We'll be taking the train from Lauterbrunnen to Munich. It seems like there are 2 basic choices - either north through Bern toward Heidelberg, or through Zurich and then heading northeast.
Are either one of these trips particularly scenic (which I would assume since it is Switzerland??). Our choice is to do it daytime for scenery, or if not scenic, to travel after dinner in the dark.
Any thoughts? TIA.
Posted by
Chicago
8164 posts
the most scenic part on the Swiss side is if you get the ticket that includes Lauterbrunnen to Luzern on the way to Zurich
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32351 posts
Lisa,
IMHO, just about any rail trip in Switzerland is "scenic", unless the route involves a lot of tunnels.
That trip is going to be a full travel day (about eight hours), so I'd suggest choosing the easiest and quickest route rather than totally focusing on "scenic". In the same situation, I'd probably use the 07:32 departure from Lauterbrunnen, arriving Munich at 15:12 (time 7H:40M, 3 changes at Interlaken Ost, Basel and Karlsruhe). I used an arbitrary date to check that, but schedules next year probably won't change a lot. Although a bit of an early departure, that gets you into Munich at a reasonably good hour. After checking into your hotel, you can do a familiarization walkabout and then enjoy a fine hot meal.
Posted by
Bellingham, WA
418 posts
I find that most train questions are best answered by The Man in Seat 61. Here is a link to his page on Switzerland. Scroll down to find his tips on getting to Munich.
https://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Switzerland.htm#Switzerland-Munich
Posted by
OP
48 posts
Thanks for the help & train tips! We've decided to take a very early train, see the sights (nodding off as needed), and arrive into Munich sometime in the afternoon. Thanks again all.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
The scenic bit in both cases are the first hour out of Lauterbrunnen to Bern. Thereafter you are moving away from the Alps. Some nice parts, but not as scenic as the Alps.
The two routes are:
- Lauterbrunnen - Bern - Zürich, and then north-east direct to Munich. The shortest route, but with limited number of trains and slow.
- Lauterbrunnen - Bern - Basel, and then north down the Rhine valley, then cut East. Longer, but includes some High Speed sections and greater frequency (more trains), so times similar.
In both cases, you could make it more scenic in the initial section by going: Lauterbrunnen - Brünig pass route - Luzern, then Zürich or Basel. This would add about ½ hour to the trip, but a lot more scenic.