My wife and I will be flying into Zurich in late August and have made reservations for 3 nights in Lucerne followed by 2 nights in Brienz and finally 5 nights in Murren before returning to Zurich for a night before flying home. All our travel will be via train, etc. I plan to purchase 8-day Berner Oberland Passes either immediately after we land in Zurich or in Lucerne, with the Passes start on our last full day in Lucerne. That will allow us to use the passes to visit Bern on that day and also have the passes valid on the day we depart Murren for Zurich. I believe that our only additional travel costs will be for the Zurich > Lucerne train upon arrival, and Lucerne > Zurich on our last full day in Switzerland, plus any cable cars, trains, etc. associated with walks/hikes in the BO that are not included as part of the BO Pass. Please advise me if I am mistaken. I haven't yet done the math regarding also buying the Swiss Half-fare card to save on the BO Pass, but plan to. A couple of questions:
(1) Will the BO Pass require us to use specific trains?
(2) Is the BO Pass in our possession the same as a ticket, or do we need to do something else before boarding?
(3) Would you advise for or against our using the Lake Brienz boat (rather than the train) to transfer from Brienz to Interlaken Ost (on our way to Murren) with our carry-on (wheeled) luggage and wearing day packs? Because we likely will be travelling in mid- to late-morning, I am wondering whether crowded conditions on the boat might preclude a pleasant journey for us (or fellow passengers).
Thanks in advance for your help!
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
35525 posts
q1 no
q2a yes
q2b no
q3 I like it. Usually there are more people boarding in Interlaken Ost to go down the lake than board at Brienz for the trip back to Interlaken Ost. Some will get off at Isalwald and more will get off at Giessbach (for the funicular, the hotel, and the walks in the woods and behind the falls) and even more will get off at Brienz for the train back or the train onwards towards Luzern or Meiringen or intermediate stations. I suppose a coach party could join at Brienz but the ships have capacity north of 800 - that a big coach party.
BUT - I'm confused by some of your narrative. You say, "Lucerne > Zurich on our last full day in Switzerland" but you also say, "finally 5 nights in Murren before returning to Zurich". How does that work? .
And you say "3 nights in Lucerne followed by 2 nights in Brienz and finally 5 nights in Murren" but also say "Passes start on our last full day in Lucerne. That will allow us to use the passes to visit Bern on that day". That surprises me. Do you intend to take the slow train via Langnau i. Emmental which is through bucolic lowland dairy country (need milk to make all that Emmentaler cheese) and spend the day in Bern before a train to Interlaken Ost and then the Zentralbahn to Brienz for the night? I like Bern well enough - I've been there several times but I never went until I'd been to the Berner Oberland quite a few times first), but if I had the choice between the Zentralbahn over the beautiful Brünig Pass which is one of the most most scenic routes in Switzerland (it is narrow gauge cogwheel, you know) and the lowland train via Langnau i. Emmental I know which I'd choose. Don't get me wrong, I like the ride through the Emmental well enough - I have done it a few times, but it isn't particularly scenic. Bucolic and rural but not lakes and mountains.
Can you put some meat on the bones please?
The Emmental route between Bern and Luzern is covered by the BO Pass but not the faster and higher speed main line via Zürich which isn't.
Posted by
OP
Lakewood, Colorado
47 posts
Thank you, Nigel. Sorry about my confusing narrative. I was confused, too. Trying to clarify I realized that the OB Pass should not start until we depart Luzern for Brienz:
Day 1 is arrival in Zurich and on to & overnight in Luzern.
Day 2 is all for Luzern area (possibly a day trip to Mt. Pilatus) and overnight Luzern.
Day 3 is a penciled-in day-trip to Bern, returning to overnight in Luzern--but maybe you can suggest better a better use for this day, given my mistaken requirement that we had to use the "slow train via Langnau i. Emmental" to both get there and return. I'm leaning toward the Half-Fare cards for us, so perhaps a day-trip to a different "mountain and lakes" destination.
Day 4 is first day of OB Pass and train from Luzern to Brienz, overnight Brienz.
Day 5 is all for Brienz area and overnight Brienz.
Day 6 is (based on your recommendation) boat to Interlaken Ost and on to Murren, and overnight Murren.
Days 7, 8, 9, & 10 are all overnight in Murren.
Day 11 is last day of OB Pass and we depart Murren for Luzern (free leg) and on to Zurich (overnight Zurich).
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
35525 posts
a couple of ideas around Brienz
The BO (Berner Oberland, German which is the local language) (not OB, which might be French, not the local language) pass gives unlimited trips on the lake boats on Thun and Brienz and I would suggest while you're there take the boat over just one stop to Giessbach. Walk up or pay a few Francs to ride the ancient funicular up to the hotel, then there are paths all around through the woods and to and behind the impressive Giessbach Falls.
Also a little trip one stop back towards Luzern is Meiringen (where the train changed ends on your inbound trip) which has lots to offer. Walks, hikes, the gorge (Aareschlucht) which is walkable or the train, then a short distance from the station is Reichenbach Falls of Sherlock Holmes fame - you can hike up or take a funicular about 2/3 of the way, there is a lookout with cheesy cutout figures of Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty for cheesy photos, or you can take a Postbus up too.
In addition to which the town of Meiringen (from where we get the name of meringue to go on your pies) is very pleasant.
Posted by
OP
Lakewood, Colorado
47 posts
Thank you again, Nigel. Your suggestion to visit Giessbach and/or Meiringen is greatly appreciated. Your descriptions make them sound perfect for us.