Zurich to Rhine falls plus Zurich visit in 1 day?
A traveler is planning a one-day trip in Zurich and is wondering if they can visit the Rhine Falls and still have time for Zurich's main sights. They seek advice on must-see attractions for a self-guided walking tour starting from the main train station.
- The train ride to the Rhine Falls takes less than an hour, making it feasible to see both the falls and Zurich in one day.
- For a walking tour in Zurich, consider exploring the old town area near Neumarkt, which is full of charming shops and buildings.
- If you're interested in scenic boat rides, you can enjoy one at Rhine Falls to get a closer view.
- Use the Swiss Travel Pass for discounted transportation options and save money during your trip.
AI-generated summary-
With one day in Zurich. Is there enough time to go to Rhine falls and then still have half day to see the city? With half day- what would be the MUST sees as a walking self tour from the main station
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Yes, it is less than 1 hour train journey from Zurich to the Rhein Falls
Getting to Rhine Falls see http://www.myswissalps.com/rh inefalls/gettingthere.
For walking round Zurich see http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/zurich.
You can definitely go to the Rheinfall and see some of Zurich in the same day. It all depends on what you desire to see. By the way, if you like philately, see the attached image; these were issued in 2015.
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Hi Peterli,
This might be of interest as well:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/wengernalp-and-schynige-platte-railway-stamps
Alpenrose
Those stamps are very nice, combining two of my interests, trains and photography. I’ll have to get a few of each before they sell out. No doubt they will be hot seller for tourists in the Jungfrau area.
Thanks for the walking tour link for zurich. Since you do alot of recommendations. I found this googlemaps link that takes you through a similar path but on googlemap . Pretty cool.
Hi Lisadee-
There is a grump in every crowd. Here he is.
Unless you have never seen or never expect to see a waterfall in your whole life, I’d suggest that you spend your time time doing something more uniquely Swiss.
Spend the day in Zurich, or go to Luzern.
Both offer a wider range of options and Swiss experiences than the Rheinfsll.
Just my opinion. And, if you have clear preferences on the type of activity that appeals to you, ignore my advice.
Slowpoke
Some observations on, and pictures of, the Rhine Falls in my trip report at http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/the-reluctant-travellers-swiss-adventure-part-6. Reflecting on it almost a year down the track I’m glad we went to have a look.
LOL to slowpoke.
we are starting at Grindelwald and then lucerne then Zurich… but being from NY i thought my son would like the waterfall better than a full day of zurich. (half and half) but not sure if he would be too rushed to go to his hotel first- then go to falls -come back then do city) -then plan leaves in them morning. So ill suggest it but ultimately they will decided that morning. Thank you.
Even Grrrrrumpy Slowpoke has been at least once to the Rheinfall. The Swiss people are super proud of this, the waterfall with the greatest flow volume in Europe. It is truly thrilling to approach the falls by boat and to climb to the top of the rock (Rheinfall Felsen) with the Swiss flag in the middle of the furiously cascading water. Check out the following website (if you haven’t done do already): http://www.rheinfall.ch/en/ The attached photo will hopefully whet your son’s and your appetite to make the short trip to Neuhausen. I wonder if Slowpoke actually took the boat and went to the top of the Felsen. 😉
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Hi Lisadee-
Not only Grumpy but Sneezy and a bit Sleepy this AM. Not Bashful, however. But definitely Stubborn. Perhaps you did not know that she was the 8th dwarf, who did not make the cut in the final version of the film, edited in earlier times when movie casting was more sexist. A revisionist gender-neutral version is due any day, and they’ll need 8 dwarves to enable an even split, so Stubborn will be reincarnated.
Since you’ve got Luzern ( local German spelling) in the plans already, that may be inappropriate for a visit. Although, there is a lot to see there. A boat ride on Lake Lucerne northward from Flüelen to at least Brunnen and perhaps onward is quite nice, if it is not in your plans yet.
When are you traveling, or are helping your son plan a trip? How old is he? Makes a difference when recommending things that teenagers tend to get quickly bored with. 😉
And the Rheinfall is certainly not just one more boring mountain or old town.
