Day Trip suggestions / Train advice. Schaffhausen

We are planning on taking the the TGV from Zurich to Paris. When looking at the train schedule from Schaffhausen to Paris via Zurich, SBB shows only 11 minutes between arrival to and the departure from Zurich . Is that enough time especially when traveling with luggage?

There are 5 trains every hour from Schaffhausen to Zurich HB, every 12 minutes on average. The SBB journey planner just shows the tightest connection they think you can make, but you are free to take an earlier train if you would like more time.

BTW, if you are trying to make the 7:34 train to Paris with the 6:47 train from Schaffhausen, you have 11 minutes to make the change. You arrive on Track 12 and are departing on Track 13, which is directly across the platform. You exit the train and walk 20 feet and board your new train.

As far as Half Fare Cards go, they only pay off if you have more than 240 CHF worth of full fare train tickets per person. Staying mostly in northern Switzerland the whole time, i doubt if you will crack that number. The 14-yo can travel with you with a 30 CHF co-travel card, but the the 17-yo is an adult as far as the Swiss are concerned.

You are renting a car, so you might as well hang onto it.

I always have to smile when people mention that the SBB planner shows a change of "only" 11 minutes. 11 minutes is actually rather long to change trains by Swiss standards. Minimum connection time in Zurich is 5 minutes, and I never need more than 3...

Thank you to those that have replied so far. I did not know about the co-travel card and it was great to get reassurance about making the connection on the train in Zurich. :-). Thank you for the Globi suggestions - We love Globi, we grew up with the books and passed this love on to my 14 yo. Sadly the museum exhibit was in 2022 and is no longer there :-(. Our best bet might be to go to Engelberg Burnni - treasure hunt trail. Hopefully it is not just for the young, but also young at heart? :-).

Still hoping for additional day trip suggestions (places/sites you loved) that are around 2hrs or less from Schaffhausen. Are the Santiis our best bet for mountains? Thank you!

You could check the Chocolarium in Flawil (near St Gallen) - they have some Globi related stuff and if you can get 8 people, you can do a group class and make your own chocolate Globi. Not too far from Schaffhausen.
Also on 24 June, Globi will appear for photo opps at the Zurich city police open day. 12-4 pm at Bahnhofquai 3. https://www.globi.ch/events/ In German

As for mountains, besides Säntis you could easily do Rigi from Schaffhausen, 2 1/2 - 3 hrs to the top of the mountain. You could also visit Luzern or Appenzell.

Also Engelberg is in the mountains so if you did the Globi trail there, you would definitely see plenty of mountains! Can combine with visiting Luzern too.

Thank you so much @hopper18 - these are all great suggestions. I literally clapped my hands at the thought of a photo op with Globi - LOL.

Concerning car versus train I would first make the plan what to see and then decide based on convenience and costs. Here are some more ideas:

Stein am Rhein – you could go there by boat and back by train.

From Schaffhausen to Rheinfall you could walk along the river (about 45 to 60 minutes).
At Rheinfall parking lot there is a rope climbing park including a long flying fox with beautiful view towards Rheinfall (my kids loved it).

Need a cool off? Rhybadi in Schaffhausen allows for save swimming in Rhein river.
The more natural way would be “Flurlinger Badi”.

Technorama Winterthur – Very cool science museum for a rainy day
https://www.technorama.ch/en/scout/exhibitions

Lucerne and Mount Pilatus (Gondola station in Kriens) would be about 1,5 hours away from Schaffhausen by car. Could be done also by public transport if you plan carefully and start early (e.g. roundtrip from Lucerne: Boat ride Lucerne – Alpnachstad, Cogwheel Railway up mount Pilatus (Pilatus Kulm). Down via gondola to Kriens, bus to Lucerne).

Lake Constanz: By car follow along Rhein and Untersee to Konstanz. Continue to Mainau island (the garden island). Later cross by car ferry to Meersburg. Way back via Überlingen and Singen towards Schaffhausen. Don’t miss the Pfahlbauten Unteruhldingen, an open-air museum displaying reconstructions of Neolithic and Bronze Age pile dwellings.
By public transport: Take train to Überlingen. From there , Pfahlbauten Unteruhldingen, Mainau, Meersburg and Konstanz can be reached by boat. https://www.bsb.de/en

Hope you get to take the photo with Globi! :)

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/interesting-town-near-swiss-german-border