Does anyone know a good website that can explain how to select the more scenic routes vs the fastest?
We are staying in Interlacken for a few days, and I wasn't sure if Lucerne would make a good day trip for a family of four? Or some other towns/ cities closer in? We are staying in Lauterbrunnen later in our trip and then one night in Bern.
Thanks for the tips!
Erika
If you want to visit a certain town, or go by a certain route, on the right hand side of the page you will see "add via +". Click on that and add the town or way-town.
It is 2 hours and 23 minutes to Luzern from Lauterbrunnen. Scenic ride over the Brunig Pass.
A warning about the train between Interlaken and Lucerne, since I just rode it a week and a half ago: This train can get very crowded, especially (it seems) in the mornings and late afternoons, which are the times you'd want to take it for a day trip. If you're not among the very first people to board the train, you might not get four seats together for your group. It is possible to pay to reserve a seat; however, on the train I was on, I witnessed multiple confrontations between people who claimed that others were sitting in their reserved seats. (There were electronic indicators at each seat that were supposed to show whether the seat was reserved, but all the indicators in the car I was in showed nothing. I never did figure out whether the indicators just weren't working, or whether the people were looking for their reserved seats in the wrong car, or what. Either way, it was a chaotic experience that made it harder to enjoy the train ride.)
Part of the draw of this particular train is supposed to be the "semi-panoramic" train cars. What this means is that there are small windows in the ceiling of the train, above the overhead luggage racks. Even if there were any scenery worth seeing up that high (there's not), you wouldn't get a good view of it, because there'd be luggage in the way. All that the panoramic windows do is allow more sun to enter the car, which creates more glare.
HOW: The SBB site ( https://www.sbb.ch/en ) will always pick the quickest route. This is usually also to shortest and the cheapest. But there are some exceptions where the shortest route is mountainous and slow, and it is quicker to go round the mountains. If you want to force a route, you need to add one or more "via" locations.
For example, if you look up Chur to Zermatt, it will route you via Zürich, Bern and Visp, and take 4h45. If you want to go on the direct Glacier Express route, you need to add "via Andermatt", and it then finds the direct train which takes 5h44.
But you need a bit of geographical knowledge. This rail map of Switzerland might help: https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/infrastruktur/trafimage/karten/karte-sts-pass-gueltigkeit.pdf
Finding which routes are scenic: That is a bit personal opinion. There is no rating system. For what SBB thinks are the best routes, watch this video: http://grandtraintour.swisstravelsystem.com/en/
Interlaken top Luzern is a good day trip, scenic, beside lakes and over the Brünig Pass. See website here and click on station names on the left: http://grandtraintour.swisstravelsystem.com/en/gpl/
Thanks everyone for the fantastic information!!! We leave on our trip next week, so I will keep in mind everything you have shared. Just curious, but any other suggestions for towns/ areas to visit while we are in Interlaken?
The lakes on either side of Interlaken - Lake Thun and Lake Brienz - are both really beautiful, with a lot of cute-looking little towns along their shores. I didn't stop in any of them - I just rode through on the train - so I can't give you any specific advice, but I'd love to get back someday to explore those areas.
