Zugspitze Services

[STEVIEBOY1]

Good afternoon,

All being well in a few months time I shall be going on a rail holiday to Germany & Austria.

One of the day trips is to go up the Zugspitze Mountain. I know we are going via Garnmisch Partenkirchen. Does the railway from there go right upto the top, or does one have to change onto one or two cable cars at Eibsee and or the Glacier.

Thank You.

 

[eastwestdivide]

There's a choice of ways to the top, but when I went this year, you catch a non-rack train from G-P and change at Grainau onto a rack train. You either change from the rack train at Eibsee onto the cable car to the summit, or stay on board the rack train to the glacier (mostly through tunnel), from where there's a shorter cable car to the summit.
The Eibsee cable car was so crowded that they announced on the train that you'd be better off staying on board.
I think that's right...

 

[sarahj]

Thats right.
I think getting the train up and cable car down is the better option. If your in a car you can drive to Eibsee, but on the train, the Zugspitze station is just an underpass from the main DB station. Back in the early 80's the first past used to be a really old single cab e-lok and some 4 wheeler coaches. Now its just an EMU.

But a good day out.

BTW, if your in the area, try out the Wankbahn. Great little cable car, we went for the name, but had a great day out on the 'sunny mountain ****'

 

[30907]

Thats right.
I think getting the train up and cable car down is the better option. If your in a car you can drive to Eibsee, but on the train, the Zugspitze station is just an underpass from the main DB station. Back in the early 80's the first past used to be a really old single cab e-lok and some 4 wheeler coaches. Now its just an EMU.

But a good day out.

BTW, if your in the area, try out the Wankbahn. Great little cable car, we went for the name, but had a great day out on the 'sunny mountain ****'

Or the Wendelsteinbahn is supposedly worth it.

But I suppose you might decide by the flip of a coin

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

There's a choice of ways to the top, but when I went this year, you catch a non-rack train from G-P and change at Grainau onto a rack train. You either change from the rack train at Eibsee onto the cable car to the summit, or stay on board the rack train to the glacier (mostly through tunnel), from where there's a shorter cable car to the summit.
The Eibsee cable car was so crowded that they announced on the train that you'd be better off staying on board.
I think that's right...

Oh thank you, I had infact thought that the train from G-P went right through to the glacier. I think I'll do as you suggest and take the train as far as it goes and just have the shorter cable car ride.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Look out for the alpine choughs at the summit.
Fantastic views on a clear day, especially in winter.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Look out for the alpine choughs at the summit.
Fantastic views on a clear day, especially in winter.

Funnily enough, I was in Switzerland recently and went up Pilatus & Rigi, there were alpine choughs on the top of Pilatus, they were very tame too, coming right up close to people.

 

[Gordon]

Funnily enough, I was in Switzerland recently and went up Pilatus & Rigi, there were alpine choughs on the top of Pilatus, they were very tame too, coming right up close to people.

Alpine choughs are common as muck at altitude in Switzerland. You'll find loads at the top of the Gornergratbahn too. They are tame because they scavenge from the summit restaurants.




.

 

[NathanPrior]

That cable car was the scariest thing I've ever done. Up there in a blizzard and almost crapped myself everytime we went past a pylon and it dropped how ever many feet.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

That cable car was the scariest thing I've ever done. Up there in a blizzard and almost crapped myself everytime we went past a pylon and it dropped how ever many feet.

Great, thanks for that! If the weather is too bad, I shall take the train from
G-P as far as it goes, through the tunnel, then take the shorter cable car.

I did go up Piz Gloria a few years ago and I think that is about 4 cable cars, the third one seemed to go very high and seemed to take along time, then the forth one, which I did not realise I'd have to take, seemed very easy after that. (I did feel that it was necessary to have two glasses of prosecco when I reached the summit though. )