MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial My first trip to Switzerland- few queries.
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Hello,
We are planning a visit to Switzerland; our firstvisit to Switzerland & we really want it to be memorable. I havemade tour iternary as under :
21/ September
1. 8:15 AM : Arrival in Zurich airport and go to Luzern straightway from airport by train (8:47 to 9.49)OR (09.13 to 10.25); train fare 13.50 CHF for 1 adult,S2)
2. Luggage at Luzern railway station
3. 10.38M, Luzern to Alpnachstad(11:08 to 11.29); train fare 3.40 CHF for 1 adult,S5)
4. To gondola/cableway from Alpnachstad PB to Pilatus. (11:35 to 12:05):train fare CHF,R): hang around the peak
5. 12.55 Pilatus to Alpnachstad(12.55 to 13.35:train fare CHF,R)
6. 14.00 Alpnachstad to Engelberg (14.00 to 14.53,train fare CHF 8.20,S5 ,1R)
7. 15.00 rotair up to mount titlis (98CHF including ice flyer)
8. 16:00at Titlis peak and will spend time there.
9. 17.00 Titlis to elgelberg to Luzern by 8 PM(8.00 to 8.54 PM,8.20 CHF) .
10. 9 PM to 10 PM Stroll in, Luzern old town, Chapelbridge, Nine towers, Lion monument, & Glacier garden
22/ September :
1. 6 AM : get up & breakfast
2. 7 AM: travel Luzern to Interlaken (06.55 to 7.55,IR,15CHF)
3. 8 to 9 AM boating in Thun lake
1. 9 AM Catch the train from the Interlaken ost station – Bahnofstrasse- Kleine Scheidegg- jungfrau (09.05; 11.22,R,49.80CHF).
2. 13.00 Jungfrau to Grinderwald- Lauterbrunnen (3.00:14.51,R,44.20 CHF)
3. 15.00 stops at the station get off and go across the street to the Murren cable car.
4. Murren cable car to Schilthorn & back (63 CHF)
5. 1730 Murren to Interlaken(17:06 to 17.54,8.80 CHF)
6. 18.15 to 19.15 Boating in Interlaken
7. 19.30 to
8. Chocolate show?. Can we see it?
23/September
1. 7 AM Travel back to Zurich from Luzern.
2. 8.15AM Walk in the Bahnofstrasse, visit to church & baoting.
3. 10.15Bahnofstrasse to Zurich air port
4. 11.00Reporting for check inAlternativefor 22/ september
a) 7 AM Interlaken ost station – Bahnofstrasse- Lauterbrunnen – Murren -Schilthorn
b) On the way down get off and walkaround Murren.
c) Walk down to Gimmelwald
d) Hop back on the cable car for therest of the ride down to the valley floor.
e) Catch the post bus in toLauterbrunnen.
f) See Trummelbach Falls is on theroute.
g) At Lauterbrunnen catch the train back to http://www.tripadvisor.in/Tourism-g188081-Interlaken_Bernese_Oberland_Swiss_Alps-Vacations.html” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”> Interlaken & further to luzern..1. What are your suggestions on this iternary? Is there anythingI missed?
2. I want to buy 4 day swiss pass for 226 CHF for 2 of us.is itok?
3. To keep luggage at Luzern railway station,what are the charges& are there any timing restrictions?4. Waiting for the response.
Regards,
Bhupender Singh Bodh
India
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Welcome to the forum Bhupender. Your itinerary looks quite full to be honest. You may manage to do most of it, but it’s wise to have some back-up plans for bad weather (two mountain peaks on one day wouldn’t be a good idea in that case) or other unexpected circumanstances. For example: staying near Lucerne on September 21, visiting the town and making a boat trip on the lake would be a good alternative for the Titlis visit.
The boat trips on September 22 aren’t doable the way you planned them. You could only make a short trip in one hour and boats don’t leave that early. Timetables are listed here. Both Jungfraujoch and Shilthorn in one day are doable, but one of them would be fine too. That allows you to sit back and relax at the top or get out at a valley station and enjoy the views. The alternative with only the Schilthorn (or Jungfraujoch) and Trümmelbach falls looks better in my opinion.
