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We plan to book a 13 day ultimate travel Switzerland by train package tour which includes a swiss travel.pass.
1) Is it better to buy the excursions locally using our swiss travel.pass when we get to the places e.g. matterhorn from zermatt or do we need to book ahead of time and include it in the purchase of the package? I understand the weather may not be favourable on certain days.
2) If we want to use the service of station to station or station to hotel luggage is there an option to pick up on the same day? Can the luggage be transported on the same train that we board and be collected upon our arrival at the train station?
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I’m not sure what you mean by “train package tour”. A package tour usually tells me the tour is all prepaid and involves a group of people and a tour guide. You also mention “excursions” – do you mean a simple trip on a train, using a ticket?
You mention the Swiss Travel Pass – is this what you mean by the tour? If so, you just hop on a train and show the pass to the conductor when asked. You don’t buy a ticket, unless the STP only provides a discount for that specific trip (like going to the Jungfraujoch). And for mountain train trips where the STP doesn’t provide free transportation, it’s usually best to buy the day before or as you are ready to travel, since bad weather can ruin an expensive trip.
As for (2), I’ll leave it to the others. I think I recall that a new rule states luggage can’t be same day, but I may have not understood that when it was discussed here.
I am referring to this package – http://www.railplus.com.au/gr eat-train-journeys/grand-train-tour-of-switzerland/details.ht m
It includes a 1st class swiss travel.pass to go to the cities included in the tour, and accommodation but no guides. It is an independent tour but I have the option to include (excursions) tours to Matterhorn glacier from Zermatt, Mt. Pilates, Jungfraujoch, etc.
Is it cheaper to buy the trip to matterhorn glacier from zermatt with the train package before we leave or is it cheaper to buy it when we get there?
Hi 330epping,
On the link above they mention “Swiss Card”. I am not sure what that is, it can be the Swiss Travel Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass) or maybe something else. I think it is better if you ask them.
To make sure that package worths, you should calculate the price of the same itinerary without the package. You’ll find a guide with a calculation spreadsheet, which helps you to calculate the cost of the trains and rail passes: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass. The downloadable spreadsheet also includes links to the “Where it’s valid” page for all available passes, be sure to study it carefully. You also need to add the cost of the hotels. But there is one thing, that you cannot really measure in money is the time of organizing this whole holiday.
Regarding the luggage services, read this: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/practical/luggage. Under the “More on other websites” part (scroll down) you’ll find also the sbb link. There is no same-day delivery unfortunately.
Further information concerning your trip:
- Golden Pass: http://www.myswissalps.com/go ldenpass
- Glacier Express: http://www.myswissalps.com/gl acierexpress
- Bernina Express: http://www.myswissalps.com/be rninaexpress
- Gotthard Panorama Express: http://www.myswissalps.com/go tthardpanoramaexpress
- Jungfraujoch: http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch
- Interlaken: http://www.myswissalps.com/in terlaken
- Montreux: http://www.myswissalps.com/mo ntreux
- Zermatt: http://www.myswissalps.com/ze rmatt
- St. Moritz: http://www.myswissalps.com/st moritz
- Lugano: http://www.myswissalps.com/lu gano
- Lucerne: http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne
Thank you for your reply
To Ildiko
Do you think there is any added value by booking this trip through an agent? I did a rough calculation and it seems that it is substantially cheaper to book the swiss travel.pass and accommodation by myself rather than book the whole trip through an agent. But I was wondering if there is added support by the agent in case there are any problems during the course of my trip, e.g. train cancellations, disruptions in the itinerary, etc. Would they rebook the train reservations, hotel accommodation, etc. Note that this is not a guided tour and is independent. As far as I can see all the agent does is provide the travel.pass and book the accommodation and give some instructions on the itinerary. Is it more difficult than it appears to be to organize this tour?
Hi 330epping
If you have a Swiss Travel Pass you should not have any problems travelling by train. There are frequent trains between destinations and you just hop on the next train if you miss one. I suggest you look at http://www.myswissalps.com/tr avel/inswitzerland, study the timetable (all modes of transport) and look at the links that Ildiko provided in her post. There is a lot of information on accommodation and things to do in the tabs at the top of this page. I normally look at booking.com and Tripadviser to try to get as much information on accommodation as possible and then usually book direct with the hotel.
The package seems very rushed and not enough time is spent in each region. If it was me I would take it at a slower pace and stay in 3 or 4 areas, ie Zermatt, the Jungfrau region, Lucerne or Montreux. The SBB mobile app is very useful because it gives you information on the train times, travel times, platforms numbers and includes other modes of transport including boats, buses, cablecars etc. It also includes ticket prices (half price fare by default) so you can work out which pass is the most suitable using the Excel Spreadsheet. http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass.
I am sure if you missed a train and contacted the agent they would just tell you to catch the next one. If you have a Swiss Travel Pass you are not restricted to any particular train and just get on the next one and show your pass and id to the ticket inspector when they request it during the journey. You don’t need to reserve seats on trains unless it is one of the scenic trains ie Glacier Express. On the scenic trains your Swiss Travel Pass covers the fare, but you do have to pay to reserve a seat. However, the regular trains cover the same routes as the scenic trains (without the added expense of a reservation).
As pvonk says is a good idea not to book mountain trips until the evening before/day of the trip so that you make sure that the weather is good and you will not be wasting your money if it is raining and the mountains are shrouded in clouds.
If you plan the trip yourself you will have a lot more flexibility and not have to stick to a strict itinerary. The transport system in Switzerland is very efficient, reliable and easy to use especially if you use the SBB mobile app whilst you are out there.
Hope this is of help.
