Switzerland prior to Venice by train

[kruzkraziness]

We would really like to do a week in Switzerland prior to cruise out of Venice.  I was thinking of flying to Zurich and then doing a train trip on our own to Venice.  Has anyone done this? Is language going to be a barrier? What are the places along the rail that we should overnight? Thanks for any and all information. We are 61 and 66 years old, good physical shape, very inexperienced travelers. First time to Europe.

[CruiserBruce]

Language will not be a barrier. Everything is signed in multiple languages. Europeans are very fluent in other languages. English is the official language of the EU for business. 

 

Be prepared...Switzerland is really beautiful, but one of the more expensive parts of Europe. 

[euro cruiser]

It's quite possible.  The train ride from Zurich to Venice takes about seven hours and requires a change of trains at Milan.  It's best if you can minimize your luggage, since you'll need to haul it yourself onto and off each train.

[Host Bonjour]

On 3/6/2020 at 3:31 PM, kruzkraziness said:

We would really like to do a week in Switzerland prior to cruise out of Venice.  I was thinking of flying to Zurich and then doing a train trip on our own to Venice.  Has anyone done this? Is language going to be a barrier? What are the places along the rail that we should overnight? Thanks for any and all information. We are 61 and 66 years old, good physical shape, very inexperienced travelers. First time to Europe.

 

I did a train trip from Zurich but went first to Lugano and then via Milan to Monaco. It was amazing, especially the vistas through Switzerland which were so breathtaking. And while Bruce is correct, Switzerland is a magnet for money, I was not one of those who attend Davos and found myself lovely, affordable places to stay and eat while I admired the jaw-dropping jewels and clothing in shops and boutiques all around me; the ambiance was free and I liked it. I could afford my Swiss Army knife...ultimately confiscated at JFK in 2003 🤐

 

No language problems whatsoever in Switzerland, they all speak multiple languages and it's truly international. Italy, you never know, but in Milan or Venice, you should have no problems at all. Have an amazing journey 🙂 

[Langoustine]

Won't last nights announcement of a lockdown in Northern Italy interfere with this plan?

[kruzkraziness]

We will not be there until next year. I sure hope things have settled by then.

[Arizona]

I highly suggest the Bernina Express Train from Zurich. It does not end in Venice (Milan) but it is one of the greatest train trips ever!

[onyx007]

There is even a direct train each day at 9.10 am from Zurich to Venice without any changes. So you can fly into Zurich or Geneva and travel around Switzerland for a week and then board your train in Zurich on your last day and you will be (with one night in Venice) right there...of course you can easy also break the journey in several places...but you also have to think about your baggage, while travelling around, especially as you probably will have bigger luggage for the cruise.

 

Therefore I recommend one or two "base camps" in Switzerland and as above said at the end a direct trip to Venice.

I would choose Interlaken (to explore the Bernese Oberland) and Zurich to Explore things in the Region, like the Rhine Fall, Appenzell, Lucerne (with either Mount Rigi or Mount Pilatus)

[ssawjo]

This is great information.  We have friends in a small town south of Bern and would like to visit them next summer.  Also, like the OP, we are leaving on a cruise from Venice.

 

Does anyone know if there is train service direct to Venice from Bern?  I am sure my friends could tell me but I don't want to ask until I am sure we will visiting.  

What about a short day trip to Liechtenstein?

 

Thanks, Bill

 

[kochleffel]

On 3/10/2020 at 3:56 PM, Arizona said:

I highly suggest the Bernina Express Train from Zurich. It does not end in Venice (Milan) but it is one of the greatest train trips ever!

 I've considered that myself, but I don't believe that it either begins in Zürich or ends in Milan -- there are possible connections but I think that the actual Bernina route is Chur to Tirano. The way from Tirano to Venice is via Milan, so not direct.

 

1 hour ago, ssawjo said:

What about a short day trip to Liechtenstein?

You can get to Liechtenstein by car, bus, or train. By train it takes a bit more than 90 minutes from Zürich to Vaduz, with one change. Liechtenstein has art and history/natural history museums, and castles to visit, but the famous art collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein is in the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna.

[Hlitner]

Training is Switzerland can be quite fun and will give you access to some amazing places.  You might consider spending a couple of nights in Lucerne and you definitely should Google Jungfrau (or Jungfraujoch).  There is a fantastic (and expensive) train ride that goes up over 11,000 feet and if the weather cooperates it is just breathtaking.  This can be done as a day trip from Lucerne.

 

Hank

[kochleffel]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Training is Switzerland can be quite fun and will give you access to some amazing places.  You might consider spending a couple of nights in Lucerne and you definitely should Google Jungfrau (or Jungfraujoch).  There is a fantastic (and expensive) train ride that goes up over 11,000 feet and if the weather cooperates it is just breathtaking.  This can be done as a day trip from Lucerne.