Yes, the 4 day 2 for 1 Swiss Pass would be a good deal. Information and ordering options can be found at the Swiss Pass page.
There are luggage lockers available at the railway station of Lucerne. They’re available nearly 24 hours a day. Prices are mentioned here.
Thanx Annika,
Very nice suggestions, infact I knew it is bit tight programme,as per your suggestion I will work out again.Just one query. What are the timing for boating & what are charges. Can I take taxi from Luzern station to IBIS keiren hotel.We will be 6 people in all.
Do you mean times and charges for the boats on lake Lucerne? They can be found at the lake Lucerne website. Those for lake Thun and Brienz can be found at the BLS website I mentioned. You can take a taxi, but if the hotel isn’t too far from the station walking or public transportation can also be an option. Just search for your hotel address and enter it in the timetable to see the options.
thanx a lot!
I have reworked out itenary based upon the suggestion & this time casting has also been done. With swiss flexi saver pass for 3 days @ 216 CHF, i suppose i will bw be placed better. What are your suggestions. Have a look my at calculations. Date Time Fare per head Per couple with pass * From to Departure Arrival CHF 21/9 Zurich air port Luzern city centre raiwlay station 9:13 10:25 13.5 27 0 Luzern city centre raiwlay station IBIS Luzern Kriens 10:35 10:45 3.4 6.8 0 IBIS Luzern Kriens Kriens mattenhof 10:55 11:05 3.4 6.8 0 Kriens mattenhof Pilatus kulm 11:15 12:05 19.1 38.2 0 Pilatus kulm engelberg 12:55 13:53 25.6 51.2 0 Engelberg Mt titlis & back 14:15 16:30 98 196 98 Engelberg Kriens mattenhof 17:00 18:12 8.2 16.4 0 Kriens mattenhof IBIS HOTEL 18:20 19:30 0 0 0 IBIS HOTEL Luzern city 19:43 19:48 3.4 6.8 0 Luzern city IBIS HOTEL 7:12 9:36 3.4 6.8 0 22/9 Luzern Interlaken 6:55 7:55 15 30 0 Interlaken Lauterbrunen 9:35 9:55 3.6 7.2 0 Lauterbrunen Schilthron 10:00 50 100 50 Schilthron Lauterbrunen 12:30 15 30 0 Trümmelbach fall Lauterbrunen Grinderwald 14:33 15:09 4.2 8.4 0 Grinderwald interlaken 15:49 16:24 5.2 10.4 0 Interlaken boating 64 128 0 Interlaken Luzern 19.04 21.04 15 30 0 23/9 Luzern Zurich BH 6.51 7.5 11.5 23 0 Zurich Bh Zurich airport 4.1 8.2 0 365.6 731.2 148 * swiss saver flexi pass for 3 dyas @ 216 CHF
waiting for the comments.
Hi,
Your message is hard to read, but regardless of your exact itinerary, taking 4-day 2-for-1 Swiss Saver Passes is much cheaper than 3-day Swiss Saver Flexi Passes. That’s because you would pay for one person only and get a pass for two. And you’ll get an extra discount if you use these promo codes. The pass can be purchased from this page at raileurope.co.in. The promoted passes can only be purchased online so you need to decide quickly to receive them in time. Prices, delivery times and more details are on the Swiss Pass page Annika already referred to.
Have fun!
Thanx,
I tried to book the pass for 4 days but it takes 5 days to deliver the paper ticket. I have to leave in 4 days. Can i purchase the pass in Berlin,where i will b there for 4 days prior to my Switzerland trip.My all otherr doubts stand cleared.
thanx again!
Hi,
I have no idea about sales outlets in Berlin, but I wouldn’t expect it to be possible. You can have your passes delivered to any address in Switzerland or Germany (hotel, family) if you order through this page of swissrailways.com. That will only take 2 days for Switzerland and 3 to 8 for Germany, depending on the shipping option you choose. Again, details are on our Swiss Pass page.
