Please sign in to post.

Car Rental or Train Pass

Posted by on

Hi everyone! We (2 of us) will be traveling to Switzerland in June. Our plans currently include:
- fly into Zurich
- 3 nights in Thun
- 2 nights in Lucerne
- 2 nights in Gaiserwald
- 1 night in Zurich (by the airport)

Our plan is to do a lot of hiking, with some city exploration. We're super open to public transportation / trains, but when I tried to map them in google it looked like we'd need a lot of transfers. Trying to understand if perhaps it would be better to rent a car instead - and give us more flexibility with times, less time traveling, etc.

Any advice would be appreciated - and if you have any fav hikes in those areas, please let us know.

Cheers!

Posted by
5966 posts

The Swiss have built a world class rail system that is a pleasure to use. Many Swiss don't even own cars.
Remember that gas, tolls, and parking are very expensive in this country. Often parking is quite a hike, and many Swiss villages are car free.
The transfers are very easy, and Swiss trains run on time to the second. There are multiple trains per hour to most destinations. If you haven't already, download the SBB app.
It is best to have carry on or light luggage, however.
(Regarding car rentals, is also recommended to never leave luggage in a car's trunk.)
Enjoy this beautiful country. Safe travels!

Posted by
21542 posts

Train transfers are part of getting almost anywhere. However, there is a direct train from Zurich airport to Thun every hour at 45 past the hour. You will need one transfer from Thun to Luzern. Gaiserwald does not have a train station, so you take a bus from Herisau after a direct train from Luzern. Gaiserwald to Zurich airport is a bus to St Gallen, then a direct train to Zurich airport.

Add Reply

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines.