Transportation in Switzerland
Transportation in Switzerland is best with the train bus system. MORE:
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Albatros
Reisen - Organizes nightliners in charter bus for group tours in
Switzerland and all of Europe.
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Albula-Bahn-Club
Bergün - Albula line is one of the most interesting of the RhB
network. The club built a miniature of the line in Berguen. Includes
numerous information and pictures on the Albula line (the real one).
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AlpTransit
Gotthard AG, Luzern - The world's longest railway tunnel will shorten
Gotthard Line train schedules by an hour after its completion in 2012.
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Brienz
Rothorn Bahn - Switzerland's oldest cogwheel railway uses steam
locomotives to ascend the Rothorn, a mountain that overlooks Lake Brienz in
the Bernese Oberland.
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Funiculars
of Switzerland - Database of all funiculars in Switzerland. Partially
with photos and technical details.
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Furka
Oberalp Railway - The narrow-gauge FO has been linking Brig in the Upper
Wallis Valley with Disentis in Graubünden since 1926. Short introduction,
available tours, pictures.
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Glacier-Express
- Scenic route from Zermatt to St. Moritz, by Brig, Andermatt, the Oberalp
pass, Chur. With photos, timetable, and offers from the three partner
railways.
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Inforoute
- Current road traffic information from TCS: road conditions, road works,
alpine passes.
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Lake
Lucerne Navigation Company - Steam paddlewheelers and modern diesel
boats offer transportation, sightseeing, and dinner cruises on the Lake of
the Four Forest Cantons.
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Mt.
Rigi-Railways - Two cogwheel railroads and an aerial cableway offer
scenic rides to the Rigi Kulm in Central Switzerland.
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Pilatus
Railways - The steepest cogwheel railway in the world climbs to 2,312
meters or 7,000 feet on Mt. Pilatus, near Lucerne.
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Rail-info.ch
- Narrow Gauge Guide Switzerland
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Rhaetian
Railway - RhB - Scenic railway and public transportation in the canton
of Grisons. Information about the network, experience coaches, and the 19 km
Vereina tunnel, the world's longest narrow gauge tunnel.
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SBB
Brünig - The Brünig railway covers the scenic route between
Lucerne and Interlaken. Services include GoldenPass Panorama sightseeing
trains.
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Swiss
Federal Railways (SBB/CFF/FFS) - Extensive site. Timetables, corporate
information&links. The timetable includes regional buses. [It doesn't
list international coach connections nor urban transports]
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Swiss
Museum of Transports and Communication - The museum in Lucerne presents
the collection in aviation, cableways, road and rail transports,
telecommunications. Visitor information on the planetarium as well.
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Swiss
Steam Park - Swiss Vapeur Parc in Le Bouveret, on the shores on the lake
of Geneva. The 1,5 km model railway circuit (gauge 5 and 7 1/4 inches) runs
through the park, the only two-level miniature railway in Europe. It
includes intersecting tunnels, bridges and viaducts.
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Details from Search.ch:
 Verzeichnis
Verwandte Kategorien:
Websites:
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Albatros Reisen - Organizes
nightliners in charter bus for group tours in Switzerland and all of
Europe.
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Albula-Bahn-Club Bergün -
Albula line is one of the most interesting of the RhB network. The club
built a miniature of the line in Berguen. Includes numerous information
and pictures on the Albula line (the real one).
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AlpTransit Gotthard AG,
Luzern - The world's longest railway tunnel will shorten Gotthard Line
train schedules by an hour after its completion in 2012.
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Brienz Rothorn Bahn
- Switzerland's oldest cogwheel railway uses steam locomotives to ascend
the Rothorn, a mountain that overlooks Lake Brienz in the Bernese Oberland.
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Funiculars of
Switzerland - Database of all funiculars in Switzerland. Partially
with photos and technical details.
