Swiss Oberland Untour, Summer of 2006
by George and Dianne Schlaepfer, Livonia, MI
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This journal is designed to recount how we saw Switzerland in the summer of 2006, thanks to the use of a one-month first class Swiss Pass and services plus facilities provided or arranged by Untours. We recommend Untours for people who want to travel quasi-independently. Hal Taussig founded Untours in 1975 with a the vision that Americans would want to explore Switzerland economically, primarily by hiking or biking and living in apartments within Swiss homes. You would fend for yourself, come and go as you please plus live and travel (Second Class) in many ways similar to the Swiss.We never were the typical ‘Untourists’ that Hal envisioned. We are travelers and photographers, not hikers. We use a first-class pass for the added comfort and access to certain facilities that are first-class only on the trains and boats. All of our travel costs were included on our Swiss Pass unless there is a cost shown (CHF = Swiss Francs per person). The number and types of public transportation used is shown at the end of each day’s entry. The presence of an extensive and convenient public transportation system is essential for us. Because of many relatives near Zurich, our priorities in Switzerland were always based upon the time to Zurich, time, levelness and distance to transportation, how often the service ran, and how late at night we could start back to our apartment. The $176 supplement charged for a One-Month First Class Swiss Saver Pass upgrade was money very well spent, and we recommend that anyone who is going to travel much beyond the next mountain go first class. The Swiss now have an annual pass (GA) that gives them the same simple and unlimited travel that we enjoyed. Their cost is modest, between CHF 2,500 and 4,000 depending on class and age (young and seniors get extra reductions) and with a parent having a GA, children under 16 go free. Most Swiss we saw while traveling had apparently had GAs, or some regional unlimited ride pass, as rarely would a conductor have to punch a paper ticket. Professional people commute long distances, and peak-hour Zurich-Bern trains carried up to five well-patronized first class cars on business days.
Our experience as ‘Untourists’ started in 1983 in the Rhine Valley of Germany and has continued over the years in London, Prague, Budapest, the Swiss Heartland (4 times), and the Swiss Oberland (3 times). Dianne’s mother and all of our children have also been on at least one ‘Untour.’ We have also traveled independently by ourselves, with family members or friends using trains for most travel as far north as Narvik, Norway (north of the Arctic Circle) and as far south as Rome. We have also designed and acted as escorts for three group tours from Detroit to Europe, in 1987, 1990 and 2000, traveling primarily by rail and spending a significant amount of time in Switzerland. With that introduction, here goes with our 2006 Trip Log.
August 21; Arrival in Switzerland
Arrived at Zurich Airport a bit ahead of schedule at 8:30 AM after two good flights; Northwest from Detroit to Amsterdam and KLM on to Zurich. Despite a long distance from the plane to the terminal, including a ride on an underground remotely controlled tram, we caught our hoped for suburban train, route S2, which took us thru Zurich to Thalwil on the south side of Lake Zurich. Here we could make an across-the-platform connection to an express for Chur, arriving there at 11:43. There was construction going on in and in front of the station, so the scene was a mess for us to haul our baggage to our hotel. After settling in, we went for a gentle walk, eventually ending up at the station again so we went for a short ride, taking a local out of town to the end of its run at Schiers, then returning to Chur after a few minutes wait. 4 Trains, 3 City Buses.August 22; The Bernina Pass
This was a special day for us, crossing the Alps on the only railroad that goes over the top, no tunnels to lower the route, up to 7% grades without using cog and too far from Thun for a day trip. Our Swiss Pass was for one month, and our ‘Untour’ was four weeks, so the two extra days of the pass were put to good use here. We took an the 7:58 express destined for St. Moritz as far as Samedan and after a 20 minute wait changed to a “Bernina Express” for a trip over the pass, complete with glaciers, and down to Italy (Tirano). Schedules made it desirable to have our picnic lunch and turn back at the last stop in Switzerland, Campocologno, and return to Chur in a Panorama Car for dinner and overnight after three wonderful train rides in beautiful sunlight. 3 Trains (CHF 9, Panorama Car), 2 City Buses.August 23; Becoming ‘Untourists’
