MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial 15 days tour in Switzerland in July
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Hello People,
We are a middle aged couple, planning to travel on our own to Switzerland from 21st July to 3rd August.
Based on my research and helpful inputs from this forum, I have formulated a plan for 14 days of our stay.
21st to 23rd July – in Zurich – Sightseeing in Zurich and Rhine falls tour – 2 nights
23rd July – Zurich to St. Moritz by train. Stay in St. Moritz till 26th July – 3 nights
26th July – St. Moritz to Zermatt – Glacier Express. Stay in Zermatt till 29th or 30th July – Need some help here whether need to stay for 4 nights or 3 nights would be enough- 3 or 4 nights?
30th July to 3rd August – Was contemplating on staying in Interlaken. However, we have already covered Jungfrau, Titlis, Pilatus, Trummelbach, Lucerne, Montreux, Geneva in our previous tour about a decade back and preferably would not want to go there again.
Any suggestions for spending 4 or 5 nights ( depending upon Zermatt stay) where we could see a different part of Switzerland? Ideally, we would like to stay at one place and travel and avoid travel with luggage. However, we would prefer a relaxed holiday as well and not hectic morning to evening travel on all days.
On 3rd August we would go back to Zurich and on 4th noon, taking a flight out of Zurich.
Your suggestions would be very helpful in making our trip memorable. We would avoid hiring a car and only depend upon train and other modes of public transport and suggestions for the right Swiss Pass would be very welcome.
Thanks,
Shailesh
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What I could think of is Lugano and surrounding area
Hi Shailesh,
Your current itinerary looks good. I agree with Schroffchetan, the Ticino region should be in your plan too for this second visit to Switzerland. Lugano or Locarno would be a good option as your final base town. You can find sightseeing options below:
- Lugano: http://www.myswissalps.com/lugano/activities
- Locarno: http://www.myswissalps.com/locarno/activities
- Bellinzona: http://www.myswissalps.com/bellinzona
Also, if you plan to stay a few days in Zermatt, you could include day trips to Brig and Saas Fee. Or travel along the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn line all the way to Andermatt.
Hope this gives more ideas to add to your itinerary.
Regards,
Anna
Hi Shailesh,
A 15-day Swiss Travel Pass seems to be the best choice for your plans: https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass. It’s very easy: just hop on and off trains, buses and boats without getting tickets. You only need discounted tickets for mountain excursions. And you’ll need additional seat reservations for the Glacier Express: https://www.myswissalps.com/glacierexpress/tickets.
If you want to make sure which pass is most economical, you can best finalize your plans first, and then calculate as explained at https://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass.
Thank You Shroffchetan, Anna and Arno.
Really appreciate your valuable suggestions and am actively consider Lugano instead of Interlaken. Am also looking at the Swiss Travel Pass options.
Will revert with more queries, including on the Swiss Travel Pass, if needed.
Many thanks once again,
Shailesh
Hello Anna / Arno,
While looking at the options for travel to Lugano, I noticed the Gotthard Panorama express (boat+train journey) sent by you in one of the links.
Is there a way to experience this on leaving from Zermatt?
Would we have to go all the way to Lucerne and take the boat ride followed by the GP express? Is that a feasible option to cover in one day with our luggage?
Or is there an option to catch the boat midway on the way to Fluelen, thereby avoiding going to Lucerne?
Or would it require a night stay in Lucerne?
Can you suggest a good way to do this trip?
Also, where does the boat leave from in Lucerne?
I tried looking at the SBB timetable, however guess I am a novice in it and would need time to understand how to use it.
Appreciate your response.
Thanks,
Shailesh
Hi again,
If you wish to travel from Zermatt to Lugano on the Gotthard Panorama Express, a sensible route without going all the way to Lucerne would be as follows:
Zermatt – Andermatt (via Glacier Express or regular train), Andermatt – Göschenen (cogwheel train), Göschenen – Lugano (Gotthard Panorama Express).