Here is a short course on Zürich: http://www.myswissalps.com/zu rich
If, however, old towns are enjoyable, the area near Neumarkt in Zürich, and the streets around it, are full of old buildings, shops of all kinds, and nice things to look at or photograph.. A nice place to wander. It is not far from the Niederdorf mentioned in that tour route linked by Rockoyster. Restaurant (Wirtschaft) Neumarkt was nice a couple of years ago, too:
map.search.ch/Z%C3%BCr ich,Neumarkt?z=512
map.search.ch/Wirtscha ft-NEUMARKT,Z%C3%BCrich,N eumarkt-5
And, if your tripper(s) are of a literary mind, you would possibly enjoy a visit to the gravesite of James Joyce in the cemetery at Fluntern:
http://www.google.com/search?q=James+Joyce+grave&ie =utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1
map.search.ch/Fluntern ,Z%C3%BCrich,Z%C3%BCri chbergstr.189?z=1024
A short walk from the end of the #6 tram line. Nice views from up there, on Zürichberg. The cemetery is the resting place of quite few famous people, and is beautifully landscaped.
Bern is one hour from Zürich with fast trains ( 56 minutes) twice an hour at xx02 and xx32.
http://www.myswissalps.com/be rn
If your are going in November, the “Zibelemärit” (Onion Market) is quite a sight. If I recall correctly, first weekend in November.
The Rheinfall:
From one ex-New Yorker (upstate) to another New Yorker –
Remember the American Motto. “Bigger is Better.”
versus
If you have not been to Niagara Falls, then I suggest you first visit the Rheinfall, then Niagara, and post your comparison here. If you have been to Niagara, especially the Canadian side, you will be underwhelmed by the Rheinfall. I believe a phrase that I have seen used on this forum is “miss it!”
Joking aside, individual tastes vary. They vary more if you have not seen Niagara.;-)
And I like the beautiful high falsl in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, like the Staubbach. Will the itinerary include that?
http://www.myswitzerland.com/ en-us/truemmelbach-falls-water-in-a-corset-of-stone.html
<<“these are the Trümmelbach Falls. They are Europe’s largest subterranean water falls”>>
http://www.myswitzerland.com/ en-us/valley-of-the-72-waterfalls-lauterbrunnen-stechelberg.html
The Staubbach Falls are my favorite.
I cannot compare flow volumes of Niagara and the Rheinfall, because much of Niagara is diverted for hydroelectric power. Enough is metered out to allow good sightseeing, but it is a minor part, and varies with time of day, I recall.
For Peterli- no. we did not take the boat ride at the Rheinfall.
My question in turn is, have you visited Niagara Falls on one of your trips to the USA? Worth a detour.
http://www.google.com/search?q=The+Maid+of+the+Mist &ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1
Slowpoke
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omg slowpoke!!
I agree with the whole New yorker analogy. The trip is for my son and nephew – ages 24 and 28 (they love hiking and beautiful scenes for his photography too but wanted to see zurich on the last day) He now lives in Florida and hates it….so im trying to make this very enjoyable for him. The entire time he lived in NY i could never get them to Niagara because my husband refuses to go there. Hes our “opposite.”
So yes, One day he will visit Canada and should go to Niagara. – so i have decided to SKIP the Rheinfalls.
Now. I really think he would love the The Staubbach Falls – but will he be able to do a half day there?
june 11 – all day travel from italy to Grindelwald
june 12- All day MT FIRST
June 13- Making his way from Grindelwald-Interlaken -Lucerne (maybe on thsi day he can see the falls? before he gets to Lucerne)
June 14- ALL day Lucerne (MT Pilatus via boat or backwards -return by boat )
june 15- All day Lucerne (was going to do Mt Rigi -or do you think The Stauubbach falls is better?)
June 16- head from Lucerne to Zurich ( check in to hotel and do 3 hour walking tour -and maybe the river cruise because its shorter than the lake cruise)
Do you have a suggestion for best museum if they had to see just “1” during their trip?
Do you have a suggestion for best night entertainment if they had to see just “1” during their trip? they love historical trendy, youthful, old town looking..places to hangout and eat and socialize. They arent club type guys.
LAST ONE. which is easier to SQUEEZE in? Bern (old town with large clock?) or The stauubach Falls? based on his itinerary?
Hi Lisadee –
I used up my Forum time allotment this morning, so I’ll just give a part of the answer.
Use the SBB timetable to figure out times:
http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
The instruction page is worth studying. And,this map, of several available, is good for seeing he relationships between locations. Zoom in far enough and the train lines pop into view:
map.search.ch/?pos=642648,162400&z=32
You don’t need to spend a whole day at First, and there is time to visit the Staubbach Falls. There are a lot of other things to do in the area, including several walks or hikes, and it will be hard to make choices:
http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion
There could be time near Luzern for a hike or walk. There is a nice easy short on on the Rigi, from the Kulm to Chänzeli via Staffelhöhe and then to Kaltbad to pick up either the cograil, or the cableway down to Wggis, with a short walk back to the boat to Luzern.
