Hi!
My husband and I have decided on a 2+-week trip in June of 2024 to Switzerland. We've never been and wondered if it's best to travel by train or car. Rick Steve's guide has a suggested 2-week trip by train. Does this mean that's the best/easiest way to travel there? We have experience with both options in other European countries.
Will we miss much if we choose one option over the other?
Thanks for your input!
Lisa
Americans tend to think that a car is the only (and best) way to sightsee. In Europe that is usually not the case.
Read what Rick has to say about car rental and see what you think. The cost and hassle is quite high. there's a reason he laid out his trip with trains, esp. since the Swiss have the best train network in the world.
also see what the Man in Seat 61 says about their trains.
Trains will take you places cars are not allowed, like Muerren, Wengen, Zermatt. For these, you will have to park in a paid parking lot and continue by train or cable car. Switzerland has the densest rail network in the world with a minimum of one train every hour in each direction, and often every half hour.
The Swiss rail system is a model in efficiency and ease-of-use. It is expensive, but once you have experience using it, you'll wish every country had such a system.
There are several discussions here of the various Swiss passes, which you can find with a Search. Once you have an itinerary drafted, there are some great folks here who can share expert advice. Download the SBB app, and play with it for train times and routes. I prefer the Swiss Travel Pass, due to ease of use: you never buy tickets, just walk on trains and boats, unless it's a specialty lift. For the past few years, the STP has had a sale early in the year. Let's hope you're lucky for 2024.
Have fun planning your trip to this magnificent country!
Thank You!
We're convinced the train is the way to go. We would be interested in a sale on the Swiss Travel Pass. On which website would we find the sale if there's to be one? Or how else might we hear about it?
:0)
STp price for 15 days is so much better per day than the 8 day per price. Highly recommend it even if a few days you won’t use it too much.
There is a Facebook group called, "Switzerland Travel Planning Group". The moderator normally posts about upcoming Swiss Travel Pass sales. Do the math carefully, and do not assume that the STP is your most economical option. Research where you want to go, and what you want to see. For us, it was the Half Fare Card with the Berner Oberland Pass.
If there's a STP sale, it will be posted here, for sure!
Americans tend to think that a car is the only (and best) way to sightsee. In Europe that is usually not the case.
Are you kidding? Don’t lump ~335 million Americans all together in one stereotype. 😖😉 Those who live in a major city and thus have no need of a car know that public transport is the way to travel. In the 30+ years I’ve traveled to Europe solo or with my husband, we have NEVER rented a car.
OK, the 2% of the US population that lives in NYC is excepted.
For 95% of my past trip could easily be made with a train/bus with many times the stop was at the entrance to the attraction. They don't go everywhere and provide no luggage storage when stopping at sites between different hotel locations. I plan to use the car for the remote sites and then switch to a regional pass and STP for the remainder of the trip. The passes provide additional benefits in discounts besides stress free travel.
Thanks Sam, that is the point
