MySwissAlps.com includes Annika
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Hi Janelle,
Thanks for your clarification. Good thing you prioritized getting your Glacier Express seats, and I’m glad that your proper preparation paid off!
Wonderful that you’re considering the free itinerary review offer. In case you’d like to check the details once more, they can be found here: https://www.myswissalps.com/community/thread/swiss-travel-pass-itinerary-promotion-2026/
in reply to: Easiest route from Zurich to Wengen with luggage
Hi PattiD,
Welcome to MySwissAlps, and thanks for your question! Lovely that you’ll be visiting Wengen. It’s absolutely beautiful.
The easiest route from Zurich to Wengen requires just 2 changes: one at Interlaken Ost, and one at Lauterbrunnen. Both are pretty easy to manage.
You can find all connections and their details (departure and arrival times, platform numbers, platform/station maps) in the Swiss timetable. It’s an invaluable tool. Here’s how it works: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/train/timetable/
In addition, these travel guides provide details about traveling from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, and from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen:
- https://www.myswissalps.com/town/lauterbrunnen/#travel
- https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-guide/lauterbrunnen-wengen/
Reservations aren’t necessary. Traveling without reservations is the norm in Switzerland: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/seat-reservation/
If you’re able to carry your luggage on and off the trains yourself, there’s no need for a luggage transfer either: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/train/luggage/
Does this get you started?
Hi cod_ninja,
Brienz is lovely :-)! And I’d expect quite some autumn colors to be visible in the Sörenberg region in about 2 weeks. It’s difficult to predict when colors are at their prettiest, but in general, the autumn feel can last quite a while. I even enjoyed pretty colors throughout most of November, for example!
It’s too early to tell what the weather will be like during your stay. Long-term forecasts aren’t that reliable. You’d best check shortly in advance. This page may be of help: https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/practical/weather/
Enjoy your trip!
Hi Yup,
Thanks for your question!
First of all, there’s no need to register or create an account anywhere to reserve your seats. Nor do you need a product number. You probably have the “SwissPass” card in mind. That’s indeed a card with a number, but it’s a product for Swiss residents. Even though the names sound alike, it has nothing to do with your Swiss Travel Pass. The difference is explained at https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/tickets/residents/
You can make seat reservations for the Luzern-Interlaken Express through the website of the Zentralbahn, and reservations for the GoldenPass Express Interlaken-Montreux through the MOB website.
You’ll find the links and step-by-step booking instructions on https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/goldenpass/#price. Make sure to click the green “Show more” button to read the entire section.
I hope this helps. Good luck :-)!
Hi cod_ninja,
Yes, with a wind- and waterproof top layer and thin but warm (fleece) layers below, that should work. And I’d definitely make sure you have waterproof shoes with good grip! Hiking and walking in wet shoes is very uncomfortable. Here are more packing and clothing tips: https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/practical/clothing/
The Swiss Half Fare Card can be bought at the Zurich railway station. I don’t think this goes for the Berner Oberland Pass, though. My advice would be to get both online (shortly) in advance. You’ll receive them by email within minutes. And ordering online ensures you’ll always have an electronic backup. If you buy your passes at the rail station, you’ll get paper tickets that can’t be replaced in case of loss or damage.
I recommend the official tourist webshop of the Swiss railways. You can buy your Swiss Half Fare Cards and Berner Oberland Pass at the same time:
- https://www.myswissalps.com/details/buy-swiss-half-fare-card/
- https://www.myswissalps.com/link/stc-berner-oberland-pass/
I hope this helps!
Hi Andres, and welcome to MySwissAlps!
I just had a look. At first glance, I’d say that a ticket Zurich-Lucerne at Trenitalia with the label “Ordinario” looks similar to a regular point-to-point ticket as described at https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/regular-ticket/. It’s certainly valid for that particular Swiss route. However, the exact terms and conditions aren’t quite clear to me. To be certain, you’d best ask Trenitalia directly: https://www.trenitalia.com/en/information.html
Alternatively, you could use one of the options recommended at https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/regular-ticket/#shops, although I understand you can’t use your Trenitalia bonus there :-).