I hope this helps!
Can we collect our swiss rail pass from any railway station in Berlin or Zurich air port on arrival after booking it online & paying the amount through credit card.
please advise.
Thanx
Hi Bhupender,
Sorry, that’s not possible.
since i was running short of time to collect swiss rail pass. I carried out further study & found that swiss rail pass can be purchased from Switzerland itself.I have decided to pirchase it at Zurich airport but for benefit of other people on the form who are facing same problem here is extrxt of advise & experience of trvaeller who got rail pass from zurich itself
“You can purchase swiss pass in Switzerland. The only thing that changes are the currency exchange rate fluctuations, and the fees that you may pay if you have the pass sent to you as opposed to buying it at any one of the stations in Switzerland that were listed in an earlier post.
…When I tried to order at sbb.ch, the direct vendor, it prompts too much info like passport no and date of birth so I didn’t order from there…”
If you buy the pass before your trip, you still need to go to an agent in Switzerland at a station before you can use it, with passport in hand, to have it validated. Just as you do with a Eurailpass or other such passes. Nothing new about that.
The only advantage you may have in buying the pass from a source in a place other than Switzerland is the currency exchange rate. If that moves in your favor, then take the savings.
Right now it does work in your favor – the 4-day adult 1st-class Swiss Pass at CHF399 works out to be $434.40 (at Travelex) while the fixed US price from Raileurope is $396.
This is the only reason to buy from Raileurope – none of this other stuff matters.
If all else fails, or if you get a better exchange rate between now and when you leave, just walk up to an agent at an SBB/CFF station when you get to Switzerland and buy it there, have it validated, and off you go. It’s that simple.
Read more: http://www.frommers.com/community/forum.cfm/europe/switzerland/can-buy-swiss-pass-switzerland#ixzz26JQknNVI“For those who may have the same question – we did end up buying our pass at the airport rail station in Zurich, and it was fast and easy. That was one less thing we had to worry about losing money on in case something happened and we didn’t get to go. I know that you can get a refund for some reasons, but not for all reasons. So for us, there was greater peace of mind in just buying it there.
Language was never a problem. English is everywhere!any comments on above.
Hi Bhupender,
Most Swiss Passes can indeed be purchased at Swiss rail stations, but it’s not necessarily the best or most convenient choice for everyone. It’s actually a bit more complex than what’s explained in the post you referred to. I’ll try to explain it:
Most passes can be purchased both in advance and at Swiss rail stations. The Swiss Transfer Ticket is not for sale in Switzerland, and the Swiss Card is only for sale at a few locations where people enter the country. Some promoted passes are not being sold in Switzerland either; they have to be ordered online. Please note that the post you’re referring to is about standard passes, not about promoted passes. For example: the current promotion on Swiss regional passes can’t be purchased in Switzerland. The 2-for-1 promotion for Swiss Saver (Flexi) Passes we’re talking about here turns out to be a special case. The same promotion has been available before, but strictly online. I recently heard from another traveler that it should be for sale in Switzerland as well, and I was able to get a confirmation from the Swiss railways on that yesterday. However, it can’t be purchased from just any station. Only larger stations from the rail company SBB sell it. Smaller stations and stations owned by other rail companies do not sell it. Sales outlets in other countries who may sell regular Swiss Passes do not sell this promotion either. Anyway, we’ll add this purchase option to our website today.
As for prices: looking back over the last years, it’s cheaper to buy in advance in most cases. That’s caused by exchange rates, online promotions, and being able to pay in your own currency through a local online reseller, usually resulting in less bank transfer fees. The resellers available to a specific traveler depend on his/her country of residence, which may even cause that someone from India better buys in Switzerland while someone from the US may get a better deal online. A few months later, that may be the other way around. This year buying in Switzerland is cheaper more often than over the past years, mostly due to exchange rates. But even this year, there are exceptions as resellers continue to change their prices and offer additional discounts. One of the Rail Europe promotions expired a couple of days ago: a promo code allowed extra discounts on larger orders, resulting in lower prices than the Swiss prices. Another promotion is still active.
