MySwissAlps.com includes Roger Sexton
Forum replies
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Firstly, thank you very much for this very helpful and rapid reply. I too can remember when the STP gave free entry to the Verkehrshaus!
May I ask a (perhaps difficult) question which does not personally concern me. Tom and Tamsin are travelling around Switzerland with their children Dick (10) and Harriet (8). They have (of course) both a Swiss Travel Pass for Tom and Tamsin and a Swiss Family Card for Dick and Harriet.
They arrive in Lucerne intending to go up (for free) the Stanserhorn. But the weather is bad, certainly not suitable for a cable car ride. While they are thinking what to do, Dick spots a ‘very long bendibus with poles on the roof’. All four excitedly jump on this very strange vehicle not knowing or caring where they are going. It happens to be a number 8 to Wurzenbach. Harriet suddenly cries out ‘Look, old trains’. They pile off the bus and race to the cash desk of what is obviously a very large museum which should make all four of them happy. Tom and Tamsin show the their STPs and the the Swiss Family Card.
Tom and Tamsin obviously pay 50% of the normal adult rate. But what about the children? Normal child rate? 50% of the child rate? Free?In the light of what you say about starting not before 09 30, stick with second class.
I have been going to Switzerland for over fifty years, and I have always bought a First Class Swiss Travel Pass. Why First Class? Because Swiss trains (and sometimes boats) get extremely crowded,.
Why so crowded? The Swiss themselves make huge use of their superlative public transport, in all its very many forms. It is part of their national identity. Swiss sometimes say ‘The person sitting next to you might be the President of the Confederation.’ In September 2019 I travelled from Lausanne to Bern sitting next to an important looking woman buried in her laptop. I saw her again on the evening TV news. Karin Keller-Sutter, this year’s Vice-President….
I am not in a bit surprised that the ‘Golden Pass Express’ which runs only four times a day, is fully booked. This train runs through, changing track gauge at Zweisimmen (towards Interlaken from metre to standard.) On Thursday 25th April (very definitely ‘shoulder season’) I was very lucky to get a seat when travelling without a reservation from Spiez to Montreux; most of my fellow passengers were speaking Schwizzerdeutsch. The Swiss themselves want to experience the new technology! On Montreux station there was a huge crowd waiting for the return journey. (Weight limits on the steep gradients limit these trains to four carriages.)
Despite my wide experience of Swiss transport, I have never heard of the ‘Pilatus Golden Round Trip’. What I have done is at Lucerne station walk through the subway under the road coming off the bridge and get a number one trolleybus (free of course with the STP (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/ )) to ZENTRUM PILATUS. I then walked the few hundred metres to the cable car station. That cost ‘Schusters Rappen’. There I bought a ticket up to Pilatus and down to Alpnachstad. I got the usual 50% discount. From Alpnachstad I caught a paddle steamer back to Lucerne. The ship was busy downstairs (second class) but there was ‘plenty of room upstairs’. The ship was of course free with the STP. Had I caught a Zentralbahn train that {of course) would have been free.
I have travelled to Chamonix on two occasions while on holiday in Switzerland travelling around using a Swiss Travel Pass. I would endorse everything Alpenrose says. I personally would stress that going via Brig and Kandersteg is well worth the extra time it takes. The old ‘Lotschberg’ stretch is spectacular, especially the stretch straight out of Brig. The Lotschberg line via Kandersteg is almost as spectacular as the old ‘Panorama’ Gotthard line via Airolo.
Hello Nayome.
Thanks for the clarification regarding renting-a-car.
Swiss Public Transport is the best in Europe. I am British and have been visiting Switzerland most years since 1971. I have met many Swiss residents who stress ‘You do not need a car in Switzerland’.
Parking is going to be difficult and expensive in historic places like Lucerne itself, Berne and Brienz.
I can think of two important places in Switzerland, the Rutli Meadow on Lake Lucerne and the Giessbach Falls on Lake Brienz, where the only powered transport access is by BOAT.
I hope you have a great holiday in France, Switzerland and wherever else you are visiting. And if you are going to the Mediterranean, I hope the weather is not too hot!
Best wishes
Roger Sexton
On reflection I would support Anna’s suggestions. She is talking about a very attractive area, which compared to the resorts you and I have been talking about, will be relatively less crowded!
Overall this looks a sensible plan. I assume that day 3 includes a boat trip on the lake. If not, insert one into this day.
