We plan on staying 2 nights in Lucerne and then one in murren Switzerland. From there we were hoping to go to hallstatt Austria. We fly out of Frankfurt three days later. Any suggestions to the best way of transportation?
Posted by
Green Bay
21142 posts
How are you getting to Luzern, and from where?
Posted by
OP
20 posts
We are taking the train from Zurich.
Posted by
OP
20 posts
Flying into Zurich from Amsterdam.
Posted by
Green Bay
21142 posts
OK, Step back and take a deep breath. A train from Muerren to Halstatt will take over 11 hours (by the fastest possible itinerary) and 7 train connections. Muerren, an idyllic spot on the side of a mountain deserves more than a day. What if it is raining when you get there? All that time and expense. And then to turn around and travel 400 km through the mountains, and that is as the crow flies, at least 600 km by rail or road since it follows the spine of the Alps.
Spend 3 nights in Muerren minimum after Luzern, then train back to Frankfurt airport by train, perhaps stopping somewhere on the way. Forget Hallstatt, it is way too far away, and is gilding the lily after being in Luzern and Muerren.
Posted by
Atlanta, Georgia
451 posts
I agree with Sam, there is enough to see in Murren so stay there and walk the mountains instead of seeing them pass by your windows. I have been twice and it was nice.
Posted by
OP
20 posts
Would we be better off staying somewhere Central and doing day trips? would we be better off staying somewhere Central and doing day trips? We are two seniors and don't want to be hauling our luggage around a lot.
So we won't be missing much by not seeing hallstatt and Salzburg?
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Sam has it right. You will be missing something by not going to Hallstatt and Salzburg (Salzburg wasn't in your original list!), but you are also not going to hundreds of other lovely places. Sorry. But you only have 6 nights in total (by my count) before you have to get to Frankfurt. The Golden rule is at least 2 nights in any location, and you have broken it. You would spend a whole day travelling Switzerland --> Austria and another Austria --> Frankfurt. Plus you say you "don't want to be hauling our luggage around a lot." - so don't keep changing location.
Mürren is at the end of a valley, but it is central to seeing the Berner Oberland/Jungfrau area.
I vote 2 nights Luzern + 4 nights Mürren, or 3+3. If you get a bum day, or get fed up with mountains, take a day trip to Bern.
Investigate a Berner Oberland Pass (Info: http://www.regionalpass-berneroberland.ch/ ) for your transport in the area.
Then you need to add-on Trains from Zürich airport to Luzern (only takes just over an hour), and Mürren to "Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen", which is a lot quicker from Switzerland than from Austria.