The International Transport Game

[me123]

Bercy is the smallest terminal station in Paris, at least according to the ever reliable Wikipedia. The trains leaving from here mostly seem to take us back the way we came, so we grab a croissant for breakfast before boarding the SNCF-operated OUIBUS service 2504 at 08:30. This long-distance coach takes us towards the South of France, arriving at Lyon, Gare SNCF de Lyon Perrache at 15:00 on Wednesday afternoon.

Source: Ouibus.com

 

[DasLunatic]

Parrache is the regional station for Lyon. So, with future intention for trips further afield...
TER89430 to Lyon Part Dieu, departing at 1508 and arriving at 1516 Wednesday afternoon.

DB's navigator website

 

[me123]

As much as I like France, I think we've spent a good amount of time here. We'll no doubt return, but decide to head for pastures new.

At 15:34, we hop aboard the TGV Lyria 9750 service, which takes us to Genève, Gare de Cornavin, Confederation Suisse. We arrive in Switzerland at 17:16 on Wednesday afternoon.

Source: SNCF

 

[DasLunatic]

We feel an urge to go to an IKEA, so we open up Google Maps and find one. The nearest appears to be in Allaman, so at 1749, we board an RE train there. We alight at 1818, on Wednesday evening.

Google Maps

 

[Bodie]

We dash over to the IKEA store that this handy station provides for. Our Swedish fix over, we had back to the station. Not however to the railway platforms but the bus stop of the same name.

Here at 1855 we board PostBus Switzerland (CarPostal Suisse) bus number 725 to Saubraz, Village alighting at 1921 on Wednesday evening

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

Funny, I was beaten to it in Geneva. So many choices, I took too long. I was just about to post a move involving tram route 18 to CERN - the large hadron collider and all that.. DasLunatic had a very different four lettered abbreviation in mind!

 

[me123]

We appear to have little choice but to get back on the same CarPostal Suisse bus number 725 back the way we came, this time getting on what appears to be the last bus of the day at 19:37. We alight at Aubonne, Bougy-St-Martin at 19:53 on Wednesday evening.

Source: http://timetable.search.ch/

 

[Bodie]

Not that we have any other choice but I certainly am enjoying Swiss village hopping on those distinctive yellow PostBus's.

We board CarPostal Suisse number 725 at 2005 and travel to Gimel, La Vernette arriving 2017 on Wednesday evening

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

Sorry just noticed that takes us back the way we just came, but it does seem the best next move and I've had a sneaky peek, there is onward travel and it's not the 725 either. To a local railway station we've yet to visit.

 

[me123]

I assume you mean the CarPostal Suisse number 840 bus, leaving at 20:48? That's what I'll take us onto anyway, taking it to its terminus at Rolle, Gare Nord at 21:08 on Wednesday evening.

Source: http://timetable.search.ch/

 

[Bodie]

It was indeed my thinking.

We wave goodbye our yellow friend and hit the rails again. Aboard RE 3137 at 2115 to Lausanne arriving at 2139 on Wednesday night

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Springs Branch]

Moving east to the German-speaking area, we board the 2220 IC 10739 to Zurich HB arriving 0043 Thursday morning.

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Bodie]

We take to the trams to keep moving at this late hour.

VBZ route number 4 leaving at 0056 to Escher-Wyss-Platz arriving 0104 on Thursday morning

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Springs Branch]

We seem to have arrived on the last tram of the night. It's a weeknight, there is no all-night transport service, so we wait until the first service of the morning and sample one of Zurich's trolleybuses.

We board a route 33 trolleybus from Escher-Wyss-Platz at 0505, arriving at Bahnhof Tiefenbrunnen at 0529 Thursday morning.

Source: Google Maps

 

[Bodie]

On to the S - Bahn we go. Resisting the urge to get aboard a Zurich Flughafen service. I don't know much German but I know what that means! - we do like jet setting but Switzerland really is being good to us.

We have a station in mind and the first train that calls there departs at 0606 and is a S6 line service. The station in question and we alight at is Meilen. The time now is 0623 on Thursday morning

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Springs Branch]

We have a station in mind ............Meilen.

Is this perhaps so we can sample a ferry across the Zürichsee?

It's less than 10 mins walk and around 600m from the station to Meilen Autoquai. Here we depart at 0645 on one of the frequent car ferries across Lake Zürich to Horgen, arriving 0655 Thursday morning.

