Provisional itinerary for Switzerland

[Drsatan]

Good evening,

I have been to Switzerland twice before and would happily return when it's safe to do so. I've come up with the following provisional itinerary, comments and suggestions are welcome.

Ticket

8-day Swiss Travel Pass (418 CHF, or £357)



Day 1

Arrive in Switzerland by air (arriving at Basel or Zurich airports) and travel to Interlaken via Bern. Spend two nights in Interlaken.

Day 2

Trip up the Jungfraubahn, weather-dependent.

Day 3

Travel to Luzern on the Zentralbahn. Visit the Swiss Museum of Transport

Day 4

Circular trip from Lucerne to Göschenen, Andermatt, Chur and Zurich

Day 5

Trip on the Rigibahn, including a ferry ride to Vitznau

Day 6

Travel to St Gallen via the Voralpen express

Day 7

Day exploring the Appenzeller region

Day 8

Depart Switzerland

I'll be travelling on my own. I've previously travelled on the Glacier Express, the Goldenpass Express from Spiez to Montreux and the Bernina Express from Chur to Poschiavo.

 

[StephenHunter]

Where are you coming from in the UK? It might well be worth doing at least one leg from your home out by rail.

 

[Drsatan]

Where are you coming from in the UK? It might well be worth doing at least one leg from your home out by rail.

Southampton. I've looked at the timetables on Seat61 and discovered it is possible to travel from London to Interlaken in the same day. Despite both France and Switzerland being in the government's list of 'safe' countries to visit, I don't imagine I'll be travelling until next year. It's in case there's a second wave and either France or Switzerland insist on a quarantine period for UK nationals.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Looks like a great trip. Have you also thought of seeing if you can do the 2 Lotschberg routes and / or the Centovalli?

 

[30907]

Looks like a great trip. Have you also thought of seeing if you can do the 2 Lotschberg routes and / or the Centovalli?

Great minds...
As you have already "done" Andermatt-Chur, I would suggest Luzern-Goeschenen-Locarno-Domodossola-Kandersteg-Bern-Luzern or v.v.
You could also do that from Interlaken (as I did on my honeymoon, N years ago!)
The advantage of an extra night in Interlaken is that it gives you two possible days for the Jungfrau, which really does need clear weather (same applies to the Rigi, but you have some flexibility already in the Luzern area.

Last thought: depending on your holiday allowance, budget etc, you might be able to get 8 full days by paying for St Gallen-Zurich/Basel separately using a DB Sparpreis to Freiburg im Breisgau (see Seat61).

 

[blackfive460]

Two things you might consider...
Instead of a Swiss Pass consider an Interrail pass. Much of what you have listed is covered and you could travel out or return (or both) all the way from the UK by train with only the Eurostar supplements (or possibly TGV supplements) to pay.
Regarding the Jungfraubahn; unless you really feel the need to go to 'The Top of Europe', I'd give that a miss. It can by eye wateringly expensive. It can be uncomfortably busy and it's over-rated. The Schilthorn is a far better viewpoint.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

From Lucerne I'd recommend a full-length cruise on the Lake to Flüelen (about 3hrs) - magnificent 'belle-epoque' paddle-steamers in summer. The SBB station is adjacent to the landing-stage - you can return to Lucerne by train or continue on your circular tour to Andermatt, Chur etc. The steamers also call at the Transport Museum, which has its own landing-stage. Frequent trolleybuses, for added transport interest , also run past the museum to and from the main-station in Lucerne.

En-route to Lucerne from Interlaken you could call at Brienz for the Brienz Rothorn Bahn - never electrified and most trains steam worked. Loco No. 2 went on holiday to the Snowdon Mountain Railway in September 2018, although it never got much beyond the station yard at Llanberis. There is also the curious Meiringen-Innertkirchen Bahn - an electrified tramway (initially steam) built for a hydro-electric scheme in the 1920s. The first stop out of Meiringen, Alpbach, is for the Reichenbachfall Funicular which ascends to the Reichenbach Falls of Sherlock Holmes / Prof. Moriarty fame.

 

[Jamesrob637]

The first stop out of Meiringen, Alpbach, is for the Reichenbachfall Funicular which ascends to the Reichenbach Falls of Sherlock Holmes / Prof. Moriarty fame.

Go up on the funicular and do the Trotti bike down - I went so fast at one point (probably only around 30kmh but felt a lot faster!) that I nearly crashed into a load of Germans coming uphill in their car!

