Switzerland visit in first week of April 2017

  • Removed user
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    7 February 2017 at 8:14:56 #810748

    hello,

    please suggest if i would be good choice to visit switzerland in first week of april. [ around 8th april ]

    we are planning a trip for 3 nights, so is it possible to cover lucerene, grindewald, interlaken, zurich, Mount Jungfraujoch, mount pilatus, mount titlis, lake breinz and lake thun in these 3 days..

    since we r travelling in april so just want to know about the weather there and will all the train routes and lake boating be open during that time.

    please also suggest which scenic train route is best if we wish to do like bernia express / golden pass line / glacier express .

    Thanks and Regards.

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    7 February 2017 at 9:43:04 #858728

    Hello garima01 and welcome to MySwissAlps!

    Early April can be a nice time to visit but the mountains will still very much be cold and wintry at the top.

    Weather can also change dramatically so be sure to keep an eye on it – mountains can be covered in clouds and limit your views to zero at any time of the year.

    I would say your itinerary to too optimistic…It would be impossible to do that in 3 days. Where are you planning staying?

    You should limit yourself to staying in one town and do a couple day trips from there. What is it you want to see the most? The mountains like Rigi, Pilatus and Titlis? if so stay in Luzern only and pick one or two mountains to visit from there. You will find a lot of snow as I said on these mountains so what you do at the top will be limited to winter activities (or a visit to the restaurant and some picture taking).

    Jungfraujoch is best visited from Interlaken. It is about 4 hours each way from Luzern (take a look at the train timetable here to help you plan your trips.)

    The boat trips on the lakes you mentioned are not running in early April (or very limited if they are). So I would skip that idea. All trains will be running.

    Zurich is good for culture and restaurants (its the ‘big city’ in Switzerland) but a little far from the attractions you mentioned to be a base for you I think.

    I hope that helps, let me know if you have more questions.

    Lucas

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    7 February 2017 at 10:57:24 #858729

    Thanks for the valuable info.

    what if we shift our trip 10-15 days later would the weather get better and the lake boat rides be functional..??

    since 16th april 2017 is EASTER SUNDAY . I read in many posts that most restaurants and hotels are closed during that time .Is that going to cause any issues.

    But as you said that my itinerary is too long according to the days we are planning the trip , so can you please suggest the best among these places so that we can have best of switzerland.

    like between mount rigi / mount titlis / mount pilatus.

    we actually haven’t yet decided about where we’re going to stay .so please suggest the best base point to cover the mentioned places in 3 days.

    we’ll be leaving for Milan, Italy on 4rth day. so kindly suggest best in accordance with that. I read about the scenic train from chur to tirano in italy , is that a good option.

    Please also tell me about the rail passes, which one would be best in our case.. if required.

    THANKS.

    Removed user
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    7 February 2017 at 16:45:59 #858730

    Hi Garima01,

    I can’t decide for you on which mountain(s) you will like. The best idea is for you to read through the information pages I linked to on my first post and decide which looks the most appealing to you – and be prepared for alternate options depending on the weather.
    The weather in the mountains can be spectacular any day of the year so I might not change my itinerary by 2 weeks on the assumption that the weather might be better. However, the boats will by running regularly by later April/early May.

    If you are looking for mountains and scenery than I would base myself in Luzern and visit the areas nearby- See this page for a list of activities you can do in the area.

    An alternative town to base yourself in is Interlaken (for Jungfraujoch for example). Read through that page – especially the ‘what to do’ tab – for activities you can do nearby. 🙂

    The train from Chur to Tirano is the Bernina Express. It is an excellent panoramic train that I am sure you will enjoy. Click on the link to read more about it. You still have to take a train to Chur to start the journey of course.

    If you decide to stay in Luzern you may want to consider the Gotthard Panorama Express which leaves from Luzern and travels first by boat on Lake Luzern and then by train to Bellinzona near Switzerland’s border with Italy and an easy trip on to Milan.

    Lastly, read here about the Swiss Travel Pass that will cover most if not all of your rails trips (sometimes only a discount is offered). Details of validity, pricing and where to buy are included on that page.

    I hope this helps you finalize your plans!

    Lucas

    Slowpoke
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    7 February 2017 at 19:41:03 #858731

    Hi Garima01 –

    Check this link and sub-links to understand boat schedules on Lake Lucerne.

    Note that there are seasonal schedules.

    You might be there for the Winter schedule or for the Spring Schedule. There is a lot more service on the Spring schedule, from April 14 to May 24.

    If you scroll down, you can find a map.

    There are different routes on Lake Lucerne. Some go all the way to the southern end. Others stay at the northern end. There is frequent service to Vitznau from Lucerne during the warmer months, connecting with the cograil up to the Rigi.

    This thread is about a hike around the southern part of the lake. It shows some pictures of what it is like.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/the-swiss-path-and-southern-lake-lucerne

    Although each Lake (Lucerne, Brienz, Thun) has its good points on the boat routes, the service on Lake Brienz stops completely during Winter. I don’t recall the details, but I think it only starts in late May.

    Personally I prefer Lake Lucerne; in particular, the southern portion, although all parts are worth seeing.

    Many like the Lake Thun boat because it has views of the higher Alps.

    Slowpoke

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    8 February 2017 at 6:30:11 #858732

    Thanks Lucas and Slowpoke for the information.

    Removed user
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    12 February 2017 at 18:25:24 #858733

    Hello

    I have a 4 day 2nd class swiss travel pass from dates 7th to 10th April , So I have few doubts regarding this

    1) On 4th day as I have to leave for Milan , So I was planning to take Glacier express from zermatt and deboard at Andermatt and then take train from Andermatt to MIlan , So it is possible to deboard the Glacier express in midway at Andermatt ?

    2) I have read that there is a reservation charge for Glacier express but when I checked on raileurope website reservation charge was only mentioned for 1st class ticket and I have 2nd class ticket (swiss pass) , So is there any reservation charge for 2nd class or is there any website where I can reserve for Glacier express 2nd class.

    3) As I would like to visit Mt Titlis on 8th April , So I wanted to confirm whether cable car be operational at that time and if not is there any other way to reach Titlis from Engelberg.

    Thanks

    Removed user
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    12 February 2017 at 18:42:44 #858734

    Hi Garima01,

    1. Yes, you can get on or off at Andermatt – See our Glacier Express page on the route.
    2. Yes, there is a mandatory seat reservations for 1st and 2nd class. Also on our ticket page for the Glacier Express you will find a link for reservations.
    3. See our Mt.Titlis page on information to get there. You can also use the SBB timetable and enter your date and to/from destinations to see when and how you can get anywhere on the Swiss public transportation network.

    Cheers!

    Lucas

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    12 February 2017 at 22:47:26 #858735

    Hi Garimaio1 –

    I have always found that the Swiss timetable is more accurate and more complete than the Rail Europe timetable.

    So I encourage you to use the Swiss services- timetables, maps, etc. You will get better results. aAlso, use the information on the page that Lucas posted about the Glacier Express.

    That is what Lucas has said. You will note that I sent you to a Swiss website link for lakeboats.. He has linked you to the Swiss timetable in his first post in this thread.

    Go Swiss! 😉

    Slowpoke

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