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We are a couple with 2 boys aged 7 and 2. We are traveling to Geneva on the 24th of May from India and we plan to hire a car. The 19 days trip is to cover Switzerland and the French Riviera. We had initially thought that we should cover Switzerland first but now we are contemplating driving to Nice first and then from the 2nd of June drive back via Como to Interlaken (2 or 3 days) Zurich (2 or 3days) and then back to Geneva (2 or 3 days).
I need help in understanding which sort of pass would help us for Jungfrau. Also would love any tips on our itinerary. We plan to do day trips from Geneva. Zurich one day goes for the zoo – I’ve heard it is really good and that the kids love it. Any other ideas are most welcome. Also in Zurich we are thinking of staying near the airport as the hotels there seem cheaper than in the city- is that a good idea? Thanks in advance for all the help!
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Hi Cp92611 and welcome to MySwissAlps!
The Swiss Travel Pass offers 25% off the trip to Jungfraujoch and the Half-Fare Card offers 50% off that trip. Do note that when based in Interlaken, the Swiss Travel Pass covers part of
the trip for free and part is 25% off. The difference with a Swiss Half
Fare Card in such a case is less than CHF 30 p.p. so its not quite as much as it seems!Have you had a chance to look at our "Things to Do" section for Geneva? There are a lot of great ideas for you while you are staying in Geneva.
I agree, the Zurich Zoo is great and your family should really enjoy it.
What other types of trips are you wanting to see and do? See a list of Zurich activities here. You and your family might also enjoy a boat trip on Lake Zurich, as well as perhaps the RheinFall (a nice day trip but not the biggest, most impressive waterfall you may have seen).As for hotels being cheaper at the airport….it is possible but there are decent options downtown as well. Take a look here to see some options. If you do go for an airport hotel try and find one near either a tram stop or train station (such as the airport train station perhaps) so you can easily get downtown.
Lucas
Thanks Lucas, I will check them out. Since we have a rental car will it be necessary to find a hotel near a train station?
Hi Cp92611,
Take a look at our city information pages (Zurich, Geneva and Interlaken) and click on the “hotels” tab…it will show you how far they are from the train station. If you book a hotel not within walking distance to the station you will be able to easily take a bus or tram to the station.
Here is also a link for the best hotels for train traveler (within 5 minutes of the local station).
Lucas
Lucas, since a car is available for the duration, is it more fun to drive upto a point, and then take a train, to Jungfrau? The advantage of driving would be that, if you like a view, you can stop and gaze for as long as you want!
I also havent understood this : if a car is the mode of transport, should one buy a Pass at all?
Hi SureshSrini,
Usually I would agree with you about taking a car but in Switzerland it really is better to travel by train. There also aren’t a lot of view points to pull over on some scenic mountain highways.
Finally a lot of destinations can’t be reached by car – so you have to stop as you said and then board a train (often the most scenic part of the trip as well).
If you are traveling a lot with a car then a Swiss Travel Pass may not be best. Perhaps buying the Swiss half-fare Card would be beneficial as you will have to take some trains during your trip. This page on how to choose the best rail pass may be helpful as well.
Lucas
Thanks Lucas. Hiring a car is something I would have considered for the next time – but now I won’t. I guess Switzerland is an exception.
Cp92611, do evaluate travelling in Switzerland by train, if you haven’t done so already. Considering also, the places you intend to visit from your base locations. The trains here are brilliant – you could also spend a lot less money. Lucas, might trains even be faster than by road?
Suresh
Thanks SureshSri nidhi! Our whole idea is to drive through the country side to the French Riviera and then back via a stop at Como- we are big drive enthusiasts. Plus also with 2 boys and a mountain of luggage I feel a train would be more cumbersome for us. What do u say? Also any help with affordable accommodation around the Sarnen area so that we are centrally located to Zurich, Interlaken and Luzern would be great. It seems anything with a private bathroom is at least 1300chf for 6 nights. I’ve checked combinedhotels, airbnb, booking.com . Thanks in advance!
Hi…I was just going through the car hire intricacies and wanted to know if it is okay for a non EU resident to hire a car in Geneva on the Swiss side and drive to France and Italy or for a car hired on the French side will be allowed to be used in the Swiss part of our trip. Also is it cheaper to hire from the French side or the Swiss side? Thanks in advance!
Regards your choice of transport – yes of course these are valid considerations. Specially….When you want to drive, you just have to drive!
Ho Cp92611,
The legislation, which is not completely clear to me to be honest, only applies to EU residents. Here’s an article about it: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/y ou-tell-us_have-you-tried-to-take-a-swiss-hire-car-to-france-/42196680. However I recommend to always inform the rental company if you’ll be taking the vehicle into other countries that the one you rent it in.
You can compare prices on the Swiss and French side of the airport through the links on myswissalps.com/car/ca rrental. Note that most cars rented on the French side will not have a Swiss motorway sticker, so you would have to buy one yourself.
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