What is the best way to get from Zurich to Thal?

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    4 May 2018 at 13:31:16 #815720

    It seems there is no direct route from Zurich to Thal. Maybe take a bus to get close, then what. Trying to find a church a relative was Christened in from 1887.

  • Effortlessly learn from the questions and answers in the forum. Receive a daily e-mail with new discussions.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    4 May 2018 at 19:38:27 #884141

    Hi Ptakm and welcome to MySwissAlps!

    No, there would be no direct trains to Thal.

    I’m guessing you don’t know the church address? You could enter that in the timetable to find the most direct options for you.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    5 May 2018 at 3:31:45 #884142

    Is it Thal near St Gallen? Thal is the name of both a village and municipality. The municipality also includes the villages of Altenrhein, Buechen, Buriet and Staad.

    Bus 242 has 3 stops in the village of Thal:

    • Thal, Linde
    • Thal, alte Post (old post office)
    • Thal, Löwen

    There is a church and cemetery between the alte Post and Löwen stops, which may or may not be the one you want (see attached aerial shot). It is called Paritätische Kirche and has apparently been shared by Catholics and Protestants since 1532.

    Bus 242 runs between St. Gallen, Bahnhof (railway station) and Rheineck, Bahnhof. En route, it also stops at Rorschach Stadt, Bahnhof, so you could join it at any of those stations. If you got on in Rorschach Stadt, you’d need the bus travelling in the direction of Rheineck, Bahnhof.

    Thal is closest to Rheineck, but the Swiss Timetable will give you the fastest route from Zürich to Thal, which would start off with a train to St Gallen. From St Gallen, you would either

    • get straight onto bus 242
    • travel further by train to Rorschach Stadt, and then transfer to bus 242.
    • travel further by train to Rheineck, and then transfer to bus 242.

    The fastest option seems to vary by time of day, so let the Swiss Timetable guide you unless you particularly want to travel the full bus route from St Gallen.

    Alpenrose

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    5 May 2018 at 14:21:52 #884143

    Lucas thanks for the reply. The Christening document doesn’t name the church or have an address which seems odd. The Christening took place 3 years after birth so I was wondering what the process was over 100 years ago, maybe a group Christening to make it easier on farmers. Is the train best to take from Zurich to St.Gallen or the bus?

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    5 May 2018 at 14:40:05 #884144

    Alpenrose thanks for your reply. All this is very confusing. After staying in Zurich we’ll be trying to find Thal. So probably staying overnight in St Gallen or closer to Thal, do you have any suggestions? Also how much trouble is it to get to Bad Ragaz? Could we see both towns in one day and get back to the hotel we would be staying in?

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    5 May 2018 at 16:08:54 #884145

    Hi Ptakm,

    Bus travel is only possible on routes where there isn’t a train. The timetable will show you what your options are. Certainly you’ll start on a train from Zurich or St. Gallen and maybe have a bus connection as well most likely.

    For travel to Bad Ragaz use the timetable again to see travel time and if that is something you want to do or not.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    9 May 2018 at 18:25:25 #884146

    We will be traveling with our luggage, can we bring the luggage on the bus or is that not practicle?

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    10 May 2018 at 1:22:22 #884147

    >> We will be traveling with our luggage, can we bring the luggage on the bus or is that not practicle?

    Which bus? For visiting Thal, I understood you would stay in Zürich or St Gallen. Wouldn’t you be leaving your luggage in the hotel when you took the bus to Thal?

    Long-distance buses have room for luggage underneath the bus. I don’t know about local buses, as passengers with large items of luggage would be the exception rather than the rule I imagine.

    However, there is usually a wheelchair area in the bus where you could stand with your luggage if it was not needed by someone in a wheelchair or someone with a child in a stroller. However, I would avoid commuter travel times.

    Alpenrose

  • The thread ‘What is the best way to get from Zurich to Thal?’ is closed to new replies.

About MySwissAlps

We’re passionate tourists and locals. We share tips about how to plan a trip to Switzerland. MySwissAlps was founded in 2002.

Get a free account for a worry-free trip

  • Join our 10730 members and ask us questions in the forum
  • Access to member-only promotions
  • Detailed maps and weather forecasts

Planning your first Switzerland adventure?

Get a jump-start with Annika’s 20-minute e-mail course, “Switzerland for beginners”. Subscribe to our newsletter to unlock the course.