train travel and tickets

The travel agent's quote wasn't all that far off, considering that it included travel from Trier. The price for the Jungfraujoch trip alone is 176.20 CHF per person from Lauterbrunnen, or 177 CHF from Grindelwald. There are no discounts for seniors or young adults. Nigel has given you excellent advice about keeping the car and driving yourselves there. You can book packages on the Jungfrau website that include a hotel night for considerably less. For example, double room at Hotel Jungfrau in Grindelwald, plus 2 RT Jungfraujoch tickets, is 326 CHF, or 163 per personless than the cost of the ticket alone. Here is a link to that offer, but there are many others, at different hotels. http://shop.jungfrau.ch/en/packages/jungfraujoch-special-hotel-jungfrau-lodge-dz-2012-2013?packages_nights=1939 Do give serious thought to Pauline's advice about the weather. On any given day, it can be cloudy, rainy, etc. and you may not see much. That is the problem with booking a single day in advance. but I will say that the most fun I have had up thee was on a day when it was snowing, inpart because it was so uncrowded. We could not see much but the clouds would lift from time to time.

Merging Nigel and Pauline's plan, keep an eye on the weather and webcams and via phone with BOB. If you have good weather, head straight to Interlaken and do the Jungfraujoch in good weather, then head back and do the Black Forest afterward. You realize that you'll pay about $210 pp (at current exchange rate)for a round trip to the Jungfraujoch from Interlaken, (thus your travel agent's $1200 quote).

Angel, One other point to mention..... The top level of the Jungfraujoch is at about 11,780 feet, so if your parents have any "breathing issues" you'll have to consider that. Your bodies are likely more accustomed to an altitude close to sea level, so you'll find that moving around and even something as simple as climbing stairs takes more effort at that altitude (at least that's what I've found). Travel to the Schilthorn (10,000 feet) doesn't seem quite as extreme (sitting in the revolving restaurant having a fine hot meal doesn't require any exertion). Happy travels!

I'll help you look it up in a while unless somebody beats me to it - = - but just to say that this Helpline is fellow travelers like you with some, little, or much experience with European travel - not the Rick Steves gang or their leader. I'll be back in a few and see about that train...

Angel, you are looking at an 8.0hr train ride from Trier HB to Lauterbrunnen. 2-4 train changes depending on the run. You can buy this ticket on www.bahn.de since the train journey orginates in Germany. I see fares as low as 49Euro if you are willing to lock yourself into a specific travel date, train and departure time. The train to the Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest train station, originates in Lauterbrunnen and takes 2 hours to go up. It also takes 2 hours to come back down. You should plan a night in Lauterbrunnen or Muerren. Note that the round trip fare to the Jungfraujoch is about $185.

Can I suggest a Plan B? You are driving to and around the Black Forest? Then back to Trier? Then train to central Switzerland? Noooooooooooooooo. While you have a car with you and your parents and your son already in it, as you come out of the Black Forest (its kinda big ... where? We loved a place in Gengenbach) hang a left and go south to Basel. Collect your CHF40 windscreen Vignette (like a toll tag) and drive straight to Interlaken. 270 km from Offenburg, under 3 hours, Autobahn all the way. When you get to Interlaken follow the signs for Lauterbrunnen and just a few minutes later you are in the heart of the Berner Oberland. Easy multi story car park next to the train and cable car stations in Lauterbrunnen. Ordinarily I would have said the train. Given your 3 generations and that you have a car already and going all the way back to Trier first is way out of the way I suggest to use the car. Faster and probably cheaper, too, and more convenient. Yes, there will probably be traffic on the A5 between the Black Forest and Basel, yes you have to buy the Vignette, yes on balance stick with plan B. waddayathinkthere?

Angel I well understand your desire to go to Jungfraujoch but I would really recommend staying one night in Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen or Wengen before your trip up the mountain. The last two are villages on the way to Jungfraujoch. It would be awful to get to Interlaken and find the clouds down over the Jungfraujoch and visibility down to nothing. Even staying one night will not guarantee a clear view but it will open up some options for your family. If Jungfraujoch is fogged out then you might like the trip to the Schilthorn (Piz Gloria) completely different but still a worthwhile trip. This can be a round trip form Lauterbrunnen via Grutschalp and Murren and up to the top of the Schilthorn and back via Rick's favourite hamlet Gimmelwald. The journey back is by cablecars and post bus along the Lauterbrunnen valley past the Trummelbach waterfalls,(well worth a short visit as well.