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Furka Oberalp Railway - The
narrow-gauge FO has been linking Brig in the Upper Wallis Valley with
Disentis in Graubünden since 1926. Short introduction, available tours,
pictures.
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Glacier-Express - Scenic
route from Zermatt to St. Moritz, by Brig, Andermatt, the Oberalp pass,
Chur. With photos, timetable, and offers from the three partner railways.
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Inforoute - Current road traffic
information from TCS: road conditions, road works, alpine passes.
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Lake Lucerne Navigation Company
- Steam paddlewheelers and modern diesel boats offer transportation,
sightseeing, and dinner cruises on the Lake of the Four Forest Cantons.
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Mt. Rigi-Railways
- Two cogwheel railroads and an aerial cableway offer scenic rides to the
Rigi Kulm in Central Switzerland.
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Pilatus Railways - The steepest
cogwheel railway in the world climbs to 2,312 meters or 7,000 feet on Mt.
Pilatus, near Lucerne.
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Rail-info.ch -
Narrow Gauge Guide Switzerland
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Rhaetian Railway - RhB - Scenic railway
and public transportation in the canton of Grisons. Information about the
network, experience coaches, and the 19 km Vereina tunnel, the world's
longest narrow gauge tunnel.
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SBB Brünig - The
Brünig railway covers the scenic route between Lucerne and Interlaken.
Services include GoldenPass Panorama sightseeing trains.
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Swiss Federal Railways (SBB/CFF/FFS)
- Extensive site. Timetables, corporate information & links. The
timetable includes regional buses. [It doesn't list international coach
connections nor urban transports]
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Swiss Museum of Transports and
Communication - The museum in Lucerne presents the collection in
aviation, cableways, road and rail transports, telecommunications. Visitor
information on the planetarium as well.
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Swiss Steam Park - Swiss Vapeur
Parc in Le Bouveret, on the shores on the lake of Geneva. The 1,5 km model
railway circuit (gauge 5 and 7 1/4 inches) runs through the park, the only
two-level miniature railway in Europe. It includes intersecting tunnels,
bridges and viaducts.
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Weitere Schweizer Websites zum Thema Transportation auf deutsch (75)
Hilf mit, das grösste von Menschen erstellte Webverzeichnis aufzubauen.
Railways:
total: 4,479 km (1,564 km double track)
standard gauge: 3,304 km 1.435-m gauge (3,288 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,165 km 1.000-m gauge (1,057 km electrified); 10 km
0.750-m or 0.800-m gauge (1996)
Highways:
total: 71,048 km (including 1,613 km of expressways)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km (1997 est.)
Waterways: 65 km; Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to
Bodensee); 12 navigable lakes
Pipelines: crude oil 314 km; natural gas 1,506 km
Ports and harbors: Basel
Merchant marine:
total: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 412,459 GRT/724,995 DWT
ships by type: bulk 13, cargo 1, chemical tanker 5, oil tanker 1 (1998
est.)
Airports: 67 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 42
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 15 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 25
under 914 m: 25 (1998 est.)
The Google Directory of Transportation in Switzerland HERE.
The Yahoo Directory of Transportation in Switzerland HERE.
Many international carriers serve Zurich-Kloten Airport (ZRH), which lies 7
mi/11 km north of Zurich, and Geneva Airport (GVA), which is 3 mi/5 km northwest
of that city. Excellent and frequent rail service is available to and within
Switzerland. Visitors arriving on Swissair at Zurich, Geneva or Basel airports
who intend to travel to their final destinations in Switzerland by rail or boat
can have baggage forwarded there directly by an accelerated service known as Fly
Luggage (there's a small fee, except for business travelers). On the return
journey, luggage can be checked through to its final destination from any Swiss
railway station, depending on the airline. U.S. airlines and some other carriers
are excluded from this service, so ask ahead if you want to take advantage of
it.
