Switzerland by Car Rental or Train? Lodging reservations a must or last minute? Covid Questions.

Generally we like the freedom of a car, but I read so much about the
great train system, it makes me want to try that.

Yes, the trains are great in Switzerland and takes you almost everywhere. And among the places you've mentioned, Zermatt and Mürren are both car free so travelling there by car is pointless.

I'm confused by the Covid testing required.

It is confusing, but the requirements will probably be different in a couple of months.

If you are fully vaccinated, you do not currently need a test to enter Switzerland. You’ll want to check the Swiss travel check tool before you go to see what the requirements are:

https://travelcheck.admin.ch/home

Currently, you do need a test to return to the US. Not sure what any requirements will be in May/June. I’ll be taking a close look around that time as I have a trip planned for early June.

Do you have any desire to go to Lucerne? That’s a good ending point as it’s super easy to get to Zurich airport from.

I was disappointed with Bern. Bern is easy to day trip to from Murren or Lausanne.

I loved the Swiss trains and found them super easy to use. The Swiss Travel Pass is on sale now until Dec. 11th. Details here.

https://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/swiss-travel-pass-25-off-until-11-december-2021

I’ve only been to Switzerland once, so that’s the extend of the feedback I can provide. 😊 And based on my experience, the Berner Oberland was my favorite and I’d add an extra night or two there. It just depends on your interests.

Edited to add: You'll also need to check the entry requirements for each additional country you plan to enter. But, it's too early for that now as things will change by May/June.

From my understanding, current info for Switzerland states not only does an online travel form need to be filled out before leaving the US, but a Swiss Covid pass for vaccinated Americans needs to be purchased online for 30 Swiss Francs per person at least a week before travel. You have plenty of time, and procedures may change by the time you are ready to go.

welcome pikerts. My first reaction is that your itinerary bounces around a lot, and you will lose about 1/2 to a whole day each time you change locations. If it were me, I'd go from Lausanne to Luzern and spend the last few nights there. You can take the train directly from Luzern to the Zurich Airport in about 1.25 hours. Bern is a nice city, but its a city, not in the mountains. Maybe consider flying into Munich which is a lot closer to Oberammergau than is Zurich. You can look at multi-city fares - into Munich, out of Zurich as almost the same as a roundtrip fare. If you haven't experienced the European rail systems, its hard to explain how stress-free a trip can be. Note that renting a car would likely have a stiff drop off fee for returning a car in another country, as well as time & money looking for parking. These places were built around public transportation, not like the US where its all about cars.

These days, with computers and smartphones, there's no reason to not book ahead, when you have time to research costs and locations. Hope you have a good guidebook, and look at the website "the man in seat 61" (google it) for advice on trains and passes.

A train from the Zürich HB station to Andermatt takes 2h 15m and requires a transfer ($26.50).
You can take a direct train from Zürich HB to Lugano (2h) $37.24.
From Zürich HB to Zermatt takes 3h 15m and requires a connection ($69.68)
It’ll take 3h from Zürich HB to the Mürren BLM station and involves four transfers with the latter being a cable car ($68.77).
Zürich HB to Lausanne takes 2h 15m and is direct ($44.55).
Zürich HB to Bern takes 1h (direct) $35.18.
Zürich HB to La-Chaux-de-Fonds takes 2h and requires a change ($46.61).
Are you spending any nights in Zürich? If so, consider taking day trips to Lugano, Bern and La-Chaux-de-Fonds.
Don’t know how much a rail pass costs so I would add up what it costs point to point and if it’s less than the rail pass then you have your answer. Even with rail passes you may need to reserve seats which adds to the cost of a rail pass. I’ve never travelled on a Swiss pass but you can learn more on Rick Steves, Eurail and Seat 61 websites.
Europe is crowded and right now lots of places are closed due to COVID so I would book lodging before going.
Before I leave the country, I enroll in STEP: https://step.state.gov. It will keep you informed about the COVID situation to the places that you’re traveling to. You should also check out both Switzerland and Germany’s government websites.

