Switzerland: A Railbookers Customer's Journey
Switzerland – Paradise in the Mountains
Written by: Elke Wallace, a Railbookers Customer
Switzerland – the land of scenic lakes, some of Europe’s highest mountains and an abundance of nature. It is one of those countries that are well able to combine culture and traditions with innovation and being a modern, open-minded democratic nation. The public transport network is one of a kind and a role model to follow and hospitality and service are examples of excellence and professionalism. After years of just dreaming to visit this exciting destination, I booked a trip with Railbookers, my favourite rail travel supplier, in July 2020 just after Switzerland had been declared one of the safest European countries to travel to in COVID times by Trainline.
I based my trip on the suggested itinerary “Peaks of Switzerland from Wengen” with a few little additions and changes. The first journey from Birmingham to Basel went smoothly apart from the hour’s delay due to some accident on the previous train. I still got something to eat when I arrived at the hotel in Basel for my two-night stay. Hotel Schweizerhof is such a lovely old traditional building, opened for guests in 1864 and is still family-run. It is one of the three traditional Schweizerhof hotels that can also still be found near stations in Bern and Zurich as I was explained.
The reason for booking two nights instead of one was my visit to the Rheinfall in Schaffhousen the next day. There surely is no better place to visit on a hot summer’s day than somewhere near a lake, water or waterfall. If was busy and sometimes social distancing may have been missed, especially on the little boats taking people along the Rhein/Rhine and near the Rheinfall, but then everyone was good to listen to the face coverings advice. Both Schaffhausen as well as Basel are places that deserve further exploration.
The day after Schaffhausen I headed to my next destination for six nights: Wengen in the Jungfrau Region of the Berner Oberland. Even having to change three times during that trip was easy as 1,3,3, signage at all stations is perfect and so is the SBB app on the mobile phone that I used a lot. I went from the fast InterCity train to Interlaken first via Bern and scenic beautiful Lake Thun before changing to a more regional train to Lauterbrunnem and then on to Wengen in a cog railway train. The scenery was just unbelievably stunning. I had seen pictures of Lauterbrunnen or Wengen before, but nothing beats seeing these mountains, meadows and the lovely decorated Swiss houses with your own eyes.
The Hotel Belvedere in Wengen offered not only great views as it was on a hill just a five-minute walk away from the station. I had a cosy single room on the top floor that felt almost like a little suite as I also had a table and chairs in it. The COVID protocols made me feel safe, there were hand sanitisers at the entrance and just before the restaurant, where buffet breakfasts and dinners were served. All staff, from Frau Direktor to the waiters in the restaurant, were always so friendly and helpful and I often had interesting little chats with people.
Wengen is an ideal base for trips around the Jungfrau Region and Berner Oberland. It is car-free and you only ever see delivery vans and smaller vehicles for maintenance and deliveries or carrying hotel guests. The atmosphere so welcoming and peaceful. My trips from Wengen included the Maennlichen mountain, Lauterbrunnen, Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, Truemmelbachfaelle and the Aareschlucht (Aare Gorge). But it is just as easy to visit places like Grindelwald, the Schyrige Platte, Interlaken or Brienz at scenic Lake Brienz from Wengen. The train connections are excellent and pretty much always on time. The first day I went to explore Lauterbrunnen after picking up the tickets for the Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn trips and climbed up to the Staubbachfall inside the rocks with spectacular views across Lauterbrunnen, after which s lovely cold ice cream was a treat. As soon as I was back in Wengen, I took the cable car up the Maennlichen mountain for a short visit and fantastic views.
If you go to Switzerland, the Jungfraujoch is a MUST! It is the highest train station in Europe at 3,494 metres and with spectacular views of the Aletsch glacier as well as Germany or France in good weather. On my travel day, views were a bit obstructed by clouds and haze, and I was right to wear my extra sweatshirt, hat and gloves because there is quite a difference in temperatures compared to Wengen and Lauterbrunnen. Worth visiting was also indoor places like the ice palace and its stunning ice sculptures. Hat and gloves were a must in there.
Going up to the Schilthorn the next day meant changing gondolas three times. They are just like normal public transport for people there living in places like Gimmelwald and Muerren. My first stop was Birg, the station with the Thrill Walk and Sky Walk, something I had been eagerly looking forward to. Due to the weather, the Thrill Walk was only accessible for a short bit, but I still found it very exciting and will be back there again in the hope the whole walk will be accessible then. I had lunch at the 360-degree rotating Piz Gloria restaurant at the Schilthorn, a place well worth a visit, as food and beverages are excellent. I did stop off at Muerren for a short walk around, a place that may be another great choice to stay for a few nights. Again, the scenery is simply breathtaking!
I visited the Truemmelbachfaelle on my way back from the Schilthorn. It was another place I had heard about before and was keen to see. It is easy to get to as well with the Postbus from Lauterbrunnen towards Stechelberg, there is a separate stop called Truemmelbachfaelle. You can travel on a Postbus for free as it is included in the SwissPass. The Truemmelbachfaelle are special in many ways, they carry down the glacial waters of Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau and can be viewed from many access points. You can either go in the Standseilbahn (a kind of funicular) to the top and then walk down, or the other way round. I went up with the funicular and slowly walked down, stopping and admiring the power of water and nature.
After the change of weather following the Schilthorn trip with thunder but not much lightning, I headed for the Aareschlucht. It is best to access it from the Aareschlucht West train station, although it also can be walked the opposite way starting at the Aareschlucht Ost (East) train stop. It is amazing how the Swiss-made places like this so safe and accessible to walk, either on a wooden path or mixed in with little tunnel passages in the rocks. Although it was a rainy day, the scenery of rocks, water and nature was still amazing, the power of the Aare River flowing fast and the noise, just beautiful.
My trip to Switzerland ended with a night at the Hotel du Theatre in Zurich. Again, it was far too short a stay, but I preferred it to Paris. I enjoyed a walk along the Limmatquai street towards Lake Zurich, then had a meal in one of the restaurants before going up to a good viewpoint at the University with the little Polybahn funicular. Give me a train or tram and I love trying it out. I am passionate about trains, trams, cable cars and similar means of transport. I really enjoyed my a lovely last afternoon and evening in this amazing country in a city with so much atmosphere.
Next summer, my son and I will go back for a longer trip. We are already talking about where to go and what to do. And, of course, we will use Railbookers again to organise our trip. Meanwhile, I will keep advertising Railbookers’ wonderful rail holidays and itineraries, hoping to provide inspirations for my travel clients.