The superb transportation system makes the mountains more accessible than is
usually the case in other high-altitude countries. Escorted/hosted tours,
cogwheel and funicular trains, rental cars (preferred), campers and taxis are
the most common methods of seeing the country. Bicycles are available for rent
at many train stations.
If you're planning to visit different areas of Switzerland, consider buying
the Swiss Pass. It offers unlimited travel on trains (including most private
rail services), post coaches (yellow postal-service buses that might be the only
public transportation to some of the more remote areas) and lake boats. Contact
the tourist board for more information. Eurailpass is also accepted in
Switzerland and should be purchased before departure. Travelers looking for an
unusual way to arrive can take the luxuriously restored Venice-Simplon-Orient
Express from London to Zurich on its way to Venice and Rome. This famous train
runs twice a week during the summer
Here is an interesting article about travel in Switzerland. SOURCE.
Tiny
Switzerland’s Mighty Rail System
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Gomergrat
train - foot of the Matterhorn. photo by
Hamish M. Jackson
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 “It
is a good many years since I was in Switzerland last. In that remote time
there was only one ladder railway in the country. That state of things is
all changed. There isn’t a mountain in Switzerland now that hasn’t a
ladder railroad or two up its back like suspenders. Indeed, some mountains
are latticed with them.”
Mark
Twain (1835-1910)
Switzerland
is truly a train lover’s paradise. Like a giant spider’s web, the
integrated rail network crisscrosses 5,000 km (3,100 miles) of tracks.
This system is interlinked with synchronized connections to lake steamers,
gondolas and buses. Many alpine areas are so steep that the only way up is
by rack and pinion (cogwheel) tracks. The railway/cableway lines total
1,000 km (620 miles) and the bus framework encompasses 140,000 km (87,000
miles). This complex labyrinth is offered by 300 different companies,
combined into the Swiss Pass transportation ticket. Amazingly, the whole
network runs like clockwork.
To
enjoy an exciting ride aboard Europe’s oldest cog railway, take a boat
from Lucerne to Vitznau and catch the train that chugs up to the top of
Mount Rigi (1,800 m/5,900 ft.). The views are breathtaking and there are
many easy hiking trails along the crest of the escarpment.
On
the opposite side of Lake Lucerne is the Burgenstock mountain train –
the oldest electrically powered funicular. From Kehrsiten the red railway
carriage whisks you up to the Burgenstock (900 m/2,950 ft.) in about seven
minutes. As you walk around this area, you will be in good company. Billy
Graham, Yul Brynner, Charlie Chaplain and the legendary James Bond have
visited this area.
From
here enjoy a half hour walk along the cliff side trail to the lower
station of the Hammetschwand Lift, Europe’s longest and fastest exterior
elevator. At night the pencil-thin lift takes on an ethereal quality as
the outline of its structure is illuminated with fairy lights.
For
years the Swiss Alps were steeped in legends which purported that dragons
inhabited the mountain tops. Mount Pilatus near Lucerne was no exception,
with its jagged peaks often enshrouded in lingering mists. The name in
Latin, pileatus, means “cloud covered.” To reach Pilatus Kulm
(2,132 m/7,000 ft.) aboard the steepest cogwheel railway in the world,
take the lake steamer to Alpnachstad. From here, enjoy the unique ascent
(48% gradient) to the top of Pilatus.
A
walk along the Dragon Trail takes you around the tunneled circumference of
the mountain and offers heart-stopping views of the valley below. Part way
down the peak at Frakmuntegg, the young at heart can take the longest
summer toboggan run in Switzerland. The 1,350 m (4,430 ft.) long steel
tube with bends and tunnels is fun for all ages.
Back
down at Lake Lucerne, a fleet of five nostalgic paddle steamers and 15
elegant salon motor boats carries passengers to 33 resorts dotted around
the lake. The views are ever changing and the scenery is breathtaking.
Around
another bend in Lake Lucerne is the old village of Stans. From here a
vintage cable car, which has been chugging up the mountain since 1893,
will bring you up to Kalti.
