Trains from Zurich

Check schedules at the Swiss Rail site: http://rail.ch You take a direct train from the airport to Bern. At Bern change to a train to Interlaken Ost for your connection to Lauterbrunnen. For a longer but more scenic route take a train from the airport to Luzern, and change to the Golden Pass train to Interlaken Ost.

Thanks for your advice!! It is much appreciated. We do not need train reservations-- correct?

You're welcome...no reservations needed.

No reservations needed. I assume you have the 2nd class train pass and if so make sure you board the trains where the cars have a numeral "2" clearly marked on each car which is for second class. The trip from Zurich Airport - just go downstairs to the train station right in the airport terminal - and I believe you will have to have your 4 day flex pass validated before you actually board the train which you do at any of the ticket windows in the train station directly below Zurich airport. Also if you look at web site of www.sbb.ch and the English you will easily be able to put in the originating point of travel as Zurich Flughafen and ending destination as Lauterbrunnen Bahnhof you will have many choices for times of departing trains from Zurich to Lauterbrunnen. It takes just a bit less than 3 hours for the trip and you will most likely change at Bern then Interlaken Ost to get to Lauterbrunnen. My wife and I make the trip each year and just go a bit further to Stechelberg which we highly recommend the Hotel Stechelberg for a meal and wonderful setting. If I can help you with any other things about the area I would be very happy to. We will be on our way to Stechelberg on 9 August 2012.

M., here is a LINK to what you will see on www.rail.ch. Your pass is good on all trains that you see on this page. No seat reservations required. The fares you see on the right is for a passenger using a Swiss 1/2 fare card. The real base fare is actually double that fare. Note, however, that once you get to Interlaken Ost, your pass will only get you a 25% discount from there into the Lauterbrunnen Valley and up to any of the mountain villiages or mountain tops. The Jungfraubahn and the Schilthornbahn are two private railways within the Swiss train system. The Jungfraubahn train will take you into Lauterbrunnen from Interlaken Ost. The two highest rated hotels there are the Hotel Staubbach and the Hotel Silberhorn. The Hotel Stechelberg sounds nice as well but you will need to take the bus from the Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg which is a short 10-minute ride further into the valley. The fare is about 7CHF. I don't think the bus system in the valley will accept your railpass.

Larry, I believe they have a Swiss Flex pass, so that will cover 100% of the travel beyond Interlaken and up to either Wengen or Mürren. It is reduced after that: 50% on the Schilthornbahn above Wengen, and 25% on the Jungfraubahn above Wengen. It also covers at 100% the bus between Lauterbrunnen and Stechelberg. M, if you are taking the train from Zurich after a long overseas flight, you probably want the shortest and easiest. That is, as Michael suggested, the train via Bern with a single change there. There are one or two of these each hour. In between there are numerous trains to the Zurich main station, with an additional change there. If you do that, becareful to catch an IC or other main train, not the "S" designated ones that leave you on track 54 or 56, below and far away from the main station platform area.

Thanks so much for all of your help! I appreciate it so very much:) This will be my first time in Switzerland. Hopefully my husband can get me on the plane to come home!