8 days with Swiss Travel Pass- Reservations?

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    13 July 2018 at 17:38:58 #817253

    Hey folks and experts,

    I am traveling with my parents (Senior Citizens) to Switzerland and planning to follow the following itinerary from the 17th of July. Need someone to verify it and suggest changes if required. Also, have heard that the weather can be uncertain and we should be flexible, but wonder how can one reserve the tickets in advance and be flexible at the same time (especially for the 1day mountain excursions).

    Day 1: Stockholm to Basel by flight (will reach around 2 pm).

    Day 1: Basel to Luzern by train.

    Day 1: Luzern to Rigi (may be on the same day as the arrival from Basel or a day later)- Boat to Vitznau, Cogwheel to Rigi Kulm and return via Weggis to Luzern. (Reservation not needed with Swiss Travel Pass)

    Day 2 or 3: Luzern to Titlis peak. Train to Engelberg, Gondola to Trübsee, Gondola to Stand, Revolving cable car to Kleintitlis and finally Chairlift. Return via Engelberg to Luzern. (Reservation for Titlis Valley station up to the last point on Titlis can be done at the valley station with 50% discount for STP, excluding for the chairlift which costs 12 Franks, I guess)

    Day 2 or 3: Pilatus (maybe). Train to Alpnachstad, Cogwheel to Pilatus. Return via Fräkmüntegg-Kriens to Luzern. (50% discount on the reservation with STP, has to be done at Alpnachstad station- no e-ticket or print@home facility)

    Day 4: Morning Luzern to “Chur by train and taking Glacier Express from Chur to reach Zermatt” or taking the Göschenen-Andermatt-Zermatt route (stay at Zermatt, at night). Please suggest! considering scenic views and travel time for the elderly. Glacier Express reservation can be done online (print@home), Cogwheel from Göschenen to Andermatt, not sure how to do the reservation for this Cogwheel train?.

    Day 5: Zermatt to The Gornergrat by Cogwheel. Reservation can be done online (print@home). The very same day, in the evening, travel to Interlaken via Speiz by train for which reservation is not needed with STP.

    Day 6 or 7: Interlaken to The Jungfraujoch: Interlaken to Kleine Scheidegg via Lauterbrunnen, Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch-return and then Kleine Scheidegg via Grindelwald to Interlaken. Reservation can be done online (print@home).

    Day 6 or 7: Schilthorn (maybe). Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen by train, then bus to ‘Stechelberg Schilthornbahn’ and by cable car to Gimmelwald and to Mürren. Finally from Mürren to Birg and to Schilthorn peak by cable car. Reservation is not needed with STP.

    Day 8: Interlaken to Geneva via Golden Pass line. Free with STP. Interlaken Ost to Zweisimmen by train and Zweisimmen and Montreux by Golden Pass Classic or Panoramic (how to differentiate this on the timetable) Reservation not compulsory but recommended. Need to know various Boat options (time and reservation possibilities) to Chillion castle and then to Geneva so as to check in around 7 pm at the hotel in Geneva.

    Regards,

    Darshan

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    Arno
    Moderator
    15484 posts
    14 July 2018 at 10:25:33 #891307

    Hi Darshan,

    Welcome to MySwissAlps! You are right, you can’t be flexible and also reserve. The only mandatory reservation in your itinerary is the Glacier Express: http://www.myswissalps.com/gl acierexpress/tickets.

    As you said, reservations for the Golden Pass section from Zweisimmen to Montreux are optional. As you travel in high season I’d recommend to book them if the date and time are fixed: http://www.myswissalps.com/go ldenpass/tickets

    Jungfraujoch can be really busy on a beautiful day in high season. In such a case you may want to purchase your tickets one day ahead of time: http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch/tickets. Seats can only be booked for the Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch section, and are optional.

    Most tickets can be purchased on the spot as well as online. You’ll find link on our attraction pages, here for Pilatus for example: http://www.myswissalps.com/pi latus/tickets. Many of those tickets require to be printed.

    As for day 4 there are two options which are both wonderful:

    • Lucerne – Flüelen by boat, then train to Göschenen and Andermatt, then the Glacier Express or an y regular train to Zermatt. This is a combination of the routes of the Gotthard Panorama Express and Glacier Express.
    • Lucerne – Chur by train, then the Glacier Express to Zermatt.

    Please find details here to see what appeals to you most:

    Boats to the castle in Montreux do not require reservations either. Just board with your Swiss Travel Pass. These links might be handy too:

    ucchoi01
    Participant
    28 posts
    14 July 2018 at 11:15:10 #891308

    Hi Darshan,

    obviously, I agree with all that Arno wrote… The only observation I would make is this…. Traveling with senior citizen parents, it seems that you have a lot of activity for every hour of the trip… My concern is that you have over scheduled for traveling with elderly and that they will be very fstigfat as a result . . Not only that, but in my opinion, you leave only enough time to arrive at certain tourist highlights and check it off your list before leaving for the next one. I would suggest taking a less ambitious course and getting to see and get to know the wonderful cities and villages you will see in Switzerland. … But that’s just my preference. It’s not for everyone. Wish you guys a good trip

    Arno
    Moderator
    15484 posts
    14 July 2018 at 11:40:41 #891309

    I agree that “do less, see more” can be a good approach. Welcome to MySwissAlps Ucchoi01!

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