More later.
Slowpoke
ok Thank you. Next time leave out all the sleepy-sneezy stuff so you dont run out of allotment time. lol
<<“Next time leave out all the sleepy-sneezy stuff so you dont run out of allotment time. “>>
OK.
However, the time I would need is for working the time tables and maps, as well as thinking about whether and where to fit in some other ideas for hikes, then checking the timing and transport options. That does take time….more for you than for me, because I know what I am doing and how to work the tools….. but, it still takes time.
For example, this one may be out od reach, but it will show you some nice pictures around the suothern end of Lake Luzern.
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/the-swiss-path-and-southern-lake-lucerne
And, a map for the Rigi walk is better than words.
Slowpoke
Guten abend Slowpoke,
<< If you have not been to Niagara Falls, then I suggest you first visit the Rheinfall, then Niagara, and post your comparison here. If you have been to Niagara, especially the Canadian side, you will be underwhelmed by the Rheinfall. I believe a phrase that I have seen used on this forum is “miss it!” >>
Congratulations for convincing another American from going to the Rheinfall. Did I tell you that I was a partner in the business that runs the boats out to the Felsen ? 😉 You are chipping away at our profits ! 😉 I fail to understand why we are into doing “comparisons” of waterfalls. Each one is different in its own way and can be appreciated for its uniqueness. I will never use the words “miss it” unless I am convinced that somebody is thinking about going to do or see something that I am 100% convinced will be a total bomb. The Rheinfall definitely does not fit into this category. If somebody asks me which of two or more things or places I prefer (for instance Lauterbrunnen & Grindelwald, or Lake Zurich & Lake Lucerne, or Indian food & Chinese food) then I may say which I prefer and why. But I will not diss the Rheinfall when I see that somebody is contemplating going there and is not asking my opinion about its touristic value.
Anyway, to answer your question, yes I went to Niagara Falls, with my family when I was a kid, and we did ride on the Maid of the Mist, wearing raincoats so we wouldn’t get too wet, and it was fun for sure. I’ve also seen the waterfall in Lauterbrunnen and a bit father afield, the Todnau Wasserfalle in the north-east corner of the Landkreis Lörrach (Schwärzwald). Further afield, I enjoyed the waterfalls of the Blyde River Canyon in South America, and the Chutes Montmorency downriver from Québec City, Canada, even the Screw Auger Falls, not far from you, in Grafton, Maine, USA. Maybe I will get to see the Angel Falls in Venezuela, and perhaps Victoria Falls in Africa or Iguaçu in Brasil/Argentina. I was close to the Victoria Falls in the Okavango area of Botswana, and a couple of times while in Brasil didn’t have enough time to go to Iguaçu. Apparently there are times when the “débit” is not as impressive.
If you ever get over to the area around Neuchâtel, you should look into les Gorges de l’Areuse. I know you like poking along and a walk down from Champ-du-Moulin (there is a train stop there) to Boudry (also a train station close by) would be nice. Bring a jacket because much of the time you are in the shade and it can get cool. See attached photo lifted from Neuchâtel Tourisme. If you want to see some underground waterfalls, I would suggest les Grottes de Vallorbe, in Canton Vaud (Kanton Waadt for the bourbines), not far from Le Lac de Joux. They even have English on their website: grottesdevallorbe.ch/e n/ Then you can go over to le Lac de Joux and check out those fancy watches for which the region is so famous: http://www.espacehorloger.ch/ Page.aspx?id=Welcome
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Hi Peterli-
Niagara is far from the only spectacular water fall in the world. We are not comparing the Rheinfall with Niagara. We are compapring the Rheinfall with other options like Luzern, Bern, Staubbach, etc. The use of the Niagara data is a tool to provide a reference or base line that another New Yorker might have seen, to help them judge how best to spend their time in Switzerland. ;-).
You did see my disclaimer, I know.
Slowpoke
Hi Slowpoke,
I was so busy editing my last post that I did not see you had already posted again. Sometimes I take an hour or more before I am finally finished and have proof-read everything. I was 63 minutes on that last one. You might want to read the last bit I wrote.
forget everything. i need a do-over. Im so jealous. just adopt me please. lol
thanks for all the info. i have a lot to plan.
<<“You might want to read the last bit I wrote.”>>
I did and I’m interested. I’ve seen some of that region.
Have you visited this:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Fort_de_Pr%C3%A9-Giroud
http://www.myswitzerland.com/ en-us/the-pre-giroud-fortress-1939-1945.html
I found it quite interesting.
Slowpoke
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