Well, thanks to your help, I have concluded that my Innsbruck to Colmar travel day, which was going to be INN-ZUR-COL on a nice,simple and inexpensive train journey, has been derailed:) by rail construction. So I am looking for other options. I can go INN-STUTTGART-STRASBOURG-COLMAR for 90 Euro per person. Or I can do the same thing using Munich instead of Stuttgart for 130 Euro per person. Both options are long days, but doable. But, since there are 3 of us, I can't help but wonder about a private driver. Does anyone have a referral? I would also consider driving, but I can't find a company that will quote that particular pick-up and drop-off. It's only a 270 mile trip, so it's frustrating to think that it needs to be a 8,9 or 10 hour travel day via train. Thanks!!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16221 posts
I think most of us have experienced hiccups in our travel plans due to train schedule changes, strikes, construction, etc. you just have to be creative, but I don't think a car service is the answer. For that distance it could easily cost several hundred euro. Your original route through Zurich is still possible and still the fastest as just over 7 hours. You just have some additional changes, or a bus section, along the way. Those changes are quick and easy in Switzerland and shouldn't cause yor plan to " derail. If you want fewer changes, you could go through Stuttgart, but it will take a bit longer. As for cost, where did you find those prices? Bahn.de shows a Sparpreisof 39€ from Innsbruck to Stuttagart and 29€ from there to Strasbourg. It doesn't show Strasbourg to Colman, but that can't be much. What was the prie of your original journey via Zurich, for comparison?
Posted by
OP
Pacific Northwest
2622 posts
Hi Lola:) I went back and looked at my original pricing using SwissRail and it was going to be about 65 Euro per person, which isn't that much less when I think about it. I am pricing things using the Bahn website and cross-checking with SwissRail, which often prices out higher. Bahn is quoting 39Euro per person for the direct train from Innsbruck to Stuttgart and then 52Euro per person for the Stuttgart to Colmar, with one change of train. There is a layover in Stuttgart from basically 3pm to 7pm. Going through Munich is pricing out higher, but I could get in there by 9m and have a 7 hour layover to look around, but I am not sure how much we could really see. I went back and looked at the routing through Zurich and I can't find the 7 hour option. I am able to see an 11 or 12 hour option, with several changes.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16221 posts
Hmmmm. sounds like you know your way around the two website, so I don't know what is different for your view. I put in Innsbruck to Colmar on 17 June. Here is the screen: http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en?seqnr=1&ident=iq.029128190.1367513099&OK#focus If that doesn't come through, I'll summarize. You can depart Innsbruck at 9:58 and get to Colmar in 6 hours with 4 changes (Feldkirch, Sargans, Zurich, Basel). OR leave on the same train and get to Colmar in 6:37 with 3 changes (omitting the one at Zurich). OR you can leave at 9:58 and get to Colmar in 7 hours with 2 changes (Feldkirch and Sargans, omitting Zurich and Basel). In each case, Feldkirch to Sargans is a bus, to avoid the construction area. You should make reservations for any of these since bus seats are limited. Bahn.de will show an all-train routhing through St. Margrethen, St. Gallen, etc., but that is a convoluted route with even more changes.