Fantastic 3 days in Lucerne – our report

  • Anjan
    Participant
    27 posts
    23 July 2016 at 11:52:13 #809744

    Dear Annika, Arno, Slowpoke & MySwissAlps

    Thanks a lot to all of you. I have just returned back from Europe. We stayed three days in Lucerne. We reached Lucerne from Paris via Basel. We had 3-day Swiss Travel Pass. We arrived in Lucerne in about 4 o’clock. After checking in our hotel, we got out to see the local sights. But we did not see all, particularly Swiss Transport Museum, as it was in the other side of the town. After the walk, we came to Bachmann shop and tasted some icecream.

    Next day, in the morning, we started for Pilatus. The weather was not particularly good. So we did not try for Titlis. We reached Alpnachstad by lunch and then took the world’s steepest train. Excellent journey. We reached Pilatus. At that time, for some time, the sun came out. But not for long. We had a great look of surroundings. But the fog came down. We met one old couple with big flute in the roof of the restaurant. After spending some time, we came back to Lucerne via Kriens. It was about 4 pm. We could go to another place. We had a debate where we could go, 1) Rigi, 2) Rhine falls, or 3) Interlaken. Rigi was rejected, as weather would not be good there. Then Rhine was rejected, as there are many great falls in India ( Sorry, don’t mind). But, Interlaken was the last choice. We took the seats by the window in the right side, as you advised and reached Interlaken. We took the same train in return. The scenery was superb. We enjoyed the train journey both ways. After Pilatus, we were tired, but we did not feel any tiredness in that train journey. We returned to the hotel for rest.

    Next morning, we started for Titlis. Weather was brilliant. We were always thinking how the weather would be. We reached Titlis via Engelberg. We enjoyed every bit of Ice Flyer, Glacier cave and the bridge. Everything was crystal clear. Actually, we had to take sunglasses for the reflections and brightness in snow. Superb, marvelous. We enjoyed every bit of seconds there. We took our lunch in the restaurant at Titlis.

    After returning to Lucerne, we went to see Swiss Transport Museum. One important fact. The entry fee to this museum is reduced to 15 Euros from 4 pm to 6 pm for all, in place of normal 30 Euros. And KKL museum. We returned to the hotel for rest.

    Next day, we started for Venice. We boarded the train at 8.46 hrs, which was to reach at Milan at 12.50 hrs and the next train to Venice from Milan was scheduled at 13.05hrs, only a 15 minutes gap. I told you of this matter in this forum. We were really anxious whether we would be able to catch the Venice train. However, we reached Milano Centrale at about 13.02 hrs. There was announcement in the train that our train was arriving at platform no. 10 and the Venice train was at platform no.9. We hurriedly took our luggages and started running with those to the next platform. Luckily for us, the train for Venice waited about 9-10 minutes more. When we boarded the train at about 13.08 hrs, we were fully exhausted. Please note that I am 61 and my wife is 60. My son carried the maximum luggage. Thanks to Trainitalia. Though this portion was not the part of Swiss tour, still I shared it with you.

    We like to post some photographs we took. Please advise how we can do that.

    Please don’t mind. I’m saying some words. I am an Indian. I traveled some places in India. There were many many important and great places and things to see in and around India, which is impossible to see in one’s lifetime. India is very rich in flora and fauna, also in history. There are many beautiful hillstations in India, which are more than 7000 ft in height. Many great waterfalls.

    But, this is the first time, we traveled real so far and we really enjoyed.

    A lot of thanks to Switzerland and to all of you. The trains and buses are running in time, all are clean. Plus the excellent train journey to Pilatus and scientific marvels in Titlis. A really Fantabulous ( my term – fantastic + fabulous) experience. Thanks again to all of you and Switzerland. It will be great if we can go there again, but probably, it will not to be.

    Best wishes to all Swiss people.

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    Annika
    Moderator
    7104 posts
    23 July 2016 at 18:30:15 #854490

    Hi Anjan,

    Thank you so much for getting back to us! I’m very happy to hear you’ve enjoyed your stay in Switzerland and appreciated its beauty and the public transportation’s efficiency. Your holiday may have been short, but you’ve been able to experience a couple of Switzerland’s prettiest attractions. Good to know you still liked the Pilatus trip, in spite of the weather. And great that weather during your trip up to Titlis was that clear! Such trips are very weather dependent indeed, and for a short stay it’s even more inscecure whether or not it will allow for mountain top visits. If not, train rides are a great alternative, as you’ve experienced with the Lucerne-Interlaken ride. A Swiss Travel Pass always allows you to adjust plans to weather circumstances and travel wherever you want.

