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Apologies Lucas. My cycling analogy was uncalled for and I couldn’t even spell peloton (main group) correctly. 😔
Meanwhile I reckon MySwissAlps should run a competition on how to buy a ticket for the actual boat and train end to end GPE using the SBB timetable. The person who manages with the least number of VIAs wins. My entry is in the screenshots I posted above.
Sally, I finally remembered how I made reservations using the SBB timetable. I just searched for the train leg Lugano (departs 9:32) to Flüelen and made reservations for that. Reservations are not possible for the paddle steamer.
Hi Sally,
Leo was a singularly pommie piece of kit. A forerunner of ICL. Definitely well before Mountain Lions and Snow Leopards.
Just another thought on the Class upgrade issue. I’m pretty sure the SBB app or SBB on-line would enable you to easily buy upgrades for the train and boat legs separately.
1st Class on the boat gets you access to the upper deck with large outdoor sundeck and dining room.
Just read the info on that link Lucas. Brilliant idea – being a belts and braces kinda person I am thinking we will take my husband’s phone and put a salt card in it and I’ll take my iPad and buy the data hot spot. Having the phone means we can make urgent calls, we can communicate phone to iPad with text and use the larger screen for maps and other information. And only have to carry two devices. The phone can be used for electronic tickets too, as Rock suggests. Being there for 21 days will probably improve the value proposition of both products.
I know we can both use the data hot spot when we are in the same place but when my husband wanders off its really good to be able to text each other with things like “Where are you?”
Thx guys … great information! 🙂
Currently adding Salt info and data hot spot info to my primary resource page. I also have a page for each place we are staying (eg ‘things to do from Wengan’ etc) and I cut and paste ideas onto the relevant page and expand it into contiguous option if I thinks its something we can add to our itinerary.
Good idea to know the exact departure time for a train that runs daily (that’s how I practiced booking the Bernina Express) which is why a database that uses a phone number is better than one that files by a name or date of birth because the phone number is unique.
We Australians have a bizarre sense of humour – peloton is a great word; I know a lot of words and I had to look it up – so I learned something!
I recently read that Pilatus and Rigi are filly covered by the STP but Titilus is not. Does anyone know if this is true or being confused with the regional pass?
Hey Rock … I am looking at VPN options – are you familiar with betternet?
chrome.google.com/webs tore/detail/betternet-unlimited free/gjknjjomckknofjidppipffbpoekiipm?hl=en
You have to use Chrome as your browser
“We’re pleased to introduce Unlimited Free VPN by betternet on your Chrome browser! It’s by far the easiest way to connect to the web without censor or restrictions. No ads, no registration, no bullshit; we just protect your privacy and identity. That’s it! it’s a completely unlimited free VPN service for your chrome browser that can be used to unblock all restricted websites and services such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc. Unlimited Free VPN detects your location automatically and connects you to the nearest server; as a result, your connection will be much faster than other providers.”
Hello Lucas,
I have just had an interesting conversation with Phillipe from Travelers Wifi. We are starting our trip from Milan, traveling throughout Switzerland and then returning to Italy at Genoa.
We then spend 11 days on a ship which will take us around to Hamburg, therefore spending time in Germany and ending up in The Netherlands.
Travelers Wifi can supply us with a device which will cover these countries during our time on land which means they will send to our hotel in Milan to start with. On return to Italy we simply post the dongle in a pre-addressed package back to Travelers.
The same thing is done for our final leg which means picking up a device at our hotel in Hamburg and returning it in the same manner from Amsterdam some days later.
I have also read some very positive reports about this company and by all accounts this will be the service we intend using.
If for any reason someone purchases a device in Switzerland, be careful to purchase the service for Europe if you intend travelling further afield. A Switzerland service will only work in Switzerland
Regards Wallaby
Thanks Bob … I was just researching this device. We will be in Switzerland for 22 days and all places I have booked offer free wifi. I thought this device a great add-on for when we are out and about on our day trips.
22 days – we can collect at Zurich Train station and leave at Zurich airport but it does work out to be over $A10 a day. I am thinking the Salt sim card with unlimited data every day for 2CHF a day may be a better option?
Cheers
Sally
That’s right too Sal, but if you divide it 2,3 or 4 it brings the cost down to $2.50 a day each. About the cost of a great Italian Espresso.
Regards Wallaby
Hi Sally,
“We Australians have a bizarre sense of humour“. Agreed (but sometimes need American assistance as attached).
With STP Pilatus cable car and cogwheel are 50% discount in 2018. Was free last year.
Titlis is 50% off from Engelberg. RIgi is “free”.
How long are you in Lucerne? You could always look at Tell Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/te llpass) to eke out your 15 Flex days. Just about everything is free in Lucerne area with Tell Pass. Not sure it will be beneficial but may be worth a few sums.
If you get a Traveller’s WiFi you will have 3 devices to carry around and keep charged. If you are out of wifi range and you have a Salt SIM you can set the iPhone to operate as a hotspot that the iPad and connect to the internet via.