Travel by train is more eco-friendly than car travel, and Switzerland in particular recommends that for visitors.

But let’s start with Oberammergau. Do you have tickets for the Passion Play? And hotel reservations? Booking.com is showing 95% of the hotel rooms in Oberammergau already booked for the mid-May dates (the first week after opening). Of course that is only the rooms available to them for booking, so booking direct should yield more options, but they are all pricy (around 400-500 euros for 2 nights.). I suggest you get this sorted out and booked before you decide on car versus train for that part of your trip. You may end up staying in a nearby village, in which case a car may be needed (but parking may be a problem).

The suggestion to fly into Munich instead of Zurich is a good one; it is much closer to Oberammergau than Zurich. If you do rent a car, return it in Germany to save $$$ and then take the train into Switzerland.

As a frequent visitor to Switzerland, I completely agree with Stan that you have too many destinations in that country. You need to think about your goals and what you really want to see and do, and narrow down your destinations. Moving around so much is time-consuming and costs extra in transport. We like a minimum of 3 nights in one place in Switzerland. If it is worth going there, it is worth that time.

You do need to reserve places to stay in advance to have a good trip. People are finding that places are already getting booked up, even in the early summer like June—-there is so much pent-up demand. So take a look at what is available, and be prepared to be a bit shocked at the lodging prices. Switzerland hotels are expensive—-but the good news is that even a 2-star hotel is a good standard.

For train passes, your best option is a Swiss pass of some type—-they are on sale at 25% off until Dec. 11 (I think that is the date). The Top of the World Pass is for the Jungfrau region and of limited utility for your trip, which takes you all over the country.

Is Chaux-des-Fond for Le Courbusier?

I cannot tell what source MaryPat used for the rail prices (they are shown in dollars), but those are not correct. On SBB, the Swiss rail website, Zurich to Mürren is 88.80 CHF, and Zurich to Zermatt is 98.80. The other prices shown are low by comparable amounts.

You need the correct prices to figure out the best use of a Swiss Pass. Note that the prices shown on SBB on the schedule page for the journey requested assume you are using a Half Fare Card, so you need to double them to get the regular fare for a given route.

I was going to ask about La Chaux-de-Fonds myself. That's a very unusual destination. Unless you have a specific reason for going there, I'd drop it. You need more time at your other destinations, as already noted. I hope our Swiss experts can vet your proposed itinerary to be sure it includes one or two of the best rail segments in the country; I'm not able contribute that kind of information.

I enjoyed Bern. When you have over two weeks in Swizerland, I think you have time for Bern.

I like to travel flexibly, but I wouldn't attempt that in Switzerland because of the extremely high cost of lodgings in that country. I wouldn't want to get stuck paying way more than necessary because I didn't plan ahead. Note that restaurants also are pricey.

Andermatt (2), Lugano (2), Zermatt (3), Murren (4), Lusanne (2), Bern (2), la Chaux-de-Fonds (2). Out of Zurich.

The points above are good, and I too question MaryPat's prices.

My question is about your 5th stop. You spell it Lusanne. I might take that as Lausanne, in the French park close to Geneva. But between Murren (Mürren) and Bern which are both in the Canton of Bern I would expect what you might have meant was Luzern (Lucerne in English). It makes much more sense geographically, and includes a very scenic train ride there. Which is it?

Swiss trains are good, but so expensive that we found it cheaper to rent a car and park it in Stechelberg while we spent 3 days in Murren, than to take trains.

Also, in Switzerland, so much of what you want to see is not in cities (like Trummelbachfalle waterfall near Lauterbrunnen). You need a car to get to these places.

Also, cars give you the freedom to stop whenever and wherever you want. See a nice waterfall and want to take a picture? Good luck through a speeding train window.

Finally, I don't know how many people are in "we", but consider that no matter how many people you've got, the price of a car stays the same. The price of a train goes up with each person.

I think trains are great in most of Europe, where you are going from city to city. But in Switzerland we always rent a car.

