4 days in Lucerne in last week of April

Hi Team

We are 2 adults planning to travel to Swiss during April last week 2016. We want to enjoy the scenic beauty and not in rush to cover all sight seeing places. Also don't want to cover too much mountains rather would like to enjoy the nature.

So far our plan is as below:

Day 1 : will reach Zurich from Amsterdam and will head to Lucern.

Day 2 : Sight Seeing in Lucern for 2 days

Day 3 : Planning to take Golden panoramic train to Interlaken and stay for 2 days

Day 4; Back to Paris

Q 1 : I would like to know best option to travel to Lucern from Zurich. Would like to visit to Rhine falls in Zurich and head back to Lucern in evening. Can you provide train timings for the same. If not feasilbe will skip sight seeing Zurich

Q 2 : In Lucern

1st day planning to visit Mt. Rigi ,showdairy in Affoltern im Emmental and Chapel Bridge. How can we reach to showdairy in Affoltern im Emmental? Please provide more details on this. For Mt. Rigi would like a trip including cable car

2nd day : Mt. Titlis and Lake Luzern. But i have seen in one of the blogs that we can cover boat trip in Lake Luzern to visit to Mt.Rigi. Is it correct? If so please provide the best way to cover Lake Luzern, Cable car trip to any of the above sightseeing places. If we can cover Lake Luzern while visiting Mt.Rigi, what can we see in Luzern. Please suggest

Q 3 : From Lucern we will head back to Interlaken using Golden Panaromic train. Is it really worth going by this train or any other train provides the same view?

Q4 : In Interlaken

1st day : Would like to cover schynige Platte near Wilderswil , Schilthorn,Jungfraujoch . Please provide options to visit these? Can we cover all 3 in one day?

2nd day : Like to visit Chocolate factory. How can we reach there. Please provide more details. Head back to Lucern. what is the fastest way to reach Lucern? Do we need to take Golden Panaromic train again or is there any other way?

Q5 : What is the best way to reach Paris? Initially we planned to take flight from Zurich but i saw somewhere in your forum that Lucern-Basel-Paris train is there and takes around 4 hrs. So i guess that will be the best option. Is it feasible todo on the same 2nd day from Interlaken? Where can we get tickets for these? Do we need to book online or can purchase at the station itself?

Based on the itinerary do you suggest us to buy swiss pass (or) swiss pass half fare (or) tell pass or just buy tickets directly in the places. Please suggest based on your experience so that it will give a start to explore more on these ticket options.

Any other suggestions on itinerary will be of great help

Thanks

P1

Hi P1, welcome to MySwissAlps!

Good that you get to visit Switzerland next April. Let's look into your questions:

Q1) You will manage to visit the Rhine Falls before heading for Lucerne, if you don't mind arriving there in the evening. Information on how to get there can be found at our Rhine Falls page: myswissalps.com/rhinef alls/gettingthere. Also, you can consult the timetable to plan your trip in detail: myswissalps.com/timeta ble. This goes for all your other trips as well.

Q2) Just a note: I don't quite understand your travel scheme. You seem to have a total 4 days available, but you mention two fulls days of exploring the Lucerne region both on day 2, and two days of exploring the Interlaken region on day 3 (and 4)?

Having said that: you would be able to combine the Rigi and the showdairy in Affoltern, but it will be a very full day. Personally, I'd rather skip the dairy and focus on the Rigi trip, especially if weather is nice. You could keep the showdairy as a back-up plan in case weather is bad. It's about a 1h30 trip from Lucerne to the dairy. You should enter "Affoltern i.E, Dorf" as your destination in the timetable for exact timings.

Rigi can very well be combined with a boat trip over Lake Lucerne: myswissalps.com/boatla kelucerne. Options are explained at our Rigi page: myswissalps.com/ri gi/gettingthere. Suggestions for sightseeing in Lucerne are listed at our Lucerne page: myswissalps.com/lucern e.

Q3) Yes, the Golden Pass route (http://www.myswissalps .com/goldenpass) is certainly the most scenic track towards Interlaken. Trains running here are also called 'Luzern-Interlaken Express'.