This can be done in one day. However this route doesn’t include a trip on the boat. If you wish to include the boat journey, best to start in Lucerne. The boat terminal is located just outside the Lucerne the train station. On the SBB timetable, you should look up Luzern, Bahnhofquai.
Hope this helps you to plan your trip.
regards,
Anna
Good Morning Arno.
I was looking at the options for booking Glacier Express on 26th July and am getting confused. Would appreciate if you can clear my doubts.
As I understand, with the Swiss Travel Pass, we can travel free on the Glacier Express. We only need to pay Seat Reservation charges which is CHF 49 for high season for both 1st and 2nd class (on the Glacier Express site ) and CHF 51 on the Happy Rail site (link provided by you above).
However, on the Happy Rail site, I am directed to the payment section to input credit card details for the purchase, without selection of seats, which I found strange and unable to comprehend.
On the Glacier Express web-site, it shows me the seat numbers, which I can reserve, HOWEVER, it asks me to additionally pay the full ticket charge for individuals of CHF 152 from St. Moritz to Zermatt. Here, the advantage is that I can reserve the Seat numbers for 2 people, however, I have to pay the ticket charges of CHF 152 per person, in addition to the seat reservation charges of CHF 49 per person. There seems to be no option of just selecting and reserving the seats by payment of CHF 49 per person and use the Swiss Travel Pass for the journey.
Can you please clarify my doubts?
Thanks,
Shailesh
Good morning Arno,
Sorry – Forgot to ask one more important question :-
Is it necessary to buy the Swiss Travel Pass now before doing the Seat reservations or I can reserve the seats by paying the reservation charges and buy the Swiss Travel Pass later. I assume that we would have to show the Swiss Travel Pass in the train when we make the journey.
Thanks,
Shailesh
Thanks Anna. Appreciate.
Will consider the options and time available to decide on the best route
One more question – Sorry for asking so many questions in different posts, but am taking the liberty of asking them when I am confronted with the doubts.
For the dates that I wish to travel by the Glacier Express from St. Moritz to Zermatt (26th July), I am not able to see any vacant seats in First Class. I was planning on buying a First Class Swiss Travel Pass for our entire journey of 15 days.
Can I use the Swiss Travel First Class Pass along with a seat reservation in second class, without buying a second class ticket? Logically, it should be ok as I am unable to get the seat reservation in First Class, but am not aware of the rules and hence thought it prudent to ask this question.
Your responses will be highly appreciated.
Thanks,
Shailesh
Hi Shailesh,
1. You don’t need to have your Swiss Travel Pass at hand when making reservations. So the order in which you arrange for your Swiss Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/price) and seats reservations doesn’t matter, as long as you can show both when asked for while traveling.
2. Sure, you’re allowed to get 2nd class seats with a 1st class Swiss Travel Pass: https://www.myswissalps.com/glacierexpress/tickets. Too bad that 1st class seats seem to have run out for your travel date!
Thank you all for your advice and suggestions. It really is helping me to plan a memorable trip to Switzerland.
Based on the advice received in this forum, I am planning the trip from Zermatt to Lugano via Lucerne, hence will stay for one night in Lucerne. We should reach Lucerne around 2:00 pm and check in to our hotel. Is there any place we can visit in or near Lucerne in the afternoon. Ideally, if its covered by Boat, it would be great.
We would also like to do a Sunset and dinner cruise on Lake Lucerne and Lake Lugano. Can you advise where I can find options for reserving the same?
Thanks,
Shailesh
Hi Shailesh,
You arrive quite late to Lucerne (especially if you would like to check in the hotel first), but I think you can still visit Rigi: http://www.myswissalps.com/rigi/gettingthere. Please make sure to check the timetables. All the other mountains near Lucerne “close” earlier. And by close, I mean that you cannot reach them in the evening as the mountain transport does not operate after like 5 pm.
For the lake cruises please have a look at http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakelucerne/tickets and http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakelugano/tickets.
Sunset cruise will be amazing!
Ildiko
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