This was the day to return to the Zurich Airport to meet the Untours Staff and the new crop of ‘Untourists.’ The express train dropped us off at Thalwil at 9:37 where we boarded an express from Luzern ten minutes later that took us on to the airport. Again, the change was just across the platform. We were at the airport for less than 30 minutes, joined the group and took an express at 10:39 to Thun, stopping only at Zurich and Bern, arriving at 12:27. The neighboring landlady met us on the platform as our landlady was working with her husband that day. We got to our apartment with our baggage on a city bus. The afternoon was spent getting a few groceries and settling into our apartment that would be our home for the next four weeks. For a description of our apartment, we suggest reading Chapter 1 of the log of Marlene & Frank Hench, Summer 2004. It was our third stay in this apartment. The bus stop most convenient for the Orientation in 2006 is called ‘Lotschberg Platz.’ 3 Trains, 6 City Buses.August 24; Orientation and Grocery Shopping
Our orientation was this morning in Spiez. We took the city bus, where two trips per hour go as far as the Spiez. After a quiet lunch in our apartment we went into Thun by bus to the supermarkets, across the street from bus stop ‘Marketgasse.’ Here the bus runs every 12 to 15 minutes during the day depending on the day of the week. Bus routes, frequencies and ‘bed times’ have changed since our last visit. That makes Thun an even better city for our purposes. Train frequencies have increased, much new equipment purchased and connectivity improved. The old ‘greenies,’ non-airconditioned postwar WWII coaches that were commonplace on our previous trips to Switzerland, are now rarely seen, and then only occasionally on extra trains at very peak times. Now there is hourly Intercity direct service to Zurich and Brig, plus twice hourly direct service to Basel and Interlaken. Coming soon is the new low-level tunnel that will speed up some trains between Bern and Brig, at the cost of eliminating the scenic ride over the Lotschberg that we always enjoy. 6 City Buses.August 25; Our Three Pass tour, Gotthard, Furka with Steam, Lotschberg
On our first day we set off to do one of our most ambitious treks. From Thun we took the 9:33 little red train north to Konolfingen, changed to an express to Luzern then another express to Goschenen in the Gotthard Pass where another change was made to a narrow gauge (and cog in places) local train up the pass to Andermatt and on to Realp. Here we detrained and walked to the station of the museum railway that reestablished the seasonal train service over Furka Pass. This had been abandoned some years ago when a long tunnel had been completed that made year-around thru train service possible. Then there was a smoky and cindery climb over Furka Pass to where the railroad temporarily ends at Gletsch, followed by a post bus to Oberwald. The view of the Rhone Glacier near the summit has almost disappeared thanks to global warming. At Oberwald we sneaked onto an extra Glacier Express passenger train for a non-stop run to Brig, rather than the 5-minute later all-stops local that we had planned upon. At Brig we were able to try out a CIS470 Italian high-speed tilt train for the non-stop run over the Lotschberg Pass to Spiez, then home by bus. 6 Trains, 1 Dampfzug (CHF 46.40 Reduced Fare), 2 City Buses, 1 Post Bus.August 26; Biel
This day Untours guided us on a trip to the city of Biel. It took just over an hour to get there via Bern. We proceeded to the old part of the city where a festival was being set up, the afternoon would have been much better. We wandered around, then had lunch in McDonald’s. The weather was starting to look threatening, so we took a local train to Neuchatel, then had a circular boat tour on the lake. It rained most of the way around, but stopped before we got off. We returned home on the same routes as this morning, but had a ride on a new Swiss high-speed tilt train as far as Biel. 6 Trains, 6 City Buses, 1 Boat.August 27; Luzern, Lunch Boat and Transportation Museum
We took the same trains from Thun via Konolfingen to Luzern. We had almost an hour to explore the railway station and the variety of the trains, many new since our previous visit in 2000. The lunch boat serves a varied and plentiful salad buffet at an economical price while the views of Lake Luzern pass. The weather was cloudy with showers so that the mountain peaks were hiding in the clouds. On the return we disembarked at the special stop for the museum and spent the afternoon enjoying the exhibits, many of them new since our last visit. We didn’t allow enough time for the bus to take us back to the railway station, so missed our intended train. There was another ten minutes later to Olten where we connected to an express for Thun, stopping only at Bern and taking less than 30 minutes longer than we planned. 4 Trains, 1 Boat, 3 City Buses.August 28; Cheesemaking