 

Hank

 

It was worth the cost. I did it as a day trip from Zürich, but it makes a long day.

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Looking at the train schedules, it would be best as a day trip from Interlaken as you could go up in the morning while the air is most likely to be clear.

[JJean]

We flew into Zurich 2 years ago before our viking river cruise from Basel.  We took the train to from Zurick

to Lucerne, then Interlaken, Laussane, Bern, and Basel.  We stayed at each city 2 nights average ($200)

per night.  There are many trains each day and we did not need reservations, we traveled the end of October.

It was very easy to navigate and I had researched it every place before we left.  We stayed at hotels

near the train station so we could walk and had a large carryone suitcase.  We would definitely do this

again maybe to different cities.  Lucerne was our favorite and from Interlaken we took a day trip on the

train to the Jungfrau region.

[caripoo]

Fly into Milan, take the train up through Switzerland.....and take the train from Zurich to Venice....We did the Glacier express and went to Zermatt, Lucern, and Bern, and Basel...and ended in Zurich befor our river cruise....We did this in 9 days.....LOVELY

[John Bull]

I don't know my stuff on Swiss trains, but here's my four-penn'orth on Switzerland.

 

Zurich is a big & characterless modern city, not my sort of thing.

 

Without a car, I'd rate Lucerne highest.

A great full day trip in Lucerne is a combined "Golden Ticket" with lake crossing from Lucerne station/ferry terminal to Alpnachstad, cog-railway up Mount Pilatus, cable-car then ski-lift back down to the Lucerne suburb of Kriens, then short public bus ride back to Lucerne station/ferry terminal.

Cost of a round-trip is CHF 103 (cheaper, esp if you have a rail pass, if you substitute ferry for train) 

https://www.pilatus.ch/en/discover/golden-round-trip/

Lucerne itself is a very attractive laid-back lakeside town, with a wide choice of restaurants etc. 

 

Interlaken is a little spread-out, with little of interest in the town.

But for someone without a car it's an obvious start point for the Jungfraujoch railway - the Jungfraujoch ticket includes the short local train transfer to Grindelwald or Wengen where you switch to the Jungfraujoch.

It's expensive - over CHF 200. Not included in a Swiss rail travel pass, but if a pass is worthwhile for your rail travel in Switzerland it'll give you a 25% discount on the Jungfraujoch.

The big problem with that trip is the unreliable weather.  In fine weather the views are glorious (un-paralleled unless you take to the air), but the trip is pretty pointless if shrounded in cloud or mist.  So you risk a big waste of time and money.

https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/

You might want to check out the webcam from time to time

https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/live/webcams/#webcam-jungfraujoch-top-of-europe

 

Only been to Lichtenstein once, and that was decades ago.

Can't remember it, so clearly it wasn't memorable for us.

 

If you rented a car in Switzerland for day-trips from somewhere like Lucerne or Interlaken or Andermatt (or perhaps for part of the journey to Venice), that opens up a whole new world of glorious Alpine mountain scenery and un-crowded roads & Alpine passes (trucks & through-traffic uses the motorways & tunnels, leaving the old roads & passes for just locals & tourists).

If you don't have an aversion to driving, and your trip is late May to early September (passes are snow-bound & mostly closed the rest of the year) then do give consideration to this option. 

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB 

[ollienbertsmum]

Swiss trains are absolutely fab.  I visited Lucerne twice a few years ago when youngest was studying there (I threw that in for John Bull because I think it makes me sound posh).    Anyway youngest recalls that during her year there once they made a late platform change.  The rest of the time they ran like Japanese trains.   

 

If you are going to travel around a bit by train you can get a rail pass.  Look into it before you go and you pick it up from the airport.     Going up mountain trains is so easy. 

 

Zurich is apparently great for night life.  I was not a student at the time.  It was worth a day trip but in order to go to a pumpkin farm.  We went on Halloween.  https://swissfamilyfun.com/juckerfarm/   The sculptures are so entertaining.    

 

I would consider Lucerne and Interlaken as bases.  Geneva is still on my wishlist.  It didn’t warrant the expense at the time because there were so many other places to visit.  

 

Take me to Switzerland, take me to Milan, take me to Venice.  Take me anywhere.  Right now I even think fondly of the day we had in HArwich before boarding for the Baltics.  

[CHuntMD]

Take a look at https://www.seat61.com/

All kinds of options with pictures of inside trains and outside landscapes.

 

CEH in MD

[Hlitner]

I have to agree with JB, that Lucerne is a terrific city to use as a base.  Not only does Lucerne have plenty of its own charms but there are quite a few day trips (including all the way to Jungfrau) that can easily be done from Lucerne.   I have no problem with Zurich but think of it as just one more large city.

