Jungfraujoch book in advance?

Hi all,

I am ramya from India. I would be visiting Switzerland from 9th to 12th October. I have booked hotels at Lucerne and interlaken for two days each thereafter I 'll be moving to France. My tentative itinerary is:

• Day 1. Arrive in Zurich. Deposit luggage at station and visit Rhine falls. Then reach Lucerne and go for mt rigi excursion.
• Day 2. Lucerne to mt titlis excursion. evening enjoy lucerne.
• Day 3. Reach interlaken by noon. Enjoy local activities paragliding.
• Day 4. Jungfraujoch excursion. My concern is I already have bought passes.

1.So should I book tickets to Jungfraujoch in advance or do I wait till a day prior check whether the climate is suitable?Since many have posted saying tickets sell out

2.Also does the itinerary seem doable.? Is it too much for the first day?

3. Also incase the whether is cloudy what other places would you advise to visit?

Regards,ramya

Hi Ramya,

1.As much as i believe you don't need to book tickets in advance , you can book it after you land in Zurich.

2.The first day of your schedule may be a hectic schedule if you are making Zurich-Rhine-Zurich-Lucerne-mt rigi giving a thought to at what time you will land at Zurich and how much remaining energy you have after a 8 hr flight traveling .

it will be better if you spend lucerne and mt rigi on second day as rigi is 30min away from luceren by train and at rigi you may have the events like mountain pass,skating,hiking etc.

3.The country is a paradise.The country will get bigger the more you discover. you can visit some of my fav place which i had plan to visit next month.

Bern , thun(20min away fm bern by train),

Gstaad, saanen (Most of Bollywood telly-wood movies have shooted)

Engelberg, 30min away from lucerne.

If you have more time you can strech upto st. moriz.

I hope you had not forget to take a swiss rail pass which will stop emptying your purse.

Wish you a Pleasurable journey!!!

<<"Day 1. Arrive in Zurich. Deposit luggage at station and visit Rhine falls. Then reach Lucerne and go for mt rigi excursion.Day 2. Lucerne to mt titlis excursion. evening enjoy lucerne.Day 3. Reach interlaken by noon. Enjoy local activities paragliding.Day 4. Jungfraujoch excursion. My concern is I already have bought passes">>

Days #1 (especially) and #3 are difficult. #3 might work.

#4- You cannot control the weather. Good luck. Better to plan a few days nearby, and pick the best weather.

Slowpoke

Thanks Erkrutibs and slowpoke for your suggestions. I already have the Swiss pass. Just one doubt. If I want to do some sightseeing on day 1provided I have some energy left, what would you suggest? I am hoping to reach Lucerne after Rhine falls excursion around 2pm in the noon.

Regards,ramya

Hi Ramya-

This link has lots of information on what to do in and around Luzern:

www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne

A lake boat ride is relaxing. There are different routes of various lengths, and most stops have a connection to public transportation...often a bus to a not-far-away train station.

If you are up to something more complex, take the train to Flüelen, at the southern tip of the lake, then catch a boat to Brunnen and walk 10 minutes (or shuttle bus) to the train back to luzern. The boat schedule may not match your timing, (infrequent boats) but that southernmost stretch of the lake is very dramatic. Any of it is nice, of course. Here is a timetable.

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

Since you are quite near Pilatus, a trip to the top would be worthwhile on a clear day. You could possibly combine it with a boat ride from Luzern to Alpnachstad.

Slowpoke

Hi,

yes for sure you can travel from Rhine falls -Zurich-lucerne under a 2 hr journey considering the fact that Swiss rail is the unanimous best transportation system across globe, even i have not experienced a train delay for a nano second.

With added advantage the sun set in Swiss is after 8 pm in month of October , stretching you day travel time till 10-11p.m on day 1.

Also be noted there is an offer from Swiss rail only for Indian passport holders .if you are buying a 4-days continuous travel ticket you are getting a free day for 5th day.More info can be found here. www.raileurope.co.in/p ass/swiss-travel-pass-82

Please be remembered to share your travel report here after you tour.

Thanks

krutiSundar

Hi Erkrutibs -

<<"yes for sure you can travel from Rhine falls -Zurich-lucerne under a 2hr journey considering the fact that Swiss rail is the unanimous besttransportation system across globe, even i have not experienced a traindelay for a nano second.With added advantage the sun set in Swissis after 8 pm in month of October , stretching you day travel time till10-11p.m on day 1.">>

It is nice that you have not experienced even a nanosecond of delayon Swiss trains. On the route between Luzern and Zürich , the stretchfrom Zug northwards has very heavy traffic these days, and I havefrequently encounter minor delays up to 5 minutes. In practice, thisdoes not make any real difference, but the trains are notinfallible...they are heavily loaded these days.

What you say about possibilities is potentially all true. What it may not consider is the time of day that Ramya arrives, how long he has been flying before he arrives at Zürich Flughafen, his state of jet lag and resultant available energy, whether he is traveling with small children, how much time he spends at Rhine Falls, and the added time ( probably 30 to 45 minutes because of train schedules) if he stops in Zürich Hbf to pick up his left luggage on the way to Luzern.

As a consequence, he might not find it easy to visit the the Rigi and actually spend some time (more than a few seconds) up there on his first day. That is why I commented that the day may be difficult with his original suggested plan to visit the Rigi on day 1, and provided alternatives.

If you come to Switzerland to see the scenery and landscapes, then staying up until 10PM is irrelevant if the sunset is near 8PM. Nightlife, a dinner in a city, all possible. Hard to see the sights when it is dark, however.

These are some factors to consider when advising Ramya. If he provides his arrival time and expected degree of jet lag, we can both be more precise.

Slowpoke

Hi Slowpoke,

All valid points in your post! However, please address your advice to Ramya directly. Erkrutibs offers advice from his own experience, like we all do. It's all useful, and ultimately up to Ramya how to use all information. Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the information. I am travelling with my partner only. I guess I'll decide impromptu after reaching Lucerne from Rhine falls excursion. I'll keep remaining itinerary the same. Regards, ramya.

<<" I guess I'll decide impromptu after reaching Lucerne from Rhine falls excursion.">>

Hi Ramya -

That sounds like a good approach. The tourist information office by track #1 in Luzern Main Station is very helpful, and can guide you on details.

I reviewing my last post, I see one thing I can alter.

I made a judgement about pickup time for luggage based on the incoming train (ZFH->Luzern) coming from the airport causing a delay to take the next outbound for Luzern. There are other possibilities for inbound when you come back from the Rhine Falls, so my estimate of time may be incorrect, depending on which train you come in on.

If you use the luggage lockers one level down near the railhead in Züri HB, you will need only a few minutes to get your bags. They require Swiss coins, by the way. There is a coin changer by the toilets that usually is working, but not always. About 8 or 9 CHF for a large locker.

If you use the left luggage office, on the outside wal of the station , 3 minutes walk from the rail head each way+a minute or two get the bags from storage. Follow signs.

Have a great trip.

Slowpoke.