From here, a modern aerial cable car will bring you up to the Stanserhorn
peak (1,900 m/6.300 ft.) for a 360-degree view of the surrounding Alps.
Referred to as a green mountain, Stanserhorn has many lovely hiking trails
through meadows of rare alpine flowers.
For
a loftier experience, take the train from Stans to Engelberg, then set out
on the four-stage ascent to the top of the Titlis (3239 m/10,625 ft.). A
highlight is the trip over the Titlis Glacier aboard Titlis Rotair, the
world’s first rotating cable car, which looks rather like a giant blue
and white tuna can. At the summit, take a chilly walk through the glacier
grotto with its marvelous ice pillars.
 Don’t
miss the museum
Before leaving the area,
every train buff should
visit the Transport Museum located just outside Lucerne. Known as the
Verkehrshaus, it marks the history of Swiss transport. The train section
has dozens of locomotives and a popular highlight is a simulated trip
aboard the works railway. The “trip” takes visitors through the 15 km
(9.3 mi.) Gotthard tunnel building site as it was in 1875. Tragically 307
lives were lost during its construction.
A
short train journey southwest from Lucerne takes visitors to lovely Lake
Brienz and Lake Thun. From
Brienz station, the Rothorn Bahn is the only cogwheel steam train still
operating in Switzerland. It transports passengers up to 2,350 m (7,710
ft.) for excellent hikes.
Directly
across Lake Brienz, the lake-steamer stops at a tiny boat station from
which a tiny red funicular disappears up through the forest to the
Grandhotel Giessbach. From the boat station, it is worth the short detour
up to this elegant 19th century hotel, which is situated next
to the spectacular, many-tiered Giessbach Falls.
One
of the most famous Swiss train journeys is The Glacier Express, which in
seven and a half hours crosses 291 bridges and passes through 91 tunnels
between the famous mountain resorts of Zermatt and St. Moritz. The Glacier
Express is really a misnomer because the train is not by any means an
express train since it gives passengers time to absorb the spectacular
scenery. To sample a flavor of the journey, take the train for a section
of the trip from Brig to Zermatt.
From
this famous ski village, the Gornergrat-Bahn begins its ascent with a view
of Zermatt, then chugs through forests of pine and larch, to the
Gornergrat (3,089 m/10,135 ft.) The viewing platform affords passengers a
breathtaking circular panorama of 29 four-thousand meter (13,000-foot)
mountains and glaciers. The most outstanding highlight is of course the
mighty sphinx-like Matterhorn, which stands at 4,477m (14,688 ft.). On the
return journey, take a breather at Riffelberg Station. Mountain trails
abound and you might be lucky to come across flocks of mountain sheep.
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Swiss
Miniatur at Melide on Lake Lugano
photo by Hamish M. Jackson
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If
you don’t have time to travel on all these modes of transport in person,
head south to Lake Lugano in the Italian part of Switzerland. The lakeside
town of Melide is famous for its miniature village. Called Swissminiatur,
it has 1.25-scale models of more than 110 national attractions, each
linked by boats, trains and cable cars that whiz around the site. Here you
will see a tiny version of Titlis-Rotair, the Grindelwald cableway, Sion
railway station and the model railway, which has a length of 3,560 meters
(2.27 mi.).
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ABOVE: Train entering the Swiss capital of Bern
(Switzerland Tourism).
Unlike
some European countries, Switzerland has a plethora of railroads. Private
enterprise is alive and well in the transportation sector, and the Swiss Federal
Railways (SBB CFF FFS) are supplemented by small to medium-size railroads that
cater to both locals and tourists.
This feature contains links to official and
unofficial Web sites for Swiss standard-gauge, narrow-gauge, and mountain
railroads. A number of the sites are in German, so you'll need to translate
with AltaVista if the maps, timetables, and other information aren't clear
to you.
