[Removed user]

24 June 2017 at 13:39:58 #812392

Hello all.

My wife and I are planning a stay in Switzerland for 8 nights over the Christmas period. We have already visited Switzerland in the summer of 2015 and done most of the panoramic trains and mountain excursions. This time we want to see some different places in the winter. We will be doing all travel with a swiss travel pass, and have kept Interlaken and Davos as our 2 base locations, from where we can do our day trips nearby. Planned itinerary as follows. Requesting suggest improvements or any other advice, with reference to travel times and due to short winter days. We are not into any winter sports. Just the scenery, food, train travel etc.

• 23rd Dec: Arr Zurich airport Travel direct to Interlaken and hotel check in. rest of the day settle, maybe visit Harder Kulm.
• 24th Dec: Day Trip to Gstaad and Glacier 3000.
• 25th Dec: Day trip to Brig(Little sight seeing), then moving on to Zermatt/Gornegrat,for viewing Matterhorn (All weather permitting).
• 26th Dec: Day Trip to Bern and sightseeing.

27th Dec: Check out Interlaken, travel to Davos.

• 28th Dec: Day trip to Chur AND Arosa for sightseeing.. Possible??
• 29th Dec: Sightseeing in Davos and/or Klosters.
• 30th Dec: Check out Davos and travel to Zurich to take the flight home on 31st Dec morning.

Thanks a lot.

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[Removed user]

25 June 2017 at 6:30:29 #865697

Hi Mehernosh , and welcome to MySwissAlps!

>> 23rd Dec: Arr Zurich airport Travel direct to Interlaken and hotel check in. rest of the day settle, maybe visit Harder Kulm.

Unfortunately, the Harder Kulm funicular will not be operating – it closes for the winter from 27 November 2017.

>> 24th Dec: Day Trip to Gstaad and Glacier 3000.

Interlaken is not really a good base for this trip, as it will take over 6 hours travel time there and back without any breaks, and you won’t have much time for activities or sightseeing. If this destination is a priority for you, I would choose a base closer to the area.

>> 25th Dec: Day trip to Brig(Little sight seeing), then moving on to Zermatt/Gornegrat,for viewing Matterhorn (All weather permitting).

This will involve 4.5 to 5 hours travel time to Zermatt and back without any breaks. I would skip Brig. I would also consider choosing a base closer to the area.

>> 28th Dec: Day trip to Chur AND Arosa for sightseeing.. Possible??

Travel time to Arosa will be around 5.25 hours there and back without a break. I would skip Chur.

Alternatively, you could consider visiting Scuol or Guarda instead, as they are closer and well worth a visit. Travel time is around 2.5 hours there and back for either of those places. I would not recommend that you try to visit both on the same day.

I suggest you reconsider your choice of bases, as they are not well located relative to the sights you want to see. It will help to use the Swiss Timetable to plan your trips, so you are aware of travel times from your chosen bases to the places you would like to visit:

http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

Alpenrose

[Removed user]

25 June 2017 at 7:04:30 #865698

Hi Alpenrose

Thanks very much for your feedback. I have in fact consulted the SBB timetable when making the itinerary which currently is valid only upto 9/12/2017. Will fine tune the details when the 2017-2018 TT is published.

• 23rd Dec. Funicular to Harder Kulm closed. Well noted. Thanks for the info.
• The idea was to leave the Interlaken and Davos hotels as early as possible in the morning to make maximum use of the short daylight available. And then return to base even after sunset. We don’t have problems with the long train journeys.

Thanks again

Mehernosh

[Removed user]

25 June 2017 at 14:59:29 #865699

>> We don’t have problems with the long train journeys.

If you are happy with the travel times, that’s the main thing!

Have a great trip!

Alpenrose

[Removed user]

25 June 2017 at 16:21:23 #865700

Hi again Alpenrose

Have modified the itinerary to travel to Guarda as per your suggestion. Guarda looks very pretty. Will leave out Chur and Arosa due to too many long train journeys. I’m just being greedy I guess 🙂

Thanks again for your help.

Mehernosh

[Removed user]

26 June 2017 at 2:36:54 #865701

>> Guarda looks very pretty.