 

Hank

[Host Bonjour]

I liked Zurich but then I'm from NYC so I'm into cities, however Zurich does not look like New York. For me, that's always a thing. Also, the poshness of it is unparalleled, although Causeway Bay, Central and a small bit of Kowloon (at the time) in Hong Kong were also posh, but it's different. 

 

I did not sleep in Zurich, I stayed down the lake in Rapperswil, it was recommended to me by a frequent traveler who visited often for business and it had charm, a little 12th century castle, not to mention a short train ride into Zurich (they really are AMAZING 😳 ) market days, cultural flavor, scenic) so that combo of city/charming Rapperswil/short, wonderful train made Zurich great for me.

 

I did go to Liechtenstein and part of what made that interesting was getting there. No train stopped there so we had to take the train to...I think across the border into Austria and catch a postal bus that then went to Vaduz. It's a neat looking castle (and it's chilly in Liechtenstein, even in mid-June!) pretty town, I went for a walk and found a scenic secluded creek, I don't know where I was. It was one of my favorite photos from the entire 16 day journey in 3 (well 4) countries and 1 principality. 

 

BTW, I don't rent cars abroad, (that's why the schlep to Liechtenstein) mostly because I can't drive stick (not very well...) and don't want to deal with all the stuff I deal with at home and owning a car. Definitely know Lucerne is a winner, a family member went and loved it, you can't go wrong with that either. 

 

Train ride from Zurich to where I was going, down into the lakes, was unbelievable....the long tunnels, the alps, the crystalline streams, pastures. Changing trains in Milan was close, but it was an ambitious schedule on my part because of course the Swiss train was right on time, there simply wasn't a lot of wiggle room before the Italian train left so I had to haul down to the track with my luggage; not recommended but I made it. 

 

Whatever you decide, it will be unforgettable. I can still see it and feel it... 😚

Enjoy planning.

 

 

[Ride-The-Waves]

Lots of great info for those interested in visiting Switzerland.  I would add the following:

 

- Have done this twice last four years, train and rental car (and lived in Switzerland as an adolescent). 

- Zurich airport is a great place for a base.  You can store suitcases at the airport with cruise clothes and just lake carryons for the Swiss segment.

- Swiss rail is not inexpensive but is the easiest way to travel.  Glacier Express, Chur to Zermatt, is an added expense, but worth it.  We arrived Zurich, trained to Chur, overnighted and caught the Glacier Express next day.  

- Routed through Zermatt to Geneva then on to Bern.  Overnights in each location in hotels near the train station.  For the Bernese Overland we stayed two nights in Grindelwald to tour the local area and dedicate a day to the Jungfraujoch.  Train departed from in from of the hotel.  Perfect.  

- Year later did eastern Switzerland by rental car, Zurich airport to airport checking the cruise luggage at the airport.  Enabled us to base in several cities, to include on Lake Lucerne for day trips to Pilatus and Titlis.  Two nights in Appenzell to watch the cows come down from the mountains for the winter.  Fabulous.  

 

Switzerland is very drivable and trainable.  Eating can be expensive but the rest, to include hotels are reasonable.

[Hlitner]

Euro Cruiser touched on my pet peeve about European train travel and it is called "luggage!"  Keep in mind that when using train travel you will usually need to haul your own luggage through stations, on and off trains (which might involve a couple of steps), secure your luggage on the train, etc.   If you travel light and are mobile this is not normally a big deal, but if you are carrying several pieces and any of them is too large to toss onto an overhead narrow rack...then you have to really give some thought to the logistics.  On many trains, large pieces can be left in a space at the end of a car.  But if you do plan on leaving your luggage then you should carry an appropriate cable lock (like a lightweight bicycle chain/lock) to secure your luggage together and to part of the train.  

 

Using trains in Switzerland can be a fabulous way to see some gorgeous places.   We always suggest that folks consider doing a day trip up Jungfraujoch which is an amazing (and expensive) cog railroad that gets you high up into the Alps.

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

On 8/7/2020 at 3:08 AM, ollienbertsmum said:

Take me to Switzerland, take me to Milan, take me to Venice.  Take me anywhere.  Right now I even think fondly of the day we had in HArwich before boarding for the Baltics.

 

I heartily agree!!  I miss traveling so much. 

[bennybear]

We really enjoyed Switzerland!   We rented a car in Italy and drove there and back.  We are used to mountain roads  but on the way to Lugano it was quite the drive!   We did take the train to Bern one day as well as other day up the Jungfrau by rail and gondola.   Incredibly awesome,  but super expensive meals.   Would love to do more by rail,  but like Hank luggage can be an issue.  

[Hlitner]

On 6/26/2020 at 9:24 PM, kochleffel said:

 

It was worth the cost. I did it as a day trip from Zürich, but it makes a long day.

 

We did that Jungfrau jaunt from Lucerne and it was also a very long day :).  But we did love the train ride.

 

Hank