3 week trip to Switzerland

Hi,

Once again, thanks to Arno, Annika for building and running this wonderful forum.

We (me and my wife) reached here Oct 8, and will be here till Oct31. We will reside in Lausanne with a friend. After research, which was almost entirely just from your website, we did the following:

• We have the 1-month Swiss Travel pass, Flexi for 15days.
• Back home in India, we booked Glacier Express, Golden Pass, Grindelwald-First, Mt Titlis, KleinMatterhorn, Gornergrat & Jungfrau.
• In addition we have on our list (tentative) – Brienzer Rothorn, Cheese & Chocolate factory in Gruyeres, Transport museum in Lucerne, Interlaken Town, Wilhelm Tell, hike in Eggishorn or Bettmerhorn. Is this a good list? Any suggestions ...pls do share.
• Today was our first day – thanks to your inputs – we went to Montreux, walked around the city center to see as you put it ‘architecture from the Belle Époque era is mixed with modern buildings’, then went up to Les Avants, and what a scenic ride and picturesque village that was. The funicular to Sonloup was awesome, with great views of the countryside..
• We almost missed doing the funicular though. For an hour or more, we didn’t see the funicular go up or down. There was hardly anyone around to ask and was wondering if it was closed, and almost gave up. Then helped by someone, figured that its automatic.
• You can press the ‘SOS’ button to ask any questions. That helped clarify how this works :Walk into the car. The car has scheduled timings of course, and at the next scheduled time, the car senses if there’s anyone inside. (so be sure to move around a bit, else your presence wouldn’t be detected!). And if it senses anyone, the journey starts.Dunno if this is ‘obvious’ in this part of the world? Else, would they do well to leave instructions on this? I almost thought it was closed and was going to return.

Thanks again for your assistance

Regards...Suresh

Hi Suresh,

Glad to hear your trip has started! You have a good list of plans; just be sure to check schedules as some transportation may close later this month, particularly Brienzer Rothorn, Eggishorn and Bettmerhorn.

Interlaken itself is not worth your time I would say. The ride up to Harder Kulm is nice though. The nearby Jungfrau region is the best place to go around there, not the town.

Unmanned lifts are quite common for the less touristy ones. I know two more around Montreux actually. They are remotely monitored and not having staff around helps keeping this affordable. So indeed, always walk up to the lift and look for buttons, a phone or instructions to get things rolling.

Hello SureshSrini

I hope you and your wife had a wonderful holiday in Switzerland and are back in India safe

I would like to know who did you book the Glacier Express Golden Pass etc in India and how did your travel pass with 15 day flexi work out.We have friends in Delhi who are planning a trip for April 2017 for wife's birthday and wedding anniversary and they want to have a "Sangam" lifetime experience

Regards Kishsudra

Hi Kishsudra, welcome to MySwissAlps!

Suresh is still traveling. You can find details and booking links for the trains you mentioned here:

• myswissalps.com/ glacierexpress/ tickets
• myswissalps.com/ goldenpass/ tickets

Hi Suresh, Your list is very exhaustive you got covered most of the places. I just returned from my 10 day trip last month and posted my trip report under miscellaneous section of the forum. Try to do some boat rides in interlaken while you are there either to lake Thun or Brienz, spectacular scenary all around. You can also visit Bern which is closer from interlaken, a day trip is sufficient. Glad you have planned for 15 days....there is so much to see. Let me know if you have any specific questions, I can share my inputs based on my personal experience.

Hi Kishsudrha -

<<"I hope you and your wife had a wonderful holiday in Switzerland and are back in India safe">>

<<"We (me and my wife) reached here Oct 8, and will be here till Oct31. ">>

It will be valuable for your reading if you pay attention to dates.

Especially in April, the options for scenic travel will depend heavily on altitude...and, perhaps, even depend on exactly when in the month, since April is a transition month for weather and tourist facilities in some regions of Switzerland. The high Alps are between seasons in April.

Slowpoke.

Hi Kishsudra, did you find what you wanted?

Thanks Chandraks for your inputs – I will try to do the lake trips you’ve suggested.

Arno,

I found Oct23 is the last date for many – Brienzer-Rothorn,Grindelwald-First, Harder Kulm, Schynige Platte. Jungfrau appears open all year. Yet to check on Bettmerhorn/Eggishorn, and KleinMatterhorn / Gornergrat.