Finally, about Bern. Where did you get the info that Bern is "not that great." For us, its the best city in Switzerland. Traffic free. Authentically old. On a beautiful river. Interesting sights (Bear Park, Einstein Museum, Zytlglogge clock, Munster cathedral). Near to Berner Oberland. I love Bern.

I question Andermatt; it is not particularly charming (former garrison town revamped with swanky hotels) and is mostly known for freeride skiing; the Gemstock cable car which is the main attraction stops running in late April.
Luzern makes for a much better 2-night stay!
Easy to reach from Appenzell, and a quick train ride to Lugano - or a quick drive, should you decide to drive. Speaking about driving: not sure it will add much to your experience given your chosen route. Zermatt and Mürren are both car-free, and most other places you mention are cities with often expensive, difficult parking.

My daughter and I enjoyed a couple nights in Bern in early May of 2019. It’s a short train ride from Zurich to Bern, so we had most of that first day to take the walking tour in the RS Switzerland guidebook. It was very interesting for us to see how unassuming the Swiss capitol is compared to the US capitol. We spent the second day on a day trip to Murten, again taking the RS walking tour. We had a great lunch on the terrace of the Murtenhof and sat for quite a while enjoying a glass of their house wine. Bern is not the mountains and the mountains are great, but we were glad that we visited Bern.

Much appreciated everyone! Some great info. I meant to write Lausanne. I just threw a dart at a map and it landed on la Chaux-de-Fonds. So I can put those days toward Murren. The only reason I chose Andermatt is because of the scenic drives in that area. But we would catch some of the going toward other destinations it looks like. I may take those days and add to the other suggested stops.

I tend to agree with Darren on the car. We like to find our own path and stop, as he says, take a break, eat a lunch outdoors, etc. The other thing I am concerned about using the train system, and I should have added this, is my wife has had bouts of planter fasciitis, and so less step is better. Maybe I have no idea how the train system works, but wouldn't we have to take our bags with us, walk or ???(uber?) from the train to lodging? That all sounds like many more steps.

It sounds like the cost of the rail could rival a rental car, $850 for 24 days, 3 of which we would need to go into Germany anyway. We do have lodging reserved for the passion play, but as the reply noted, it is a few miles from the event. I'll check about going into Munich, but I think the drop in Zurich on a rental car is high, but I'll check it.

Other than a couple stops, I fashioned the trip after RS's 14 day trip, but added another 7 to the Switzerland portion. We're on a wait list for that, so will probably do all the planning ourselves.

Thanks again, and keep comments coming if desired.

With a walking impediment, a car makes more sense already, if you pick accommodation with parking (not possible in Zermatt and Mürren, being car-free).
The most scenic drive around Andermatt is the "3-passes" route (Susten, Grimsel, Furka), but end May is too early, unless it is a poor snow year... Furka pass typically only opens around 10 June or so.
So I would still not spend time in Andermatt, but perhaps just drive over the Gotthard pass through Andermatt towards Lugano (should be open, it is a bit lower) rather than through the tunnel.

Maybe I have no idea how the train system works, but wouldn't we have
to take our bags with us

Unless you want to leave your bags, yes.

walk or ???(uber?) from the train to lodging? That all sounds like
many more steps.

Yes, or take a bus or tram. It depends on where you are staying.

It sounds like the cost of the rail could rival a rental car, $850 for
24 days, 3 of which we would need to go into Germany anyway.

Compare that to a Swiss travel pass with 8 travel days currently on sale for 351 francs. And remember to add the cost of fuel and parking to the budget.

I cannot tell what source MaryPat used for the rail prices (they are shown in dollars), buhttps://www.sbb.ch/en

I used https://www.thetrainline.com/en.

According to https://www.sbb.ch/en:
From Zürich HB to Andermatt (Gondelbahn Gütsch) CHF 17.40 x USD 1.09 = $18.96.
To Lugano (CHF 32.50 / USD 35.42).
To Zermatt (CHF 49 / USD 53.40).
To Lauterbrunnen (CHF 35.40 / USD 38.58). Don’t know how much the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Mürren BLM costs.
To Lausanne (CHF 26 / USD 28.34).
To Bern (CHF 25.50 / USD 27.79).
To La-Chaux-de-Fonds (CHF 22.80 / USD 24.85).

