[Removed user]

6 June 2017 at 17:56:33 #812156

Hi ,

This is Manjistha from India.I will be travelling to Switzerland with my husband and 7 year old son by end of September. Reading thru Myswissalps forum gave me confidence to plan the trip by my own. Based on the various suggestions from the experts in different queries, I could come with this rough itinerary. Kindly review and leave your input.. Requesting you to suggest, if I can alter my itinerary to accommodate any other attractions.

Initial Draft

Sep 28- Strasbourg to Zurich HB (02hr 20 min- Reach by 11:26)

-Zurich HB to Wengen (02hr 50 min- Reach by 14:51)

Visit Wengen/Murran (Walking Tour). Stay @ Wengen.

Sep 29 (Day 01)-Early morning train to Jungfraujoch region. Return by Noon. Boat ride @ Lake Thun

30 Sep (Day 02) – Train to Schilthorn. Boat ride @ Brienze (or Grindelwald). . Back to Wengen.

Oct 1 (Day 03) – Early morning train to Zermatt. Check in. Visit Matterhorn. Return by Noon. Zermatt walking tour.

Oct 2 (Day 04) – Train to Montreux. Montreux to Lucerne (Golden Pass). Lucerne Chocolate factory visit.

Oct 3 (Day 05) – Early morning trip to Titlis. Return by Noon. Lucerne Lake cruise and City walks.

Oct 4 (Day 06) – Train to Bern. Bern City Walking Tour. Train to Zurich.

Oct 5 (Day 07)-Zurich- Rhine Falls and City Walk

Oct 6 (Day 08)-Back to India

I have the following initial queries:

1. Can I have Purchase the Swiss pass + family Pass online and just carry the printout or should I get the pass after reaching Zurich ?

2. Day 02 instead of Schilthorn can I go to Kandersteg? Which one is a must visit site?

3. Where can I take the best Toboggan ride? Is this ride safe for a 7 year old?

4. Day 04 Can you recommend things to do in Montreux? As I am visiting Chateau in Paris, can I skip Chillon or is there anything unique about this place?

5. Can we leave the luggage in Bern station, do they have a locker facility?

6. My return flight is by 9.45am so I need to be in the airport y 6.45 am, will I get a bus or train to reach to airport that early in the morning?

You guys are doing incredible work making travel easy in Switzerland. Thanks for all your advice and guidance.

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[Removed user]

9 June 2017 at 2:48:53 #864648

>> Zurich HB to Wengen (02hr 50 min- Reach by 14:51)

Visit Wengen/Murran (Walking Tour). Stay @ Wengen.

I would suggest spending all your time in Wengen on this day.

A return trip to Mürren will take at least 2 hours, plus whatever time you spend in Mürren. As you pass through Mürren to get to the Schilthorn, consider visiting Mürren when you go to the Schilthorn, rather than on your first day.

>> 30 Sep (Day 02) – Train to Schilthorn. Boat ride @ Brienze (or Grindelwald). . Back to Wengen.

Travel to the Schilthorn is by cable car from Stechelberg or Mürren.

>> Oct 1 (Day 03) – Early morning train to Zermatt. Check in. Visit Matterhorn. Return by Noon. Zermatt walking tour.

You can’t actually visit the Matterhorn, but you can see it from various viewing points, including the Gornergrat and Klein Matterhorn/Glacier Paradise. Having only one day in this area means you risk not having clear enough weather to see the Matterhorn.

Travelling from Wengen to Zermatt, checking in, and then making a return trip to the Gornergrat or Klein Matterhorn by noon seems unpleasantly rushed. Have you planned this out using the Swiss Timetable?

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

>> Oct 2 (Day 04) – Train to Montreux. Montreux to Lucerne (Golden Pass). Lucerne Chocolate factory visit.

Travel time would be close to 8 hours. What chocolate factory are you visiting in Lucerne?

>> 1. Can I have Purchase the Swiss pass + family Pass online and just carry the printout or should I get the pass after reaching Zurich ?

You can buy the Swiss Travel Pass and order the free Family Card online and print them at home, which will save you time and provide you with spare copies to reprint if the original is lost or damaged.

>> 2. Day 02 instead of Schilthorn can I go to Kandersteg? Which one is a must visit site?

Different people will have a different opinion about that! I would pick the Schilthorn, but you need to decide for yourself 😉

http://www.myswissalps.com/sc hilthorn

http://www.myswissalps.com/ka ndervalley

>> 4. Day 04 Can you recommend things to do in Montreux? As I am visiting Chateau in Paris, can I skip Chillon or is there anything unique about this place?