Q4) The cog train to Schynige Platte won't be running yet in April. Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch can be combined in one day. It's a bit much, but if you don't mind a long travel day you will manage to visit both. Please refer to our Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch pages for further information: myswissalps.com/schilt horn, www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch

There's no nearby chocolate factory that can easily be visited in your travel scheme, from either Lucerne or Interlaken. Alternatively, you may try the chocolate show in Restaurant Schuh in Interlaken.

Q5) It's easiest to travel to Paris by train, departing from either Zurich or Basel. Details, including ticktet options, can be found at myswissalps.com/traint ickets/france.

You seem to be traveling quite a lot. I'd say a 4 day Swiss Travel Pass is by far the easiest solution for your plans: myswissalps.com/swisst ravelpass. You can compare this option with a Swiss Half Fare Card (myswissalps.com/swissh alffarecard), making calculations as explained at myswissalps.com/train/ ticketspasses/practica l/chooserailpass.

<<"We are 2 adults planning to travel to Swiss during April last week 2016. We want to enjoy the scenic beauty and not in rush to cover all sight seeing places. Also don't want to cover too much mountains rather would like to enjoy the nature.">>

Hi P1 -

Annika has given you a thoughtful reply.

I, too, do not think your days add up.

Also, the name of the country is Switzerland (in English); "Swiss " is an adjective ( in English.) Perhaps you know German. In German, the name of the country is "die Schweiz." Can be confusing.

And, as Annika has noted, you have tried to cover a whole lot of places. That is not what you requested in your opening statement.

Follow her leads and reduce the number of places you plan to visit. A more relaxed trip will be much more enjoyable.

Slowpoke

Hi Annika

Point noted on Switzerland, corrected the subject line :)

Thanks for your reply. It was a mistake on the Days specified, infact it is 5 day trip 1 day in Zurich, 2 days in Lucerne, 2 days in Interlaken.

Day 1 and Day 5 will include sight seeing (if possible) and travelling back to destinations (i.e. Lucerne from Zurich on first day and Lucerne to Paris on last day taking the last train)For Lucerne, i will consider your advice and will visit only Mt.Rigi combined with Lake Luecerne on first day and skip/put as alternative showdairy in Affoltern.So seems this way i can enjoy lake and mountain views of Lucerne. I read somwhere if we take swiss pass Rigi trip would be free of cost. Is that so? If not, for what i need to pay extra please specify in brief if possible.For 2nd day in Lucerne i am planning to Mt. Titlis as mentioned earlier, what would be the journey time . As I am planning Mt. Rigi and Schilthorn (or)Jungfraujoch. Will it be too many mountains and the same view? Or is it really worth visit? Else i will consider it skip and enjoy the local view of Lucerne.

From Lucerne to Interlaken , if i buy Swiss pass it is just i need to pay extra for Golden panaromic train or is it completely exclusive? Also per your suggestion i would consider either Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch.From the reviews it seems Schilthorn will give better 360 views compared to Jungfraujoch. Personally which one do you suggest? I see from your site Schilthorn will take 90 min from Interlaken Ost, if we reach Interlaken by latest by 11 A.M .we can cover this correct? How much time does Jungfraujoch will take, i have not seen travel time in the link provided by youI don't want to miss to visit MAISON CAILLER chocolate factory in Broc. Is it not 1.30 hr journey from Interlaken and if so what should be station i should select while buying tickets. Does Swiss pass include travel from Lucerne to Paris? Or is it seperate? ThanksP1

Not sure why the reply has come all in one line. Hope this is readable

Thanks

P1

Hi P1 -

<<"For 2nd day in Lucerne i am planning to Mt. Titlis as mentioned earlier, what would be the journey time .">>

Please refer to the timetable link that Annika gave you in the answer to Q1 in her post.

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

When I do that, using Kleintitlis as the destination, I get 1 hour and 53 minutes for the trip, of which the first 53 minutes are used to reach Engelberg.