This was the special day that Untours would take us up into the Alps to see cheese being made in the traditional way. The weather was cold and rainy, but this did not detract from the unique experience. We went by train from Thun to Spiez where we met the group and continued on a local train to Reichenbach where we changed to a post bus. The trip up into the Alps included a narrow and winding road with plentiful hairpin curves and 28% grades. After the day’s cheese was made we had the opportunity to buy some of the cheese made there, and we bought a half wheel of the ‘younger’ cheese that was superb in our picnic lunches we had most days. 4 Trains, 2 Post Buses (CHF 10 Alpine Supplement).August 29; Zurich
Today was another day with showery weather, so we went to Zurich for mostly inside activities. Upon arrival we visited the Natural History Museum that is located just across the street from the main railway station. Then we took a streetcar for a short ride to a McDonald’s for lunch. It was a madhouse! After lunch we took a streetcar down Bahnhofstrasse to several favorite stores. Our shopping was mostly unsuccessful as much of what we were looking for was no longer carried. 3 Trains, 3 Streetcars, 2 City Buses.August 30; Alumni Trip to Utendorf & Concert at Kandersteg
Utendorf is a small village about 10 minutes from Thun by local train where we were privileged to tour a factory that makes cast brass cow bells. They range from very small ones that are suitable only for souvenirs to huge ones that even a large cow would find a burden. The factory has been in the same family for 8 generations and they were gracious enough to show us the entire process. We had the opportunity to buy one at the conclusion of the tour, and we chose not the smallest but one a bit larger with a beautiful sound (we could try them out and pick the one whose tone we liked the best). It was something that George had always wanted. Many in our group bought a small to medium sized one, a great souvenir. We returned to our apartment for dinner and then took the train from Spiez to Kandersteg to attend a concert, recommended in our Untours literature, given by local townspeople with folk music and dancing, returning on the next to last train that evening. 4 Trains, 4 City Buses.August 31; The ‘Official’ Four Pass Tour by Post Bus
This trip requires advanced reservations, which we made about three days before, guessing that the cloudy and rainy weather would clear on this day. As luck would have it, it did and we had a beautifully clear and cool day. This required a very early start as the train necessary to make the once-a-day departure of the bus left Thun at 7:31. The post bus departs from Meiringen at 9:20, goes over the Grimsel and Neufen Passes before the lunch-stop at Airolo (the southern end of the Gotthard Railroad Tunnel), and then goes over the Gotthard and Susten Passes before returning to Meiringen at 5:30. There was new fresh show on all passes but the Gotthard. Connecting trains and buses got us home after 7 o'clock. It was a long but pleasant day. 4 Trains, 2 City Buses, 1 Post Bus (CHF 25 Alpine Supplement).September 1; The Unspunnen Festival in Interlaken
This morning we went into Thun to do grocery shopping as we did not have this activity until after lunch. This festival is 200 years old, but is only held once in every 12 years. It goes for three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We chose to go on Friday afternoon when it is just getting started and the crowds haven’t gotten there yet. There were bulletins at the train station notifying people of the extra train service that would be operated to Interlaken on Saturday and Sunday. We had other plans for both days and wanted to avoid the huge weekend crowds. We had a lot of fun walking around, shopping and viewing the various activities. The weather was perfect with a cloudless sky and the snow-covered Jungfrau clearly visible. 2 Trains, 4 City Buses.September 2; The ‘Almost’ Chuefladefascht at Riederalp