The longer you have the Traveller’s WiFi the more economical it becomes in per day cost. For 22 days I make it CHF7.50/day. Not sure of Bob’s artihmetic. Especially his “if you divide it 2,3 or 4 it brings the cost down” formula!
I’ve never heard of Betternet VPN but thebestvpn.com/reviews /betternet/. VPN unlimited was US$9.99 for 1-month subscription. Has servers in Zurich If I recall correctly.
I use Safari not Chrome.
Talking of keeping things charged have you come across the fact that Swiss power points need a different adapter than say Germany? See http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/power-adapter. I bought one off ebay.
Attachments:
Good graphic – when you find a new word ‘use it in a sentence’. We have the tour down under here in the Adelaide Hills. Pelotons everywhere! Distresses my husband who wants to ride his motorbike 🙂
I looked at the traveller site and for my 22 days in Switzerland it was over $A10 a day. We will have wifi in all accommodation but at 1.99CHF a day for unlimited 4G data with SALT you could use that 24×7.
The SALT card is the best option for us. I checked their coverage map and its 4G just about everywhere including Wengen (and all the cable/train towns in the area) and Lugano.
Tariffs in Switzerland in CHF (one CHF = $A1.35)
Calls: 0.49/call (60 min. max)
SMS: 0.12/SMS
MMS: 0.49/MMS
Unlimited Surf: 1.99/day
International tariffs
Calls to 72 countries from 0.01/min (0.03 to Australia fixed 0.25 to mobiles)
SMS: 0.12/SMS inc Australia
Even if we had two phones and 2 cards – still a better option IMO. I am biased towards one phone and one iPad. Minimum devices, both use the same recharger. If husband goes wandering I can iMessage from the iPad and he can message me to ask what kind of wine I want him to bring back 🙂
iPad can use phone’s hot spot. I only take iPad because I can’t read maps on my phone and I love downloading my photos at the end of the day and viewing them on the retina screen and putting them into folders. Makes sorting so much easier when we get home.
I use Safari on phone and iPad so the chrome idea was a rather dumb suggestion – dah!
Thanks for the adapter information … I was going to ask about that! (In China most cafes have charging stations at every table!)
5 days in Lucerne and now I am alerted to the fact I only need 2nd class STP, the Tell Pass may be a viable option. Any suggestions for good accommodation in Lucerne?
We stayed at the Hotel Continental Park. 4-Star, nice breakfast, very convenient to the station and remarkably quiet.
I made all accommodation bookings via booking.com.
Don’t set too much store in the Tell Pass. It just might be useful to eke out your 15 Flex days.
Oh yes … I now remember that from reading your travel blog! Another blonde moment (might not be able to say that in Switzerland?) I’ll check it out. Thx.
Just spent quite some time on the thread about adapters. As we will be in Germany, then Switzerland and need both J and E/F adapters – I found the Apple Universal Adapter and got onto the ‘help/chat’ option to ask about compatibility with J and E/F sockets … well double-dah! It took them over half an hour to tell me ‘it probably should’ and if it didn’t I could return it for a refund.
15 days STP travel will be plenty – we start with 3 days in Zurich and have our final day at the Zurich Airport hotel (as we have an early flight the following day) – so really only 18 travel days and I like a day off here and there. The days in Lugano (5) we will use the Ticino Pass and do some boat trips – maybe train into Italy one day. Think we will be well covered.
I’ll take Alpenrose’s advice on the adaptor and find the triple adaptor at InterDiscount at our arrival point – the main Zurich railway station.
Looks like everyone is good to go!
Hi Bob, Glad to hear you’ve got the WiFi sorted out with Phillipe! It is a great device – I used it the last time I was back in Canada (their Global device) and it worked perfectly. Nice to be able to stay in touch (whenever I left the house etc.)
I’m sure it will be quite handy for multiple countries in Europe especially.
http://www.korjo.com/product/ adaptor-europe-italy-switzerland/ Cheap but not sure about their Germany and Switzerland claim.
Hi Sally,
Next time you are talking to your mates at Apple you can tell them that their Apple World Travel Adapter Kit should work in Switzerland. See support.apple.com/en-au/HT202114.
The best fit is the 2-pin Type-N designed for use in Brazil. Type-C should also work but may need a bit of a shove as the pins are closer together at their tips.
Not related to the Apple kit but for completeness, at first glance Type-N 3-pin plugs look identical to Type-J 3-pin but the earth pin is 2 mm closer to the centreline between the active pins than on the Type-J.
Thx … great site.
Son (geek) assures me he can set up a VPN through a laptop here in Australia and route everything through that. I may have to test that first!
Lulz. That is one serious geek you have there. Pay the $10 then you’ll connect to a server in Switzerland and won’t have to worry about a power failure on a laptop in Australia.
He is a Cisco network engineer but I think that is very good advice!! Especially after you factor in the cost of a UPS 🙂
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