[Removed user]

29 April 2018 at 2:40:13 #815588

Hello Everyone,

I plan to travel with some Friends begging of August for about 12 – 14 days. I apologize in advance if a similar itinerary has been posted, but any helpful tips would be greatly appreciated. We plan to visit Switzerland (Lucerne and Lugano) and Austria (Saltzburgh and Vienna). This is our itinerary which we have planned:

Arriving in Zurich. Stay one night Zurich.

Zurich to Lucerne (approx 50 mins train ride). Spend about 4 days there

Lucerne to Lugano. Spend 2 days there

Lugano to Salzburg or back to Zurich – Saltzburgh? 2 – 3 days. Taking the train or flying?

Salzburgh to Vienna: 2 days

1. What would be weather like in the Alps in August?

2. I was looking in the train passes and there a lot of different ones. Do you recommend we purchase separate tickets when travelling between cities or a pass? If we purchase a pass will this cover both Switzerland and Austria?

3. Has anyone been on the Chocolate Train? If so any tips and will this be easy accessible from the cities we plan to visit?

Thank you for everyone’s ideas:)

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[Removed user]

29 April 2018 at 4:16:48 #883513

Hi Asima and welcome to MySwissAlps!

1. In the towns at lower elevations it should be quite nice – in the mid 20s or low 30s but it can be quite a bit cooler up in the mountains. Dress in layers!
2. You can use the Swiss railways timetable to find train schedules around and out of Switzerland. You may also want to look at a rail pass as well – read how to choose the best rail pass here.
3. I haven’t been on the chocolate train myself – others have. You can read more about it here: http://www.goldenpass. ch/en/goldenpass/offer /view?id=15. You would start the trip from Montreux which is more easily reached from Lucerne.

[Removed user]

29 April 2018 at 11:43:37 #883514

Hi Lucas thank you for replying. I also wanted to know what will be the best route distance wise to travel from Lugano to Lucerne? The train seems to be long. We were thinking of flying?

[Removed user]

29 April 2018 at 12:26:35 #883515

Hi Asima,

>> what will be the best route distance wise to travel from Lugano to Lucerne? The train seems to be long. We were thinking of flying?

Travel times are as follows:

• Lugano-Luzern fastest route: about 2 hours

• Lugano-Luzern scenic route (via Göschenen) about 3.5 hours

Those travel times aren’t too bad. Did you mean Lugano to Salzburg?

If you choose a service Lugano-Zürich direct, followed by Zürich-Salzburg direct, you could travel Lugano to Salzburg in about 8 hours.

Check out your options in the Swiss Timetable. It will automatically give you the fastest connections between your starting point and destination. Sometimes the fastest route will involve more transfers. You can chose the fastest connection or the connection with the least number of transfers, whichever suits you best.

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

(Use the one on the right with the red SBB logo.)

Alpenrose

[Removed user]

29 April 2018 at 13:30:05 #883516

Hi 😊

yes you are right. I meant Lugano to Salzburg. Thank you for your input

[Removed user]

29 April 2018 at 13:48:04 #883517

Also we are deciding between the glacier express or visiting Jungfraujoch. We would like to make this a day trip. They are both unique in their own way. Is there a point to do both or just one? Also when visiting the Jungfraujoch area can we view it by Gondola? We would like to have a gondola view too of the mountains. Which gondola tours do you recommend when visiting the Alps? Thank you

[Removed user]

29 April 2018 at 23:52:33 #883518

>> Also we are deciding between the glacier express or visiting Jungfraujoch. We would like to make this a day trip.

Would you be doing this day trip from Luzern/Lucerne?

First, check travel times for both options, using the Swiss Timetable.

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

(Use the one on the right with the red SBB logo.)

If you decide to do part of the Glacier Express route from Luzern, you can find information about it on the following page under the heading Don’t have time to do the full route?

http://www.myswissalps.com/gl acierexpress

Reservations on the Glacier Express are mandatory, and August is high season, so the train is likely to be booked out well before your travel date. That means you couldn’t wait until the last minute to decide on this option. However, you could travel the same route on regional trains if the Glacier Express was already booked out. Reservations are not needed (or possible) on the regional trains.

>> Is there a point to do both or just one?

Both are memorable and very different experiences. If it were possible, I would include both. Choosing between the two is entirely a matter of personal preference, within the constraints of time and budget.

>> Also when visiting the Jungfraujoch area can we view it by Gondola?

There are no gondolas at the Jungfraujoch. You can only get there by train.

>> We would like to have a gondola view too of the mountains.

Gondolas and cable cars in the Jungfrau Region are:

From Grindelwald

• Gondola Grindelwald to First

• Gondola Grindelwald Grund to Männlichen

From Wengen

• Cable car Wengen to Männlichen

From Mürren

• Cable car up to the Schilthorn

• Cable car down to Gimmelwald and Stechelberg

From Stechelberg

• Cable car to Mürren

From Lauterbrunnen

• Cable car to Grütschalp

Other options for spectacular views include the train from Wilderswil to Schynige Platte, the funicular from Mürren to Allmendhubel and the bus from Grindelwald to the Grosse Scheidegg.

All offer wonderful views. Read the information, look at the pictures and see what appeals to you most in the context of available time and budget. There is a wealth of information to assist you on the MySwissAlps website.

Alpenrose