Yes, it is! If you are interested, I have written a trip report (with photos) about my visit there last year:

http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/trip-report-lower-engadine-guarda-october-2016

>> Will leave out Chur and Arosa due to too many long train journeys. I’m just being greedy I guess 🙂

Yes, Switzerland does that to people. No matter how many times you go back, or how long you stay, it leaves you wanting more 😉

By the way, on your way to Davos from Interlaken, if you go the fastest way (Interlaken Ost > (Spiez) > Bern > Zürich > Landquart > (Klosters Platz) > Davos Dorf/Davos Platz), you will travel along part of a scenic route that used to be called the “Engadin Star” route. The full route is Landquart > Klosters > Zernez > St. Moritz. The nicest part that you will travel on is from about Küblis onwards, where the train travels high on the side of the valley, and you get lovely views from the right-hand side of the train. Shortly before you get to Klosters Dorf, there is a modern but beautiful bridge on the right-hand side, called the Sunniberg bridge. I have posted a few photos of this part of the journey in my post of Feb 28, 2017 > 4:43 AM on the following page:

http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/chur-to-st-moritz-via-davos

It won’t look so green in December, but there should be snow on the mountain tops.

Alpenrose

[Removed user]

26 June 2017 at 5:43:06 #865702

Went through your trip report/photos of Guarda, Alpenrose. All looks good and very informative

I suppose it will be a lot colder and whiter going in December as compared to October.

Also noted the route from Interlaken to Davos. Quite a few changes to be made at stations. Anyways will sit on the right side of the train to view Sunniberg bridge on the last leg to Davos Platz.

Just as a background, our trip in May 2015 was mostly travel on the panoramic trains (Glacier, Bernina Express, Golden Pass). Thoroughly enjoyed the comfort and luxury.

Reason we want to travel to Zermatt again is that during the last stay there for 3 days, we just were not lucky enough with the weather to view the Matterhorn in it”s entirety. Due to clouds/fog, we could only see the peak from Glacier Paradise and the lower half of the mountain from Gornergrat. The same fog/clouds with our trips to Mount Titlis and Jungfraujoch. Just not lucky with the mountain excursions, which is why we want to see either Matterhorn or Glacier 3000 (New to us). We’ll try to pick a clear day, if possible. Your views/suggestion on this would be much appreciated. Will skip BRIG as you suggested.

Btw, now thinking of travelling a day earlier and staying for 1 night at BASEL to see the Christmas Market, before proceeding to Interlaken. I understand last day of the Christmas Market is on 23rd Dec

Best Regards

Mehernosh

[Removed user]

26 June 2017 at 10:54:48 #865703

>> I suppose it will be a lot colder and whiter going in December as compared to October.

Certainly colder. Possibly whiter. Snow in December at the altitude of Guarda (around 1,650 metres) is not guaranteed, but you could be lucky.

Last year and the year before were not very good for snow around Christmas time, at least in the Jungfrau Region. I was in Wengen last Christmas (altitude 1,274 metres) and there was no snow in the village. Snow was visible on the surrounding mountains though. Even at Kleine Scheidegg (altitude 2,061 metres) there was no natural snow on the ground. There was some man-made snow for people to ski on, which was just like a narrow white trail snaking down the brown grass of the mountainside – rather a sad sight really 🙁

>> Just as a background, our trip in May 2015 was mostly travel on the panoramic trains (Glacier, Bernina Express, Golden Pass). Thoroughly enjoyed the comfort and luxury

Well, the train from Landquart to Davos is certainly nothing like that! It’s a local train, comfortable but basic. Some carriages have wooden seat backs, cushioned seats. I have attached a few photos.

>> Just not lucky with the mountain excursions, which is why we want to see either Matterhorn or Glacier 3000 (New to us). We’ll try to pick a clear day, if possible. Your views/suggestion on this would be much appreciated.

Hopefully you will have better luck this time. However, the weather/cloud cover might change (for better or worse) during the time you are travelling from Interlaken to Zermatt. Or you might not be able to check visibility if it is still dark when you leave Interlaken. You just have to hope for the best though!

>> Btw, now thinking of travelling a day earlier and staying for 1 night at BASEL to see the Christmas Market, before proceeding to Interlaken. I understand last day of the Christmas Market is on 23rd Dec

Interlaken also has a Christmas Market. Last year, it ran until 26 December. It closed at 6pm on 24 Dec and 25 Dec, and 8pm on 26 Dec. That might be something to do after dark.

Alpenrose

[Removed user]

2 July 2017 at 10:11:56 #865704

Hi Alpenrose

Would you please advise. If known

When will the sbb timetable for 2018 be published online. (From 10th Dec 2017 onwards).

Thanks.

[Removed user]

2 July 2017 at 10:21:56 #865705

>> When will the sbb timetable for 2018 be published online. (From 10th Dec 2017 onwards).

Last year it was 19 October, so my guess is 18 October 2017.

Alpenrose