Itinerary help Luzern-Zermatt-Interlaken-Lausanne

Hello everyone!

My family and I will be traveling to Switzerland this upcoming April

with the following itinerary :

22 April : Luzern (2 nights)

- Arrive Luzern around 5PM on the first day

- I have no clue how should we spend the 2nd full day here any suggestion of what to do or where to eat etc. would be appreciated. =)

24 April : Zermatt (2 nights)

- Arrive Zermatt about 5 PM (Glacier Express)

- Visit Matterhorn on the 2nd day, then still have some free time.

26 April : Interlaken (2 nights)

- Arrive Interlaken at about 3PM, not sure what to do with the remaining time.

- 2nd day, visit Jungfrau, then more free time in the afternoon

28 April : Lausanne (1 night)

- not much plan here, we stop here to catch train to Paris

Any suggestion on what to do, where to eat etc. would be appreciated :)

Also I'm still deciding whether should we buy the 1st or 2nd class Swiss Travel Pass.

I'm afraid that the train will be crowded on 2nd class or we might not able to get the ticket. (Heard that the seat for pass holder on each train is limited, not sure if this is true)

3 of us will have 3 full-sized luggages, I have bought the steel cable to tie the luggages to the rack.

But afraid that there there will be no space on the rack.

There is a lot of between 1st and 2nd class, and I'm wondering should I go for 1st with the issues stated above.

Thank you in advance!!

Hi Maccccc, welcome to MySwissAlps!

First of all, April isn't high season, so you don't have to expect tourist crowds in 2nd class. There's no such thing as limited seat availability for pass holders. Seat reservation isn't necessary for most trains, so anyone with a valid ticket or pass just boards and finds a seat. Luggage storage compartments are available in both 1st and 2nd class. Please refer to our 1st/2nd class explanation and our luggage page to decide which option suits you best.

In any case, an 8 day Swiss Travel Pass in either 1st or 2nd class is definitely a good option for your itinerary. Please find purchase options at www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/price. I'd recommend the print at home pass (no shipping or handling fees) from www.swissrailways.com/ en.

Note that your order of base towns can be improved. Lucerne-Zermatt-Interlaken-Lausanne will result in additional traveling time that can be avoided: Lucerne-Interlaken-Zermatt-Lausanne makes more sense. You may have chosen this because you want to include the Glacier Express ride in your schedule? It's not the most convenient option to get from Lucerne to Zermatt (but that would also go for Interlaken-Zermatt via the Glacier Express). You'd have to get to Chur early in the morning and board the Glacier Express there. It can be done, but it will be a long travel day. Please consult the timetable for detailed planning.

Please visit the below pages for sightseeing tips:

• Lucerne (recommended in April: Rigi and a boat trip over Lake Lucerne, Titlis or Pilatus)
• Interlaken (recommended in April: Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, a boat trip over Lake Brienz or Lake Thun, a stroll in the Lauterbrunnen valley)
• Zermatt
• Lake Geneva

Hi and thanks you for your reply!

Yes we will be taking the Glacier Express, we planned to take it from Andermatt instead of Chur. (Which is way too long!)

Also I have a few question about the weather during the time I visit (Late April)

Just wondering that is the weather good around that time to visit Jungfrau or Matterhorn?

Also is there any restaurant suggestions in each city?

Thanks!

Hi again!

Right, picking up the Glacier Express from Andermatt makes sense in your case.

Weather is very changeable, and it can't be predicted yet whether or not it's good enough to get up to the Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat/Klein Matterhorn during your visit. Circumstances differ per day and in some cases even per hour. You'd best check local weather forecasts shortly before going up. More information is available here.

Hi Annika,

Thanks for your replies!

Last question about the Swiss Travel Pass.

For other scenic trains, are there difference between using 1st and 2nd rail pass?

Eg. GlacierExpress, if I have 1st class pass, will I be able to get on 1st class on GlacierExpress with no addition cost than the reservation fee?

Or when it comes to scenic train routes, the Swiss Travel Pass are all the same regarding of 1st or 2nd class.

Thanks!

Mac

Hi Mac,

If you have a 1st class Swiss Travel Pass you can sit in 1st class in all Swiss trains. There are indeed no additional costs apart from the reservation.