Jane
We plan to travel in the 3rd week of July. In which cities/towns in this tour (Basel, Wengen, Montreaux, Zermatt, St. Moritz, Lugano, Lucerne, Konstanz) would we need airconditioning in the room? I understand it can get very hot in summer in some parts of Switzerland. Would there be 3 star hotels with air conditioning?
I don’t think many hotels in Switzerland have air conditioning. It is not normally necessary. The hotels we have stayed in have provided fans for use if it is exceptionally hot. The temperature is cooler in the mountain regions than in the cities.
Jane
Hi 330epping,
I do not think you need a room with AC, especially in the mountain area like Zermatt or St. Moritz. As far as I can remember, this year it wasn’t hot in July and even it was warm, it was good at night so we could just open the window to get some fresh air. The summer before it was very hot for a few weeks, but it was also better for the nights. So I do not think Ac should be search criteria.
See also: http://www.myswissalps.com/we ather and http://www.myswissalps.com/we ather/forecast.
You can find the list of the recommended hotels at:
- Zermatt: http://www.myswissalps.com/ze rmatt/hotels
- St Moritz: http://www.myswissalps.com/st moritz/hotels
- Basel: http://www.myswissalps.com/ba sel/hotels
- Wengen: http://www.myswissalps.com/we ngen/hotels
- Montreux: http://www.myswissalps.com/mo ntreux/hotels
- Lugano: http://www.myswissalps.com/lu gano/hotels
- Lucerne: http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne/hotels
List of budget hotels in Switzerland: http://www.myswissalps.com/ho tels/budget.
Also see: http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/how-to-get-help-finding-accommodation
Hi 330,
I can relay my experience.
In 2017 I stayed at Gästehaus Centro in Konstanz in mid June and it was like a sauna. I would have killed for aircon.
I also stayed in Luzern at the Continental Park and would have died but for the aircon.
I also stayed at the Hotel Walter du Lac and the aircon was broken. It was as hot as hell.
In 2019 I stayed in Thun in late September with no aircon. Don’t bank on closing the windows to shut out any ambient noise if you don’t have aircon.
I also stayed at the Eurotel in Montreux – it had brilliant aircon.
If anyone says you don’t need aircon in July other than at altitude then they must have high heat tolerance.
That said I think you will have great difficulty finding a 3-star hotel with aircon.
Thank you so much for your reply. Much appreciated.
Hi Rockoyster,
yes, it is true, I have a higher warm tolerance, I think. 🙂
I meant actually that in the last 2 summers in Switzerland we had only around 2-2 weeks when I was thinking an aircon would be great, but as it was nice calm at night it wasn’t a big deal for me. I guess you have been here during those weeks then. Most of the flats of the residents do not have aircon either.
But right, it is up to the visitors what they prefer. Aircon is an extra which can mean a higher price too.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
In cities where there are no cars allowed, how do we get from the train station to the hotel apart from walking?
In Zermatt there is a little electric mini-bus service. Many hotels there and in say Wengen offer a pick-up service from the train station. Anywhere else you had in mind?
Have a look at Google maps to work out how far your hotel is from the station.
ps The Hotel Walter du Lac I mentioned above was in Lugano. The air-conditioning was fixed the day before we left. It was a fantastic improvement. There were heat wave conditions in the spring of 2017 with temperatures hovering around 30C. Heatwaves are becoming more common and you can expect 30+ in July when not in the mountains. The MeteoSwiss app is very handy for checking weather forecasts.
Do you know of an aircondtioned hotel in wengen? The hotel websites don’t even have a filter for aircondtioning
Hi 330epping,
here you can find more information about traveling in Zermatt: http://www.myswissalps.com/ze rmatt/travel. And the same info for Wengen: http://www.myswissalps.com/we ngen/travel.
At https://www.hotelscomb ined.com/Place/Wengen you can filter “Air Conditioned” under “Hotel Features”.
Read more about the weather in Switzerland at http://www.myswissalps.com/we ather and about the forecast at http://www.myswissalps.com/we ather/forecast. I like the MeteoSwiss app too.
1. How far ahead should I buy seat reservations for July, 2020 for the Golden Pass Line, the Glacier Express, the Bernina Express, Gotthard Panorama Express?
2. It seems like there is a lot of changing of trains in this trip. How reliable is the luggage delivery by SBB? If I send my luggage ahead of time to my destination, say 2 days before I arrive, is there a chance that the luggage may be delivered when I arrive or is there a chance that it can be delayed or lost?
Hi 330epping,
You can book seats 3 months ahead of time:
- Bernina Express: http://www.myswissalps.com/berninaexpress/tickets
- Glacier Express: http://www.myswissalps.com/glacierexpress/tickets
- Golden Pass: you do not need to reserve your seat, but we recommend to do it if you are traveling in peak season on the Montreux to Zweisimmen leg: http://www.myswissalps.com/goldenpass/tickets
- Gotthard Panorama Express: you need a 1st class ticket or rail pass, if you have a 2. class rail pass you need to buy an upgrade ticket, and you also need to reserve your seats: http://www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress/tickets
I heard several times that the luggage service of SBB is effective and reliable, although I haven’t used it myself. You might find this post useful: http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/sbb-luggage-forward-reviews. More information at http://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/luggage.
1. If I want to send my luggage from Lucerne station to Zurich station on the 14th day of my swiss pass, so we can travel light and stop at zurich for a few hours to have a look around, how much time do you think we need to allot to retrieve our bags from the zurich station to carry on our train trip to Salzburg? Would we expect a long line to retrieve our baggage?
2. From Lucerne we will travel to Konstanz and have 3 nights in konstanz or 2 full days. Is it feasible to see the following sites in 2 days? St. Gallen, flower island and Unesco pile dwellings, Stein am Rhein or meersburg or lindau? If not what do you suggest we skip? And what would be our itinerary?
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