Web links
Berner-Oberland
Bahn
The narrow-gauge BOB connects Interlaken to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, the
jumping-off points for the Wengernalp Railway and the Jungfraubahn (see below).
BLS Lötschberg Railway
The main BLS line from the Bernese Oberland resort of Spiez to Brig in Canton
Wallis (Valais) offers great scenery and spectacular examples of railway
engineering. The BLS also operates car
trains from Kandersteg to Goppenstein.
Bodensee-Toggenburg Bahn
The BT's routes cover a section of Northeastern Switzerland from near Lake Zürich
to the Bodensee (Lake Constance).
Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn/Wohlen-Meisterschwanden-Bahn
The BD/WM is also known as the S-Bahn Zürich's S17 line. It serves the region
to the west of Zürich, with connections to Zürich and Baden from Dietikon.
Brienz
Rothorn-Bahn
Steam-driven cogwheel trains have been hauling tourists to a scenic overlook
above Lake Brienz since 1892.
BVZ Zermatt-Bahn
The BVZ's trains connect Brig, Visp, and Zermatt, with a connection in Zürich
to the Gornergrat-Bahn.
Furka Oberalp Bahn
The narrow-gauge FO runs from Brig (Wallis) to Disentis (Graubünden). The
Glacier Express and Bernina Express run on its tracks, and car trains save time
for motorists at the Furka and Oberalp passes.
Jungfraubahnen
The cogwheel electric trains of Europe's highest railway have carried tourists
to 11,336 feet (3,454 meters) since the line was completed in 1912. For
more information, see our illustrated
article.
LSE-Bahn
The Luzern-Engelberg-Stans-Bahn bills itself as "the backbone of the
public-transportation network in Canton Nidwalden and the Engelberg
Valley."
Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway
The Panoramic Express is a popular trip on the route from Montreux to Gstaad,
Zweisimmen, and Lenk. MOB's parent company operates two other railroads from
Montreux and Vevey, including a steam train in summer.
Pilatus-Bahnen
Take the cogwheel railway to the summit, then return to lower elevations via an
aerial cablecar. (See our illustrated
article on the Pilatus-Bahnen.)
Rhätische Bahn
Some of Switzerland's most impressive scenery and railway engineering is on the
RhB. From Chur, narrow-gauge lines run to Arosa, Davos, St. Moritz, and other
resorts in Graubünden. The Tirano line offers connections to Italy and Lugano.
SBB Brünig
The Brünigbahn's scenic route connects Interlaken and Lucerne via
Brienz, Meiringen, and Lungern. Look for "Snow 'n' Rail" ski packages
in winter.
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB
CFF FFS)
When you're ready to plan your trip, use the SBB's English-language online
timetable to plan your train, bus, and boat connections. The database
includes many European routes outside Switzerland, and you can order
tickets online.
Swissmetro
There isn't much on Swissmetro's Web site yet, but you can read about this
proposed underground "maglev" (magnetic levitation) train network in
German at the NTB technical university's Swissmetro
pages. If and when the system is built, train speeds of 400 km/h (250 mph)
will cut travel time between Geneva to Zürich from three hours to 57 minutes.
Wengernalp Bahn
The WAB is a cogwheel railway that runs from Grindelwald to Wengen and
Lauterbrunnen. If you take the Jungfrau Railway excursion from Interlaken,
you'll ride the WAB from Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen to the Jungfraubahn's
station at Kleine Scheidegg.
Related material
Swiss
Official Timetable switzerlandforvisitors.com
Train, funicular, cablecar, boat, and bus schedules are packaged in a convenient
(if bulky) three-volume set that you can purchase at any Swiss railroad station.
Rail
Travel switzerlandforvisitors.com
Find other links to information on Swiss rail travel (including rail passes) in
my Switzerland
& Austria Travel Planner. Also see the Travel Planner's Mountain
Transportation page.
Click HERE to continue.
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