Hi, All,

We're planning a short visit to Milan soon, but am wondering what your ONE place would be that you would recommend visiting before being "re-patriated." In other words, what's your vote for the top site to see near Zurich? Thanks ... opinions of "real" people are much better than travel sites! Please include hotels and restaurants.

Well if you go to Milan you should pass by lucern, if you are going over the Gotthard it is acctually right on your way.

hi there,

Lucerne is actually a very good suggestion - but don't just go and see the city. Also try to take a boat trip on the Vierwaldstättersee. You can book day trip tickets at the ticket station near the KKL - think it's called "Golden something...ticket" which allow you to take the boat to the Pilatus, take the cable car up and down and return to Lucerne by train. If the weather is good that is certainly a trip worthwhile doing while u r here.
There's loads of restaurants downtown Lucerne or u could eat on the Pilatus (even sleep there) - great view!
http://www.pilatus.ch/
hope that helped

Just off the top of my head because I was in these places over the weekend ...

Zermatt - if you haven't seen the Matterhorn before leaving .. how could you face another Toblerone?

Berne - Exceptional town with tonnes of atmosphere.

Rheinfalls - it's the other direction but also close to Zurich

Also to add to the list of things to do...

I have had my parents here this week and we have visited

Mount Rigi from Luzern - took a boat over the lake to Vitznau (1 hour) then took the mountain railway right up to the top of Rigi, amazing views going up on the train and amazing views from the top, we then took the cable car back down to the village of Weggis and took the boat back to Luzern - a great day out.

Mount Titlis - went there today - Drove to Engleberg and took the cable cars up to the top - it was stunning, it was a perfect clear day so we could see for miles and there was so much snow!! Definitely recommend going here....

Rapperswill - Take boat from top of lake (burkliplatz) - takes an hour and a half - beautiful old town

Einsieldeini - I didn't go here but my parents said the monastry there was amazing

Baden - Again didn't go here but my parents recommended it

Stein am Rhein & Rhein Falls - A good joint trip, we drove to both in a day but you can take a train from Zurich to both - Stein am Rhein is a must see place!

Interlaken and Shilthorn - Not been but its next on my list of things to do!

Thats about it

Nicky

Hi there!

I don't know if my question fits this thread, sorry if not! I want to go to see the mountains near Zürich... is there any option to avoid the expensive cable car?? Maybe a place where you just need a normal train to go up? I have no idea where to go... Mount Rigi sounds good but also expensive to me! Any other "must see" close to Zh? or in Zh? :-D

Thanks in advance, I am new...

from what I know you are going to pay to get up any mountain whether its a cable car or train and they are all going to be similar price, do you have a half tax card? here's a link to the price list for Pilatus. Do you have a car? If not then the whole trip could be costly. If you haven't got a half tax card then i'd advise you to get one as it will cut the cost of the trip considerably.

You can plan your whole trip (apart from some cable card and mountain railways) on the SBB website.

If you have a look at my post here I have put the websites next to each place, Säntis is another mountain close to Zürich and also Titlis

Hope this helps
Nicky

lunch at the Uto Kulm Hotel at Uetliberg is an easy trip with great views over Zurich and the Lake

the S 1O train only takes 25 minutes with an easy 10 minute hike to the top and well worth the effort if time is limited

Thanks Nicky and Richard!

I actually went to Uetliberg, it was great! I was thinking in "real mountains" jaja... I don't have a half tax card :-s and I am not planning buying one!! I am considering the day card, what do you think? Is there the possibility to buy all the trip in advance? (and maybe saving some money!). It's all about money, money, money!

If its all about money, money, money and saving money then why not buy a half tax card? it would pay for itself on about 3 trips to mountains, there is a special offer on with SBB at the moment, 39CHF for a day card that covers all of Switzerland, trains, trams, boats but I don't think it covers mountains cable ways and railways, but the 39CHF offer is for a half tax card only. (If you have a half tax card then this would give you half price up the mountains also)

If you are in CH for a while and you want to do some sightseeing I really would advise paying out 150CHF for a 1 yeah Half Tax. Otherwise you are going to find sightweeing very pricey.

