Author Topic: Switzerland  (Read 73256 times)

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Offline hollins

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #90 on: January 23, 2015, 12:08:50 pm »
It was sad to leave the mountains behind yesterday as they were looking pristine in the sunshine. We set off the downhill walk to the bus stop at 14.30, thank goodness for the invention of trolley cases! After a few miles on the bus going down the valley we were in clouds and mist so we realised that we had been lucky to enjoy such a lovely morning higher up.
The bus arrives on time at the station and then it is two trains to Geneva airport and an easyjet flight back to Liverpool.
Thank goodness also for easyjet. I will never take these flights for granted when you think what the cost of a similar European flight used to be years ago. This time we booked a few weeks ago and paid £86 each return. Even the car parking at Liverpool airport seems much lower these days. £33 for 11 days this time.
We have half price railcards for the Swiss train fare and this was 84 francs each return so without it the train fare for a 3 hour journey would be more than the flight!
 While we were there this time the Swiss National Bank decided to take away the link between the Swiss franc and the euro making it an even more expensive place for tourists. On the way there the tourist rate was 1.46 and today it is 1.24 to the pound.
No chance of continuing our journey by train from Liverpool airport, maybe one day!
Arrived home just before midnight and the house was freezing despite the heating being set to come on twice a day. I thought of Hugo's question on how did I cope with the change of temperature? Well last night, not too well. I had to get up in the night and put a jumper on!

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #91 on: January 23, 2015, 02:22:32 pm »
No snow on the line then? :o ;D
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.


Offline hollins

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #92 on: January 23, 2015, 02:37:42 pm »
Ha! Yes, if a train is significantly late over there it is on the news. Luckily I have never been on one that is more than about 2 mins late!

Offline hollins

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #93 on: March 12, 2015, 04:37:24 pm »
Rabbit fever!

Offline hollins

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #94 on: March 18, 2015, 09:41:19 am »
I have been a bit hard on Zurich my "room with a view" post because it really is a very attractive place. Here are a few snaps from my last visit in which I was blessed with lovely sunshine and warm spring weather.

Offline Ian

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #95 on: April 27, 2015, 08:58:49 am »
We travelled by train from Llandudno Junction to Switzerland last Saturday and spent every day there on some train or other, so I have a lot of pics and have learnt rather a lot about how to run a train system extremely well.  Mind you, as my other half sagely noted, it helps when you don't have to drop everything to fight a couple of world wars or fund a Navy...

The Swiss operate two different train systems, as well as hosts of tram systems in their towns. Essentially, they use standard gauge systems for high-speed trains and drill holes through any big lumps of land which get in the way, so their big trains run straight, flat and fairly fast. They also operate a 'narrow gauge' system - slightly more than 3' wide - and all trains run on electrified routes.

In terms of climbing and descending, the narrower gauge system (which uses full-width coaches BTW, so you don't realise it's narrow gauge) excels at gradients you would otherwise only expect to see in theme parks and many are fitted with regenerative braking systems, which feed back into the various overhead lines. The narrower gauge also excels at very, very tight bends whilst clinging to the sides of sheer rock faces.

What the Swiss do very well, however, is provide information. In buckets-full. In each mainline coach there are LED screens which tell you which stop you're approaching, what the eventual destination of the train is, which coach you're in, what connections there will be at the next station and whether the Loo is occupied (that last's important, since the one thing the Swiss can't get right is providing working toilets on their trains).

But we travelled on Virgin, Eurostar, Thalys, DB CNL and CH, including Bernina, Glacier, Gornergrat and the odd few in between.  Main finding: a few little things could improve our network immensely, the Swiss aren't perfect but they're good, Thalys is seriously fast and DB (the German network) are truly, truly awful. But give me train any time over 'plane.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #96 on: April 27, 2015, 09:04:12 am »
Sounds like a fantastic trip, let's see some photos please.  $thanx$

Offline Ian

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #97 on: April 27, 2015, 09:09:25 am »
This was the view from our balcony at 0600 on the third day:

[smg id=3318]

[smg id=3320]

More later...
« Last Edit: April 27, 2015, 04:40:39 pm by Ian »
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #98 on: April 27, 2015, 09:10:14 am »
That's stunning, Ian.  $good$

Offline Bri Roberts

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #99 on: April 27, 2015, 09:11:11 am »
It sounds very exciting.

Simply out of curiosity, Ian, what time did you leave Llandudno Junction and what time did you arrive at your destination?

Offline Ian

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #100 on: April 27, 2015, 09:17:38 am »
Caught the 1140 from Llandudno J, arrived London 3 hours later.  We stayed overnight at the St Pancras Renaissance from where we took the Eurostar at 1110 to Brussels, the Thalys HST to Amasterdam and then DB CNL to Zurich. If we'd wanted to we could have done it to Zurich in about 11 hours, but we wanted to enjoy the trip and sleep :-)))
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #101 on: April 27, 2015, 09:20:47 am »
Caught the 1140 from Llandudno J, arrived London 3 hours later.  We stayed overnight at the St Pancras Renaissance from where we took the Eurostar at 1110 to Brussels, the Thalys HST to Amasterdam and then DB CNL to Zurich. If we'd wanted to we could have done it to Zurich in about 11 hours, but we wanted to enjoy the trip and sleep :-)))
What a trip! Not stayed there yet, but St Pancras Renaissance looks fabulous - what was your opinion of it?

Offline hollins

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #102 on: April 27, 2015, 09:29:48 am »
Great trip Ian!
Did you return by train also?
I can't wait to see the photos and to see which places you visited there. Were you on the Glacier Express?
 I can't see the balcony photo for some reason.
It says sorry you are not allowed to view this file and make sure I am connected to the server.

Offline Ian

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #103 on: April 27, 2015, 09:32:55 am »
We've stayed a few times.  It's a exquisite place, with superb preservation of its original features.  If you do go, opt to stay in a Chambers room or suite. Their basic rooms are called 'Barlow', which we've never used, and they're in a different and newer part of the building. Chambers rooms enjoy access to the Chambers club, which is a sort of 1930s-style 24-hour, dress-code eatery (all inclusive) and you can also opt for the fabled 'VIP transfer' service.

This provides you with what they describe as a 'personal butler' who collects you and your luggage on the day you're leaving, escorts you past the security queues (!) and through passport control onto the Eurostar itself. This is wonderful, as you pass lines of people, all queuing and simply waltz straight onto the train. They manage this because the 'butler' is also an employee of Eurostar, so has the keycard access and credentials he needs.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Ian

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Re: Switzerland
« Reply #104 on: April 27, 2015, 09:39:52 am »
Quote
Did you return by train also?

No.  We flew into Manchester, which was a big mistake.

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I can't wait to see the photos and to see which places you visited there. Were you on the Glacier Express?

Yep. and the Bermina .

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I can't see the balcony photo for some reason.

This is a permissions issue which ME also has. I'll try to sort it today. The pic is the Matterhorn which was the view from our hotel balcony in Zermatt.  Incidentally, the best hotel either of have ever stayed in.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.