Hi Nathaniel, and welcome to MySwissAlps.
Lovely that you’ll be visiting several Christmas markets!
To answer your question: yes, Lucerne is very much worth a visit by that time of the year. It’s a lovely city with a highly atmospheric old town. There’s plenty to see and do for a one-day trip, even if the Christmas market isn’t open yet. Please see:
in reply to: Your favorite places to eat & drink in Montreux?
Hi Sally B,
I personally love Lutry! It’s easily reached by train, located right on the lake, and has a lovely promenade. You could visit the nearby Domaine du Daley for wine tasting and a wine cellar visit: https://daley.ch/en/events/cellars-tour-wine-tasting/
It’s a 30-minute walk from the Lutry railway station. Hopefully, that’s doable.
Hi G. Anna,
Roger already gave you wonderful suggestions for scenic train and bus trips!
When traveling between Davos and Filisur, you may like doing so on the historical train operating daily until 25 October: https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/landwasserwelt/
As for hikes: I’d recommend
- the hike between Davos Wiesen and Filisur, crossing the high Wiesen Viaduct: https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/landwasserwelt/
- the rail-themed and beautiful trail from Preda to Bergün: https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-preda-bergun/
- this panoramic route between 2 mountain tops: https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-gotschnagrat-schatzalp/. Do check mountain transport operation dates, and study the details in advance to estimate whether you’re comfortable with this route’s distance and duration. To make the trail easier and shorter, skip the last ascent to Schatzalp and stop at the Höhenweg station instead.
Hi Tortoise, and welcome to MySwissAlps!
A Swiss Half Fare Card gets you a 25% discount on the Jungfrau Travel Pass: https://www.myswissalps.com/details/buy-jungfrau-travel-pass/
Note that your Swiss Half Fare Card must be valid throughout the validity period of your Jungfrau Travel Pass.
Does this answer your question?
Hi ivy_chow, and welcome to MySwissAlps!
I wouldn’t expect this to be a problem, with your nickname being on your Swiss Travel Pass and the full version of your first name in your passport. Sometimes, long names that don’t entirely fit get cut off on a Swiss Travel Pass, and that’s no problem either.
If you want to be 100% sure, you could contact the webshop you bought your Swiss Travel Pass from (https://www.myswissalps.com/details/buy-swiss-travel-pass/).
I hope this helps!
Hi Floyd,
That’s a great prospect :-)! Wengen is perfect for hiking. I don’t know what level and duration you’re comfortable with, but here are some of my personal favorites:
- Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg: https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-mannlichen-kleine-scheidegg/
- Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg: https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-wengen-kleine-scheidegg/
- Eigergletscher to Alpiglen: https://www.outdooractive.com/de/route/wanderung/berner-oberland/-eiger-trail-eigergletscher-alpiglen-nr.-36/23431791/ (or, a bit easier: from Alpiglen to Grindelwald)
- Grütschalp to Mürren: https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-grutschalp-murren/
- Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg: https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-lauterbrunnen-stechelberg/
- this roundabout hike at Schynige Platte: https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-schynige-platte/
Essentials to pack for a hiking trip: long trousers to protect your legs, a wind- and waterproof jacket as your top layer, further thin layers such as shirts or fleece sweaters to adjust to varying temperatures throughout the day, sun protection (a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses) and of course: proper hiking boots with good grip.
We usually find that category B boots are suitable for easy to medium hikes in the Swiss Alps. For longer, more demanding, or exposed trails, category C would be better.
More packing and preparation tips:
- https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/practical/clothing/
- https://www.myswissalps.com/activities/hiking/
Does this get you started? Have fun preparing for your upcoming trip!
Hi KRK!
I agree with Dorrie’s advice to dress in layers. A windproof top layer would be ideal. In any case, make sure to wear a high-collar coat/fleece or a scarf. It can be very windy at the top (this doesn’t have to be the case, but it’s good to be prepared), and the exposed skin of your neck can cool you down quickly.
I hope you’ll the spectacular cable car ride and the amazing views next week :-)!
in reply to: 2-day Bernina railway itinerary from Tirano
Hi Robert, thanks for joining MySwissAlps!
