6 days Switzerland by car in January

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    2 October 2019 at 11:42:06 #824061

    Hi, i will be traveling to Switzerland at 27 January and here is my itineary :

    day 1 : Rhine Falls, Stein Am Rhein, St Moritz (stay at St Moritz)

    day 2 : St Moritz – Como – Titlis (optional) – Luzern (stay at Luzern)

    day 3 : Luzern – Jungfraujoch – Montreux (Stay at Montreux)

    day 4 : Montreux – Glacier 3000 – Zermatt (stay at Zermatt)

    day 5 : Zermatt – Matterhorn Express – Chamonix (stay at Chamonix)

    day 6 : Chamonix – Zurich Airport

    I will be driving all the time, i wonder is it safe to drive in January, since im from Indonesia, im not familiar with the winter condition.

    I want to make the best use of my time to get to more cities, and i will appreciate every suggestion and recommendation. Thanks before.

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    2 October 2019 at 19:13:33 #923042

    Hi Mario anggor and welcome to MySwissAlps!

    Sorry, but if you are not used to the mountain drives, I would suggest not to do it, especially not in January. Last winter we were planning to go tobogganing by car, but it was a big snowfall in the morning, and for a few hours even the highway was terrible, so we decided to turn back and had to change our plans. They clean the roads and the highways very fast after a snowfall, but small routes can be still dangerous. Even if there is no snow, it can be slippery.

    Not to mention, that sometimes it is even faster with trains, as you cannot stuck in traffic jams with a train. 🙂

    Switzerland’s rail system is very good, using the trains it is more and comfortable and also very safe.

    Read these too regarding the cars and driving:

    You’ll find more information about the weather at http://www.myswissalps.com/weather.

    You’ll find the timetable at http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable, I think you should adjust a bit it. I understand, you would like to see as much as you can, but for me this plan seems to be a bit too ambitious.

    Learn more about the regions you are planning to visit at:

    disantor
    Participant
    28 posts
    2 October 2019 at 23:09:30 #923043

    Absolutely do not drive, especially since you are not used to the potential winter weather.

    Swiss rail is efficient and a rail pass or half fare card should do the trick. There is info on the site about the passes.

    Jungfraujoch is nice bit is pricey and takes better part of a day. You may enjoy just being in the mountains vs. Trying to fit that in (plus it isn’t included on rail passes). That’s something you might want to think about skipping. Others may disagree.

    Your trip seems doable but ambitious. You won’t have time to relax and soak things in, but maybe you like that style? I’d pick fewer stops or consider it.

    Have fun

    Rachael

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    2 October 2019 at 23:36:33 #923044

    I agree with other respondents – your itinerary is not suitable for a road trip in January for a first time visitor to the Alps

    In particular, please note the following:

    1) Rhein Falls – Stein – St Moritz is quite a long way by Swiss standards since St Moritz is in the south east. Involves a high alpine pass or a long drive and a tunnel car train

    2) St Moritz – Como – Luzern is (a) far too long a journey for one day, and (b) involves high alpine pass roads which may be snow bound or closed altogether

    3) again – far too long a day, plus you would have to leave your car at a valley station somewhere in the Jungfrau region – which wastes time

    4) again – involves pass roads that may be snowbound or closed. Far too much for one day. You can’t reach Zermatt by car so you have to pay (expensive) to park in the huge park house in Täsch and catch a shuttle train

    5) Zermatt– Chamonix – again involves several narrow mountain roads and pass roads

    6) Chamonix (in France) is at the wrong end of the country for Zürich. Another long drive over two mountain passes than a long way on motorways. Better to fly out of Geneva

    disantor
    Participant
    28 posts
    3 October 2019 at 2:22:02 #923045

    We went for 2 weeks and were in Montreux, Gruyeres, and the Lauterbrunnun Valley. It felt rushed. Consider picking just two cities and do day trips and site seeing.

    Montreux has a chocolate train you can take for the day. The Lavaux wine region is interesting too. Terraces. UNESCO world heritage site.

    You could then take a scenic train (many marketed) from Montreux into the mountains. See things via train. Stay a few nights in a town. Maybe stay nearer to Montreux area with Glacier 3000 and Gstaad area vs. Mountains farther away.

    There are many chairlifts and cable cars and views. You don’t need Jungfraujoch and Glacier 3000 and Matterhorn and Zermatt and Chamonix.

