BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice

Subject: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 05:10 AM

We're taking a hiking vacation at Zermatt this summer, but we wanted to spend a week of unorganized time in Switzerland beforehand. We're flying into Zurich. I was thinking of getting an airbnb room in Zurich for a week, and making day trips from Zurich. I don't have any idea how long it takes to get to Bern and Basel and Luzern, but those are places that might interest us.
Any suggestions on how to spend a nice 5 or 6 days in Switzerland? I guess I have a preference for areas where I can speak German.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 05:44 AM

We stayed in Intelaken and traveled most days via trains, ski lifts ans such like into the Bernese Oberland looking up at the Jungfrau, monch and Eiger.

The walking can be as easy as you like but the views are staggering.

The Bernese Oberland

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 08:17 AM

Swiss trains run with an efficiency lacking in the UK!!

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 08:24 AM

Are their trains clockwork wind up ?

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 08:37 AM

This should show images

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 08:39 AM

I think you have to click on images once the page is open.

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: GUEST,Modette
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 09:26 AM

I attended a conference in Switzerland not too long ago and was based in Zurich. I decided to take a few days' leave and explore. It's a little over an hour by train to Bern and Basel and around 45min to Lucerne.

SBB rail timetables

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 10:43 AM

The "infallible" link from the airport to Zurich once VERY nearly made me, by its lateness, miss the express to the border near Liechtenstein for a completion meeting. Much panic resulting in my being in a 1st class compartment with a 3rd class ticket and a row with the guard.

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 11:33 AM

The DH and I visited the extraordinary valley of Lauterbrunnen. Lots of visitors, but I didn't mind.

If you get tired of nature, there's the Tinguely Museum in Basel:

https://www.basel.com/en/museum-tinguely

If you like yodeling, see if you can catch a family group called 'Oesch's die Dritten'. (The name means this is the third generation of the Oesch family who play Swiss traditional music.) I am a big fan of Melanie Oesch - see YouTube.

As for the trains being always on time, I wonder whether the trains leave on time or if they just set the clocks on the platform to look right.

The Swiss seemed more reserved and formal than other Europeans I have encountered.

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 11:43 AM

I remember catching a train at Zurich which had started somewhere very distant in France, and was exactly on time.

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: olddude
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 11:44 AM

Can you find the guy that blows that big horn on the tv commercial to inform the village below to take their recola cough drop to stop it enough already

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Jack Campin
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 11:45 AM

The Iglu-Dorf on the Zugspitze (just over the border in Germany) is about as different as you can get. (I haven't been but I've thought about it).

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 02:20 PM

Switzerland has its own mains plug. A high end universal adaptor may fit in a Swiss socket, but otherwise you need a special Swiss one.

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Wolfgang
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 02:40 PM

Joe,

train travel is the best choice in Switzerland.
"I have a preference for areas where I can speak German".
Then you should go to the French speaking part, they learn decent German at school, whereas in the Düütschschwyz....
To give you a rough idea:
"Waar gohd Gompfi poschde?" is in German "Wer geht Marmelade einkaufen?"
But they may be kinder to real foreigners than to people from the "large Kanton".

Wolfgang (less than half serious; actually, they are very kind people)

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 04 Feb 16 - 02:44 PM

"Switzerland has its own mains plug."

Cor, that's not many though for such a big country...

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: G-Force
Date: 05 Feb 16 - 06:31 AM

If you grab a hire car, the journey over the top from Zurich via Watwil (stop there for a coffee) to St. Gallen is a splendid drive. From there you can go up to Lake Constance, or over to Liechtenstein, or south into the wilds of wherever. I remember being impressed that even though there was lots of snow in the fields, there wasn't an iota of white stuff on the road.

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 05 Feb 16 - 08:33 AM

What ever you do - don't miss the Bernese Oberland - the most accessible and dramatic mountains.

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Feb 16 - 07:27 PM

Wolfgang, I haven't heard from you in years, it seems. Good to see you here.
I'm thinking of staying at an airbnb in Zurich. Sounds like the places we want to see are an easy train trip from Zurich. How much of a trip is it to Konstanz? Where's the Zeppelin museum?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Reinhard
Date: 06 Feb 16 - 05:47 AM

According to the online timetables, a train from Zürich to Konstanz takes about 70 min. The Zeppelin museum is in Friedrichshafen on the
north side of the Bodensee. A ferry from Konstanz to Friedrichshafen
takes an hour.

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Jun 16 - 05:58 PM

Well, all the arrangements are made, and we leave on Saturday. We have Monday through Thursday next week in Zurich, Friday for the train to Zermatt, and Saturday to Saturday in Zermatt.

Our time in Zermatt is a "botanical week," with flower hikes every day. Any other suggestions for our week in Zurich?

I don't know that I can convince my wife that two hours each way to the Zeppelinmuseum is a good idea. Too bad, but it looks like there are so many great things to visit within an hour of Zurich.

Is Liechtenstein worth a visit?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Charmion
Date: 23 Jun 16 - 08:19 AM

Wolfgang is back! Hurrah!

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 23 Jun 16 - 08:31 AM

"need advice"
Unless thing have radically changed, take plenty of money!!
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Jun 16 - 07:44 PM

Almost time you were leaving, then. Go carefully and safely, but by all means go, and enjoy.

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Jun 16 - 09:15 PM

Do they take plastic, Jim? ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: michaelr
Date: 23 Jun 16 - 10:12 PM

The Jungfraujoch train is the highest in Europe. It takes you near the summit of the Jungfrau (maiden) who is protected by the Monch (monk) from the Eiger (ogre). Spectacular.

Subject: RE: BS: Travel to Switzerland - need advice
From: beeliner
Date: 24 Jun 16 - 07:27 PM

Don't stop at a hotel that has red curtains in the windows - it's just what you think it is.