You don’t say what chateau you are visiting in Paris, but in any case, you need to decide for yourself 😉

http://www.myswissalps.com/mo ntreux

http://www.chillon.ch/en/

>> 5. Can we leave the luggage in Bern station, do they have a locker facility?

Yes, details here:

http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/railway-stations/bern-station.html

(Expand the “Equipment and mobility at the station” section)

>> 6. My return flight is by 9.45am so I need to be in the airport y 6.45 am, will I get a bus or train to reach to airport that early in the morning?

You can find out by using the Swiss Timetable (see link above).

Alpenrose

[Removed user]

10 June 2017 at 8:09:11 #864649

Thanks a lot for your kind updates Alpenrose666′

As you advised,

I will buy a Swiss Travel Pass and order the free Family Card online and print them at home.

We will visit only wengen on arrival.

Travel to the Schilthorn is by cable car from Stechelberg and return thru Mürren .

I will plan 1.5 days for Zermatt to avoid any risk of bad weather.

Pardon my language, with ‘Visit Matterhorn’, I mean to see it from Klein Matterhorn Glacier Paradise.

Lucerne- Maison Cailler chocolate factory as mentioned in one of the forum.

In Paris, we are visiting chateaus of Loire Valley, Fontainebleau and Versailles.

Pls Review my Revised Itinerary

Sep 28 (Day 01)-Zurich HB to Wengen (02hr 50 min- Reach by 14:51). Stay at Wengen. Walking Tour.

Sep 29 (Day 02)-Early morning train to Jungfraujoch region. Return by Noon. Boat ride @ Lake Thun

30 Sep (Day 03) – Train to Schilthorn by cable car from Stechelberg. While returning, Visit Mürren. Boat ride at lakeBrienze. Back to Wengen.

Oct 1 (Day 04) – Early morning train to Zermatt. Check in.

Oct 2 (Day 05) – See Matterhorn from glacier Paradise. Return by Noon.Train to Montreux. Montreux walking tour, if time permits.

Oct 3 (Day 06) – Montreux to Lucerne (Golden Pass). Lucerne Chocolate factory visit (As I read in one of the forum, Maison Cailler chocolate factory )

Oct 4 (Day 07) – Early morning, trip to Titlis. Return by Noon. Lucerne Lake cruise and City walks.

Oct 5 (Day 08)- Early morning ,Train to Bern. (Luggage @ Train station) Bern City Walking Tour. Train to Zurich.

Oct 6 (Day 09)-Back to India

Queries

Day 03: Is that possible? If yes, Should I buy tickets for both side, while starting or different tickets separately?

Day 06: Should I take three different trains? (From Montreux to Zweisimmen to Interlaken OST to Lucerne) I thought there is one train (panoramic train) that will cover the entire route!

Thanks

Manjistha

[Removed user]

11 June 2017 at 3:49:07 #864650

>> Oct 3 (Day 06) – Montreux to Lucerne (Golden Pass). Lucerne Chocolate factory visit (As I read in one of the forum, Maison Cailler chocolate factory )

The Maison Cailler chocolate factory is in Broc, almost 2.5 hours each way by train from Luzern.

>> 30 Sep (Day 03) – Train to Schilthorn by cable car from Stechelberg. While returning, Visit Mürren. Boat ride at lakeBrienze. Back to Wengen … Is that possible? If yes, Should I buy tickets for both side, while starting or different tickets separately?

Possibly. Visiting the Schilthorn and Mürren is certainly possible. You would have to get to Interlaken Ost in time to catch the last boat to Brienz at 16:07.

Do you mean the cable car tickets for the sector from Mürren to the Schilthorn? Yes, buy a round-trip ticket for the Mürren-Schilthorn sector at Stechelberg or Mürren.

>> Day 06: Should I take three different trains? (From Montreux to Zweisimmen to Interlaken OST to Lucerne) I thought there is one train (panoramic train) that will cover the entire route!

The Golden Pass is a scenic route, not a single train, and everyone has to change trains at Zweisimmen and Interlaken Ost, and sometimes also at Spiez. The panoramic windows are only on the Montreux-Zweisimmen sector, although the windows on the trains between Interlaken Ost and Luzern are pretty big too.

The change at Zweisimmen is due to a change in the gauge of the railway tracks at Zweisimmen. The change at Interlaken Ost is because the trains between Zweisimmen and Interlaken Ost are run by the BLS company, whilst those between Interlaken Ost and Luzern are run by the Zentralbahn rail company.

Alpenrose