Getting to Black Forest and back from Zurich?

  • Removed user
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    13 November 2018 at 1:04:32 #818932

    Can anyone tell me how to get to the black forrest, and back, from Zurich? Thank you!

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    Arno
    Moderator
    15484 posts
    13 November 2018 at 5:07:45 #899004

    Hi Mom4spice,

    Where in the Black Forest do you want to go to? And when (time of year)? Will you travel by car or public transport?

    Removed user
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    13 November 2018 at 20:59:14 #899005

    We are wanting to go to Titisee from Zurich. The tours have stopped for the month of November and we want to go to the black forrest. Thank you.

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    14 November 2018 at 1:27:47 #899006

    Hello,

    If the tours have stopped, and unless you are driving a car, the only practical way to get to the Titisee would be by train. If you have a Swiss Travel Pass that would mean going from Zurich to Basel on the SBB and then on the German railroads, DB (Deutsche Bahn) from Basel to Freiburg im Breisgau and then connecting to the train that runs up to the Titisee. I believe that the one way trip takes just under two hours.

    The other way to get to the Titisee by train is to catch the train from Seebrugg on the Schluchsee, but the problem here would be how to get from Waldshut, Germany (served by the SBB) up to the Seebrugg. There is no train connection, and although it is only 29 kilometres from Waldshut to Seebrugg, a one way taxi ride will set you back anywhere from 60 to 75 Euros. That’s 120 to 150 for up and down. So forget that. If you really want to go to the Titisee by public transport, go via Basel and Freiburg im Breisgau.

    One other thought, and only if you would be willing to rent a car for the day. There are places in Waldshut where you can rent a car for a day for 59 Euros and up, with a 250 kilometre allowance, far more than you will use to go to the Titisee. Here is one website where you can rent a car, and it looks like they are all Opels: http://www.opelrent.de/mietwa gen-partner/ast-autoservice-waldshut-tiengen-20952/ The nice thing about doing it by car is that there are interesting places along the way that you could stop and visit.

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    14 November 2018 at 1:44:46 #899007

    PS: I notice that you are also interested in going to see the Rheinfall. Not to discourage you, but some of my friends were there last month and sent photos showing that the water flow was very low. I just wanted to mention that it is not a big distance (under 40 kilometres by car) from Neuhausen to Waldshut.

    Removed user
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    14 November 2018 at 7:54:30 #899008

    Hi Mom4spice,

    The Swiss railways timetable always gives the most direct routing options if you won’t have a car: http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

    The trip from Zurich to Titisee takes about 3.5 hours one-way.

    Removed user
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    15 November 2018 at 0:52:44 #899009

    There is engineering work on the Titsee railway so part of the journey is by bus.

    Fastest journey time from Zurich is 3h 16 min (using a direct ICE train Zurich – Freiburg iB.

    By the way, Titisee isn’t the only place in the Black Forest worth visiting

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    15 November 2018 at 6:48:44 #899010

    If there is work being done on the railway to Titisee perhaps this is another reason to consider renting a car in Waldshut and driving from there to the Titisee. It will be much quicker, believe me.

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    15 November 2018 at 8:04:25 #899011

    I am so annoyed. My post above is incomplete. I was working on it and when I tried to save the additions I had made, nothing happened. So I pressed “Cancel” after saving everything to my Notepad, figuring I would then try to start from scratch. Of course, any links one has are lost in Notepad, so even doing that is a pain. I will give this one more try, and if it still doesn’t work, I am going to just quit. Here goes:

    If there is work being done on the railway to Titisee perhaps this is another reason to consider renting a car in Waldshut and driving from there to the Titisee. It will be much quicker (believe me): less than an hour on the direct route. Most train trips from Zurich to Waldshut take less than 80 minutes and it is covered by the STP.

    I totally agree with 1960man that there is more to the Black Forest than the Titisee; much more ! Going by car allows one to take different routes. I once visited St.Blasien (Sankt Blasien) on my way back to Waldshut. If you go there, you can’t miss the Dom St. Blasien, where you should see the inside of the Dom. Other interesting places are Häusern and Höchenschwand, where there is a tower from which the views in all directions, including towards the Swiss Alps, are wonderful. I have been trying to find a photo or two of a lovely old house I visited along the road between Waldshut and the Schluchsee, but without success so far. It too is worth a visit.

    Removed user
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    15 November 2018 at 8:05:30 #899012

    I agree, the Black Forest is a large region and not really any one town. I’d want a car to and a couple days to really see the area.

    However, I did make a day trip by car from Zurich to St. Märgen for a nice Black Forest cake at Cafe Goldene Krone. Lovely drive.

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    15 November 2018 at 8:22:12 #899013

    All the way from Zurich to Sankt Märgen for some Black Forest cake ? Wow, that must be one special cake ! I’m curious, which route did you take ?

    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    15 November 2018 at 8:31:14 #899014

    The cafe was recommended by friends who lived in Freiburg so on a drizzly fall day off we went! Gotta have BF cake when in the BF! We really just went for the cake (and the drive).

    We went the direct route up, via Eglisau to Titisee and up to Sankt Märgen. On the way down we took the 500 and crossed back to CH at Koblenz.

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    15 November 2018 at 22:40:53 #899015

    A follow-up to my penultimate post:

    I contacted a friend in Waldshut (just over the bridge from Koblenz) who was with me the day we visited the house I was searching for. It is called the Hüsli and is situated about 4 kilometres to the east off the 500 just as one gets to the big bend at the south end of the Schluchsee. The attached map shows the location of the Hüsli Museum in relation to the Schluchsee, the 500, and it also shows St. Blasien a few kilometres to the west off the 500 at Häusern. Admission to the Hüsli is 3 EUR for adults, and free for those with a Black Forest Card.

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