<<"I don't want to miss to visit MAISON CAILLER chocolate factory in Broc.">>

You will find information about Cailler at this link. The train station is shown as Broc-Fabrique on the map at this link.

cailler.ch/en/maison-cailler/visit-us/tarifs/

Using the timetable, with stations Interlaken Ost and Broc-Fabrique, the journey is shown to take 1 hrs 24 minutes. [Corrected in Edit - 2 hrs 24 minutes!] Change trains at Bern and Bulle. If you select a journey and Show Details, you can select a map, which reveals a rather roundabout journey.

If you force the computer to show the more direct ( but much slower )route by inserting Zweisimmen in the "via" box, the map will show you a route which follows the Golden Pass route as far as Montbovon, then turns north. The most scenic part of the Golden Pass route is the last section from Montbovon to Montreux. You would miss it. The journey takes from 3 hrs 16 minutes to 3hrs 55 minutes.

As part of your trip planning, you might find a map of Switzerland useful.

Here is one that I use:

map.search.ch/

Being somewhat conservative, i prefer the older"classic" version, but either one is good. it gives me a menu of options on the very first page. Probably too much info for a smartphone screen? I like it for my computer.

Arno and Annika are better qualified than I am to answer your more detailed questions. However, if you use the tools that have been suggested, you will be able to focus your journey and your questions more easily.

The Swiss Travel Pass only covers travel to the border. You need another ticket from the Swiss border to Paris.

In the lower elevations, you will find that Spring is well advanced in April. In the higher elevations ( Jungfraujoch, Kleine Scheidegg, Männlichen) there will be plenty of Winter still there.

Slowpoke

map.classic.search.ch/

Hi P1,

The pass you're after is the Swiss Travel Pass (the Swiss Pass was discontinued in 2014). Everything included can be found on our page about the pass (click "Where it's valid"): www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass. Rigi is indeed free, as well as the trip from Lucerne to the border (Basel). You need a ticket from Basel to Paris. Both the pass and ticket are available from the same website. In your case it's this one:

• www.raileurope-gcc.com/pass/swiss-travel-pass-82
• www.raileurope-gcc.com/train/tgv-lyria

Also note the extra discount on peaks, including Schilthorn: www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/70-off-titlis-pilatus-schilthorn-gornergrat.

I corrected the time from IO to Broc in my preceding post.....it should be 2 hrs 24 minutes.

Sorry,

Slowpoke.

Hi

Thanks for the information. Considering the time taken to reach Mt. Rigi (i.e. almost 4 hrs round trip) I would rather enjoy the surroundings of Lucerne as per your link myswissalps.com/lucern e.

Regarding Golden Panaromic train i still has some confusion, if I take Swiss Travel pass or Swiss Half Fare card, is it some extra I need to pay or this ticket is completely exclusive?

Also for Day 4 :Either Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch.From the reviews it seems Schilthorn will give better 360 views compared to Jungfraujoch. Personally which one do you suggest?

For Broc when I check the Timetable it seems changing trains in Buelle and Bern has just 5 min and 10 min respectively, is this time sufficient for changing trains and what if the train gets delayed or if we miss the train can we get into train departing in later times? Please confirm

If i buy any of the Swiss Travel (i.e. Half fare or full pass) passes can i just print the tickets and carry it or do they send to home address? Do I need to stamp it anywhere before using them? Please clarify

Thanks

P1

Hi P1,

I consider Rigi to be a local trip when based in Lucerne. It does take time, but a Golden Pass trip takes time too. Both Rigi and Golden Pass are free for Swiss Travel Pass holders. If you have a Swiss Half Fare Card, you need to buy tickets and you'll get a 50% discount. Please see the pass pages I linked to for all the details about what's included.

Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch are both great if the weather cooperates. Personally I find Jungfraujoch slightly more impressive. But it's not just about the view. The trip up there is very interesting too, with two stations inside the mountain where you can look through the windows into the high Alpine world. But, there are as many opinions about this as there are visitors, so you'd better have a look at the linked pages and see what appeals to you most.

Changing trains in a few minutes is no problem. If you would miss it anyway (very rare), you simply take the next train.

