Apr 18, 2011 - 8:50 PM
Hello!
We are two people traveling this Friday through next Tuesday for the first time in Switzerland and need advice on the best options for rail passes. We plan to travel as follows:
Day 1 (Fri.) AM: Geneva to Lucerne
Day 2 midday: Lucerne to Interlaken (via part of the GoldenPass trip)
Day 2-3: From the Interlaken area, we plan to do some easy/moderate hiking on the first afternoon (for example the Lauterbrunnen-Stechelberg hike mentioned on this website), and then go up to Jungfraujoch the next AM followed by more hiking or other activities.
Day 4 (Mon.) AM or Midday: Interlaken to Zermatt. Visit one of the viewing points and some hiking.
Day 5 AM or Midday: Zermatt back to Geneva, stopping by either Montreux or Lausanne
We were thinking about just getting the one-month half-fare cards for both of us, but would the Swiss Flexi Pass be a better deal? And if so, when should we use the free-travel days? For example, in the Bernese Oberland, not all the transportation will be free even if we are using the free-travel days. Another possibility, is to have one of our friends who has a half-fare card buy a pack of 6 (or individual) 1-day travelpasses.
Furthermore, what will be closed because of the Easter holiday (most places will be closed Fri., Sun., and Mon., right?)? Will we be able to find restaurants (or grocery stores) open in any of the (touristy) areas we are traveling? What about places like bike and boat rentals?
We would also greatly appreciate any comments/tips on our itinerary! Are we choosing the right places to visit? Should we try to go up both Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn? We are unlikely to travel again in Switzerland for a very long time so would love to experience it to the fullest!
Thank you!
