My husband and I will be traveling for the first time in Switzerland and wanted to get your suggestions for the best passes and ways to purchase train travel. We're flying into Geneva and heading over to eastern France for a few days before making our way to the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Lucerne and Zurich. We plan to explore the Lauterbrunnen Valley and visit many of the surrounding villages. Are there any must stop places along our journey across Switzerland? We'll be in Switzerland for 10 days total. Thank you for your help and insight!
Posted by
Green Bay
20085 posts
I'd say get the 30-day Swiss Half Fare Card at 120 CHF per person. For eastern France, if it just in the local area (Annecy, Aix-les-Bains, Chamonix), TER ticket prices generally don't change and, if 60 or over, there are often 25% off-peak discounts.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32746 posts
Meiringen - the home of meringue - has the Aareschlucht, the gorge of the Aare river which has just come down from the glaciers above, and forms a small gorge that you can walk through.
Across the road from one of the entrances (the town side one) is the lower station of the Reichenbach Falls funicular. That is the same waterfall at which Sherlock Holmes had his fight to the death. You can climb up even further on easy paths.
There is plenty more to do in Meiringen.
The other advantage is when you leave Meiringen towards Luzern you will go on a very scenic cog railway over the Brunig Pass and can see plenty of waterfalls and a great view of Brienzersee - Lake Brienz, one of the two lakes for which Interlaken was named.
One of the falls you can see is Geißbachfalle. You can take a lake steamer from either Brienz or Interlaken to a dock at the foot of the ancient funicular which takes you up to the old grand hotel from where you can hike up behind the falls in and through beautiful woods.