Unfortunately sunrise isn't until around 0800 at present, so we miss out on the views!

Source: www.faehre.ch

 

[Bodie]

No actually. I was trying to get to Rapperswil so we could then cross that causeway across the lake. Didn't even know there was a ferry from Meilen. Still we can get around to that causeway from this side and with bonus ferry action.

Taking the 800m stroll along the shore we reach Horgen railway station. At 0729 we leave on a S8 line train to Pfäffikon SZ arriving 0748 on Thursday morning

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Springs Branch]

I've been trying to arrange a bit of minor country-bagging while we're around here, and find a way to get from the Zurich area to one of a couple of railway stations in Liechtenstein. It seems it is possible, but not easy from where we are right now. Anyhow .......

We board the 0822 S-Bahn S5 from Pfäffikon across the causeway via Rapperswil to Zurich HB arriving 0907 Thursday morning.

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Bodie]

Liechtenstein here we come!

All aboard ICE RJ165 the 1040 to Budapest. We alight at Buchs SG at 1148 on Thursday morning

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[DasLunatic]

It appears the only way into Liechtenstein is by bus. So we exit the station and board the 12:00 service to Schaan, arriving at 1206 Thursday afternoon.

Source: as above

 

[me123]

We leave this small country on LieMobil (a name that would apply to many bus companies...) service number 11, leaving at 12:30. It takes us to Feldkirch Bahnhof, Austria. We arrive at 13:06 on Thursday afternoon.

Source: LieMobil timetable

 

[Bodie]

We've yet to travel on Liechtenstein metals so we sit and wait for the first available service to the Principality.

The waiting is over at 1612 when we set off aboard R 5724 and alight at Nendeln at 1625 on Thursday afternoon

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Springs Branch]

...... takes us to Feldkirch Bahnhof, Switzerland.

Don't say anything to the locals, because Feldkirch is actually in Austria!

Despite being prosperous, reasonably scenic and squeaky-clean, Liechtenstein is a dull and not especially friendly place (I've stayed there several times on business), so we move on with the next available train .....

The 1658 REX 5726 (operated by ÖBB), to Buchs SG (Switzerland), arriving 1707 Thursday afternoon.

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[me123]

Don't say anything to the locals, because Feldkirch is actually in Austria!

I changed my mind a few times: I was originally going to another station in Switzerland.

We continue on RegioExpress 17:15 service to Chur, Switzerland; arriving at 17:48 on Thursday afternoon.

Source: http://timetable.search.ch/

 

[Springs Branch]

An efficient Swiss transfer gets us onto the metre-gauge Rhaetian Railway Regional Express train RE 1161 departing Chur at 1758, to St Moritz, arriving 2003 Thursday evening.

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Bodie]

Great minds and all that, Springs Branch. I was about to make the move to St Moritz earlier but my phone froze. It might freeze again as I spy a chance for a first in this game. A series of inclined railways and cable cars which will get us up into the Swiss mountain air.
Sadly the last services have run for the night. Forlorn we continue on with...

R 1663 at 2020 to Pontresina where we arrive at 2030 on Thursday night

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

Will we ever get a better chance?

 

[dzug2]

We take the 2102 regional service R1976 to Sagliains, arriving 2156 Thursday evening


reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Bodie]

This busy Thursday continues with R 1276 from this junction station at 2203 and travelling to Landquart arriving 2305 on Thursday night.

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[me123]

I can't see another option from here but to head back to Chur on the 23:36 RegioExpress train that terminates there at 23:45 on Thursday evening.

 

[Bodie]

We'll have to wait till Friday to get another train. Only one minute though.

0001 sees us depart on S-Bahn line 12 to Sargans. Our arrival being 0020 on Friday morning.

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Springs Branch]

I always had the impression everyone goes to bed early in Switzerland. But not the trains apparently, as we still have one more journey opportunity tonight. This would involve retracing our steps back to Chur, so instead we call it a night and continue to a different destination early the next morning .....

The 0500 S4 train from Sargans to St Gallen arriving 0620 Friday morning.

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Bodie]

Just in time to catch the 0625 which is IC 708 across the country to Geneva Airport / Geneve-Aeroport where we arrive at 1027 on Friday morning.

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de