62 / 100
you’re not used to public transportation being so
good that you prefer to leave the car behind, you
are in for a treat in Switzerland. Millions of residents
don’t even own a car because they rely on the
Swiss Travel System of trains, buses, and boats —
yes, people even commute via waterways. You will
find all the modes of transportation to be clean,
comfortable, and, most importantly, integrated so
that everything connects to provide a seamless and
stress-free journey. The wonderful canary-yellow
PostBuses drop you off right outside train stations
and provide quick connections. Nearly everyone
speaks English, so you can always ask for help —
though signage is usually a model of common
sense. And all systems run on time like the prover-
bial Swiss watch.
There is hardly a dull rail jour ney in
Switzerland — even some commuter trains pass
through scenery that people travel halfway around
the world to see. Here are six magnificent rail day-
trips around three popular resort areas: Flims,
Lenzerheide, and Wengen. And even assuming
start times no earlier than 8:00 a.m., all will get
you back to your resort in time for supper.
FROM FLIMS
Steam Over the Furka Pass
Catch a bus to the award-winning (really!) bus sta-
tion at Chur, and descend the escalators for a train
to Realp. This takes you along part of the route of
the famous Glacier Express, which runs between
St. Moritz and Zermatt. The whole journey takes
eight hours, but you will enjoy one of the best sec-
tions on your ride to Realp.
After crossing over the confluence of the two
Rhine tributaries, you follow the Vorderrhein head-
stream through the spectacular Ruinaulta gorge,
known as the Swiss Grand Canyon, where great cliffs of white lime-
stone tower over the line. The train climbs from pasture into more
rugged country, passing the huge white monastery at Disentis. The
source of the Rhine is close to the 6,670-foot summit of the line at
the wild Oberalp Pass and the start of a dizzying descent via a series
of dramatic U-shaped curves down to the ski resort of Andermatt.
The train continues to Realp, where it is a short walk to the station
of the Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke (DFB), a steam-powered his-
toric railway that climbs at fierce gradients to the Furka Tunnel and
drops down through a spiral tunnel to Oberwald. The DFB operates
a relatively short season, so be sure to check dates and times.
From Oberwald, take the train back through the lower-level Furka
Base Tunnel to Chur and the PostBus back to Flims.
Paddling on Lake Lucerne
This day-trip requires a few changes and may appear complicated,
but like all Swiss journeys, it’s much simpler than it sounds. Take a
bus to Chur for a train to Thalwil past the lovely lake waters of
Walensee, backed by sawtooth mountains. At Thalwil, take the train
to Zug and change to the route to Flüelen. A few minutes’ walk from
60
INTERVAL WORLD Summer 2016 IntervalWorld.com
TOP: A cruise around shimmering Lake Lucerne offers a different vantage point to take in the
picture-perfect Alpine scenery. BOTTOM: The Rhaetian Railway travels a spectacular route of
soaring and winding track.
LOOK-foto/SuperStock; Switzerland Tourism; Sonderegger
Christof/Prisma/SuperStock; Anthony Lambert