Hi read on the website that Swiss Trains offer a service where they will send your luggage ahead to your final destination; sounds very convenient!
We are taking the train from Paris to Bern. We decided to have Bern as our base to explore the country; it seems to be the best place as train travel to other destinations are frequent and easy trips (2-3 hrs).
My question: is Geneva worth going for if we just have the afternoon? We could arrive at noon and leave for Bern at 8:30 pm?
Also, has anyone used the luggage service offered by the Swiss Trains?
One more thing? Is it a bad idea to use Bern as a base? It seemed like a nice old city? We have a hotel across from the central train station.
Thank you in advance.
Jeanette
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Jeanette, you should be just fine in Bern. You can easily get to the rest of Switzerland from there. As for stopping in Geneva, I would suggest that you do not buy a ticket from Paris to Bern and expect to get off for a few hours and then get back on a later train with the same ticket. Tickets with seat reservations do not have HOHO (hop off hop on) options. Once you get off in Geneva and your train departs, your ticket is toast.
I would suggest that if you are serious about getting off in Geneva that you buy two tickets. One from Paris to Geneva and one from Geneva to Bern. You ticket from Geneva to Bern will also have a time and seat reservation with it so you will have to be on time for the second train. You can easily do this but it will take a small bit of discipline.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
From my reading of the timetables at www.bahn.de, no reservations are possible on the IC and IR trains between Geneva and Bern. If you wish, you can easily wait and buy your Geneva-Bern tickets in Geneva.
For Paris-Geneva booking well in advance (up to 90 days allowed) at www.voyages-sncf.com can get you a Piccolissimo fare as low as 20€, if seats are still available. You need to be able to handle basic French to do this. However, there is a rather complicated way to get to the old SNCF English booking page. If you want to know more, just ask.
Posted by
OP
Orillia, Ontario, canada
29 posts
Thank you to both of you for sending along your suggestions.
We may look again at Interlaken as a base rather than Bern.
But we are going to Vienna after Switzerland, and Vienna is easier to get to from Bern than Interlaken or Lucerne.
Wow, I think I have it all sorted out, then get confused!
Thanks again for your help; I am open to any suggestions.
Jeanette