Minukis, there's an easy solution if you dont want to pay for the cable car to go up the mountain --- > walk!

Rigi, Pilatus, Uetliberg etc all have walking paths up. Might take a while, but it's free!

True Nicky, but the point is I did most of the "must trips" (Luzern, Bern, etc) without a half tax card (it sounds stupid but now I can't do anything!), and this time I just want to go to the mountains. I am heading Zürich just for 5 days and don't know if I'll go again in the next months... is there any offer for people with no half tax card? I'll try to look for something in the SBB site you said before... and thanks!!

Yes Destiny! I was thinking in something like this... train + walk? But I don't know the names of the places etc etc so I have to look for it, unless any of you know a nice route to go up to a mountain (an easy one!). It would be great to know which train to catch in Zurich HB and then walk a little bit, it's a day trip so I have time and I want to enjoy also nature! :-D

Hi Minukis

Your location says Zurich but you say you are only here for 5 days, are you just visiting Switzerland on holiday? do you not live here?

You can travel anywhere without a half price card but as you mentioned that the trips up the mountains were expensive that is why i suggested getting one as like the name suggests you'll get the trip half price, visiting Luzern or Bern full fare may not be too heavy on your pocket but to go up a mountain on top of the trips to luzern/Bern that gets expensive like you have found out.

If you are just visiting Zurich on holiday and you want to do some sight seeing then check this website out www.swisstravelsystem.com you can buy a 4 day pass that covers the whole of Switzerland and gives you half price on most mountain railways and cable ways

I don't know what else to suggest as you haven't fully explained your situation

Nicky

Ahm, sorry I'll try to explain my situation. I was living in Zürich some months ago, so I know Zürich pretty well, and in Dec I am going again to see some friends and spend 5 days there. The thing is I wasn't up to the mountains, that's the only thing I really want to see... maybe I can do some other "turist things" but if I didn't do them when I was living in Zh I don't think I'll do them now in just 5 days!

I see it's going to be difficult to avoid buying either a half price card or an expensive ticket, but I just wanted to ask for some advice; what mountains to visit (I read it in other posts) and maybe the possibility to take a train and then walk a little bit... basically to spend a day in the mountains :-)

We're going to be in Zurich from 1-10 Dec. I've been looking at the 10-day weather forecast for the past two weeks, just out of curiosity. Today is the first day I have seen any days without rain. Has it really been raining there for two weeks? Is it really liable to continue for another two weeks? Is that normal weather for Zurich?

It rained yesterday and a little today but really hasn't been that bad. Seasonally it's too warm and dry, to be honest. And it'll be warmer before it is colder

Makes a little more sense now, basically the only mountains i have visited that are close to Zurich are Rigi, Pilatus, Säntis and Titlis, check the websites to see if you can take the train half way for a lower price and walk, i'm not sure you'll be able to though. I think Pilatus would be a good one to walk up, saw lots of people walking up whilst passing them in the train. There were lots of hiking trails, and Santis has lots of hiking trails but they looked far too scary to me. I would imagine Rigi would be the easiest to walk up.

Nicky

I'll try to read all the pros and cons of each mountain near Zh, thanks. Also I've heard about "Pfannenstiel", but I am not very sure if this is a mountain, a place just to spend the day, a place where you can go up to the mountains, a forest? No idea! I know it's less than 30min from Zh, so it's very near and there are some paths to walk... but I don't have more info, as I don't understand exactly what they want to say in German!! Have you ever been there?

if u whant something more near to zurich look here:
http://www.gottschalkenberg.ch/
http://www.sattel-hochstuckli.ch/
http://www.hoch-ybrig.ch/

Nico