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Hi, everyone:
i am planning next summer’s trip. I will be based in Lucerne for 5 nights. I will have a rental car. One of the days I would like to go to Gruyeres until mid-day (we are early risers) and then spend the Afternoon sightseeing in Lauterbrunnen and Murren (do the thrill walk). What is the best route from Lucerne to Gruyeres? Then from Gruyeres to Lauterbrunnen- where I leave the car and take train/cable car to Mürren and Schilthorn/Thrill walk?
Usually what is the latest the train goes back to Lauterbrunnen.
all advice welcome,
thanks!
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Hello GV72 and Welcome to MySwissAlps,
I have never driven in Switzerland so am unable to answer your questions. But I can highly recommend the wonderful public transport network.
Just wondering if you have read this http://www.myswissalps.com/ca rversustrain?
Hi,
The reason for the car rental is that is 3 1/2 week road trip through France, Switzerland and ending in Austria.
Thank you.
Hello GV72,
I am wondering whether your 5 nights in Lucerne are set in stone. I am also wondering where you plan to enter Switzerland from France. I ask these two questions because if you plan to enter Switzerland anywhere in the cantons of Geneva or Vaud or even Neuchâtel, you might consider going to Gruyères and then Lauterbrunnen and then on to Lucerne. As you will be leaving Switzerland to go to Austria, going to Gruyères and Lauterbrunnen first would eliminate some possibly unnecessary backtracking.
Are you dropping off your car at the location where you will start your rental ? If not, there will be an extra charge. There is also an extra charge if you rent the car at an airport, and there is also a road tax which will add another 28.80 Euro. If you have your own GPS with European maps bring it along. The rental agency will charge you plenty if you want guaranteed GPS in your car. Odds are it will have a GPS anyway but you will not be charged for it unless you asked for it when confirming your rental agreement. If your car does not already have a Swiss Vignette, you will have to get one at the border; it will cost CHF 40. Keep in mind that you will also need an Austrian Vignette, but unlike the Swiss, they have these not just for a year, but also for 2 months and 10 days. The latter costs only 9 Euro.
I mention these things not to discourage you from renting a car, as it is my preferred way of getting around, particularly in other countries where the public transportation system is nowhere close to the Swiss standards. But even in Switzerland, you have greater flexibility and control over your movements when you travel by car. And yes, there are places that you cannot reach by car (such as Zermatt and the top of the Niesen or the Jungfraujoch) but I assume you are aware of this. There are also some wonderful lake cruises in Switzerland, and these two require something that floats, not a car. Finally, the larger your group, the more cost-effective a car rental becomes.
If you are interested in ideas for places to see in the French-speaking part of Switzerland (Romandie), I could try to be of assistance. For one thing, Vevey will host la Fête des Vignerons from July 18 to August 10, and this only happens every roughly 20 years. Tickets are already on sale.
I was on the Niesen the other day (beside Lake Thoune, and not far from Lauterbrunnen) and must say that the views from the top are spectacular. But don’t buy the Wanderbillett ( a Hikingticket in English) unless you are all in really good shape and don’t mind steep inclines. The day we hiked the upper portion and we caught the last funicular that runs from Schwandegg down to the base at Mülenen, not knowing there was a hiker behind us who arrived too late and ended up being rescued by a helicopter equipped with a heat-finding camera.
Hi GV72,
As far as finding the best driving route, I’d take the fastest route given by Google Maps / your GPS at the time of travel. You are trying to fit a lot into your day and you might splitting it over 2 days to be more enjoyable.
You can use the Swiss railways timetable here to find departure times and trip duration on any of the public transit options you may take (train, bus, cable car, boat etc). http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
Thank you for all the details! Yes, I am aware of the hefty one way charge but the ability to wander without restrictions and timetables still makes it worth it for me. We will be either 4 or 5 on the trip- 2 or 3 adults and 2 children (9 and 14). I will pick up the car on our last day in Paris then continue to Fontainebleau, Reims, Strasbourg and Colmar- crossing into Switzerland vía Bern. If the car doesn’t have a Swiss vignette then purchase before we cross. I planned to spend that day in Bern itself and then continue to Lucerne that night.
Then plan is, one day Lucerne, one Mt. Pilatus- rope park, tobaggan, etc, one day Gruyeres/Lauterbrunnen and maybe Geissbach Falls and one day Rhine Falls/Stein am Rhein and Zurich. Then continue To Austria- Innsbruck, Salzburg, Lakes and Vienna.
We are active but won’t be doing anything too extreme! Our dates are Mid June to Mid July.
Thanks!
With a group of 4 or 5 people, I can see the extra attractiveness of renting a car as opposed to buying tickets times 4 or 5. You will need something bigger than a Peugeot 208. You may be offered an upgrade but you can’t depend on that to solve your space issues.
So you will probably be driving up from Colmar on the E45 (toll free) and crossing into Basel Switzerland at Saint-Louis France. When you get to the border control you will be pulled off to the right in order to purchase your Vignette on the spot. A car rented in Paris is not likely to already have a Swiss Vignette, but maybe you will get lucky.
If your plan is to go to Berne (using the A2 and then the A1) after entering Switzerland, you might want to think about going to Gruyères from Berne and then to Lauterbrunnen and then Lucerne. It is just over 60 kilometres from Berne to Gruyères, and the trip takes about 45 minutes if you use the A12. Be careful with the road signs as you leave Berne or you may find yourself heading off towards Morat (Murten) and Neuchâtel. You can drive from Gruyères to Lauterbrunnen in a little under 2 hours going via the Jaun Pass (about 94 kilometres, see attached map). Mind you, if you make stops along the way, which you surely will, this travel time will increase. It’s so easy for two hours to become three hours and more when driving through such a photogenic country.
Attachments:Thank you for all the detailed information- very helpful. Excited to keep planning!
I don’t know if you are interested in le Tour de France but for the 2019 edition, stage 4 (on Tuesday, July 9) will be a 215 km relatively flat run from Reims to Nancy, and stage 5 (on Wednesday, July 10) will be the hilly route of 169 kilometres from Saint-Dié-des-Vosges to Colmar.
The website of le Tour is http://www.letour.fr/fr You can also consult it in English, German, and Spanish.
Thank you- I will take it into consideration as we do enjoy watching it.
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