Yodelay-hee-hooo - going to Switzerland.

January 7, 2006 2:55 PM

TravelFilter: Last minute. Wife an I going to Switzerland from the US in late January. Leave on the 19th. I have to be in Geneva on the 21st. Flying standby - don't know where I'll come in. Maybe Milan? Maybe Paris? Maybe Munich? Maybe Zurich? Need a good route by Rail to Geneva. More inside.

Being last minute it's on a standby buddy pass. So we don't know for sure where we'll come in. Any ideas on a good route or if I can get a preference of landings - which route maybe more interesing for an outdoor fan (wife not-so-much an outdoorsperson). Zurrich? Milan (my preference)? Paris? Munich? I will NOT be driving. Are there any considerations in travel by rail in winter over the Alps? Reservations? Clothing? Will the Olympics in February impact travel? Also after Geneva - where would you go? I have two to three weeks. What would you do? Go see David Bowie? Ski? 'm saying in Geneva for free and flying for free. So we'd like to make the most of it. Not rich. But not poor either.

posted by tkchrist to travel & transportation (10 comments total)

Trenitalia if you should be going into Milan. I'd recommend splurging on a EuroStar train if you've got the cash.
posted by The White Hat at 2:58 PM on January 7, 2006

Go to SBB to figure out your rail route. Zurich is not a convenient airport, nor is it particularly close to Geneve. Basel/Mulhouse is more likely, or Paris. Or, of course, Geneve. Munich is a long way by train to Geneve.

If you're there for three weeks you may find the half-fare card is worth it if you take train trips mostly in Switzerland. For roughly $70 a person you get half off all train trips inside Switzerland, and some discounts into Germany and Austria too. They'll want a passport photo to issue the card, easier if you bring one with you.

I recently got back from three months living in Zurich; you may find these travel notes on my blog helpful for places to go.
posted by Nelson at 3:31 PM on January 7, 2006

Avoid the Paris airport at all costs.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 3:43 PM on January 7, 2006

This may not be relevant to you, but just in case: if you are traveling by rail from France to Switzerland, you can buy a ticket from SNCF (the French railway) online. If you do this, and your ticket is roundtrip, make sure to get paper tickets for both legs in the originating (French) train station. I discovered to my great inconvenience that the ticket office at a Swiss station cannot produce a paper ticket for you if you purchased online with SNCF.
posted by escabeche at 7:09 PM on January 7, 2006

Lots of information on Rail Europe.* Seems like the nearest medium-size cities are Bern and Lyon (each about 1:45 away). Zurich's about 2:45 away, Marseille about 3:30, Paris about 3:45. You can even book tickets and reserve seats before leaving the US.

Since you'll be taking the train anyway, look into the various rail passes, scenic trains and package deals offered.
*Note that the site is not responding to inquiries about travel from Milan or Turin; probably a good idea to avoid northern Italy this close to the Games.
posted by rob511 at 7:30 PM on January 7, 2006

You can get a train directly from the Paris airport, Roissy Charles de Gaulle, to Geneva. You might have to change trains in Lyon. Takes about 3:30, and avoids the mess of changing planes or going from the Paris airport to the train station (which takes at least an hour).
posted by fuzz at 4:19 AM on January 8, 2006

See Die Bahn's TravelService Query Page for point-to-point rail services throughout Europe.

One of my favorite places in Switzerland in Gimmelwald -- nothing there but a restaurant, a hostel, and a stunning view of the Alps. No cars, only accessible via cable car (or hiking) from Murren. (Unfortunately, the hostel seems to be booked until April 30th, but it may be worth a visit anyway.) The series of rail and cable-car journeys from Interlocken to the Jungfraujoch via the Lauterbrunnen Valley is beautiful -- though a little pricey (and, this time of year, a bit crowded).

Basel is a cool little city -- and if you make it there you have to check out The Blind Cow on Dornacherstrasse. Food served in the dark (I mean pitch black, may be eaten by a Grue kind of dark), served by blind waitstaff. Again, a little pricey, but worth the experience. There's also one in Zurich.
posted by milquetoast at 5:36 AM on January 8, 2006

I got married in Lausanne, which is a beautiful resort town about 30 minutes outside of Geneva - on the Paris side. Personally, I would go for a landing in Paris. It is an easy and cheap train ride from there to Geneva - and since Paris has so many railway stations, you probably have a wider choice of departures. Lausanne is right on the way from Paris to Geneva and is well worth a half a day or more. It costs major $$ to stay overnight, since it is a resort town and all the hotels are first-class Swiss luxury places. But it is a charming place to explore for a day. Lausanne also has the world's smallest subway - one car that goes back and forth along a hill from the lake to the centre of town!
posted by sixdifferentways at 10:35 AM on January 8, 2006

Dear god, I can't believe I missed this! TKC, lived in Lausanne in high school. If you have time, call or email me with questions! Geez, I'm sure it's too late. Have a great trip!
posted by mwhybark at 8:18 PM on January 17, 2006

Also, sixdifferentways, Lausanne is west of Geneva, on the north shore of the lake, and Geneva is certainly closer to Paris. However, there may be rail routes that come in from the north of the country that turn east at Lausanne.

Sigh. I would kill for some chasselas.
posted by mwhybark at 8:20 PM on January 17, 2006