8 day itinerary in Switzerland by train in May

  • Maureen_C
    Participant
    2 posts
    4 February 2020 at 1:52:22 #825095

    Let me start by saying this website is amazing. I have found a great deal of information to help me put together an itinerary but would like some feedback and or confirmation on some of my assumptions based on what I have read. I apologize for the lengthy detail, however I wanted to be clear and thorough.

    My husband & I will be arriving in Basel Switzerland (via our departure from the Rhine River Cruise) on Tuesday May 19th and departing Switzerland on Tues May 26th, when we will be off to Austria. First of all we plan to purchase an 8 Day Swiss Rail Pass Fixed/Consecutive Days (1st or 2nd class yet to be decided) Q – If we chose the 2nd class, does anyone have experience on taking any included boat trips 2nd class or is there an option to upgrade to 1st class for the trip by paying the difference? As an example, we inquired with the Glacier Express and we can pay to upgrade to 1st class for this leg only. Q – We would like confirmation the Fixed Consecutive pass versus the Flex pass for 8 days is the correct one based on the following itinerary

    Tue May 19 – Train from Basel to Lucerne, 2 overnights in Lucerne (hotel yet to be chosen)

    Wed May 20 – Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus – weather dependent – (following the boat/cogwheel train/cable car/gondola/bus/train route described on your website) Q – Are all travel costs for this excursion included in the Swiss Rail Pass? Q- Do you have any alternative suggestions for activities during inclement weather?

    Thur May 21 – Train from Lucerne to Montreux via the Golden Pass Line, 2 overnights in Montreux (hotel yet to be chosen)

    Fri May 22 – Boat Ride/Tour on Lake Geneva from Montreux – For choices of boat rides, I found reference to sample boat trips on your website and the following reference to another website http://www.cgn. ch which noted 4 trips that looked interesting to me, however not a lot of detail on the itinerary, Q- is there a trip that stops at the /Chillon castle or other trips that make any stops elsewhere during the tour? Q -Are there other websites I can search for a more detailed itinerary and are these excursions included in the Swiss Rail Pass?

    Sat May 23 – Train from Montreux to Zermatt, 2 overnights in Zermatt (hotel yet to be chosen)

    Sun May 24 – Day Trip from Zermatt to Gornergrat – weather dependent – I noted this trip is 50% covered by the Swiss Rail Pass. Q – if weather is not suitable for this trip, are there other suggestions for things to do in Zermatt during inclement weather?

    Mon May 25 – Board the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz, 1 overnight in St. Moritz (hotel yet to be chosen). I have read many varying comments about the Glacier Express and clearly it is personal preference to book and pay the extra for this scenic train versus travelling on the regular trains. Q – However, I wondered if anyone has had the experience of taking the Excellence Class car and what you thought of this experience?

    Tues May 26 – Depart St. Moritz for either Innsbruck or Salzburg Austria, 3 overnights. I know our Swiss Travel pass covers the train ride to the Austrian boarder, and we would have to purchase an additional ticket into Austria. Q – Are you able to provide advice on the fastest train route from St. Moritz to whichever boarder town and onward to either Innsbruck or Salzburg? We definitely want to see and do things in Salzburg, so have not decided which will be our base. After 4 days we depart on Sat May 30 to Oberammergau (which I believe we will go by train via Munich) for the Passion Play. We are there for 2 overnights and then wrap up for a final 2 nights in Munich before returning to Canada on June 3rd. I wish to thank you in advance for any assistance you may provide.

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