Tue we went on the Glacier Exp from Brig to St Moritz. It was fantastic. Probably a great way to see the variety of this country – from a coach with a glass area, you see beautiful villages, railway stations, snow capped mountains, sunlit valleys, lakes, rivers, bridges…..and it was even snowing, first in the area near Disentis, and then near St Moritz. There were times I was on my feet and looking around, and its an even better panoramic view.

Later in the week, we also went on the Wilhelm Tell route, and y’day to the Gruyeres village – both were lovely experiences, but more and more, I am really running short of words – oten, I am just spellbound, or there’s nearly a tear in the eye J.

Today’s the GoldenPass Line, and we intend to walk around the city in Lucerne in the a’noon. Is there a definite route that I can follow by a map, which will help me cover the beautiful spots there? Thanks, as always…

Suresh

Good to hear you're enjoying your time in Switzerland! I don't have a map at hand for Lucerne but the tourist office at the station can get you one. All the highlights are at walking distance.

Hi Suresh-

Adding to Arno's comment-

The Tourist Information office in Luzern main station is next to track #1. They are really helpful. I use them a lot.

Slowpoke

Arno & Slowpoke, Thank you so much 😊

There is one tourist/information office outside the station at the boat dock area as well .

Thanks-

I never noticed that one. I learn a lot on this forum.

Slowpoke

No problem, that's where I got the information all the time during my stay in Lucerne, it just before enter the boating dock, you would find two counters out there. Strangely enough I was not able to find the one in the Lucerne train station.

Hi Chandraks-

This link, from the SBB website dated July 2016 shows the tourist info office. It is just above the pink number 402 by track one on this map.

www.sbb.ch/content/dam /infrastruktur/trafima ge/bahnhofplaene/plan-luzern-a4.pdf#?lang=en

You can also see the symbol for luggage lockers, further out the platform, near the exit for Zentralstrasse.

Slowpoke

Thanks Slowpoke for the map link

Hi Chandraks-

You are welcome.

Over the past many years, I have learned that the Swiss systems usually have logical designs.

Hence, tourist info in the main stations.

The one in Luzern is particularly good.

Slowpoke

Hi,

Yesterday we went to Lucerne by the GoldenPassline, with the VIP seats in the first leg. Fully worth it, in my view (and for the view!). But for me, the awesome part was still from Meiringen to Lucerne.

Lucerne is so pretty – I got the walking route from the tourism office in the station, as you suggested

I have a couple of questions :

1. Last week we took a morning train (at 8:18) to go from Lausanne to Brig. I found this train goes further on to Milan / Venice. I have the Swiss Travel pass Flexi – can I take this train right into Italy??
2. Furka Steam Railway timetable ends on Oct 2. Is it then closed for the season? It seems to operate for a very short period
3. Glacier Paradise : I saw their timetable here : www.matterhornparadise .ch/en/timetable - the last column has the ‘to-date’ as 16th Oct - does that mean today’s the last date? Or just that they may revise timings tomorrow?

As always…..Thanks so so much :) :)

Suresh

Hi,

i am going to add another question pls - this was to check the closing dates that Arno mentioned above .

I checked the timetable from Betten-Bettmergrat, and for Fiesch-Eggishorn.

Both carry this note at the bottom 'runs 16. until 23. Oct 2016 daily'...........does this mean these cars close from oct24 on?

Thanks........Suresh

<<"Both carry this note at the bottom 'runs 16. until 23. Oct 2016 daily'...........does this mean these cars close from oct24 on?">>

Yes.

Ithink you can probably get up to Bettmeralp..it is a town, not an excursion destination.

Pretty much all of the excursion cableways shutdown after October 23rd, until approximately mid-December.

The cograil to Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch runs all year.

Slowpoke

Hi Suresh,

I'm glad you liked that trip, it is beautiful indeed!

1. The pass covers the trip until Domodossola, please see the map.

2. The Furka steam train operates from late June to early October. It is indeed closed now for the winter.

3. You can fill out another date to check availability. The Glacier Paradise cableway operates all year round except for October 31 to November 11. Eggishorn does not operate from October 24 to December 7. The same applies to Bettmergrat/Bettmerhorn I think.