    If you ever have the chance to return, please feel welcome to get back to MySwissAlps.

    If you want to attach pictures, you’d best use the “Add attachments” button at the bottom of the text field. Larger pictures may need some resizing first.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    23 July 2016 at 21:36:54 #854491

    HI Anjan-

    <<“Next day, we started for Venice. We boarded the train at 8.46 hrs, which was to reach at Milan at 12.50 hrs and the next train to Venice from Milan was scheduled at 13.05hrs, only a 15 minutes gap. I told you of this matter in this forum. We were really anxious whether we would be able to catch the Venice train. However, we reached Milano Centrale at about 13.02 hrs. There was announcement in the train that our train was arriving at platform no. 10 and the Venice train was at platform no.9.

    We hurriedly took our luggages and started running with those to the next platform. Luckily for us, the train for Venice waited about 9-10 minutes more. When we boarded the train at about 13.08 hrs, we were fully exhausted. Please note that I am 61 and my wife is 60. My son carried the maximum luggage. Thanks to Trainitalia.”>>

    That is an exact and perfect description of my experiences travelling through Milano Centrale.

    It is ( or for me at least) always an adventure that caused a great deal of stress,but worked out somehow.

    The contrast with the way that the Swiss train system works always makes the adventure in Italy more noticeable. 😉

    Slowpoke

    Anjan
    Participant
    27 posts
    24 July 2016 at 4:38:27 #854492

    Thanks Annika & Slowpoke. I still didn’t return to my home at Kolkata. i shall return after a few days. After return, I shall select and resize the photos and send those to this forum.

    One more suggestion to my budget-friendly friends of India ( I found that lot of Indians travel to Switzerland and other countries). If you plan to visit Europe on your own, make a plan at least 3 months before and if possible, please book your train tickets and hotels/apartments at that time. Why? Train tickets are a lot cheaper. And you will get better rooms/apartments in less price. I know that it is very hard to make the itinerary so many days ago. But if you can do that, it will save you a lot of money.

    Some people go to Paris to see Eiffel Tower and Louvre, so that they can tell their friends and relatives that they have gone to Paris and seen Eiffel and Louvre. But, if you be a real traveller, there are many things to enjoy. A real traveller is never satisfied. He always thinks that if he would have more time, he would enjoy another attraction. How many things you see, there will be still more attractions. Nothing to compare. Open your eyes and enjoy. Not to touch a place. Enjoy the beauty of the place. And before starting your journey for Europe, make yourselves fit. If otherwise, not to waste your time in hotel (MySwissAlps adivises ). Start your routine at 9 am till 6 pm.Take rest well to get up at 7 am to get ready to go out at 8.30 hrs.

    I think Annika & Arno will give their advice in this mattter. Am I saying too much? If so, forgive me.

    Regards

    Anjan

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    24 July 2016 at 6:31:24 #854493

    HI Anjan –

    <<“Am I saying too much? If so, forgive me.”>>

    Everyone learns from this forum. Each person has different needs, and, so your perspective and feelings are fresh and especially valuable. You have just been there. And, it means enough to you that you take the time to explain it.

    Your advice, If I may take the liberty to add one or two words, is what I and the forum moderators always suggest:

    <<“Some people go to Paris to see Eiffel Tower and Louvre, so that they can tell their friends and relatives that they have gone to Paris and seen Eiffel and Louvre. …………..Open your eyes and enjoy. Not [merely]to touch a place [for an instant]. Enjoy the beauty of the place.”>>

    If you have watched this forum, you have seen many travelers who try to see everything possible by constantly going from place to place, and never staying more than one night in any place. If you stay in one place, even if you travel on day trips, a place becomes more familiar, and you begin to see more of the details that you miss at first. They enrich the trip. And, each time that you find your way to a hotel, with your luggage, check in, check out, and leave it with your luggage, you use time better spent seeing what is around you.

    It is too bad that you did not have time to appreciate some of the countryside from walking on the trail network. It is slow, but you can really see the way that the people live in the country.

    The same is true in the Alps. There are easy trails with spectacular views.

    Slowpoke

    Luckily, in Switzerland, as you found out, the train trips can be beautiful in their own right, so that constant travel at least lets you appreciate just how much the Swiss have done to create a country from difficult terrain.

    Anjan
    Participant
    27 posts
    24 July 2016 at 14:35:22 #854494

    Thanks Slowpoke for your great advice. I feel really sorry that I didn’t enjoy Swiss countryside.

