[R2go]

11 February 2018 at 1:02:39 #814325

I’ve been reading many forum posts and have modified our travel plans to spend more time in Switzerland. We plan to buy the Swiss Travel Pass and arrive on May 20th.

Day 1 = Travel from Bonn, Germany to Zermatt – stay in Zermatt

Days 2 and 3 = Tour Zermatt, Klein Matterhorn and Jungfraujoch areas. The actual schedule will depend on the weather

Day 4 = Glacier Express – Zermatt to St Moritz

Day 5 = St Moritz to Rome (the goal is to travel the fastest route)

1) Is there an option to add 1 day to the 4 day Swiss Travel Pass?

2) On day 4, we arrive in St Moritz around 17:00 and spending the night there is not a priority. Would staying in another city put us in a better location for our travel the next day to Lugano/Milan/Rome? Or should we get off the Glacier Express at an earlier stop?

Thank you for your help.

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[rockoyster]

11 February 2018 at 3:03:50 #876105

Hi R2go,

To extend your 4-day pass you could look at a Saver Day Pass (but take note of the conditions). See http://www.myswissalps.com/on edaytravelpass/details.

You may be able to avoid the need for a pass on day 1 if you can get a cheap fare from Bonn to Zermatt via the Deutsche Bahn site http://www.bahn.com/en/view/i ndex.shtml.

Day 4 stay in St Moritz or Chur. The next day you can take the Bernina Express to Tirano and still reach Rome later that day. If you take the Bernina Express as opposed to a regular train you’ll need to buy seat reservations.

From Zermatt to the Jungfrau Region is at least 4 hours return to Interlaken and you will be covering the same route you followed reaching Zermatt on day 1. The fastest route via Visp goes through a long tunnel so in at least one direction I’d recommend you go via Kandersteg. You will then travel on the Regio-Express Lötschberger train over the traditional, more than 100 year old mountain route, giving you a wonderful view along the impressive peaks and down into the Rhone Valley. It takes about an hour longer than the fast route but is very scenic.

[Removed user]

11 February 2018 at 8:31:06 #876106

Hi R2g0,

Yes I’d be tempted to avoid Jungfraujoch on your itinerary – very long day from Zermatt. I think 2 days in Zermatt is quite enjoyable but a closer day trip, for different scenery, could be Montreux.

Use the Swiss railways timetable to plan out all your trips, and for more details and how to buy the Swiss Travel Pass online click here.

[R2go]

12 February 2018 at 0:23:29 #876107

Thank you for the great information. I didn’t realize that the Jungfraujoch Region is four hours away from Zermatt.

We’re trying to decide if we should go to the Jungfraujoch Region first and then onto Zermatt. The goal of staying in Zermatt is to give us multiple chances to go to the Klein Matterhorn if the weather is bad. Or a day trip to Montreaux might be better.

This is a tough decision because this trip is centered around being able to go to the Klein Matterhorn. One of the major travel books/writer only rates Zermatt as a 1 and Grimmelwald/Berner Oberland as a 3. We’ve never been to Switzerland so it’s difficult to know if this rating is really the writer’s personal preference or if Zermatt is really only a third as good. We’re going to see the beautiful scenery and mountains and are not interested in sledding or other sports. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Here are more questions:

1. If we get a cheap fare from Bonn to Zermatt via the Deutsche Bahn site, do we have to double the cost of the portion that is within Switzerland if we don’t have a Swiss Travel Pass for that day?

2. Is a regional train from St Moritz to Pontresina to Tirano an option?

3. Is there a way to go from Tirano to Milan without having to go to Lake Como and Lugano?

4. Is there a bus from St.Moritz to Chiavenna to Colico (transfer to train) to Milan? And is there a chance that the road will be closed in mid-May?

It’s difficult to look at maps and timetables and figure out whether these are even options that we should consider. Thank you for your help!

[rockoyster]

12 February 2018 at 1:47:35 #876108

Zermatt to Interlaken is around 2 hours so a 4 hour round trip before you even go up into the Jungfrau Region. Zermatt is a very touristy town with the main attraction being the Matterhorn. The Jungfrau Region is much more widespread with charming villages and fabulous scenery. Wengen is a favourite place to stay. But of course you have limited time.

To answer you questions:

1. No, If you are able to buy a ticket from Bonn to Zermatt from DB then it will cover your entire trip. It all depends if you can get a good price for your travel time. I couldn’t find a price for Bonn to Zermatt but Bonn to Brig Saver Fare is €44.90. See goo.gl/E72JLi.

2. Yes, for sure if the timing works for you. You can also get a regular train from St Moritz to Pontresina and pick up the Glacier Express there.

3. Yes, there is a train from Tirano to Milan.

4. Yes, there is a bus to Chiavenna and train to Milan. The bus won’t start running until the pass is clear so if you can find it on the timetable there should be no problem.

The timetable is the best reference to work out what is feasible. Just make sure that as well as the start and end points you include the route you wan to follow using the VIA options.