Pending Itinerary and Rail Pass Options

Why this order? Basel, Luzern, Berner Oberland, Zurich?

Your trip from the Berner Oberland to Zürich will be long and roundabout unless you use the Golden Pass cog rail route over Brunig Pass. Why not start in Wengen, then do Luzern on the way to Zürich? Use the time saved to do the scenic Golden Pass route from Interlaken to Luzern.

Regarding Lee’s comment, the train from Wengen to Zurich HB is 2h 45min. The slower part is getting down and out of Wengen and then along the lake between Interlaken and Spiez. After that the land is relatively flat and the train can travel faster. Bern - Zurich only takes 57 minutes with the train traveling 200km/hr at times (the newer trains have a display that shows the current speed).

If you are still in the planning stages, having Luzern as your final destination before flying out will give you the shortest time to airport. If you have already booked I would not worry about it at all. Many people commute from Bern to Zurich daily and I know people who live in Interlaken who travel this route when they fly out of Zurich, it’s not a problem.

Thanks for the responses thus far!
We have booked in Luzern following our river cruise because some of our friends are ending their trip there and do not have the desire or ability for hiking in the Berner Oberland. The amount of time from Wengen to Zurich on the train is not a big concern.
Won't we be on part of the Golden Pass route from Luzern to Interlaken Ost? Danke!

Won't we be on part of the Golden Pass route from Luzern to Interlaken Ost? Danke!

Yes you will. Leaving Luzern on the narrow gauge cogwheel Zentralbahn train sit on the right hand side for the best views the whole way. After the train changes direction you will still be on the better side for great close-up views of the Lake of Brienz - Brienzersee. You'll be able to see the waterfalls at Giessbach too.

No need for the fancy train though, the new trains now in use on the regular hourly runs are fully panoramic, even in 2nd class where I sit.

Won't we be on part of the Golden Pass route from Luzern to Interlaken Ost?

Only if you specify it when ticketing. If you just put in Interlaken Ost to Zürich, you will be routed via Bern and on the flat land north of Luzern to Zürich, which is much faster than the cog rail direct between Interlaken and Luzern.

new trains now in use on the regular hourly runs

Yeah, there are hourly trains, but they take almost 2 hours to go 40 miles over Brunig Pass, part of it on the rack. I don't think regular trains have rack and gear drives, nor can they climb the grades without them. The normal train route between Interlaken and Luzern is the roundabout route to the north via Bern and Olten.

So, if you wanted a scenic route, you could go from Luzern to Interlaken via the Golden Pass route, then go to Zürich via Bern.

disagree.

I just went to the SBB website and put in Luzern to Interlaken Ost at 09:59 tomorrow with no other criteria.

There were 5 trains served on the first page of reply.

All 5 were the 1:49 Zentralbahn offerings, at 10:06, 11:06, 12:06, 13:06 and 14:06 from platform 13 (narrow gauge).

No mention was made of the much longer and slower route via Zürich or Bern which would have taken at least 2:21 with one or two changes of train.

When the time comes, we should probably inquire about the routing from Luzern to Wengen via Interlaken when we are at the station in Basel at the start of our Swiss travels. Hopefully we can be guided to the Golden Pass route. Time is not of concern.

You can bookmark threads.

To save me missing the question when you want details on the train trip, let me answer it now.

You want a ticket from Luzern to Wengen via Brünig (or via Meiringen, gives the same result). You don't need different tickets for each bit in Switzerland, just the beginning and end points.

Unless you have a restricted ticket for some reason - unlikely - your ticket will be valid all day and not restricted to specific trains, just going in a straight line without backtracking.

There are three segments to this particular journey.

First part - Luzern to Interlaken Ost. Your train will probably leave from platform 13 because it needs to be in the small narrow gauge area of the station. Luzern is a dead end station so the platforms are side by side, so finding the right one is easy. The entry of each platform is at what is the back of the train. The best views are on the right hand side of the train (if facing the front) although both sides are pretty good. The train will go up and over the pass, using the cogwheel at some times and not at others. A few stops along the way, great views. After the train comes down from the pass it runs across the flat land to Meiringen (where meringue was invented and where Sherlock Holmes had his battle with the deadly professor at Reichenbach Falls - there's an ancient funicular up there) where it stops for a few minutes and changes ends. So if you were facing forward you'll be backwards and so on. But you'll be on the best side again as you reach Brienz and the lake named for it and the Giessbach Falls across the lake.

You will cross the lake at the other end and arrive at Interlaken Ost station.

Go to the platform just off to the side for the train to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. Half of the train goes to one and the other half to the other. Don't get on the wrong half - they are clearly marked - or you will wind up at the wrong destination. It is written on every door. Sounds worse than it is, You want the one for Lauterbrunnen. Stay on until the end. When everybody gets off, get off.

Just across the Lauterbrunnen station will be the green and yellow (usually) train to Wengen. It is also well signposted and there will be announcements in several languages including English.

Hop onto the Wengen train for the short but beautiful journey up to Wengen....

Job done...

@Nigel
I have printed your detailed directions! Getting excited even though our trip doesn't begin for 10.5 months. Our group booked a 5 bedroom penthouse chalet in Wengen that looks gorgeous and is a relative bargain at less than 200 CHF per couple per night.

Since there are 10 of us, it is my understanding that we may qualify for group rates with the Half-Pass. Is that correct?

somebody else will have to answer about the group fares