MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Planning 6 days Zurich/Bern/Jungfrau area in June
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Trip we are planning for Switzerland June 11 – 17, 2023
I have some time before we go, but I’m a bit overwhelmed with how to travel within Switzerland. I’m finding it difficult to estimate the cost when I’m not sure what the different parts I’ll need to get from point A to Point B. Also, I’d like an opinion on whether this itinerary is doable. I have a tendency to pack way too much into a trip. This will be my first trip to beautiful Switzerland, hopefully not my last. This will be my first time negotiating public transportation in Europe!
Cheers!
June 11 fly into Zurich from Dublin arrive at 21:00, stay at Marriott
Train from Airport to Zurich or UBER- Easiest way to get to the hotel?
Day 1, June 12
Spend the day in Zurich and stay at the Marriott
Day 2, June 13
Train to Bern (1 hr?) 6:30 AM (decided to spend a few hours in Bern because, according to Google, trains from Zurich to Lauterbrunnen (Via Interlaken) go through Bern.
Tour BERN for a few hours, then on to Lauterbrunnen
Train to Interlaken 16:00, then buss 311 to Lauterbrunnen
Stay in Lauterbrunnen for 4 nights
Day 3 – 5 Options based on weather, June 14 – 16
Lucern (ride the boat and tour the city)
Jungfraujoch (allow all day for this)
Schilthorn in the morning, thrill walk, and Trurrenbach Falls in the afternoon
Need to understand the logistics for each of these options (Trains, cable, funicular?)
Day 6, June 17
Lauterbrunnen to Munich
http://www.rome2rio.com/map/Lauterbrunnen/Munich This site says 8hrs, Google says 10 or more?
What Passes make sense?
Half pass (first) then,
Swiss pass or Regional Berner Oberland?
Thank you for any feedback or for pointing me in the right direction, Dan K,
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Hi Dan–just a couple of thoughts as I read your post:
- No need to take a bus from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen; there should be connecting trains to complete the trip.
- Are you using the SBB app/website to check train timetables? According to that, it generally takes 6-1/2 to 8 hours to travel via train from Lauterbrunnen to Munich, depending on how many times you change trains.
I am sure you will receive a ton of helpful advice from the experts here on the forum. Good luck with your travel planning!
Hi Dan K,
The Swiss public transport is extensive and convenient. With the help of the SBB timetable, you’ll learn how to navigate the system in no time. The timetable displays schedules and connections and will help you plan your trips easily. There is also a mobile version you can download.
Looking at your current itinerary:
- Zurich Airport to Marriot Hotel – You can take a train to Zurich HB. The hotel is walking distance from the main station. You can also take a taxi directly from the airport. Not sure about the cost.
- Zurich to Lauterbrunnen via Bern. Indeed this is possible by train. The journey takes about 2.5 hours with train changes in Bern and Interlaken Ost.
- On Day 5, a day trip to Lucerne is indeed possible. If you have the whole day, I suggest taking the boat from Interlaken Ost to Brienz then train to Lucerne. And return by train to Lauterbrunnen.
- Details on how to get to Jungfraujoch here: http://www.myswissalps.com/jungfraujoch/gettingthere
- Details on how to get to Schilthorn here: http://www.myswissalps.com/schilthorn/gettingthere
- Lauterbrunnen to Munich: you can check travel options here: http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/germany
Based on your plans, you might want to consider getting the Swiss Travel Pass or the Swiss Half Fare Card. Be sure to check this short guide on how to choose the best railpass: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass
Hope this helps you in your trip planning.
Regards,
Anna
Hi Dan K!
I agree with Anna that the Swiss Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass) or the Swiss Half Fare Card (https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard) is a good option for your plans. In your specific case, a 6-day Swiss Travel Pass seems to be easiest, as it would also cover the journeys outside of the Lauterbrunnen area. You’d only need additional tickets for mountain trips and the German part of the journey to Munich:
- https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/validity
- https://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/germany
I’m not sure if you’re considering combining a Swiss Half Fare Card and a Swiss Travel Pass. If so, it’s good to know that that’s not cost-effective, as the Swiss Travel Pass covers a lot and the Swiss Half Fare Card couldn’t add much to that:
Combining the Swiss Half Fare Card and/or the Swiss Travel Pass with a regional pass such as the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/regionalpassberneseoberland) or a Jungfrau Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrautravelpass) can be considered. But this would only sensible if you’d travel on lots of mountain routes during your days in Lauterbrunnen.
If you want to be sure of the most economical rail pass, you can best calculate your options. The page Anna linked to describes this process. Sometimes plans aren’t fixed, or calculating is too much of a hassle. In that case rest assured that you can’t go wrong with any of the mentioned passes. Just pick the one that seems to be a good overall match with your plans, and then you’ll definitely save money.
As for logistics: the timetable mentioned above is the way to plan all of your trips. This page explains how to use it in detail: https://www.myswissalps.com/timetable.
In addition, each of your activity pages (https://www.myswissalps.com/activities) includes a “Route” section that explains how to get there in detail. Examples:
- https://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakelucerne/gettingthere
- https://www.myswissalps.com/jungfraujoch/gettingthere
- http://www.myswissalps.com/schilthorn/gettingthere
This guide explaining how train traveling in Switzerland works can be useful too: https://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/howtotravel.
Thank you all for your time and kindness. We are very excited for our trip!
Dan
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