Train questions

Our train gurus will answer your train questions. Re hauling your bag up to your Vernazza room, give up all hope of having an elevator in 98% of Vernazza accommodations--if that's not something you want to do, perhaps they'll be someone you can tip to do the hauling or bribe a companion to do so for a glass of wine or two (but only after they haul it).

You don't need to make any kind of reservations for inter-city trains in Switzerland. Just buy your ticket and hop on the next train going in your direction. You just need to purchase one ticket for your Zurich-Lauterbrunnen journey-in Zurich. The lockers at Interlaken Ost come in three sizes. The largest size will hold about three medium bags; so you should have just enough room.

Dear Schleper Going to Vernazza. Yes indeed you will be climing stairs in Vernazza. Some hotels, inns, houses, etc. in the CT are 5 stories high with no elevators (or A/C).

As for trains, the journeys you describe have a mixture of local and high-speed trains. There are no direct trains to any of the locations you mention. The local trains (Regio in Switzerland and Reginale in Italy) do not require reservations and seat assignments. Most other trains will.

You will receive a ticket for each train that you are on. For your journey from Zurich to Lauterbrunnen, I would suggest not buying this ticket via Luzern if you expect to get off the train to tour there. Your trains on this run will have tickets with dates, times, train number and seat assignments. Instead, buy your ticket from Zurich to Luzern and a second set from Luzern to Lauterbrunnen. Note that you will change trains in Interlaken Ost (track 2A) for the BernerOberlandbahn local into Lauterbrunnen.

From Lauterbrunnen to Vernazza, you will change trains 4-5 times. You're going from a remote location to a remote location. CLICK HERE to see the train schedule from Interlaken Ost to Vernazza. Note the Train Category column. Only the R train has open tickets with no seat assignments. All other train categories require reservations and seat assignments.

For your journey to Venice, I suggest the 7:52am train from La Spezia to Venice with one train change in Bologna. It's the fastest run of the day to Venice. The train arrives at 1:17pm giving you a bit of time before you have to board the ship.

It might be worth it to get a Swiss Card for your time in Switzerland. This covers your trip from Zurich to Lauterbrunnen and then out from Lauterbrunnen, plus it gives you 50% off all other train tickets, buses, and high mountain lifts while in Switzerland. Not sure the price of the p2p for your trip, but if you plan to do the Schilthorn and/or Jungfrau this will certainly be a good deal. R/T from Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch is $157 so you would save close to $80 just on that ticket.

This summer we did Zurich to Lauterbrunnen and then exited Switzerland through Basel Bad which was covered by our Swiss card. The p2p of those tickets were close to what we paid for our Swiss Card, so we came out way ahead by going up to both the Schilthorn and Jungfrau.

Hope this helps a bit in planning! Oh, our trip down from Zurich there were no seat reservations required, nor needed as there were plenty of seats on the trains, and this was in July.

I would like to THANK Kent, Michael and Larry for the help they give to fellow travelers on this site.

You will probably never know how helpful you were to the many travelers you have assisted with your posts.

I remember back in 2004 when I was my an 8 week trip to Europe (for the first time) for my daughter and I in 2005.

I could not have done it without the Graffiti Wall (I don't believe Travelers' Helpline was up then) and The Thorn Tree.

It was people like you that cared enough to help that gave me the courage to plan each day, travel days, each train schedule, reviews on hotels, etc., of our trip.

Again, thanks to ALL the reponders.

Duane: I don't know where in Vernazza you are staying. You mention at the top of a cliff. What concerns me is that on a recent trail trek south from Vernazza, we saw a young couple carrying bags to their digs. My wife and I remarked about how anyone would want to do that. I am 65 and in good condition (runner and workout). I would not want to carry much more that a medium backpack on that steep, windy, narrow trail. These comments only apply if your hotel is south of the town, on the trail.

In answer to your question about climbing up to your room, let me say that after a week in Vernazza I finally learned how to climb part way up to my room and rest before moving on. Just pace yourself and you can do it. I saw no elevators in Vernazza.