From/to Milan, Zermatt and Lake Brienz – questions

  • Removed user
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    72625 posts
    22 February 2018 at 4:55:25 #814464

    Good afternoon fellow Swiss Travellers,

    I have been busy fine tuning our itinerary for June. I will be travelling with my husband and three adult sons (22, 24 and 26). We will purchase the Swiss Travel Pass x 3 and Swiss Travel Youth Pass x 2. I would welcome your comments relating to the itinerary and I also have a couple of queries. Train times are mostly a guide and depending on weather what we can achieve in a day and destination.

    10/06 Milan (12:23) to Zermatt (15:51) via Brig (border Domodossola) (will buy tickets for Italian journey) Klein Matterhorn or Gonergrat?

    11/06 Zermatt – Gonergrat and/or Klein Matterhorn?

    12/06 Zermatt (11:33) to Spiez (14:44) via Goppenstein for Lotschberger

    Afternoon on Lake Thun

    13/06 Spiez (09:36) to Montreux (12:13) via Zweisimmen for Golden Pass (will reserve seats) – Chateau de Chillon / maybe Farmer’s market

    14/06 Montreux – Day trip to Gruyeres and Broc

    15/06 Montreux – Lavaux / Farmer’s Market 2pm Vevey Th-Sat

    16/06 Montreux (08:21) to Bern (09:56) (Leave bags at Station)

    Bern (14:39) to Spiez (15:10) Lotschberger

    Spiez (15:33) to Wengen (16:51)

    17/06 Wengen – Jungfraujoch / Grindelwald

    18/06 Wengen – cable car to Mannlichen – Walk to Kleine Scheidegg – First (Lake Balchalpsee / Flyer etc)

    19/06 Wengen – Lake Birenz / Giessbach Falls / Birenz Rothorn Bahn / Interlaken ?

    20/06 Wengen – train to Lauterbrunnen (Drop bags to Train Station) – cable car to Grutschalp – cogwheel train to Murren – ret cable cars to the Schilthorn – hike (downhill easy walk) to Grimmelwald – cable car down to Stechelberg – walk or bus to Trummelbach Falls → walk or bus to Lauterbrunnen (Collect Bags) – Lauterbrunnen (16:33/17:03) to Brig (18:11/18:40)

    21/06 Brig (10:18) to Chur (14:15) GEX (will reserve seats) Chur (14:39) to Lucern (16:49) – Old Town / Chapel Bridge / Lion Monument / Glacier Garden / Explore Musegg Wall at night / nine towers

    22/06 Lucern – Mt Pilatus / whatever we don’t see from day before

    23/06 Lucern (11:18) to Milan (14:35) via Arth-Goldau (border Chiasso) (will buy tickets for Italian journey)

    Questions:

    1. International train travel – 10/06 Milan (12:23) to Zermatt and 23/06 Lucern (11:18) to Milan – I recently contacted Happy Rail with some ticket enquiries and they passed my enquiry onto a third party who replied that the international train times that I had supplied (from sbb and checked against Trenitalia) were in fact an hour earlier, ie departing Milan at 11:13 and departing Lucern at 10:18. Have I missed something here? I am confused why they couldn’t quote tickets as per the train timetables I consulted. I will buy the tickets on the Trenitalia site as they are less than half the price than the sbb site.

    2. I understand that I need to purchase tickets from/to Milan from the border towns of Domodossola and Chiasso but from previous posts it appears that I do not need to reserve seats on the Switzerland side. Could someone confirm that this is the case please, taking into consideration that both are weekend days.

    3. Zermatt – Weather depending we would like to visit Klein Matterhorn and Gonergrat. Is it possible to go to one of these on the afternoon we arrive (10/6) and then visit the other on 11/6? If not, is it possible to visit both on the same day?

    4. Lake Birenz – Seeking guidance on how this day would work, ie train in the morning or afternoon and the order of activities – Lake Birenz / Giessbach Falls / Birenz Rothorn Bahn / Interlaken. I’m hoping to get in a walk somewhere along the lake as well.

    Thanks in advance for your help.

    Travelsmoo

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    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    22 February 2018 at 6:31:03 #876994

    Hi Travelsmoo,

    Someone else will no doubt chime in to answer your specific questions.

    Just an observation. On 23/6 you will go via the Gotthard Base Tunnel and spend 57Km underground. If you would like to follow the more scenic route which the Gotthard Panorama Express (http://www.myswissalps.com/go tthardpanoramaexpress) follows you need to enter via Göschenen. In fact if you don’t mind arriving later in Milan the GPE is a fantastic boat/train trip. There’s a brochure here goo.gl/3gsZBg.

    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    22 February 2018 at 17:23:15 #876995

    Hi Travelsmoo,

    1. So the SBB and Trenitalia timetables disagreed with each other? Very strange, I haven’t heard of that before. I’d stick with the Italian site as you are departing from an Italian city (and it is cheaper) :).
    2. Correct. It is very rare to reserve seats on trains in Switzerland. You’ll just need a ticket to either Domodossola or Chiasso (depending on train route). From then on you can show your Swiss Travel Pass (you can stay on the train and not move seats).
    3. Yes, I’d think doing one mountain per day is advisable. You could fit both into one day if you wish though.
    4. You could take a boat cruise from Interlaken Ost (See) to Geissbach (See) stops. Then hike up to the waterfalls. You could then take another boat on to Brienz Rothorn. See schedules for Lake Brienz here.You can also use the Swiss Railways timetable here to plan all Swiss train, bus, boat trips etc.
    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    22 February 2018 at 21:10:19 #876996

    Hi Lucas,

    SBB and Trenitalia times matched. It was HappyRails that differed.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    23 February 2018 at 8:59:03 #876997

    Ah, I see. Not quite as strange but still not good!

    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    28 February 2018 at 7:03:58 #876998

    Thanks Rockoyster. Unfortunately, we are on a time limit and have to travel to Milan as quickly as possible. Hopefully, we will return and be able to travel on Gotthard Panorama Express. It looks fantastic.

    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    28 February 2018 at 7:07:31 #876999

    Thanks for the info Lucas, you and your fellow contributors certainly make our travel lives easier.

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