This is one of the alpine festivals that Untours Staff recommended to us. To get there you go across the Lotschberg Pass to Brig, then east for ten minutes on a local train and then up on a lift. This day was one that the Swiss transportation system demonstrates how well it works. At Thun we waited for our regular train to Brig while two extra trains and the regular train to Interlaken and one extra train to Brig preceded it. So we ran about 15 minutes late to Brig and missed our local train to Morel, where we would get the lift up the mountain. No problem, the stationmaster told us to get on the Glacier Express that was leaving in ten minutes and they would make a special stop to put us off, rather than wait an hour for the next local. So we got there just 15 minutes late. The lift up the mountain was enclosed and designed for up to 8 people, which we enjoyed. The problem was that to get up the last bit, it was a chairlift, open like in skiing, a type that Dianne and I had never been on and we decided that we weren’t going to have our first experience this day. So we hiked around a bit and had a very pleasant lunch at a restaurant near the lift station. We went down to make a prompt connection to the local train back to Brig. Then the problem was what to do, for it was only 2 o’clock. Dianne said it was too early to go home. The only train out within the next 30 minutes was a local to Sion, an area that neither of has ever been. So we hopped on and enjoyed the ride down the Rhone valley with the crops changing from fields and cows to vineyards. At Sion, our train met an express to Geneva and we walked across the platform to give that one a try. We had been trying to get a child’s book in French for our grandson who is learning the language, and we were now in the French part of Switzerland. This express would stop at Vevey where we had been before, is flat and has a shopping mall just across the street from the station. Our shopping was successful and we took the next train on to Lausanne, connecting there for Thun after another change in Bern. 8 Trains, 2 Lifts (CHF 20 Reduced Lift Fare & Admission to Festival), 2 City Buses.September 3; The Hinwil-Bauma Steam Railway
This museum railway operates two Sundays a month from May thru October, east of Zurich. Because we had plenty of time to get there we took the long way around to get to Zurich, taking our little red train from Thun all the way to its terminus in Soloturn, changing to one of Swiss Federal’s high-speed tilting trains to get to Zurich. Then we changed to a suburban train S14, a local that runs every 30 minutes to Hinwil. There you can make an across the platform change to the ‘dampfzug.’ They operate on a former Swiss Federal branch line to the village of Bauma, where their shops are located. We enjoyed the round-trip with more than an hour spent looking around and shopping in their gift shop. On our return we changed from the S14 to a S5 that runs as an express to Zurich, then express trains back to Thun with a change in Bern. 7 Trains, 2 Dampfzugs (CHF 29, Reduced Fare), 2 City Buses.September 4; Farewell Dinner at Heiligenschwendi
Today was spent restocking our kitchen and then in the late afternoon taking the bus into Thun to meet with the rest of the ‘Untourists’ in the area for a farewell dinner, primarily for those who were going home on Wednesday morning. We were staying two more weeks. It was held at Heiligenschwendi on the outdoor terrace of a hilltop hotel overlooking Lake Thun with snow mountains in the distance. The food was delicious and the entertainment very satisfying. In the dusk the near-full moon was seen rising over the mountains. On the bus back to Thun, we all joined in song (entertaining the Swiss that were also onboard). 8 City Buses.September 5; Zermatt, Gornergrat and the Matterhorn
The weather forecast for this day was favorable, so we decided in advance to arise very early to go to Zermatt, and if the weather continued fine, to Gornergrat. We were on the 8:15 bus to Spiez, connected to the 8:32 express to Brig and 10:05 local to Zermatt, arriving at 11:24. All of the Swiss senior citizen hikers must have had the same idea as the train from Brig was jammed and the conductor was going back and forth trying to find seats for all of the passengers. It was a cloudless day with deep blue sky. We made it across the street to the Gornergrat Bahn station to purchase reduced fare tickets and made the 11:36 train as planned with time to spare. On the ride up we noticed that more stretches of double track had been installed since our last visit to ultimately facilitate the operation of more trains. Our views of the Matterhorn were splendid but there was less snow on the peak than we expected. The facilities at the summit have been incredibly improved since our last visit. The hotel has been expanded with an improved cafeteria and two spacious outdoor terraces as well as a large inside dining room in case of bad weather. Also, where it was necessary to climb over a rough surface to get up to the old hotel, now there are two elevators to make the job easy. We stayed on the summit about two hours before going down to Zermatt to shop. The merchants did not disappoint us. We started back on the 3:30 train that was also full, connecting at Brig to an express for Spiez, and then by bus back to our apartment, arriving home at 6:50. This was our sixth trip to the Matterhorn during our many vacations in Switzerland and every one was on days with perfect weather! 6 Trains (Zermatt-Gornergrat CHF 36, Reduced Fare), 2 City Buses.September 6; Wengen & Murren
