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Hihi, me and my friends 4 of us plan to go swiss from paris on November. Below is our itinerary. i wish to ask is it can be done by using train?
21-Nov (THU) — PARIS
22-Nov (FRI) — To Lucerne
23-Nov (SAT)— To Zermatt
24-Nov (SUN) — To Zurich
25-Nov (MON) — To Salzburg
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Hi Brian,
Welcome to MySwissAlps! Yes, the easiest way to do this is by train. Please find all details here:
Information about Lucerne, Zermatt and Zurich can be found here:
Hi Arno,
Thanks for your prompt reply. Can i ask do swiss travel pass cover the train to Jungfraujoch?
STP gives you a 25% discount. Cost from Wengen or Grindlewald to Jungfraujoch is about 150 pp with the STP.
Jungfraujoch is discounted on STP but not ‘free’
http://www.myswissalps.com/jungfraujoch/tickets
In any case I doubt you would have time to go there as your itinerary looks impossibly tight to me. It looks like you would get at most half day in each place, which is very limited and makes little leeway for weather (and in November the daylight is short)
hihi…thanks for the reply and advise. how about i change my itinerary to below? so 23rd Nov that day i still able to spend a day to Jungfrau. In addition how golden pass line work? is there any day trip train to zermatt for us at least to view matterhorn? Thanks
22-Nov (FRI) — From Paris To Interlaken (reach interlaken around 12pm)
23-Nov (SAT)— Interlaken full day
24-Nov (SUN) — From interlaken To Zurich
25-Nov (MON) — To Salzburg
Advice: Zermatt is quite far south west, and adding the Golden Pass and Zermatt will again be too much for your short trip – sorry!
Some options:
Ignore the Golden Pass (it is not the most spectacular Swiss journey) this time
Start with Paris – Zermatt (possible to reach Zermatt at 13.50 having departed Paris at 07.23)
Do stay Interlaken (or Wengen) and see the Jungfrau but don’t waste time travelling above Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch (very expensive, often cited as overcommercialised these days, train is mostly in a tunnel – boring). I always recommend Zermatt Gornergrat over Jungfrau anyway as it is mostly in the open with (good weather permitting) great views of the Matterhorn and terminates close to Switzerland’s highest mountain (Dufourspitz)
Hi!!!
Thanks so much for your recommendation and suggestion!! really appreciated for key-ing out all the important points…if lets say i follow what you recommend, below is the sample itinerary. For Zermatt Gornergrat, you would suggest us to take the rail up n return to Zermatt for staying? Is the Gornergrat cog railway include in Swiss pass travel?
22-Nov (FRI) — From Paris To Zermatt
23-Nov (SAT)— Zermatt to Interlaken
24-Nov (SUN) — From interlaken To Zurich
25-Nov (MON) — To Salzburg
Hello Brian Mok,
Please find the exact validity of the Swiss Travel Pass in the link provided by PVonk and don’t miss the fantastic pdf map provided there.
Thanks and regards,
StephThat seems like a more workable itinerary to me.
GornergratBahn is 50% discounted on STP
The key advantage of your trip as it now stands is that in both Zermatt and Interlaken, you will have a chance of getting acceptable weather conditions in that you will be in both places for a late afternoon period and the following a morning period (although beware of the short length of daylight).
The journeys between Zermatt and Interlaken and Interlaken to Zurich are (just) short enough for you to see (weather permitting) the views at Zermatt Friday 22 afternoon and Saturday morning, the Jungfrau area Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
As such you should be aiming to get the earliest possible train from Paris to Zermatt 07.23 from Paris, change at Basel SBB and Visp. Arrive Zermatt 13.51. Preferably book a hotel close to the station so that if the weather is good you can do Gornergrat straight away (sunrise and sunset during your trip will be approx 07.45 and 16.45).
You can have another go on Saturday morning before setting off for Interlaken (or Wengen) although be careful of the timings as it is 3 hours from Zermatt to Wengen, so you would have to leave Zermatt around 10.30am to reach Wengen at 13.50
Do the same type of thing at Wengen
On the Sunday you could leave the Jungfrau area mid afternoon, but leave earlier if you want to see the scenery on the Brunig Pass route (Luzern-Interlaken Express) such the the Brienzer See, the Lungernsee and a glimpse of Lake Luzern
Hi,
is GornergratBahn will be operating for half day from 4Nov-29Nov?
Hi Brian Mok,
The Gornergratbahn runs in autumn and winter albeit with reduced services
Be sure to check the timetable before your trip
http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
http://www.myswissalps.com/go rnergratAnna
4 – 22 November is the off season on the Gornergrat before the ski season gets going, so it is the timetable period with the fewest trains of the year.
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/ fileadmin/fap_pdf_fiel ds/2019/139.pdf
“The Gornergratbahn runs in autumn and winter albeit with reduced services”
The statement about winter service being ‘reduced’ is absolutely not correct. Winter is the highest season on the Gornergratbahn, with the most trains operating, because it is a key element of the ski lift system in Zermatt
Hi Brian,
Just need to give you some additional information regarding the Gornergratbahn schedule.
Yes, from 4 Nov until 29 Nov, weekdays only, the railway service is only operational for half the day. The first train from Zermatt leaves at 7am and the last one at 11.12am. The last train from Gornergrat leaves at 12.19pm. On weekends, the service runs until 5pm. Please check the timetable before your trip.
myswissalps.com/timeta bleIn winter (starting 30 Nov), the train is operational for a longer period to accommodate more tourists and winter sport visitors.
Anna
In November, I took the fast train (TGV) from Paris to Basel. Is that a possibility for you or is it too expensive? We left the station in Paris at 10:23 am and got into Zermatt at 6:10 pm. It’s a long day. The Gornergrat is a great trip. You can also take the cable cars up to the Klein Matterhorn.
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