chur? Is there any reason why we shld do Italy first and then Swiss?

: As we are looking to stay as close to Jungfraujoch as possible, how does staying in LauterBrunnen compare over InterLaken?

:To catch the Berninan express to travel to Italy, is Chur an only option? We are looking to travel to Italy (Florence, Venice, Rome) via a scenic train route. Is this the only option: Chur – Turino – Milan – (Florence/ Venice/ Rome)?

:Is it advisable to stay in Chur on the eve of catching Bernian express?

: for all these train journeys with 2 families and kids (4 adults, 4 kids), is Golden pass route the best option? Any tips on cheapest way to travel via scenic routes (for the above journeys) for families?

: which of the above places (Luzern, InterLaken, Jungfraujoch, LauterBrunnen, Chur) have plenty of accommodation (including apartments) & eating out options (restaurants – veg, international, fast-food)

Sorry for asking so many queries. But with your advice on the above, I feel confident to take this trip on 😀

Thanks !

[User]

Reply 3 of 11 • 27 February 2017 at 8:51:55 #859353

Hi Veejay,

If you aren’t planning on doing any specific activities on the mountains – you just want to visit and explore the top for a few hours and return then I think mid-April can be fine to go. The weather can change drastically in the mountains, so planning your trip up based on the weather the night before or morning of is best.

I think Jungfraujoch is considered the must-see attraction in the area. There are also nice options listed here for Luzern and Interlaken you can read up on.

Lauterbrunnen is a nice small Swiss village – very scenic and very small. Interlaken is larger and has more amenities.

Read up on the Bernina Express route here. The only panoramic train to Italy is the Bernina Express and it starts in Chur and you can go as far as Tirano Italy. You can then head to Venice or to Milan (via Lugano by bus).

The Golden Pass is a very scenic train trip between Luzern or Interlaken and Montreux (but I think its out of the way for you – I would stick with the Bernina Express).

You can read up about many Swiss towns here. They list what there is to do around the town and where to stay etc. Luzern and Interlaken are considered towns or cities whereas Lauterbrunnen would be a village and have less amenities and restaurant options – but is considered a very scenic town in a very pretty location. I wouldn’t stay overnight in Chur typically (unless the train schedule dictates that you be there the night before for an early train.

Schedules for trains can be searched for here.

I hope that helps! Let me know if you have further concerns.

Lucas

[User]

Reply 4 of 11 • 6 March 2017 at 0:03:33 #859354

Hi Lucas,

Many thanks for your response. Just wanted to check whether end/ last week of April is a good time to visit Mt. Jungfraujoch, Titlis, Pilataus, Lucern, etc i.e. for scenic views only (snow, spring, etc), no winter sports or long hikes.

Also, Could you pls advice on how to get good deals for rail passes for family travel between Lucern and Jungfrau, Titlis, Pilataus and then for Berninan express (Chur to Taurino)

Thanks !

[User]

Reply 5 of 11 • 6 March 2017 at 8:15:38 #859355

The views can be quite nice but some mountains are partially closed as they switch between ski season and winter season, though there shouldn’t be too much concern for your choices. Its best to check the weather the day before your planned excursion and then decide whether it is worth it to go.

You would probably be best served by a Swiss Travel Pass and a Family Card (free add-on) to cover children 5 to 15 (under 5 always free). Read more details about these passes on the links I have above as well as where to buy them online and exactly which routes are covered by the pass.

Cheers,
Lucas

[User]

Reply 6 of 11 • 16 March 2017 at 0:03:56 #859356

Hi Lucas,

Thanks for the info. For the below itinerary, particularly the longer one from Lucerne to Jungfraujoch & Chur, the Swiss Travel pass doesn’t seem to be accepted (as it doesn’t figure in the travel pass option on the http://www.sbb.ch/website). Only Half-fare travelcard seems to be accepted?

Isn’t Swiss travel pass usable across all regions? if not which travel pass should I be considering, I’m ok if the p

Itinerary

1. Zurich airport to Lucerne
2. Lucerne to Mr. Jungrfau & back
3. Lucerne to Mr. Titlis & back
4. Lucerne to Mr. Pilatus & back
5. Lucerne to Chur
6. Chur to Tirano (via Berninan express)

[Arno]

Reply 7 of 11 • 16 March 2017 at 7:20:13 #859357

Hi Veejay,

The Swiss Travel Pass is accepted on all routes you mentioned (1, 4, 5 and 6 are free and 2/3 are partly free and partly discounted), see the map for details. You do not need a ticket for free routes.

You only need the SBB site for train schedules, not for tickets. The site is geared to Swiss citizens and so does not include the Swiss Travel Pass for tourists. As for the few tickets you need for the discounted routes: you can buy those on the spot or online through the links on our various pages: Titlis, Jungfraujoch, Bernina Express (you only need a reservation here, not a ticket).

[User]

Reply 8 of 11 • 16 March 2017 at 12:24:51 #859358

Thanks ! that’s heartening and the info I was looking for.

One final thing, could you pls confirm a reliable website to buy tickets to the above destination as a tourist. Just to do comparisons on cost savings of Swiss Travel pass/ Half fare pass over regular point to point tickets.

[Arno]

Reply 9 of 11 • 16 March 2017 at 12:29:37 #859359

Hi Veejay,

You’re very welcome! The destination pages in my previous post offer links to prices and to websites selling tickets (see the Tickets tab). We only show reliable websites, so no worries there. For a complete overview of how to compare passes price wise, please see here.

[User]

Reply 10 of 11 • 16 March 2017 at 22:52:57 #859360

Thanks Arno.

An important detail I missed is that we will be continuing our journey into Italy wherein we will be making the below train journeys over 3 days:

– Tirano to Rome (1 day)

– Rome to Pisa Centrale & back (2nd day)

– Rome to Rome airport (FCO) (3rd day)

Would it be advisable to use euRail or InterRail passes instead of Swiss Travel pass? Could you confirm whether EURail & InterRail passes offer the same benefits as Swiss travel pass for my Swiss itinerary?

[User]

Reply 11 of 11 • 17 March 2017 at 6:43:20 #859361

Hi Veejay,

You can read more about the Eurail Select Pass here. It will show you where in Italy and Switzerland it is valid. Then you can compare to the Swiss Travel Pass and decide which is best for you.

While it covers the same routes, the benefits are not as good in Switzerland as the Swiss Travel Pass. Discounts to some mountain routes are smaller (ie Mt. Rigi and Mt. Pilatus) but considering you have several trips in Italy, it may be the better option for you overall.

Lucas