Today we went to these two villages, each on the mountainsides above Lauterbrunnen. For photography it is best to visit Wengen in the morning when the sun shines on the Shilthorn, while in the afternoon the sun shines on the Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger, viewed from Murren. We slept in a bit after yesterday’s exertions, not getting started until the 9:40 bus to Spiez. The cog mountain train got us to Wengen about noon, where we enjoyed the views and our picnic lunch in the park overlooking the valley and the railroad station. The day had become more cloudy, so we took the train back down to Lauterbrunnen right after lunch planning to take the funicular up the mountainside to the little train that runs along the side of the mountain to Murren. Unfortunately, the funicular was out of service for major repairs, so we had to take the alternate route, a post bus along the valley floor to the lift that ultimately goes to the Shilthorn but has an intermediate stop in Murren. We walked thru the village, taking pictures of the mountains across the valley. The weather seemed to clear somewhat as the afternoon progressed. We returned the way that we had come, lift and post bus to Lauterbrunnen, then train to Interlaken, Spiez and the bus home. 6 Trains, 2 Post Buses, 2 Lifts, 2 City Buses.September 7; Orientation II & Steam on the Rothorn
This morning we went to Spiez to attend a part of the Orientation for a new group of ‘Untourists’ that arrived yesterday. We stayed long enough to be introduced and get briefed on the events of the next two weeks, then left for the station to take trains to Interlaken and on to Brienz where we would ride the cog and steam-powered Brienz Rothorn Railway to the summit. This railway is unique in that it is the only Swiss one to a mountaintop that normally runs with steam locomotives. Financial problems in its early years that prevented it from ever being electrified have resulted in its prosperity now that steam traction is so unique in Switzerland. We enjoyed our picnic lunch at the top with the views of many mountains plus Lakes Brienz and Thun. After about two hours at the summit we returned home by the reverse route of this morning. 6 Trains (Brienz-Rothorn CHF 36, Reduced Fare), 3 City Buses.September 8; Return to Luzern
Today we returned to this city to shop and visit our favorite places. The weather was rainy with low clouds. We went via Spiez, Interlaken, Meiringen, and Giswil over the Brunig Pass, the only narrow gauge, and cog in places over the pass, railroad operated by the Swiss Federal Railways. We changed from the thru express to a local train at Giswil because we wanted to better see the two new stations that had been added and what other improvements had been made since our last visit. Several sidings had been removed in the portion over the pass to lower capacity, while station improvements and more double track had been made in the portion between Giswil and Luzern to increase capacity. The local trains that run Interlaken-Meiringen and Giswil-Luzern are brand new, and their appearance reminded George of a centipede. More cars of similar design were seen at the car shop in Meiringen, and we expect that this new and much-improved equipment will be placed on the thru expresses shortly. After lunch at another packed McDonald’s, we did a walking tour of central Luzern, including the Jesuit Church (our personal favorite in all of Europe), the famous wooden bridge across the river and the Lion of Luzern Monument. We did some shopping in the area near the Lion, and were reasonably successful in finding what we wanted. We returned home via Konolfingen, then the little red train to Thun. 5 Trains, 4 City Buses.September 9; Magisalp
This is a festival celebrating the dividing of the cheese produced by the herds of cows that spend the summer in pastures above Reuti. It is above the tree-line with snow mountain views and is obviously used for wintertime skiing. It is a great party, with folk music, dancing, alphorn playing, flag throwing and, for the first time when we attended, a photo run-by of the cows right thru the site of the festival. We were lucky on the weather. Despite yesterday’s rain and fog, today was sunny, clear and warm. We gorged ourselves on Raclette mit Brot (LOTS of Melted Cheese on Dark Swiss Bread), one of our favorites but usually only available at festivals. We got there by bus to Spiez, trains to Interlaken and Brunig-Hasliberg (the summit station of the Brunig Pass), a post bus to Hasliberg-Reuti and finally a lift to Magisalp. This is the third time that we attended, and it is always a highlight of our trip. On the way back we ran into a gracious lady who was an important part of Untours Heartland Staff years ago and happened to be at the festival. What a wonderful surprise, that added an exclamation point to our day! 4 Trains, 2 City Buses, 2 Post Buses, 2 Lifts (Reuti-Magisalp CHF 14, Reduced Fare).September 10; Family Reunion at Bachtobel