I am a bit puzzled by day 8. You need to get an Inter-City train bound for Chur getting off at Sargans. Connecting buses to Vaduz go from a bus station right alongside the train station. All Liechtenstein buses are included in the Swiss Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/) . There are no river boats on the Rhine in this area. The river is too shallow.
More importantly, why do you want to go Liechtenstein? It is not some remote Ruritania! It is a busy centre for banking and commerce! I would stay on the Inter-city train to either Landquart or Chur, and from there explore the spectacular canton of Graubunden (sometimes called Grisons.) I would recommend going outwards to St Moritz from Chur via Filisur (sit on the right of the train). Return from St Moritz to Landquart via Klosters.
In all seriousness, I wish you had said you were having a rental car. In Switzerland it is rather unusual for visitors to rent a car. The modern cable cars usually do have extensive car parks, but the long standing cog-wheel and funicular lines do not. Moreover a big part of the fun in the Lucerne area is the boat ride to get to places like Alpnachstad (for Pilatus), Vitznau (for Rigi) and Kehrsiten for the Burgenstock (where the recent conference on Ukraine was held).
I am forced to change my recommendations. Yes, go up Pilatus, but go up from Kriens on the cable cars. The other recommendation is now Titlis (about 10,000 feet up) at Engelberg. Both these lines have car parks.
I note that you are visiting Zermatt. I hope you realise that you will have to park at Tasch 3 miles (5 Kms) from Zermatt, and use the shuttle train to get to the village.
I would very strongly support everything Pvonk says, except that I would stress that the busy season now goes on well into September.
Note, I am assuming you will have a Swiss Travel Pass, ‘STP’.
1 I think you mean the Brienzer Rothorn rack railway, which is steam worked. 50% off with STP. Possible from both Grindelwald and Lucerne. BUT VERY BUSY. RESERVATION ESSENTIAL IN JULY.
2 Easy from Lucerne. Circular tour. Trolleybus from Lucerne to Kriens, short walk to cable car up Pilatus. Down by train from Pilatus to Alpnachstad Boat (or train) back to Lucerne. Or do it the other way around. Bus, boat and train free with STP. 50% of the mountain lines.
3 Stoos Train from Lucerne to Arth-Goldau. Bus to funicular. Funicular up to Stoos. ALL FREE with STP. Exciting, but the least scenic of the five.
4 I think you must mean the Stanserhorn, Train Lucerne to Stans, then quaint funicular, then open top cable car. ALL FREE with STP. But the free travel (also much used by Swiss residents) makes this line very popular. Go very early in the morning is your only hope of avoiding a long queue.
5 Schynige Platte is a vintage ELECTRIC railway going up from Wilderswil. near Grindelwald. 50% off with STP.
Top two from Lucerne? Pilatus, and provided you can get up early, Stanserhorn. If you are not an early riser get the boat to Vitznau and go up the rack railway to Rigi. All free on STP. Rigi railway has modern trains which seem to be able to swallow the queues. Possible to do a circular tour by going down to Arth-Goldau, and then train to Lucerne.
I have been visiting Switzerland for over 50 years, Provided you have got a pass which gives a 50% discount, Gornergrat is tremendous value for money. I rate it number one of all Swiss mountain rides. To avoid the crowds, get the 08 00 train.
To the Jungfraujoch, the first cable car from Grindelwald Terminal is at 07 15, and this presumably connects with the train at Eigergletscher departing at 07 45. I gather that early morning trains have (purely RELATIVELY) cheaper fares.You mention Pilatus. I would not recommend it from Grindelwald. Longish train ride to Alpnachstad of nearly three hours and with changes at Interlaken and Giswil. No chance of missing the crowds. Stoos is impossible from Grindelwald.
Both Pilatus and Stoos are easy day trips from Lucerne/Luzern or even from Zurich. My most recent visit to Pilatus was an afternoon trip in LATE SEPTEMBER from Zurich.
Re your question 2. The Golden Pass Express (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/goldenpass/) is a through train from Montreux to Interlaken. All the others involve changes at Zweisimmen and Spiez. Be warned that the GPEs (only four per day in each direction) are likely to be very busy. As you are a family, reservation is essential.
Frankly all the places you mention are going to be crowded in July.
The itinerary is certainly doable? Indeed I would call it ‘unhurried’.
Day savers and STP are valid on the TRAIN to Annemasse station.
