Five days Wengen Montreux Geneva: help/suggestions

hi all.... first of all thanks to many of your for your replies in a an old thread where I ask a lot of questions. The trip is bit shortened now.. but nevertheless, we are coming and we are very excited about it. The last part of the trip is more or less fixed, as we have the air flight from Geneva and have a place to stay in Geneva. But we need some suggestion about the first part. The detail is below:

• July 12, Tuesday: Entering Switzerland. Venice to Spietz, (ticket to be bought from Trenitalia), Spietz to Interlaken, Interlaken to Wengen. Overnight in Wengen.
• July 13, Wed: depending on the weather, we will visit the top of Europe.... will get back in the afternoon and plan to go back to Interlaken and over to Montreux for overnight.
• July 14, Thu: whole day Montreux... but overnight in Geneva.
• July 15, Friday: Geneva
• July 16, Saturday: leave Geneva.

I have questions mainly about first two day.

1. If this is the total plan: do we need to do any advanced train ticket?

we need: Spietz to Wengen, Wengen to Montreux, and montreux to Geneva.

2. We are looking for Wengen hotel. Is location as issue? how do we reach the hotel from station?

3. Which area is good to stay in Montreux so that we can easily do the sightseeing. we will hardly spend any time in the hotel. so, location is important. We are hoping we can keep the luggage in the hotel and do the sightseeing.... before we leave for Geneva.

sorry fro the long post.. but this will help you to provide some feedback. We are specially worried about reaching Montreux by Wednesday. But that makes 0ur Thursday Montreux sightseeing easier.

thank you very much in advance...

Hello Feisal!

Good to hear you're making progress. As for your question on tickets: you'll probably save money if you use a rail pass rather than regular train tickets. Did you check the options and links provided in your previous thread? Looking at your current plans, I think you should consider a 3 day Swiss Travel Pass for July 12-13-14 plus a local pass for Geneva for July 15 and 16, or a Swiss Half Fare Card for the entire journey. As explained, the pass you pick determines which additional tickets you need. You may want to re-read your previous topic, especially the last post, and study the validity sections of the rail pass pages I linked to. Our pages on tickets from Italy may help too. If any questions remain, please let us know which rail pass you consider, if any.

Wengen isn't that big, so most hotels can simply be reached by foot. Studying a map and entering hotel addresses will help.

You'd best pick a hotel in Montreux that's close to the railway station and/or the boulevard. The boulevard is definitely Montreux's most interesting area for a stroll or boat ride over the Lake. The railway station allows you to easily board trains to Rochers-de-Naye or other viewing points.

If you need further help in finding proper accommodation, please post your budget and other requirements in this forum.

Thanks Annika..... this is very helpful reply. I am going to book the hotel first, and then will do the calculation for the various travel pass options.

one quick question: 3 day swiss travel pass or a swiss half fare card, whatever we opt for, do we need to buy before and or we should buy this from Spietz when we stop there on the 12th? Obviously, I want to save money on the first swiss train ticket, that is, Spietz to Wengen (via Interlaken probably).

Geneva one day pass, I understand, will be bought, when we are in Geneva.

Hi Feisal,

A ticket from Venice to the Swiss border (Brig or Domodossola) will be sufficient. The Swiss Travel Pass covers the trip to Spiez (note the spelling) and Wengen for free. You can print the pass at home to save time. All details are on the pages Annika referred to. Buying in Switzerland requires you to get off the train and wait for a ticket office. If you need a pass for Geneva you can buy it locally or online. Links are on the page Annika gave you.

Thanks Arno..sorry about the misspelling of Spiez. Are you suggesting that we should buy a Venice-Brig not Venice-Spiez? I am asking because that ticket need to be bought from Trenitalia. Do you mean it will be cheaper for me to have all the Swiss part of travel with a rail pass?

Could you please clarify?

Hi Feisal,

If you have a rail pass for Switzerland that day there is no need to buy a ticket all the way to Spiez. The ticket for the Italian leg can be purchased from Trenitalia but there are other options too, like buying it along with your pass. Did you read all the pages Annika gave you? Lots of details there.

Hi all....thanks for all the inputs. We have finalized our plan and got the hotels. We have calculated the journey and it makes sense to buy the 3 day travel pass for me and my wife.. my daughter gets the family pass.

Day 1: entering Switzerland from Venice... Overnight in Wengen (day 1 for swiss rail pass)

Day 2: top of Europe.. and reaching Luzerne for overnight. (day 2 of pass)

Day 3: Luzerne sightseeing and reaching Geneva for overnight (day 3 of pass)

Day 4: Geneva (Geneva day pass)

Day 5: Leaving

Important question pertains to entering: It seems the best idea is to get a Venezia to Chiasso.. and from Chiasso, the Swiss pass will cover us. Does it make sense?

Hi Feisa,

Indeed the Swiss Travel Pass covers the trip from Chiasso, but in most cases a trip to Wengen is quicker via Domodossola and Brig. That's the route I recommend if you want to proceed as planned. But actually it makes sense to first go to Lucerne, then the Golden Pass line to Interlaken and Wengen, then the Golden Pass line to Montreux and Geneva. In that case you would indeed travel via Chiasso.

So what you need is:

• Swiss Travel Pass, see here for where to buy;
• Ticket Venice to Domodossola or Chiasso, see here for where to buy.

Hi Arno.... Indeed it would have been better to do Lucerne first, but we have the hotel in Wengen in day 1 and Lucerne in day 2. So, it has to be Venice to Wengen (via Interlaken).

I am purchasing a trenitalia ticket upto Domodossola, and thinking that further journey from Domodossola will be covered by swiss pass. Is it correct?

Or should I buy Venice to Brig? In this case, I am thinking that I am paying twice for the Switzerland part.

Could you please clarify?

Hi Feisal,

Indeed the Swiss Travel Pass (not Swiss Pass) covers the trip from Domodossola.

Thanks Arno...I am going ahead and buying Venice to Domodossala through Trenitalia.

On a related note, in Domodossala, do we get down and get another train towards Brig or the same train will go that way? If it is the same train, I am assuming that showing them the Swiss Travel Pass will suffice.

thanks,

Feisal

Hi Feisal,

There is no need to get off the train in Domodossola. Just buy the Swiss Travel Pass and the ticket in advance and stay seated.