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GETTING AROUND |
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The efficiency of the massively comprehensive Swiss public transport
system remains one of the wonders of the modern world. Services depart
on the dot, and train timetables are well integrated with those of the
postbus system, which operates on rural routes not covered by trains.
Trains and buses
Travelling through Switzerland by train is invariably comfortable,
hassle-free and extremely scenic, with many mountain routes an
attraction in their own right. The main network, run by SBB CFF FFS (Schweizerische
Bundesbahnen, Chemins de Fer Fédéraux, Ferrovie Federali Svizzere),
covers much of the country, but many routes, especially Alpine lines,
are operated by the smaller companies which pioneered them a century or
more ago.
Main stations keep a public copy of the national timetable , which
covers all rail, bus, boat and cable-car services. The national enquiry
number is tel 0900/300 300, and www.rail.ch has complete information.
InterRail (also EuroDomino) and Eurail pass-holders get free travel on
SBB and most smaller lines, but only patchy discounts on boats, cable
cars and mountain railways (specified in the text as IR for InterRail
and ER for Eurail), and no discounts on buses or city trams. The Swiss
Pass ( SP ), available from Swiss tourist offices at home or main
stations in Switzerland, allows free travel on virtually all trains,
buses and boats, as well as on most city tram and bus networks;
discounts apply on cable cars, mountain railways and bike rental. A
Swiss Pass for 4/8 consecutive days costs Sfr230/320, with discounts for
two or more people travelling together. The Swiss Flexi-pass gives 3/4/5
days' travel in a month with the same benefits as the Swiss Pass for
Sfr220/260/300. The Swiss Half-Fare Card (Sfr95) gets fifty percent off
all trains, buses, boats and most city trams for a month. If you plan to
concentrate on one region, check out the relevant tourist office's
regional pass , typically giving five days' travel in fifteen with
discounts for the other ten days. If you're under 25, you can pay Sfr249
for a Track 7 card which gives a year's travel nationwide after 7pm plus
half-price travel before 7pm.
Buses take over where train track runs out. These are generally yellow
postbuses ( www.post.ch ), which invariably depart from train station
forecourts. They're free to holders of all Swiss passes (although
certain Alpine routes command a Sfr5-10 supplement, along with advance
seat reservation), but full-price to Eurailers and InterRailers.
Boats
All of Switzerland's bigger lakes are crossed by ferry services of one
sort or another. Most run only during the summer season (June-Sept), and
duplicate routes which can be covered more cheaply and quickly by rail.
But if you have the time, cruising through the Alpine foothills to
Interlaken or between villages on the Lake Geneva shoreline beats the
equivalent train journeys hands down.
Driving, hitching and cycling
Switzerland's road network is comprehensive and well planned, and
although the mountainous terrain can make for some circuitous routes
there is, of course, the compensation of impressively scenic mountain
drives. Speed limits are 50kph in built-up areas, 80kph on main roads
and 120kph on motorways. To drive on motorways (signposted in green) you
must pay Sfr40 for a vignette or tax disc, which is valid for a year and
available from Swiss tourist offices abroad, at every border-post and
most petrol stations. It's easy, though, to stick to main roads (signposted
in blue), which are fast and free. The Touring Club Suisse ( www.tcs.ch
) operates a 24-hour breakdown service on tel 140. Car rental costs
upwards of Sfr130/day for unlimited kilometrage, or about Sfr750/week.
Most firms require the driver to be over 21.
Hitching is feasible on the main routes linking the cities of the north
and east, or on a through-trip to the south, but the really scenic bits
of Switzerland are so widely scattered that it's usually difficult to
get a direct ride. The risks attached to hitching are the same as in any
country.
Given the nature of the landscape, cycling is not the easiest way of
exploring the country, but the scenery often more than compensates for
the extra effort required. It's a popular Swiss pursuit, especially
along valley floors and around lakes; there are nine national long-distance
cycle routes, and bike-lanes abound in cities. Tourist offices can give
you a map showing routes. You can rent a brand-new country- or mountain-bike
at over 130 train stations nationwide for Sfr27 per day, Sfr21 if you
hold a Swiss travel pass, less for a half-day. For an extra Sfr7 you can
pick the bike up at one station and drop it off at another (this charge
is waived on rentals of two days or more). It's always a good idea to
reserve a few days ahead at any train station or online ( www.rent-a-bike.ch
). The city councils of Zurich, Geneva and Bern also operate free or cut-price
bike-rental schemes (ask at tourist offices), and some HI hostels rent
bikes for Sfr15/day. You can take a bike on regional/InterCity trains
for Sfr6/12, but many people take the sweat-free option of going by
train into the high Alps, then renting a bike at the top station and
freewheeling the whole way down again.
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