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Two things you might consider...
Instead of a Swiss Pass consider an Interrail pass. Much of what you have listed is covered and you could travel out or return (or both) all the way from the UK by train with only the Eurostar supplements (or possibly TGV supplements) to pay.
Regarding the Jungfraubahn; unless you really feel the need to go to 'The Top of Europe', I'd give that a miss. It can by eye wateringly expensive. It can be uncomfortably busy and it's over-rated. The Schilthorn is a far better viewpoint.

Yes, I'd agree with that, The Schilthorn is very good. Reading the above suggestions are very nostalgic for me, as I have done many of them and would love to do so again. Perhaps next year?

 

[Drsatan]

Thank you for all your suggestions.

I don't imagine travelling abroad anywhere until next year. I have travelled on the Domodossola Line previously, but that was on an overcast day, so I'll be happy to travel along that line again.

Is it worth staying in Interlaken or somewhere nearby? I stayed at the youth hostel next to Interlaken Ost for one night in 2014 before heading on the Zentralbahn the following day. I felt the town itself was very touristy.

After reading the suggestions, I'm tempted to spend three nights in Interlaken as there's a lot to see in the Berner Valley, and leaving the country on Day 9 (the day after the Swiss Rail Pass expires).

 

[30907]

Is it worth staying in Interlaken or somewhere nearby? I stayed at the youth hostel next to Interlaken Ost for one night in 2014 before heading on the Zentralbahn the following day. I felt the town itself was very touristy.

After reading the suggestions, I'm tempted to spend three nights in Interlaken as there's a lot to see in the Berner Valley, and leaving the country on Day 9 (the day after the Swiss Rail Pass expires).

Interlaken is, as you say, very touristy - but that's because it's well located! Depends on your eventual timetable, preferences for meals/nightlife etc - we honeymooned in Goldswil on the outskirts, but that was half board and we were broke.... I'd consider Spiez (near the station not the lake!) or Thun - or Wilderswil.

Think you mean the Berner Oberland not Valley BTW

 

[ac6000cw]

From Lucerne I'd recommend a full-length cruise on the Lake to Flüelen (about 3hrs) - magnificent 'belle-epoque' paddle-steamers in summer.

I'd second that, having been on the paddle-steamer some years ago - beautifully maintained and with crew in period uniforms as well.

If you ride the original Lotschberg route via Kandersteg (as a few people have suggested), I'd do it southbound for maximum 'wow factor' when the train emerges into the Rhone valley, very high up the north wall with the valley spread out beneath you. And of the standard-gauge routes in Switzerland, the original Gotthard route is in a 'wow-factor' league of its own of course...

 

[Alfonso]

Good evening,

I have been to Switzerland twice before and would happily return when it's safe to do so. I've come up with the following provisional itinerary, comments and suggestions are welcome.

Ticket

8-day Swiss Travel Pass (418 CHF, or £357)



Day 1

Arrive in Switzerland by air (arriving at Basel or Zurich airports) and travel to Interlaken via Bern. Spend two nights in Interlaken.

Day 2

Trip up the Jungfraubahn, weather-dependent.

Day 3

Travel to Luzern on the Zentralbahn. Visit the Swiss Museum of Transport

Day 4

Circular trip from Lucerne to Göschenen, Andermatt, Chur and Zurich

Day 5

Trip on the Rigibahn, including a ferry ride to Vitznau

Day 6

Travel to St Gallen via the Voralpen express

Day 7

Day exploring the Appenzeller region

Day 8

Depart Switzerland

I'll be travelling on my own. I've previously travelled on the Glacier Express, the Goldenpass Express from Spiez to Montreux and the Bernina Express from Chur to Poschiavo.

If you just want to sit on trains, always a pleasure in Switzerland, there's lots of good ideas here already, but trains often stick to valley floors and to see the best of Switzerland you need to go up, often on cable cars, funiculars etc. These can be very expensive, but the various regional passes often include them, and mountain transport in smaller areas is often included if you stay for two or three nights in certain areas.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

If you just want to sit on trains, always a pleasure in Switzerland, there's lots of good ideas here already, but trains often stick to valley floors and to see the best of Switzerland you need to go up, often on cable cars, funiculars etc. These can be very expensive, but the various regional passes often include them, and mountain transport in smaller areas is often included if you stay for two or three nights in certain areas.

Yes and I think on some of these, they do also give a discount if you have certain Swiss Passes.