Basel to Geneva best route with Swiss Travel Pass

  • vinagi
    Participant
    2 posts
    29 June 2017 at 20:44:12 #812458

    Hi to all the travellers!

    We are already in Switzerland and enjoying it!

    We are planning to travel to Geneva using the travel pass.

    Can you advice which direction is better – Biel, Interlaken or other?

    On all the itineraries I see dotted line, which means I have to pay extra. When and where I do that?

    How I know which train is free for me.

    Thanks

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    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    30 June 2017 at 3:37:55 #865991

    Hi vinagi, and welcome to MySwissAlps!

    >> Can you advice which direction is better – Biel, Interlaken or other?

    That depends on what you mean by better 😉

    The fastest way, which the timetable will suggest by default, takes around 2.75 hours, and goes via Biel/Bienne, Olten or Bern. If your connection involves a change of trains at Biel/Bienne or at Bern, changing trains just means walking to the other side of the same platform. If you need to change trains at Olten, you need to walk from Platform 12 to Platform 8 – two platforms over. This route is pleasant, with flatish or undulating countryside, and not especially scenic.

    A route with mountain, lake and traditional village scenery – which would take 5.5 to 6 hours – would be to go via part of the Golden Pass route: Basel > Spiez > Zweisimmen > Montreux > Genève

    If you had all day, you could incorporate the full Golden Pass route, which would take 8 to 8.25 hours: Basel > Luzern > Interlaken Ost > Zweisimmen > Montreux > Genève

    All these routes are free with the Swiss Travel Pass.

    >> On all the itineraries I see dotted line, which means I have to pay extra. When and where I do that?

    I think what you are probably looking at are dashed lines, depicting tunnels. These trains are free with the Swiss Travel Pass.

    You can plan this trip and check your options using the Swiss Timetable. To travel by a scenic route, you will need to put the stations I noted above into the “via” fields of the timetable.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

    Alpenrose

    vinagi
    Participant
    2 posts
    2 July 2017 at 8:19:06 #865992

    Thank you!

    We took the short cut.

    Enjoyed the view and the trip!

    And the stay in Geneva.

    Went to Annecy in France as well. Highly recommended!

    Annika
    Moderator
    7104 posts
    2 July 2017 at 18:25:16 #865993

    Hi vinagi, thanks for getting back to us! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed your trip. If you like, you can post your trip report here.

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