Travelling with elderly folks, where to stay?

By the way is the route through Gotthard pass as beautiful or more beautiful than Bermina express?

<<"By the way is the route through Gotthard pass as beautiful or more beautiful than Bermina express?">>

The Bernina route is usually voted #1 for scenery, but that includes the whole route from Chur to Tirano. i agree that it offers spectacular views...especially if you come from a tropical country.

I like the Gotthard better because I've seen more than enough mountains with no additional features. The Gotthard route has its share of the Uri Alps, plus rail engineering that lets you look at the scenery from different angels and altitudes. Traces of the history of the trans-alpine route are visible everywhere. And, the altitude changing spirals are not as easy to visualize as the one at Brusio, but there are more of them.

Check the image link that I posted a couple of posts ago.

Slowpoke

thank you so much for all your insight of Switzerland.

<<"thank you so much for all your insight of Switzerland. ">>

You are welcome. The country and its citizens have been good to me, and I like to give back.

By the way, I added to an earlier post, the comment that the new Gotthard basis tunnel at 57 km is about the same length or slightly longer than the main island of Singapore is wide.

Slowpoke

The new Gotthard tunnel will officially be opened in June, but passenger trains are only scheduled to start using the tunnel from mid December. The old route will remain open, and will of course be the more interesting option for anyone who wants to see the scenery.

<<"<<"By the way did you say before that there is no need totake theWilhelm Tell Express but any train from Luzern towards Milanwill have the same scenic view?">>Correct.">>

I should add-

But, the Wilhelm Tell Express uses the lake boat on Lake Lucerne between Luzern and Flüelen, which is at the southernmost end of Lake Lucerne. That boat ride is about 3 hours long. The train covers that stretch in an hour or an hour and ten minutes, depending whether you change at Arth Goldau. The train only has glimpses of the lake on that stretch. Although there is some other nice scenery, the scenery on the lake from the lake boat is much better, in my opinion.

And, if you are lucky, you can ride one of the restored steam-driven paddle wheel driven lake boats, such as the SS Uri.

Of course, if you study the schedules carefully, you can find those boats and ride them from most of the boat landings around the lake.

www.lakelucerne.ch/en/ timetable-fares/timetable/

Slowpoke.

Just wondering if is worth taking the boat from Luzern to Fluelen as it takes 3hours, thereby increasing our total travelling time from Luzern to Florence to 8.5 hour

If I were to take the train direct from Luzern it would 6 hours instead.

Question: is the boat ride the same as from Luzern on the way to Mount Rigi? If I were to go to Mount Titlis from Luzern is there anything similar with a boat ride?

<<"Just wondering if is worth taking the boat from Luzern toFluelen as it takes 3hours, thereby increasing our total travelling timefrom Luzern to Florence to 8.5 hours.

If I were to take the train direct from Luzern it would 6 hours instead. ">>

I thought you were stopping in Locarno? That breaks up the trip, and is the reason that I mentioned it.There are always trade offs, because there are so many options.

<<"Question:is the boat ride the same as from Luzern on the way to Mount Rigi? ">>

It is not the same. It covers the whole lake, and the best part is at the southern end. Once you get to somewhere around Vitznau, the routes to the north are the same or very similar.

<<"If Iwere to go to Mount Titlis from Luzern is there anything similar with aboat ride?">>

I don't know of any.

Slowpoke

Don't think we can break the trip and stay one night in Locarno. A little tight.

If the best part is at the southern end then maybe I would need to consider taking the boat then train.

If you did not have luggage and had sturdy walkers, I would suggest checking the schedules (boats are infrequent) and picking up the boat at Brunnen, for the ride to Flüelen. Probably won't work for your family.

I gave you the link for the boat schedules.

The pier is 10 minutes walk from the train station .

I don't know where else you could easily pick up the southern part of the boat trip. Most boat stops have bus connections but not train connections. So, it is a hassle to get to those other ports.

Slowpoke.

There is a boat from luzern that starts at 9.10am which work for us. Just that the whole journey would now be very long and involved total 3 change - Fleulen, Belinzo and Milan

When u said 10 min walking are you referring to the Fleulen station, from boat to train?

Thanks Arno for your reply. Was getting a little nervous when i realise the new tunnel is coming in June

<<"When u said 10 min walking are you referring to the Fleulen station, from boat to train?">>

No, I was referring to Brunnen.

At Flüelen, it is a 1-2 minute walk depending on how long it takes you to get off the boat.

Please examine, expand, and convert the following link to an '"aerial view."

map.search.ch/?x=28520m&y=5276m&z=512

Slowpoke

Hi just wondering.How much does a Wilhelm Tell Express ticket cost from Luzern ? I am trying to find out on the price from the SBB website but not sure how I should select to display the cost and timing.

www.myswissalps.com/wi lhelmtellexpress/ticke ts

Maybe this can help...

Slowpoke