[Removed user]

27 June 2017 at 18:43:25 #812435

Hello again,

we are rethinking and expanding our plans, but have some concerns, your comments will be appreciated:

We have purchased the 4 + 1 = 5 day Swiss Pass and wish to maximise its use.

Arriving Saturday morning, 14th, by boat in Basel.

Purchase a regular train ticket and travel to Lucerne.

Afternoon & evening there

Hope to find hotel that will keep 1 suitcase until Thursday (or Weds)

Day 1 – Sunday, boat and Gotthard Ex to Lugano

Day 2 – Monday, bus to Tirano, lunch and Bernina Ex to St Moritz

Day 3 – Tuesday, Glacier Ex to Zermatt

Day 4 – Wednesday, morning Matterhorn cable car or cogwheel train, then down to Montreaux..

Day 5 – Thursday, Montreaux and Golden Pass back to Lucerne

Friday, regular ticket to Zurich Airport and home.

What do you think? Too aggressive or an okay way to do the big circle on the scenic trains?

Possible alternative avoiding one additional hotel change.

Day 3 – Leave the GEX at Brig and head to Montreaux

Day 4 – Montreaux and Golden Pass to Lucerne for 2 nights

Day 5 – Lucerne area excursion, maybe Mt Rigi or Pilatus??

Friday, Zurich and home..

Would one direction be preferable over the other?

Thank you for a great service

Trevor

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[Arno]

28 June 2017 at 19:46:41 #865890

Hi Trevor,

That is a lot of scenic train rides in 5 days! All of those routes are wonderful, so if scenic rides are your main objective it’s all fine. The main disadvantage is that you won’t have much time to sightsee in the various regions you come across. Staying in one place allows you to explore the area and adapt your plans to the weather of the day. It’s all a matter of objectives. Both your plans provide an excellent quick tour of Switzerland.

The direction of travel does not matter all that much. I’d have a slight preference for starting with the Golden Pass line as that’s mainly passing lower mountains, then working your way “up” to the higher mountains around Zermatt and St. Moritz. But this is a detail.

The regular ticket from Basel SBB to Lucerne can be purchased from any of the websites here (I’d suggest http://www.happyrail.com/en/s witzerland-by-train) so you have one thing less to take care of in Basel.