I love the idea of sitting back and relaxing on a train but I also love to drive because it seems like you have an opportunity to see and experience more. We plan to travel from Munich to Zurich on Sep 25th, on Sep 26th we wanted to go into Lucerne for the day and then we fly home from Zurich on the 27th. I wonder if anyone recommends having a car for all of this is or if taking trains is better. We happen to have hotels near both main train stations in Munich and Zurich. Also--can anyone tell me what the weather is like at the end of September? Still warm or getting chilly? Thanks!
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I prefer driving for the reason you stated. Also I enjoy getting on the autobahn and having a little fun, which you can%26#39;t do over here. The train system over there is so much better than here, more efficient, and you can relax and take in the sights..just can%26#39;t stop when you want and go in the sight.
Weather end of September should be moderate. I would guess in the low 70%26#39;s during the day, mid 50%26#39;s at night. Probably close to temp in Chicago that time of year.
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If you rent in Munich and return in Zürich you%26#39;ll have to pay an international drop off fee. Which can be quite steep (a couple of hundred Euro).
Less costly but also to consider:
- you need a vignette (toll sticker) for the Swiss autobahns (CHF 40).
- you need either another vignette for the Austrian autobahns (albeit a short stretch it%26#39;s nearly impossible to avoid) or use the ferry from Friedrichshafen to Romanshorn (car 3-4 m incl. driver EUR 19,00; any further adult EUR 7,50). Or the ferry from Meersburg to Konstanz (car 3-4 m incl. driver EUR 8,00; any further adult EUR 2,50).
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In Germany you can get %26#39;Länder tickets%26#39; which allow up to five of you to travel within a particular region for 1 day using local trains from 9 a.m. until 3 a.m. of the following day. You can see a lot in this way, and it is much cheaper than driving, even if you get one of these tickets every day. I think one of these tickets is valid as far as Zurich (certainly to Basel), and there are also weekend equivalents. Deutsche Bahn also offers several-day passes, which are better value than the eurail cowboys.
This should give you some more information europetrainsguide.com/200907153/Countries/Ge…
Have fun - the train is much more relaxing in Germany!
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Hi kramfam,
I love using the trains whenever I can, and in fact one reason I moved here was to get away from the auto-obsessed society!
I love the freedom of the trains -- never get lost, never struggle with dense, narrow streets in medieval cities, never look for and pay for parking, etc. And I%26#39;ve really been able to get to anyplace I want to see (particularly in Switzerland) by train or bus. It%26#39;s really quite easy though it%26#39;s not FAST. But I love slow travelling, so I%26#39;m quite happy.
You certainly don%26#39;t need a car for the Swiss portion of your trip, and in fact it would be more costly I believe. The train takes you from Zürich center to Luzern center in about 45 minutes, and again, no getting lost or hunting for a parking spot. Parking can be expensive in coth cities, as well.
If you want to go by train, get your ticket as soon as possible to get the discounted fares. They go on sale about 90 days out but sell out quickly.
Have fun!
s
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Train - better! No driving in and out of big cities like yours, no traffic jams, no accidents, no radar speed tickets, no vignette or parking fees; use the potty whenever you like, and crack open a bottle of wine for the trip!
There are about 8 train departures from Zurich on 9/25 for 39 Euros each right now at
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
Buy them before they sell out.
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