European Railroad Discussion > Zurich HB and Zurich to Lausanne 25 April

After getting off the ICE from Frankfurt in main part of station, needed to go to Track 32 for IC 760.  However, could not take stairs, etc. because of luggage.  Yes, there are lifts, but they are extremely well hidden.  Station personnel and police were not in evidence.  Asked some store owners on first level down, they had no idea where lifts were.  Finally found lift to tracks 33/34 at north end of shoping area.  Lifts are small and inclined not vertical.  Lift to track 33/34 was close, but no access to Track 32. Went back up to street level and then almost had to go out to taxi area to find lift to Tracks 31/32.  Finally made it to trackside.  Nothing listed for IC 760, but IC (tilting train) 1528 was due soon.  We were near split between 1st and 2nd class and conductor got off.  Showed him sheet of paper that was our ticket and he said to get on as other train was 20 minutes late.  Got on train, left two large bags in vestibule and took the last two (of four) seats in first compartment.  Train made seven station stops before getting to Lausanne, beginning with Olten.  Train consisted of two seven-car sections.  Arrived in Lauanne at 1900 hrs (15 minutes late)

Getting out of Lausanne station was interesting in that lift was a far end of station.  Had to use ramps to get to subway and then back up into station.

Next adventure begins 30 April.

John

Sounds like a comedy of errors to me!
Never travel with more than one bag and maybe a very small backpack.
Zurich station is easily navigated. There is a first class lounge upstairs
where you can unwind and leave your bags for a short while.

Suggest you make use of the sbb.ch website:  www.sbb.ch/en

In addition to timetables has a huge amounts of links, including main stations information. There is also an app for station information.

There is usually wi-fi available at most main staitons, & access to the SBB website is free.   

Look, I have a lot of sympathy for John, who it appears is trying to do a normal thing, that is to travel around a small part of Europe by train on business. I have often been in the same situation of needing to have respectable work clothes while travelling for professional reasons, and it is not always easy. My comments in an earlier post about Americans in Europe were really about the very common sight of people dressed most informally with huge suitcases (on the train yesterday from Venezia to Firenze I saw yet more of the same, using more than one seat each! However I will keep quiet as obesity is no longer a uniquely American phenomenon).

As to the challenges of negotiating Zurich Hbf, I cannot comment as it some years since I changed trains there. I suspect there is problem of familiarity which we all have in strange places. Most Swiss people use trains at least once a week, and will be well versed in the pictograms etc which show where lifts are etc. Locals know how to behave but strangers find it harder. Similarly I have been chastised in New York for jay-walking - it may be what you do in the UK or Italy (but never in Germany or the US!).

I don't think that John's trip needs him to study apps etc - that is what you do when you are an obsessional trainspotter. I always think that there is a time and place for that kind of thing!

Vive le difference, and please keep posting the reports.

Paul, London



 

Thank you, Paul.

Now back in US.  Went through Zurich HB again on 2 May coming from Milan and again on 4 May heading for Frakfurt Hbf.  The elevator to tracks 31 and 32 is not well marked.  Just a structure sticking up from the concourse on your way from trains to taxis/street.

We used about 90% of clothes we packed (we were gone from 22 April to 5 May).  Had four days and one evening of scientific meetings in Lausanne.  I went dressy casual for first three days and then did the jacket a tie for the conference dinner and the fourth day of meetings as I was one of the speakers.  My significant other and traveling companion is also the sales and marketing director for my consulting business so I had her business suit in my bag (Briggs & Riley wheeled wardrobe).  Switzerland was unusually cold and wet.  There was even some snow on way back from Italy after train went through Gotthard tunnel.  Only decent weather was last day in Zurich and day we traveled from Zurich to Frankfort.

My trips abroad are business first and riding/watching trains second.  I had major report due for client on my return so I spend most of the time on the train with the laptop on and working on the report.  The seats in first classl with the table between them are very good for working while traveling.  Much better than airlines, even in first class.  Had to work most of the nine-hour flight back from Frankfurt to Atlanta.  Yes, I work by the hour, and you only get paid when you work.  Time and costs of conferences is overhead I need to spend to keep up with the science and to represent my clients' interests.

Next trip is Berlin in October.

John

Over the years I have done a lot of work at tables on trains - aren't they great? We have also had some slap-up picnics. Such a shame that the proportion of airline-style seating is increasing all the time.

You also of course mention the factor which I overlooked, which is the very varied weather and climatic conditions, especially between the north and south sides of the Alps. Almost any mountain range can have an impact: I mentioned in a recent post that I had just ridden from Venezia to Firenze. Between Bolgona and Firenze (only 30 minutes apart but largely in tunnel through the Appenines) the sun came out and the temperature rose by almost 10 degrees (C).