    Regards

    Anjan Ghosh

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    24 July 2016 at 14:45:41 #854495

    Hi Anjan –

    <<“I feel really sorry that I didn’t enjoy Swiss countryside.”>>

    I’ll answer with a quote from your earlier post:

    <<“A real traveller is never satisfied. He always thinks that if he would have more time, he would enjoy another attraction. How many things you see, there will be still more attractions.”>>

    In Switzerland, there are many “still more attractions”.

    Slowpoke

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    28 July 2016 at 13:41:18 #854496

    Hi Folks – Based on all the posts shared , i have decided my itinerary .

    I am an Indian traveling to Paris with my wife . We decided to travel to Switzerland between Aug 12th and August 15.

    I just have 3 days and with a limited budget and hence considering this , i have planned my itinerary . any inputs from you folks would definitely help me refine my trip plan.

    =================

    1) Book train ticket from Paris to Interlaken .. arriving Interlaken at 11:30 night ..

    2) book hotel in interlaken

    3) next day , purchase TELL-Pass in INterlaken for 3 days ..

    4) site visit in Interlaken .. till evening

    5) 5pm start to Lucerne.. show the tell pass .. no tickets needed

    6) Stay in lucern .. book hotel

    7) Visit Pilatus mountain .. no tickets needed as i have tell pass

    8) Come back by evening and visit some places around in lucerne .. stay in hotel in lucerne

    9) Next day early morning , start to Titlis .. come back to base by 1pm.

    10) start to Basel. .book train ticket

    11) Book train ticket to Paris from Basel .. return back to Paris by night.

    =================

    If i take Tell-pass , no other payment in mountain rides except the Ice flyer on titlis and the tobbogan run on Pilatus. This is what i found from the websites.

    Lucerne : Pilatus, Titlis, Rigi or the Stanserhorn.

    Interlaken : Jungfraujoch and the Schilthorn ( Can’t afford the mountain trips in Interlaken unfortunately )

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    28 July 2016 at 17:27:10 #854497

    Hi sumanas77,

    Welcome to MySwissAlps! You’ve posted in the thread about Anjan’s trip. Feel free to ask him specific questions about his trip here, but your itinerary needs to be posted in a new thread. Please do so; more people will notice it that way. Please check our forum rules as well. Many thanks!

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    28 July 2016 at 17:54:06 #854498

    Sure. I got your point. Since my itinerary was based on Anjan’s, I thought it would be wise to post in it this forum than creating a new thread.

    Anjan
    Participant
    27 posts
    4 August 2016 at 2:39:53 #854499

    I am adding some photographs. I shall be really glad if you like those.

    Anjan
    Participant
    27 posts
    4 August 2016 at 4:12:18 #854500

    Adding more photographs….

    Anjan
    Participant
    27 posts
    4 August 2016 at 4:16:20 #854501

    The last ones.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    4 August 2016 at 6:47:19 #854502

    Hi Anjan –

    You have really captured the feeling of the area. I like the contrast between the two groups of musicians.

    Slowpoke

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    4 August 2016 at 6:51:08 #854503

    Nice composition for the Ice Flyer

    Slowpoke

    Annika
    Moderator
    7104 posts
    4 August 2016 at 6:55:04 #854504

    Hi Anjan,

    Thanks so much for adding your attractive pictures! I hope resizing them wasn’t that too much of an effort. You must have enjoyed those crystal clear views from Titlis. The views down from Pilatus look beautiful too, in spite of the clouds.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    4 August 2016 at 6:58:29 #854505

    The Lion of Lucern always impresses.

    Your images are a nice addition to your thorough description of your trip.

    Godd memories, I’m sure.

    Slowpoke

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    4 August 2016 at 10:29:29 #854506

    Hi Anjan

    Thank you for posting your pictures – they add to your excellent report.

    Glad you enjoyed your holiday so much.

    Maggie

    Anjan
    Participant
    27 posts
    4 August 2016 at 13:04:52 #854507

    Thanks to Annika, Arno,Slowpoke, Maggiehorswell and all others, who enjoyed the photographs. I wish all of the followers of this great websites enjoy their holidays like me. Annika & Arno are doing a great job,helping here. My holidays would not be so charming without their help. Always have a nice & safe journey. Enjoy. Best wishes.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    5 August 2016 at 1:42:19 #854508

    I loved your photos – thank you for posting them! The one showing the train nearing the top of Pilatus is especially great – I haven’t seen a photo from that perspective before.

    Glad you enjoyed your holiday in Switzerland.

    Alpenrose

    AlanPrice
    Participant
    279 posts
    5 August 2016 at 2:55:07 #854509

    Thanks for posting your report and the pictures, and thanks for the tip about the half price ticket for the Transport Museum.

    Best Wishes

    Alan

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