Switzerland itinerary 9 days in September

I have plan to have wonderful time in Switzerland during the period of 3 - 11 September for my honeymoon trip but I'm not sured about my itinerary whether it's too tight.

• Day 1 Arrive Zurich (at 1.20 p.m.) - Luzern - Chapel Bridge, Dying Lion Monument (Stay overnight at Luzern)
• Day 2 Titlis Mountain - Gracier Park, Ice Flyer Chair Lift (Stay overnight at Luzern)
• Day 3 Golden Pass Line from Luzern to Interlaken Ost., Boat trip from Interlaken Ost. to Brienz and back to Interlaken Ost. by train (Stay overnight at Interlaken)
• Day 4 Jungfraujoch (Stay overnight at Interlaken)
• Day 5 Interlaken - Lauterbrunen - Murren - Gimmelwald - Schilthorn, Train to Zermatt (Stay overnight at Zermatt)
• Day 6 Gornergrat Bahn, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (Stay overnight at Zermatt)
• Day 7 Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Motriz (Stay overnight at St. Moritz)
• Day 8 Berina Express from St. Moritz to Tirano, Bus from Tirano to Lugano, Lugano to Zurich (Stay overnight at Zurich)
• Day 9 (half day) Zurich - Lake Zurich, Old Town - Airport (Depart from Zurich at 3.35 p.m.)

and I have the other questions are :

1. Between Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Half Fare Card Super Saver Card, which one is suitable for this plan?
2. Day 4 and Day 5 I'm not sured whether I should switch between these 2 plans because I will stay in Interlaken just only 2 nights. I also intend to trek from Murren to Gimmelwald, maybe a picnic on the way.
3. Actually, I also would like to visit Stein Am Rheim but doesn't know what day I should visit. Is that possible for any day for insertion?Really would appreciate some help on these matters.

Thank you. Hope to hear from you all soon.

Hi honeylemon,

Thanks for sharing your plans with us. It's a very tight schedule, but time wise it is possible. It's just a lot, and you don't have much time left to move mountain trips to other days in case of bad weather. So that's a risk, but it's all doable.

1. I recommend the 8-day Swiss Travel Pass for day 1 to 8. The one or two tickets you will need on day 9 won't be expensive. You also need to book seats on the Glacier Express and Bernina Express. The pass and reservations can be purchased in Thailand through www.raileurope.co.th/ pass/swiss-pass.
2. Well, here's an opportunity to shift your plans based on the weather, so you best only decide the prior evening. Even though you need good weather for both the Jungfraujoch and the Schilthorn, you can pick the best weather day for the trip you like to do most.
3. There won't be much time for that unless you skip your other plans on day 1 or 9. It's 60 to 70 minutes from Zurich airport, so you can consider to store your luggage in a locker at the airport rail station, go to Stein am Rhein, back to the airport, then to Lucerne, and visit the bridge and the monument in the evening. A very full day after a (long?) flight!

I hope this was useful!

Might do Stein am Rhein on the morning f departure. Leave bags at airport or Zürich main station, go to Stein, look for three minutes, return to get bags and check in by 1:35 PM.

I don't think one could fit Luzern in that same day...?

However, it would be possible to fit in Stein before going to Luzern on day 1, assuming no jet lag. The two specific events listed for Luzern would not consume more than 30-40 minutes. The lion might still be open by the time of arrival in Luzern. It is 15 minutes walk from the main station. Die Kappelbrücke is 5 minutes from the station, on the way to the Lion.

Slowpoke

Thank you so much for your reply. I might not go to Stein Am Rhein for this trip. For the other days plans are all ok, right?

1. If the whether is not ok on the day I have plan to Schilthorn, is it still ok to treking around Murren - Gimmelwald?
2. For Day 3, I also would like to have boat trip on Brienz Lake. Which one is better between choice 1, take the golden pass line to Interlaken Ost., left my bags at the hotel, then take the boat trip from Interlaken Ost. to Brienz and back to Interlaken Ost. by train and the second choise is take to golden pass line to Brienz, take the boat trip from brienz to Interlaken Ost. and go to the hotel in Interlaken Ost. since I have to carry bags along with me?
3. Will I see snow, glacier during September on all mountains?

I have not studied all of your trip details, and cannot comment.

In September, even after a warm summer, you will see snow on many mountains. Glaciers have been receding over the recent years, but they are still there, every day of the year. Whether you can see them will depend on the weather. September is, to a modest degree, the best month for weather for viewing scenery.

It makes no difference which direction you travel on the lake boat on the Brienzersee (Lake Brienz.) Watch the boat schedules if you leave luggage at a train station. Luggage ofices are not open much after late aftrernoon. See below. The train and boat stations are very close to each other at Brienz. I recall a short walk at Interlaken, but it has been many years since I did it.

In addition to leaving your luggage at a hotel, you may leave it at almost all train stations.

The SBB website has information about each station.

Here is the listing for Interlaken Ost:

www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/am-bahnhof/railway-stations/bahnhof-finden.posid.7492.html

The left luggage office is open from 0700 until 1830 everyday.

At Brienz, the open hours vary by the day of the week:

www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/am-bahnhof/railway-stations/bahnhof-finden.posid.8305.html

You will save quite some time if you get off the train in Brienz and take the boat to Interlaken. If you first go to your hotel you'll do the same route 3 times: once by boat and twice by train.

<<"You will save quite some time if you get off the train in Brienz and take the boat to Interlaken. If you first go to your hotel you'll do thesame route 3 times: once by boat and twice by train.">>

I did not notice that they were coming from Luzern.

So, you are right - 3 times.

At least the train ride is not long: about 20 minutes. The boat takes 1 hr 13 minutes and does not run as frequently as the trains.

Slowpoke

Thank you so much. I've decided to travel along Golden Pass Line from Luzern to Brienz and take a boat trip to Interlaken Ost.. Is that ok? I also change plan for Day 8 from Berina express to St. Moritz and Zurich sightseeing because I don't want to reach the hotel in Zurich so late.

Sure that's ok! On day 8, you could take a direct train from St. Moritz to Landquart and change to Zurich there. It's a different route than the Glacier Express to St. Moritz, so more variety.