    If you google 5 days in switzerland or similar or check links on this site, or posted in this thread perhaps that will help you narrow your focus.

    Removed user
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    4 October 2019 at 13:46:31 #923046

    Dear All,,

    Thank you very much for your advise and comment. After read all of these, i confirm i will not driving in January. So here i changed my itineary, all of this i will travel by train using a swiss rail pass.

    day 1 : landed 7.50 am – drop baggage at hotel – rhine falls – stein am Rhein – zurich (stay in zurich)

    option A : (will skip montreux and glacier 3000)

    day 2 : zurich – luzern (drop baggage at hotel) – mt pilatus – luzern (stay in luzern)

    day 3 : luzern – interlaken (drop baggage at hotel) – jungfraujoch – interlaken (stay in interlaken)

    day 4 : interlaken – zermatt (drop baggage at hotel) – montbatten express – zermatt (stay in zermatt)

    day 5 : tasch – chamonix (drop baggage at hotel) – mont blanc – chamonix (stay in chamonix)

    option B : (will skip luzerne and mt pilatus)

    day 2 : zurich – interlaken (Drop baggage at hotel) – jungfraujoch – interlaken (Stay in interlaken)

    day 3 : interlaken – zermatt (drop baggage at hotel) – montbatten express – zermatt (stay in zermatt)

    day 4 : zermatt – montreux (Drop baggage at hotel) – glacier 3000 – montreux (stay in montreux)

    day 5 : montreux – chamonix (drop baggage at hotel) – montblanc – chamonix (stay in montblanc)

    day 6 : chamonix – geneva – nice (took a flight from geneva 15.00 – 16.00) (stay in nice)

    day 7 : nice – cannes – nice (take baggage from hotel) – monaco (Stay in monaco)

    day 8 : monaco – genoa (stay in genoa)

    day 9 : genoa – serravelle designer outlet – milan (stay in milan)

    day 10 : milan – venice (stay in venice)

    day 11 : venice – milan (stay in milan)

    day 12 : go home for milan..

    Actually thats my style, with a limited time but visited many many place, and im also a very quick person, just stop to take picture then chill for a while and then move to other places. Please note that im traveling with my wife and each of us carry 1 big suitcase.

    Please give me your advise, comment, suggestion or recommend for my new itineary. i am looking forward to read it. thank you very much, please pardon if my english is not that good. cheers

    disantor
    Participant
    28 posts
    4 October 2019 at 14:43:46 #923047

    In terms of a suitcase, i would use a carry on size. My family used trains for 2 weeks in Switzerland and used travel cubes (really keeps it organized and compact) and TLS Motherlode mini 21″ wheeled duffle. It was summer, winter it might be a challenge. Clothes are bulkier. We wore our hiking boots on the plane!

    It can be painful to lug a big bag. Reduce, reuse, do laundry. Even if you have a larger bag. There are steps, cobblestones, etc. Pack as light as you can.

    I still think you are racing but that’s your style. Just know that weather could be bad or cloudy on the day you might plan for jungfraujoch and that you will see little if that’s the case for your day long outing. You can check the weather and wait to buy your ticket perhaps, but some trains fill (certainly in summer, not sure about oct).

    Have a nice trip..

    Anna
    Moderator
    6274 posts
    5 October 2019 at 2:52:26 #923048

    Hi mario anggor,

    Switzerland is fairly small but driving in the mountains should not be underestimated and most road passes close during winter. So you have valid reasons to be concerned about driving in January.
    Travelling by train instead with the Swiss Travel Pass is the best idea 🙂

    Looking at your revised itineraries, I think they are both do-able.

    If you want more information about the Swiss Travel Pass, please see here
    http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/price
    http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/howtouse

    Practical information that might be useful
    Luggage on the train: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/luggage
    Train timetable (be sure to check before you go): http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable
    Staying connected on the train: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/internet

    The weather in Switzerland, and particularly in the mountains, can change quickly. Even multiple times within a day. Weather forecasts more than 3 days in advance are mostly not reliable. Please see http://www.myswissalps.com/weather

    For quick access, you can download the SBB (timetable) and Swiss Meteo (weather) apps from this page:
    http://www.myswissalps.com/aboutswitzerland/practical/websites

    Enjoy your trip!

    Anna

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