As for convenience: pass validation at a Swiss rail station is not always necessary. There are resellers who prepare passes in such a way that you can validate them yourself. That allows people to board their first train right away without loosing time. A “quick transfer” from plane or inbound train so to speak. Even if a pass requires validation from a railway official, people entering Switzerland by train won’t loose time either, as the personnel on board such trains can take care of it. Buying at a Swiss rail station is not very complex for people who can fit that into their itinerary. It doesn’t take too much time (unless you’re a large group), but you do need to visit a manned rail station during opening hours, and bring all travelers’ passports. For people arriving very late, very early, or in a small town without a manned rail station, it’s more convenient to just buy in advance. Another reason to buy in advance might be the other options that online resellers provide: they can take care of pass insurance (lost or stolen passes can optionally be covered), seat reservations and additional (international) tickets along with the pass. Good reasons to buy in Switzerland is when you don’t know whether you’ll need a pass at all until the last minute, price (as explained above), or if you’re short of time such as yourself.
To summarize: it’s quite complex but it’s worth to take a look at the options at a case by case basis. To make things easy, we have a detailed overview of all purchase options at any of our rail pass pages. That includes both online resellers and buying in Switzerland (if applicable). Shipping and other fees are included, as well as discounts (if available) and current exchange rates. The “quick transfer” option I mentioned is listed there as well. The overview is a quick way to see what deal suits best in a specific situation.
I hope this explains things. Have a beautiful stay in Switzerland!
After one week of research on swiss pass, i am not clear why it is not clearly spelt out that 2 for 1 saver pass can be purchased on counter in Switzerland or not.lot of confusion.all tourists look for this information the most.
I am finally not purchasing any pass online & waiting to see what happen once i reach zurich.
I will share my first hand experience on this forum as well & will clear this confusion after returning back so that others who are planning are benefited by my experience & not remain unclear till last day.
bye
Hi Bhupender,
It won’t be a problem in Zurich. I don’t know why it hasn’t been made clear for this specific promotion. In general: most resellers will just show their offer, they don’t show all other options. We work with multiple resellers, and we include buying in Switzerland as well (if available), so we can always show the best option. As announced in my previous post, I have added the option of buying in Switzerland for this specific promotion to our Swiss Pass page and Swiss Flexi Pass page. That makes it real easy for anyone to find the best deal. For example: for 6 people from India buying 1st class Swiss Flexi Passes, it is currently cheaper online. For 4 people it’s the same price. For 2 people it’s cheaper in Switzerland. As said, that outcome may change on a daily basis due to promotions and exchange rates. But people can see the options in a few seconds as it’s all in the overview.
Enjoy your trip!
I need suggestion for booking reservation into Chocolate Train.
I see a different sets of information in below URLs (timing as well as fare is different)
http://www.eurorailways.com/products/scenic_trains/choco.htm
http://www.goldenpass.ch/goldenpass_chocolate_trainCan you suggest which one is correct – at least the timings?
Is there multiple type of chocolate trains running on same route at different times?
I dont want to go at 9:34am only to hear that the Chocolate train already left at 9:07am! So I need correct information about timings of the Chocolate trains.
Hi ambarishd,
Goldenpass.ch is the official website for this train, so that’s the one to check.
Please post further questions about this in a new topic or a related topic, as stated in our forum rules. Thanks!
Just came back from Switzerland trip: Here are the info regarding pass.
1. Once u move out of exit gate of Zurich airport follow bahn railway sign & reach information office of swiss railway. They will issue you all kinds of pass with ful information in less than 10 minutes.NO need to buy pass online
2. Lockers that can accommodate two suitcases & a bag is available at Zurich airport near to information system at CHF 9 ,very convenient,just put in CHF 9 open the locker ,keep ur luggage inside,lock it ,take keys with you & after site seeing come back,insert keys & take out ur luggage.
swiss people are very helpful.any other query?
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