Rail passes can either be printed or shipped, depending on where you buy. Please have a look at all the options here:

• myswissalps.com/ swisstravelpass/price
• myswissalps.com/ swisshalffarecard/pric e

I would recommend the Swiss Travel Pass, as you seem to travel a lot. It's more convenient and probably cheaper too. As you can see on the above pages, the cheapest option in your case is www.raileurope-gcc.com/pass/swiss-travel-pass-82. They physically ship the pass, so it does take a few days to receive it.

Hi Arno

In the first sentence I meant to skip Mt. Titlis not Rigi. Rigi I am planning to visit on my first day of Lucerne . Since I will be covering Rigi and either Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch, i am planning to skip Titlis considering the travel time and enjoy local sites in Lucerne.

Golden pass trip i would like to do to travel from Lucerne to Interlaken which is my next base for the next 2 days.

For passes I need to go through sites you provided and once i checked I will get back to you .

Also for heading to paris from Interlaken , I should first come from Interlaken to Zurich and then Zurich to Paris correct? Is it in the same train or should i book seperate tickets first from Interlaken . Travel time from Interlaken/Zurich/Paris (or) Interlaken/Zurich/Basel is better?

What is the travel time for this whole trip from Interlaken to Paris either through Basel or Zurich, i read in one of the forum it takes around 3 to 4 hrs from Interlaken ? But when i check the www.raileurope-gcc.com/spipe. It says 4 hrs from Basel/Zurich? then 2 hrs from Interlaken - In total 6 hrs in this case i will consider travelling in Flight. Please clarify on this .

Thanks

P1

Thanks

P1.

Hi P1,

You can best use the timetable link Slowpoke gave you. Find a schedule there, then book the train through any websites listed on myswissalps.com/ traintickets/france/ price. The timetable will show connections through Basel because that's much faster than Zurich. You can buy your Swiss Travel Pass and the ticket from the same site:

• www.raileurope-gcc.com/train/tgv-lyria (you only need to book a ticket from Basel to Paris as the rest is included in the Swiss Travel Pass)
• www.raileurope-gcc.com/pass/swiss-travel-pass-82

Hi Arno

I see you mentioned I would recommend the Swiss Travel Pass, as you seem to travel a lot. Even Annika has mentioned the same. That is not what i really want to.. I am planning to have Lucerne and Interlaken as bases.

For Lucerne Mt.Rigi ( revolving car & Lake Lucerne) , local sight seeing.

Interlaken, for Schilthorn (or) Jungfraujoch & Broc Chocolate Factory (must) and back to Paris. Considering this do you suggest to change the base from Interlaken? or any other suggestions to reduce travel and enjoy the local sight seeing.

Thanks

P1

Hi P1,

Well, perhaps it seems like more traveling than it is, but a trip to Broc is pretty long, as well as traveling from Interlaken to Basel, and the Rigi trip is free with the Swiss Travel Pass. All of that, plus the convenience of not having to buy tickets for each trip, could make the Swiss Travel Pass a good choice. But you could compare with a Swiss Half Fare Card. This page will help you do so.

Interlaken, or any nearby village, is a good base for Schilthorn/Jungfraujoch.

<<"What is the travel time for this whole trip from Interlaken to Pariseither through Basel or Zurich, i read in one of the forum it takesaround 3 to 4 hrs from Interlaken ? But when i check the www.raileurope-gcc.com/spipe. It says 4 hrs from Basel/Zurich? then 2 hrs from Interlaken - In total 6hrs in this case i will consider travelling in Flight. Please clarifyon this .Thanks">>

As Arno and I I mentioned before, when you wish to find travel times and routes in Switzerland, please use the link to the SBB Timetable that I provided. Rail Europe is not a good resource to identify the best route.

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

IO to Paris should go through Bern and Basel. Not Zürich.

The fastest journey is approximately 5 hours, with change at Basel.

If you choose to fly, include the time and costs associated with getting to/from the airports in your comparison.

<<"That is not what i really want to.. I am planning to have Lucerne and Interlaken as bases.">>

Distance counts, as well as the number of trips. You are going to spend quite a bit of time on trains.

Arno has given you a link to help you choose.

Slowpoke