This was a big family party at the home of George’s first cousin Hans Kesselring near Weinfelden. As his father was the only family member to emigrate from Switzerland, there are now six surviving first cousins and their children, plus the first grandchild, all in Switzerland. With spouses and girlfriends, there were almost 40 attending. George’s sister, Alice, was there from Denver along with husband Will and son David. It was held outside in the courtyard, thanks to a sunny and warm day. As the party didn’t start until late afternoon, we took another slow way to Zurich, stopped by the airport to unsuccessfully try to find out info on our flight to Amsterdam and, as planned, met George’s sister and family on the train to Weinfelden. There we changed to a small postbus that took us to Hans’s home. The party was so much fun that we stayed until the last possible train, fortunately thru to Thun. Then there was some maintenance problem that delayed us for about 15 minutes enroute, so we missed our intended bus but got the very last one and arrived home after midnight. 4 Trains, 1 Post Bus, 2 City Buses, 1 Cousin’s Car.More About Bachtobel The Kesselring family has made wine on this property since 1782 and others did so for many centuries before that. Part of the manor house was built before Columbus discovered America. To learn more about Schlossgut Bachtobel and the wines produced there, please browse his website ‘www.bachtobel.ch’. Hans runs the property with minimal assistance, and has started to produce many of the wines in recent years. The two that have been made the longest are Pinot Noir #1 and our personal favorite, Muller-Thurgau. Most of his customers live nearby and come with their automobiles on Saturday mornings to fill up their cars (the trunks, not the gas tanks). He does ship some wine by post or freight, but few area hotels have it and even a relative can’t get it sent to the United States. It is something that you can savor only when in Switzerland. Hal Taussig mentioned Bachtobeler in a booklet about better Swiss wines that he published for ‘Untourists’ many years ago.
September 11; Train Photography at Aarau
This morning we spent recuperating from the excesses of the past two days. We had been looking for a location that would be suitable for taking photographs of passing trains on our travels. The criteria were plenty of trains of all types, both passenger and freight, plus a location that would keep us safely out of the way and where the sun would be in the correct position. Aarau seemed to be a suitable place. It was on the primary route between Zurich and either Bern or Biel, was on the faster of two routes between Zurich and Basel and the probable freight route between Basel (Germany) and the Gotthard Pass (Italy). There is plenty of room and the sun is in the correct position all afternoon. We went there this afternoon, changing in Olten from an ICE going to Berlin to a local, taking lots of pictures in less than two hours and happily going home the way we came. Back in Thun we stopped off for some grocery shopping on the way home. 4 Trains, 4 City Buses.September 12; Schaffhausen & the Rhine Falls
This morning we went to Schaffhausen changing at Zurich to a very nice Italian ETR 470 high-speed tilting train running from Milan to Stuttgart. We didn’t see much of the city this time as we immediately got on a trolley bus that took us to the Rhine Falls. As usual, the largest waterfall in Europe was spectacular and the weather that started out dark and cloudy had become mostly sunny and bright. We wandered through the park taking pictures and eventually found a bench in the shade where we enjoyed our picnic lunch. Dianne spotted a boat that took people across the river below the falls to hike and get a closer look while we were eating. We did so afterwards, walking to a very close overlook of the falls and then to a special train ‘halt,’ no station, just a graded area where local trains stop twice an hour. We rode this local train to Winterthur, then changed to an express that went all the way to Thun, via Zurich and Bern, arriving back at 5:30. 4 Trains, 1 Boat (CHF 2.50, Fare), 3 City Buses.September 13; Showing Alice our way of touring Switzerland