I’m afraid your question remained unnoticed for a while, as it’s near the end of an ongoing thread. Could you please post your question in a separate thread? You can do so by clicking “Post a new thread” at https://www.myswissalps.com/community/forum/questions/
We’ll be very happy to help you out there! Thank you in advance :-).
Thank you for your kind words, Mickey. I’m glad to hear that the advice worked out well for you, and I hope you had a wonderful trip. If you’d like to share your experiences, we’d love to read about them in our trip reports section!
in reply to: Best language to use while in the Jungfrau area
Hi E,
That’s such a thoughtful question! The Swiss will certainly appreciate your willingness to use their language. In the Jungfrau Region, the main language is German.
Please find more language info at https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/practical/language/
Hi Paule, welcome to MySwissAlps!
Yes, the combination of a Swiss Half Fare Card and Jungfrau Travel Pass makes perfect sense for your plans! The only thing to be aware of: the Jungfrau Travel Pass covers a relatively small area. If the weather is great in the Jungfrau Region and you can enjoy all of your plans there, that’s no problem. In case of less-than-ideal weather, you may prefer the flexibility of free travel in a larger area, as offered by the Berner Oberland Pass:
- https://www.myswissalps.com/details/jungfrau-travel-pass-validity/
- https://www.myswissalps.com/details/berner-oberland-pass-validity/
But of course, you will have the Swiss Half Fare Card to buy discounted tickets for any trips outside of the Jungfrau Travel Pass coverage area.
Recommended purchase options:
- https://www.myswissalps.com/details/buy-swiss-half-fare-card/
- https://www.myswissalps.com/details/buy-jungfrau-travel-pass/
You’ve listed lovely mountain excursions, and those can certainly be combined with great hikes! These are some of my favorites, and each is well compatible with your plans:
- https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-wengen-kleine-scheidegg/
- https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-mannlichen-kleine-scheidegg/
- https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-lauterbrunnen-stechelberg/
- https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-grutschalp-murren/
Does this get you started?
Hi eugene_polonsky, and welcome to MySwissAlps!
What a lovely prospect to be hiking the Via Alpina with your son :-).
You should indeed be prepared for all kinds of weather conditions. Freezing cold and snow aren’t likely in late August, but they can’t be excluded either. After all, you’ll be at high altitudes, and the weather up in the mountains is notoriously changeable: https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/practical/weather/
A good set of hiking gear contains waterproof walking boots with good grip (I’d definitely opt for ankle height: not just for snow and puddles of water or mud, but also because they provide better support on the uneven mountain trails), and a hooded water- and windproof jacket. Ideally, you’d have waterproof pants as well.
Underneath these top layers, you should be able to add and remove layers to adjust to the temperatures.
More about proper hiking gear: https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/practical/clothing/
More about hiking preparations and safety: please see “Practical hiking information and tips” at https://www.myswissalps.com/activities/hiking/
Does this help you out?
Hi Jwatson8,
Yes, there is a bicycle path between the two towns, crossing the Rosenlaui Valley. It’s part of stage 2 of the regional long-distance Berner Oberland route: https://schweizmobil.ch/en/cycling-in-switzerland/route-61/stage-2. The route is mostly paved, with a total of 5 km of unpaved natural paths.
Note that this isn’t an easy route, with considerable ascending/descending.
I hope this answers your question!
Hi Debi and Eric, welcome to MySwissAlps!
How lovely that you’ll be staying in Beckenried.
Yes, the Axenstrasse is normally open for traffic in May. It’s a vulnerable route, though, so parts can be closed due to the risk, or the actual occurrence, of rockfalls and landslides. An extensive project over the coming years will result in an entirely new route with more tunnels and with improved safety and accessibility. More about this project: https://axen.ch/
In short, I recommend checking the traffic status shortly in advance: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/car/traffic-info/
There’s lots to do in the Lake Lucerne area. You’ll find suggestions in our Lake Lucerne guide: https://www.myswissalps.com/region/lake-lucerne/
Does this get you started?