I'm afraid that some of the prices quoted just above are incorrect. For example, a Supersaver ticket, with a Half-Price Card for Zürich to Lausanne for next Tuesday, direct train, is CHF 29.80. The previous poster quotes CHF 26.

A Supersaver ticket is only valid on the exact departure on the ticket. A normal point to point ticket is CHF 37. That's WITH a Half-Price Card. In Second Class. For someone who didn't buy the Half-Price Card a ticket on that route is CHF 74. In First Class it is CHF 65 with the Card and CHF 130 without.

There are similar discrepancies in the other quoted fares.

Thanks for all the replies. I've reorganized based on feedback. (Was about to start booking stuff, but now more testing is required as of yesterday, not sure it's worth all the hassle anymore, anyway):

Fly to Zurich, then Appenzell region (2 days), go to Oberammergau (3 days with travel for 1 day of the passion play), Basel (3 days), Bern (2 days), Vevey (5 days), Zermatt (3 days), Lugano (2 days, could cut this out), Murren/Wengen (5 days), Lucerne (4 days), back to Zurich to departure.

We've decided to go early June so hopefully the mountain passes will all be open when we get to those areas around mid-June.

Let me know if there are too many/few days at these stops, and did I miss something entirely?

I appreciate the rail fares. It appears the fares are in line with the cost of a rental vehicle (except operating costs).

Thanks to all!

many good replies already.... Just a few very specific thoughts as you re-organize...

1. Someone commented that getting to Trummelbachfalle waterfall might require a car. Not true. Easy to get to by train and bus, all schedules coordinated through SBB app. There is a bus stop right at the falls.

2. Booking ahead vs not. Gone are the days (Let's Go Europe or early Rick Steves) when you could just call ahead by a day or so or show up to accommodations, especially in busy times of year (such as summer in Switzerland). The internet facilitates advance reservations, so that is what people do.

3. Car vs. train and your amount of walking. Given how good Swiss public transport is, and how many city centers that are interesting to travelers are not very car-friendly, you might compare your lodging options in terms of parking vs proximity to train stations or hotel-provided transport from train station to lodging (common in Zermatt for example in higher end hotels).

I'm afraid that some of the prices quoted just above are incorrect. For example, a Supersaver ticket, with a Half-Price Card for Zürich to Lausanne for next Tuesday, direct train, is CHF 29.80. The previous poster quotes CHF 26.

Are you saying this is not a point-to-point ticket but is a supersaver? Where does it say supersaver on the SBB website: https://www.sbb.ch/en/buying/pages/fahrplan/fahrplan.xhtml? I've learned a lot from you Nigel but this time I'm confused.

Also, consolidate Bern/Basel into one accommodation and do day trips to the other location unless you love changing lodging. In my experience, even a streamlined couple (assuming that is your traveling party) loses several hours changing lodging.

Where does it say supersaver on the SBB

The answer is in the first screen after the menu on the SBB site. https://www.sbb.ch/en/buying/pages/offerte/offerten.xhtml

The trains are no longer available for tomorrow, the example I used. I went forward a week.

The CHF 26 is back, as a Supersaver.

I can't take a print of the screen to show here, but in the initial description in the grey box on the left it reads:

Note: The supersaver ticket selected is issued for a specific train (no refund or exchange). Choose the Point-to-Point Ticket for flexible travel.

and on the right hand side it reads:

Outward journey from Zürich HB to LausanneZürich HB Lausanne
2nd class
1× Supersaver Ticket, Half-Fare travelcard 84004
Open tip Supersaver Ticket
Valid: Tue, 14.12.2021 dep 08:32

until Tue, 14.12.2021 10:40

from CHF 26.00

Emphasis mine. It seems quite clear to me.

