MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial 7 days Zurich, Interlaken & Montreux in Sept
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I’m travelling to Swizterland at the end of Sept for 7 days. Here is my itinerary:
Day 1 Fly to Zurich and head straight to Lucerne for 3 nights
Days 4-5 Interlaken
Days 6-7 MontreuxMy questions are:
1. How do I get from Zuirch airport to Lucern?
2. What are the “must” sees in every place as I’ve never been to Switzerland before. I am scared of heights and hate cable cars/gondolas but realise if I want to see the spectacular scenery then I need to move past this. Although if there are alternatives to cable cars please highlight these.
3. I need to get from Montreux to Milan – what is the quickest way to do so?
4. I plan on doing lots of travel on the trains/ boats etc what would be the best pass for me as there are so many options and I’m totally confused.
5. With only 2 days in Montreux is it possible to see Mont Blanc or should I leave this for another trip?Thanks
Tina
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Hello Tina! Zurich Airport has its own railway station, from which you can easily travel to all directions. You can plan your trips by train and bus through the online timetable. For example: fill out Zurich Airport as your arrival station and Lucerne as your destination. The timetable will then come up with all available connections. You can specify dates and travelling times as well. This also goes for your trip from Montreux to Milan. You can enter both stations in the timetable and check the possibilities. The easiest connection will be a EuroCity train (for which seat reservation is required), which runs directly between both towns and doesn’t require a stop over.
From each town in your itinerary you’ll be able to enjoy beautiful views without having to make gondola trips. If mountain trains are less of a problem for you, there are quite some options. From Lucerne you can make boat rides over the lake and take the mountain train up to Rigi, which is a wonderful viewing point. The train trip is very relaxing and doesn’t include deep ravines or any other spectacular passages. The view up there at Rigi is spectacular though. You could also get up to Pilatus by train from Alpnachstad, although this ride is rather steep at some points. Try to explore Lucerne’s city centre and the famous Kappel bridge as well.
As Interlaken is situated between lake Thun and lake Brienz, boat trips on these lakes are a great day trip as well. Mountain trains in this area are available, too. You may consider the cog railway trips op to the Brienzer Rothorn or Schynige Platte, and the most famous attraction here – the Jungfraujoch – can be reached by train as well. Large parts of the route run through a tunnel in the mountains, so you won’t be confronted with heights that much.
Montreux, along the shores of lake Geneva, offers the option of boat trips as well. You may want to visit the Chillon castle, and a trip to Mont Blanc can also be made within one day. You’ll first have to travel to Chamonix by train and then pick one of the cable cars or mountain trains.As for a rail pass: as you indicate that you’ll be travelling almost each day and as you may want to use regular public transport (trains, buses and boats) more than mountain transportation, an 8 day Swiss Pass will probably be best in your case. The link ‘Overview of the network on which the Swiss Pass is valid’ allows you to explore the exact area of validity. All regular train, bus and boat trips will be for free. The Rigi train ride is for free as well. Other mountain trips are reduced by either 50% or 25%.
I hope this helps!
Thanks Annila you have been very helpful. I love trains so the journeys you have outlined sound perfect. I may even summon up the courage and try a cable car!
Regards
TinaAnnika, one more question, I’ve tried to book the journey on the Golden Pass line and I’m having some difficulty. As I want to break up the journey over a week, does that mean I need to enter each segment separetly? For example – Lucern to Interlaken, then Interlaken to Montreaux. What if I want to get off at some of the towns between Interlaken and Montreaux, do I need to book these separately or can I just hop off and on the train? Also, should I purchase my Swiss Pass first before booking the Golden Pass Line? Is there a discount if I do? Is there a preferred side of the train to sit for the best views? I’ve read other forums and it seems as close to the front is best.
Thanks
Tina
Hi Tina. When booking for the Golden Pass, you’ll have to reserve specific seats for specific trains. So yes, if you want to break up your Golden Pass journey by staying overnight at some places, or getting off the train to visit a town, you should book each section separately. Golden Pass trains run only a few times a day, so it’s not that easy to get off one train, take a short break, and then get on the next one. The Golden Pass timetable may help you plan your itinerary and determine for which sections you want to book. It’s nice indeed to try and book seats at the very front of the train, as some Golden Pass trains run with a special VIP carriage offering views of the railroads ahead. The number of these VIP seats is limited, but you may still succeed in booking them for the end of September. If not, try to contact the Golden Pass railway company. Although VIP seats may not be available for online reservation anymore, there may be some left for reservation through e-mail or at local railway stations.
It doesn’t matter whether you purchase your Swiss Pass before or after making seat reservations. The reservation fee is the same to passholders and non-passholders and Swiss rail passes don’t offer discounts for seat reservation costs.
If it’s not very important for you to travel in panoramic Golden Pass trains, you may consider travelling in regular trains as well. The windows will be smaller, but you’ll be able to enjoy the views just as well. The advantage is that you don’t have to bother about seat reservation for each leg of the trip.
As for which side of the train is best: I’d advice to take seats on the right side of the train between Lucerne and Interlaken, and on the left side for the section between Interlaken and Montreux.
Hi Annika,
Once again you have been extremely helpful! I’ve reserved my seats on all three sections, so can I wait until I get to Lucern to purchase the tickets or can I do this online as well?
Regards
Tina
Hello Tina. I’m glad to hear that your Golden Pass seat reservation succeeded! You can order your Swiss Pass online in advance, so that you can start using it rightaway after your arrival in Switzerland, without having to spend time at a ticket corner. Apart from your Swiss Pass, you won’t need that many tickets. You’ll only have to purchase discounted tickets for mountain transportation, and these can best be purchased at the spot before boarding (most of them can’t even be ordered online).
Have a wonderful trip!
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