Advice on 5 days Switzerland trip 22-26 Nov 2016

I will arrive Zurich on 22 Nov around 0500. Depart from Zurich to London 27 Nov 0915.

My proposed itinerary is 1 day Zurich, 2 days interlaken and 2 days Lucern

Day 1 - Zurich city sight seeing

Day 2 &3 - stay at Interlaken

day 2 to jungfrau region

Day 3 - Golden pass line : Interlaken-Zweisimmen-Montreux-Interlaken

day 4 & 5 - stay at Lucerne

day 4: Gotthard Panorama express and Glacier express

day 5 - Lucerne to mount Titlis

May I know which pass is more suitable for my trip? Swiss pass or Tell pass winter. I plan to buy 4 days swiss pass on 23 Nov if good weather. Any suggestion of places to visit if weather is not good?

thank you

Hi YChoo-

I'm no expert on passes- Arno or Annika can best help with that. Meanwhile, please check:

www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses

Your itinerary looks good to me, except possibly day 4.

I'm pretty sure that you cannot do all of the routing in one day.

If you go to the Ticino on the Gotthard Panorama Express ( a great ride, by the way) what would you do to get back to Luzern, and how would you fit in the Glacier Express?

A map and and the timetable may help clarify:

map.search.ch/

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

It is wise to leave time near the Jungfrau in case you have bad weather day. You have done that. Keep track of the weather there ( the tourist office in , for example, Interlaken or wherever you stay in that region will have up to date information, and clouds on the Jungfrau ruin a nice trip).

November is low season the Jungfrau region. Be prepared for many but not all closed hotels and restaurants and limited cableway service.

Finally, one day in Zürich might be a bit much for the visitor who wants a scenic visit. Zürich is my favorite city in Switzerland, but that is for culture and restaurants. The old town is nice to walk around, but you are not in the Alps.

www.myswissalps.com/zu rich

I'd tend to spend some or most of that time in one of your other two destinations.

Slowpoke

Hi ycboo!

Your plans are doable, but note that you're not spending that much time in the immediate Lucerne and Jungfrau regions, whereas both are splendid. I get that you're interested in scenic train rides though, and they're certainly a good choice for a low season visit in November. Just to make sure you're not overlooking any activities closer to your base towns: did you check the activities overviews at our Jungfrau region and Lucerne pages?

Your plan for day 4 is very ambitious, but possible if you don't mind leaving early and returning late. Tips on how to combine the Gotthard Panorama Express and the Glacier Express are listed at the pages I just linked to. I'd recommend to switch to the Glacier Express in Andermatt and return towards Zurich and Lucerne from Chur.

A 4 day Swiss Travel Pass starting from day 2 is the best option for this itinerary I think. Even if weather isn't good I'd recommend it, precisely because it allows you to travel around the country wherever weather seems to be best. Retailers are listed here. An online purchase is easier than getting your pass at the spot. You can get a print at home pass from www.swissrailways.com/ en. Prices are equal to a local purchase and there are no additional shipping or handling fees. Depending on your plans for Zurich on day 1, regular tickets or a ZurichCARD will do.

Thanks Slowpoke for the suggestions as I am planning while travelling in Germany.

my initial plan is 8-10 days at Switzerland but many people said Nov weather unpredictable, therefore I cut it to 5 days.

Hi Annika,

thanks for the suggestion. Will point to point ticket and tell pass winter cheaper than Swiss pass if weather not good and I am not going to the Alps?

I hope I am lucky to visit have the sceneric ride. If not, is early Jan around 2-10 Jan 2017 a good time to revisit again?

Thank you very much

Hi ycboo,

I don't expect the Tell Pass to be a good solution for your itinerary, unless you plan to stick to the Lake Lucerne region. As mentioned before, flexibility is important especially if weather is bad. The Tell pass restricts you to one region only, whereas the Swiss Travel Pass allows you to travel to other areas where weather might be better. The scenic train journeys you've mentioned are good alternatives if weather isn't great, and the Tell Pass won't cover much of them. It all depends on your finalized travel plans, but with the itinerary you described (or anything pretty similar to it) I'd personally prefer a Swiss Travel Pass.

Weather wise January doesn't necessarily offer better chances of good weather than November. No guarantees for either period, unfortunately. Generally there are some differences though. It should be a bit colder by January and there should be more snow on the mountain tops. Cold circumstances generally increase chances of clear skies, especially at higher altitudes. Please see myswissalps.com/bestti metovisit and myswissalps.com/weathe r.

Hi, May I have more advice on the following

1) do I need to book the seats for Golden pass line, Gotthard Panaroma express and Glacier express?

2) in Zurich, where can I buy the Swiss travel pass? Is it available at Zurich bus stop?

3) if the route not covered by Swiss travel pass, how can I book discounted ticket online?

thank you

Hi ycboo,

1) You'll find details on the pages linked by Annika. Also on the Golden Pass page. The Glacier Express won't be running in November but you can take the regular trains on the same route. No reservations required there.

2) Buying online would have been more convenient (it saves time). But it's too late for that now so you can best visit a staffed ticket desk at a train station. They won't be selling it at bus stops.

3) Please see the Swiss Travel Pass page mentioned by Annika and download the map for what's covered. If you need additional cableway tickets you can buy them on the spot, or often online, but it's too late for that too. The links can be found on the various cableway pages on our website.

Enjoy your trip!