I have plantar fasciitis and I haven't driven a car in Europe in 14 years. I take public transportation everywhere.

Your trip will be much less stressful if you take the train. Europe is not the US when it comes to driving. The continent was not designed for cars. I think if you rent a car, you'll regret it as you'll be frustrated by parking, fueling, directions, etc.

If you take the train, the Bernina Express is on my bucket list. You might want to try to fit it into your itinerary-hopefully others on the forum will weigh in on this idea with more information.

Good tip on Bernina Express, may try to fit that in no matter what.

That leaves me this question. As of today, once I arrive in Switzerland after taking a PCR test then a followup 4-7 days later, can I go from Germany or Italy and back without more testing?

"On entering Switzerland, everyone aged 16 and over intending to enter Switzerland must be able to show the negative result of a PCR test (performed no more than 72 hours prior to entry). You must have this test in your country of departure."

https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/empfehlungen-fuer-reisende/quarantaene-einreisende.html#-924144951

I'm sure if I read the 800 pages of government babble, I might be able to find it (or not), but nothing jumps off the page discussing the process of traveling to surrounding European countries. (are tests required or not?)

Tried searching but gave up after 20 minutes of reading the same gibberish.

I think Germany requires the "EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC), which allows restriction-free travel across all EU and EEA countries following proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test." I only assume that this pertains to US citizens that come into another European nation, and I think Switzerland is part of that cabal. So negative test accepted in Switzerland is good in Germany.

It appears Italy is the same.

are tests required or not?

There is no simple answer to this. You will have to check the entry requirements for each country you plan to travel to. As your trip is not until May/June, I would not waste any time now searching for those requirements as they are likely to change numerous times before your trip starts. I would start checking in April, and even then you will have to keep rechecking.

I'm sure if I read the 800 pages of government babble,
Tried searching but gave up after 20 minutes of reading the same gibberish.
I think Switzerland is part of that cabal.

pikerts,

now that you have vented your spleen, let me explain something to you. None of us here is paid to be here. We all are in this together, and we try to help where we can. If you don't want to read the rules that means you expect us to do it.

We are all fellow travellers. We like a happy and peaceful place to exercise our hobby. Calling the EU/EEA an inflammatory term such as cabal helps not at all. Is the United States a cabal? Canada?

If you can't be asked to put in the effort of finding out what is required of you why should we?

Being what you called a newbie, maybe you haven't looked around to see how things are done here.

I'm sure if I read the 800 pages of government babble, I might be able
to find it (or not), but nothing jumps off the page discussing the
process of traveling to surrounding European countries. (are tests
required or not?)

Did you even bother clicking on the link I provided? Or even read the quote which has the relevant information. If you can't bother reading up on government information, then don't travel until the pandemic is over!

That is a complete overreaction. I'm very appreciative of everyone here, and never expected anyone to read the rules for me. I asked only to see if there had been any recent experience in this matter.

I will say I think most governments are overreacting, and it is very frustrating trying to plan anything as a result. I know everyone probably feels the same way.

Anyway, sorry to ruffle feathers, that was not my intent.

You may feel the various governments in Europe are “overreacting”, but the medical professionals I know (including my husband) do not. Even if the is omicron variant turns out to be less lethal than Delta and other variants, it is crucial to stop the virus from circulating widely and mutating further. Restricting travel across borders to vaccinated and tested travelers is the means to that end.

Each European country is free to set its own requirements for entry by foreigners, based on criteria such as protection of their own populations, maintaining some hospital capacity, keeping businesses like shops and restaurants opened up rather than going back to lockdown conditions, and the ultimate goal of stopping the circulation and mutation of this virus.

But it is way too early to worry about what requirements may be in place 6 months from now. They are likely to change several times between now and then. If you wish to visit countries adjacent to Switzerland on your trip, just make sure any reservations you make can be canceled without penalty up to 48 hours or so in advance.

Nigel

Just curious, do you sign into the SBB website? I don't want to keep going back and forth but I don't see the information that you provided. I appreciate the feedback though.