This day was arranged in advance so that George’s sister, Alice, would get a glimpse of how we travel in Switzerland. Her way is hiking or biking in a new area and not frequently or ever returning. Our way is to find favorite spots or trips we can easily reach by public transportation and see them almost every time we are in Switzerland. On prior trips we did a bit of hiking, but with both of us getting arthritis in our knees, doing much walking and especially climbing, is pretty much out. Alice had no idea where she was going, only she was to be on the 7:32 from Zurich, that she needed to get a first class upgrade for the day, we would join her on the train in Bern and what time and on what train she would get back to Zurich, the 6:00 from Bern. Luckily the weather was fair and mild this day. We proceeded on to Lausanne where we changed to a local train to Villeneuve, arriving at 10:40. We walked 50 meters to the pier where we boarded a steamboat for Lausanne. We sailed past the prettiest part of the lake, in our opinion, including the Castle of Chillon, Montreux and Vevey, plus many terraced vineyards while enjoying a picnic lunch in the sun. At Lausanne we walked slowly thru the lakefront park to the inclined railway that takes you up to the railroad station. However, it was closed for major repairs, so a city bus was waiting to take us. We took a fast train back to Montreux where we awaited the departure of the Golden Panoramic Express at 1:45. We had reserved the V.I.P. seats so we could see out the huge front windshield and help the engineer ‘drive.’ At Zweisimmen we changed to the connecting train for Spiez where we changed to the express for Zurich via Thun and said our good-byes for the day. Everybody arrived home on time. 7 Trains (CHF 15, V.I.P. Reservation), 1 Boat, 3 City Buses.September 14; Alumni Trip to Bern
It was just a quick 20-minute ride to Bern where we had a short walk thru part of the old city to the older city gate (not the more famous clock tower). We met with a government official who told us about the government and history of Switzerland and later invited questions from us. Two hours well spent. The group broke up after that and we had lunch at a nearby peaceful McDonald’s. After lunch we toured the city’s cathedral then took a bus to the Rose Garden, with lots of beautiful flowers and it overlooks the city. From there we went to the Bear Garden (Pit) and the old city to do some shopping on the way back to the railway station. Our train was late arriving in Bern and lost a bit more time enroute to Thun, but at rush hour there are plenty of buses home. 2 Trains, 7 City Buses.September 15; Stein on Rhine & Rhine River Cruise
We have combined this with Schaffhausen & The Rhine Falls in one day on a previous visit, but it makes a very long day. We repeated the ride to Schaffhausen, except the Italian ETR470 Tilt Train was indisposed this day and there was a Swiss ‘make up’ train running about 15 minutes late from Zurich. Fortunately, the local train to Stein on Rhine was held for us so we were able to make a quick across the platform connection and arrive on time. The day was cloudy which actually made photography of the painted buildings easier. The boat ride was pleasant and we were able to take a bus directly to the railway station. The walk thru the old city of Schaffhausen between the boat dock and railway station is very pleasant with lots of interesting non-touristy shops. However, by this time we were weary and shopped-out. The trains back were fast and on time with only an easy connection in Zurich. 5 Trains, 3 City Buses, 1 Boat.September 16; Basel
There were two objectives today, to visit the Zoo, the largest one in Switzerland, and to take a streetcar ride through France. Our train went directly from Thun to Basel. Be aware that the railway station is under reconstruction, the concourse is complete and marvelous, but the tourist office is in the midst of a construction zone and hard to find. We took the #11 streetcar to Rodersdorf, which turned out to be way out in the country. You go into France for one stop and then back into Switzerland at the end of the line. We were expecting some border formalities, but there weren’t any, and the border appeared to be invisible. This is also the line that serves the Zoo, so we got off there on our way back. The zoo is smaller than most in the United States, but has first class exhibits. We spent over four hours wandering around, having our picnic and taking pictures, demonstrating that we really enjoyed it and there was plenty to see. Our train back was direct to Thun. 2 Trains, 3 Streetcars, 2 City Buses.September 17; Blonay-Chamby Railway Museum
