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Zurich

So, many people say not to waste time in Zurich, or to spend only a day there. The reason we are going to Switzerland for 6 days in early August is that our daughter is going to be spending the month doing a medical school internship at the University of Zurich. Unfortunately, due to work schedules, that is all the time we have.

Yes, we want to see more of Switzerland. I would like to go to Mt. Pilatus and do the round trip: bus to Kriens, ride gondola, do live/summer tobaggan (I've seen it called both), take tram to top, have lunch, do some short hikes, then take the cogwheel to Alpnachstad and the boat back to Lucerne. Basically, a golden pass but buying each part separately as Rick suggests. We would take the train from Zurich to Lucerne and back.

I may also want to go back to Lucerne to spend a day there. Of course all is dependent on weather!

I do want to see sights in Zurich, such as the zoo, Swiss National Museum, Uetliberg, city gardens, perhaps take a boat to Rapperswill, and just go on some walks through neighborhoods. Plus there a several museums at the University that sound good.

I have reservations, which are changeable, at the Hotel Alexander in Zurich.

I am trying to decide if a Swiss Pass is reasonable or if I should just get a ZurichPass.

I would appreciate any other suggestions on what to see. I would love to see more of Switzerland and would probably stay somewhere other than Zurich but I'm not sure what my daughter's schedule will be and I do want to spend some time with her.

Yes, we will be there for Swiss National Day. I realize stores and museums will be closed that day. I also know that stores are closed on Sundays, and museums on Mondays. We will be there Friday through Thursday.

This is my first trip to Europe and I am excited.

Posted by
21140 posts

Well, as long as you are there. The Zurich card looks OK for 72 hours.
Go to www.sbb.ch and check out Railaway specials which have discounted excursions to places like Mt Pilatus on the rails. Also Supersaver tickets, which are nonrefundable train specific day tickets. You might snag something for as much as half off. Hard to tell, and keep an eye on the weather forecast.
The Swiss National Museum is interesting for a few hours and give a good overview of Swiss history.
The Kunsthaus museum has a decent collection of European paintings up to the Impresssionists, but I like the Swiss-specific galleries of lesser known artists from Switzerland.
I don't know if I would go for a Swiss Pass in your case. Your average travel costs would be about 65 to 80 chf per day and you would be tempted to spend time riding trains just to get your money's worth.

Posted by
8876 posts

Insist on a room away from the street at the hotel Alexander. We liked everything about this hotel except for the street noise of loud partiers all night. I don't think the rooms away from the street were noisy at all. There is a very convenient supermarket right next door.

The Swiss National Museum is currently undergoing renovations with a large section of the museum closed. We made the mistake of going in the late afternoon on a hot day and the museum was quite stuffy. Plan to visit here in the cooler part of the day.

I would encourage you to take advantage of the efficient Swiss rail system and do some exploring.

Posted by
8963 posts

You can go to Schaffhausen and see the Rheinfalls on a day trip. The train actually crosses a bit of Germany to get there.

Posted by
4 posts

Thanks to all of you!

What about Lake Konstanz and the small towns surrounding it?

Posted by
4853 posts

Lucerne an easy and worthwhile day trip from Zurich by train. Follow Rick's suggested walking tour(s), have a meal, train back.

Posted by
4 posts

Carol, thank you for the advice. I sent an email to Hotel Alexander asking for an off-street room, and they assured me they have one, with a/c, for us.

I went to the Swiss National Museum website, which didn't mention renovations, but I appreciate your advice and will certainly go in the morning!

Posted by
67 posts

We saw Rhein Falls on a half day tour and did a hop on hop off for the rest of the day. Lots of cool little shops and cafes. We made sure to have a fondue lunch/dinner. It was incredible. Their transit system is awesome.

Jenny