One month in Switzerland

Hi,

I would like some advice on the best rail pass to choose. I'm planning on travelling to Europe in December 2011 for approximately 5 months. I will be in Switzerland from 28 December and I think I will stay for about one month. At the moment, I've planned the following but all except Lucern are flexible and can be changed.

28 Dec - 2 Jan: Lucerne
2 Jan - 4 Jan: Grindelwald
4 Jan - 6 Jan: Murren
6 Jan - 8 Jan: Brig
8 Jan - 11 Jan: Vevey

I haven't planned anything after this as I want to decide when I'm there what to do and where to go. Can you please suggest some must see sights and towns. Whilst in Switzerland I plan on using the rail system. What pass would be best? Also, as I will be in Austria, France, Italy (northern), Germany and maybe a few other countries, I'm thinking I need the EuroRail Global pass. Would it be better to get a Swiss pass of some sort and the Eurorail Global as the Global is only for 3 months and I will be in Europe until the end of April?

I would like to explore the Bernese Oberland which is why I've got some time in Grindelwald and Murren. Is it best to base myself in one place and travel to the other towns on day trips rather than moving too much? I was in Interlaken last year so would prefer to stay somewhere else this time. Also, I'm thinking of extending my stay to this area for around 6 days and moving Brig to later. I think I read there was a Bernese Oberland pass? Is this correct and if so, what does it offer? With the train to Jungfrau I believe there is a discount for early morning trains? Can you please provide some details.

Finally, I've never done any skiing before and would love to ski in Switzerland. What are some great places to do this for a real beginner? Also, can you suggest activities in Switzerland for the winter months as I believe some of the cogwheel trains and falls are not open during this time.

Thanks in advance.
Tina

Welcome back Tina. It's great that you get to spend an entire month in Switzerland! The most convenient and economical option for your stay is definitely a 1 month Swiss Pass. It covers a lot more than the Eurail Global Pass does. This goes especially for local railway companies, mountain trains and cable cars, and so on. The 1 month Swiss Pass offers great flexibility and allows you to go wherever you want during your stay. You won't need further (regional) passes, as the Swiss Pass provides enough, both in free traveling and in discounts.

The Eurail Global Pass could be a good fit for your trips in remaining European countries, so yes, the combination of a Swiss Pass plus a Eurail Pass would be best in my opinion, as you already suggested. It probably wouldn't be economical to use the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland on top of that.

Cheaper 'good morning tickets' to the Jungfraujoch do exist, but they're for travelers who don't hold a rail pass. The discounts provided by your Swiss pass will result in a cheaper ticket than the good morning ticket, so you shouldn't use such tickets.

Thanks Annika for your response and I apologise for the lateness of my reply.

For a beginner on the slopes, where would be the best resorts for me to try?

Also, are the cogwheel trains eg Pilatus etc in operation during winter?

Thanks for your help in advance.

Tina

Hello Tina! Pretty much all resorts have pistes for beginners, so that doesn't make much difference. You can best choose resorts that appeal to you because of their atmosphere and how they're situated. Pistes can be found near Grindelwald and Mürren. From Brig and Vevey, you may have to get further into the mountains. Consider Zermatt or Saas-Fee during your stay in Brig if you'd like to ski for example - by the way, those resorts make great day trips without skiing too.

The cogwheel trains to Pilatus run up to November, but the cable car from Kriens runs throughout the winter. Timetables can be found at the Pilatus website.