This was the worst weather day of our vacation, rain and fog throughout Switzerland. However, it was the day that we had long-planned to visit this operating museum near Montreux. So, it was an early start on the 8:31 train because the only steam operation in the morning was at 11:05 and we needed all that time to get there, via Bern, Lausanne, Vevey and Blonay. We had visited this railway once before, in 1985, and it has grown and improved its exhibits over the years. It was a very soggy visit and it was in the hills high enough to be in the clouds. We took refuge in their new restaurant/gift shop building for a leisurely lunch, then left of the first of their afternoon trains to Chamby. We flagged down the Golden Panoramic Express (the same one we rode with Alice) for an always pleasant but not very scenic ride back home via Zweisimmen and Spiez. 7 Trains, 2 Museum Trains, 1 ‘Dampfzug’ & 1 Streetcar (CHF 15 Including Admission), 2 City Buses.September 18; Balance Out, Packing & The Farewell Dinner
This was another bad day with rain and heavy fog throughout Switzerland. We had planned to go on boat rides in our area today, but we decided to pack sooner rather than later and do the boat rides tomorrow when the weather was supposed to be a little better. We shopped in the morning getting the few things that we needed to feed ourselves until departure. The afternoon was spent packing. We boarded the 5:08 bus for Spiez where we would join the group on a city bus going to the farewell dinner at Aeschi. This dinner was, fortunately, inside with lots of good food and entertainment. As at the farewell dinner two weeks before, everyone enjoyed themselves, but we were ready to go home to the United States, a bit weary from a month of everyday travel, and satisfied that more than we planned to do had been successfully accomplished. 6 City Buses.September 19; Boat Rides on Lakes Thun and Brienz
The weather was better today, but the scattered clouds were lower, obscuring some mountain peaks. We got a later than originally planned start on the 10:38 boat, but that gave us more time for a leisurely lunch before arriving at Interlaken West at 12:51. A four minute train ride took us to Interlaken Ost (East) where we boarded another boat for the cruise on Lake Brienz arriving at Brienz at 2:25. It was just a short walk to the railway station (it helps when the boats are run by the railway) for the express train back to Interlaken Ost. We were standing there on the platform when Dianne had the idea that it was too early to go home, “let’s go to Grindelwald, we haven’t been there and it’s in the mountains!” So it was a short dash to that train, just making it before departure at 2:50. The ride was pleasant and we bought more souvenirs and took more pictures of mountains with fluffy white clouds trying to hide the tops before calling it a vacation and going home. Our final digital photo counts; George 765, Dianne 619. 5 Trains, 2 Boats, 2 City Buses.September 20; Farewell to Switzerland
Up at 5:30 to have breakfast, strip the beds and put the final items in our suitcases before taking the bus to the railway station for the last time. We actually had a little extra time, making the bus before the one that we needed to catch our train at 8:34 that goes directly to Zurich Airport. We got to the Airport Station exactly on time and had a few moments to say goodbye and again give our thanks to the Untours Staff people who provided some of the most memorable and unusual activities enjoyed on our trip. Time was short for they were escorting the next (and final for 2006) group of Swiss ‘Untourists’ towards the trains and their apartments. 1 Train, 1 City Bus.In Summary
Just in case you haven’t already figured it out, we are train fans, and especially steam fans. But we also take lots of pictures, especially of the many beautiful natural sights of Switzerland. It was a great vacation, perhaps our last to Switzerland as age and arthritis are slowing us down. We believe that the way you can see the world with Untours is about as good as it gets, and a bargain. Dianne estimated early on that we would get $2,000 of travel out of each $529 Swiss Saver Pass. Our final counts were 128 Trains, 101 City Buses, 6 Streetcars, 4 Operating Railroad Museums (4 Dampfzugs, 1 Streetcar), 6 Lifts, and 6 Boats. All were free with a Swiss Pass unless the amount paid is shown above. Several examples, intended to give you a glimpse at what you can save for first class individual round trips from Thun, are: Bern = CHF 47.20; Zurich Airport = CHF 190; Luzern = Fares range from CHF 96 (via Brunig) to 150 (via Olten), depending upon the route; and Zermatt = CHF 234.Our Calculated Per Person Savings. They are based upon Regular Fares via the routes that we actually used (Train, & Boat only) compiled from the Swiss Federal Railways Website on the Internet, plus the Four Pass Tour Post Bus fare from a brochure, amounted to CHF 3,960.40 (or US$ 3,168.32 at exchange rate of 1.25). We estimate that City Bus and Streetcar fares averaged CHF 3, which would add an another estimated CHF 300 to the total. The regular fare for the lift to Murren could not be found but was free with a Swiss Pass. The fares on other Post Buses probably were modest, as the distances were short, but are unknown.