[Removed user]

9 August 2011 at 0:14:29 #804585

Hi We(my husband and 4 yr daughter) are visiting switzerland from San francisco on october 22nd. In switzerland we land in Zurich and directly going to Interlaken for 2 nights.On 24th Evening at 4.30 leaving interlaken to milano centrale, it reaches at 9.35 pm. I was looking at tickets on “www.raileurope.com” and it quotes $100 ea. From there I was looking to book tickets at “www.trenitalia.com” this train leaving @ 23.20 and reaches rome at 7.27 am. Train No 19,what does the train category mean ? The Familia category gives me a total cost of 160 euros for the three of us. Is it advisable to book online now at the given rates or will I get a better rate if I book over there itself for the interlaken-milano as well as milan -rome travel?
From Rome will leave for venice on 27th. Spend a day and visit Pisa and florence for a quick one.. Then take a train from there to Zurich on the 30th of October.

Can all of you please give suggestions as to what to do in Interlaken for the two days. Also open to all kinds of suggestions for the whole trip. What, how where etc etc… please please thank you in advance.

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[Annika]

11 August 2011 at 11:14:47 #833803

Hi tumtum! How and where to book tickets for your trip from Interlaken to Milan depends on some questions. First of all, different resellers (such as RailEurope, Trenitalia and the SBB) may offer different quotes. This depends on the exact connection, exchange rates, and so on. But a more important question is whether you intend to use one of the Swiss rail passes for your stay in Switzerland. If so, this would mean that the entire Swiss leg of the trip Interlaken-Milan is for free or reduced (dependent on which type of pass you use). In that case you’d only need a regular ticket from the Swiss border to Milan, and a reduced ticket for the Swiss leg or even no ticket for that leg at all. It’s better to decide if you want to use a rail pass first, because that will influence the exact type of ticket you need for your outbound trip.

I’m not sure what the number 19 means, but if you enter this connection in the timetable and click the ‘+’ icon on the left, you’ll get to see all specifics of that train.

Booking tickets and seat reservations can be done online in advance. You can do so through the timetable or through RailEurope (maybe along with a rail pass purchase). But you can also book seats and arrange for your ticket a few days in advance at the railway station of Interlaken. If you have a rail pass, just show it and tell that you need a trip to Milan. They’ll know what ticket to hand over (including discounts or free traveling in Switzerland).

Ideas for day trips in and around Interlaken can be found here. What about a boat trip over one of the lakes or a visit to a viewing point, such as the Schilthorn or the Jungfraujoch?

By the way, I noticed that you repeated this question in the forum. I removed that second post according to our forum rules. Of course you’re welcome to post any further questions :-)!

[Removed user]

11 August 2011 at 12:38:36 #833804

Hi Annika,
Thank you so much for your response and your valuable guidance. I was not sure about buying the Swiss pass because of just spending 2 days in Switzerland. I was planning to take the Jungfraujoch though.Had another question was the Golden Pass beter or the Jungfraujoch, And even if I buy Swiss Pass I was not sure if I would save anything simply because of the duration of stay.
Thank you once again and sorry for posting twice.

Tumtum

[Annika]

12 August 2011 at 8:14:59 #833805

Hi Tumtum. The Swiss Pass may be too expensive indeed, but I think you should consider the Swiss Card. This provides a free trip from Zurich Airport to Interlaken and from Interlaken to the Swiss border on your way to Milan. Moreover, it offers a 50% discount on trips you want to make during your stay in Interlaken, such as the Jungfraujoch or Golden Pass trip. In all, this will be a lot cheaper than buying regular tickets. With a Swiss Card, you would only need a ticket from the Swiss border (Domodossola or Chiasso, depending on your connection) to Milan as the Swiss leg would be for free.

The Jungfraujoch and the Golden Pass are very different, so it’s hard to compare them or tell which one’s better. The Jungfraujoch is a railway station high up in the mountains, offering a great view of snow-capped mountains and glaciers. The Golden Pass is quite a long train route between Montreux in the south-western part of the country to Lucerne (or the other way around), crossing various landscapes. Just note that the Jungfraujoch should only be visited in clear weather, as that allows you to enjoy the view up there.