Train Paris to Interlaken

[jas]

Hi I am not sure if anybody is going to be able to help me but I am a bit lost!

I am looking on www.bahn.de to find an overnight train from Paris to Interlaken. I can find some ok but my problem is that they seem to go via Germany. As I only have a rail pass valid in France and Switzerland, I am under the impression that I can't use the pass for a trip if it goes through another country?? I would like to use the pass as it already paid for.
Or is there another way from Paris to Interlaken (or nearby place in Switzerland) without going through Germany?

Thanks if anybody can help. I know it is such a specific question

[me]

www.bahn.de is a Germanrail site. perhaps that's why it shows German trains.

at 1st look on www.sbb.ch i see a "Fast Train," D469, departs Paris-Est at 22.43 & gets to Basel SBB (France) at 04.50. transfer to "InterCityExpress," ICE1050, which departs Basel SBB platform 11 at 05.27 and gets to Interlaken Ost at 07.35.

the calendar sez this connection runs almost through the Spring. it seems to stop after the 1st week of June.

i'm not sure, but i suspect Basel SBB (France) & Basel SBB are the same building. the (France) one is prolly a French section within the Swiss station. [www.sbb.ch sez it's a 10 min. walk]

that Paris to Basel is just under 5 hours, a short night sez the insomniac at 5.45 in the morning.

[jas]

thanks so much for looking. I will check out that site. june is when i want the connection! oh well.
i have been looking again and i found this site www.eurorailways.com/sleepers/index.htm
that has a list of sleeper trains. I am thinking would like a sleeper train so can lie down and sleep. This is the only list of sleeper trains I have been able to find. Are these all the connections that are able to be done?

Thanks again David and thanks in anticipation of responses!!!

[Eagle]

jas, I have a couple of suggestions that might work.

Since you've already bought your Rail pass, you can always buy a separate P-P ticket to cover the Germany portion of your trip. I haven't checked the costs, but it shouldn't be too expensive. If you decide to use the Germany route, MAKE SURE you have a valid ticket for that (as well as reservation, if applicable), or you could be paying a substantial fine!

Another option would be to use this route (I picked an arbitrary date to work with):

Depart Paris Est Mo, 11.06.07 dep 07:24 via TGV 9571 (Reservations Mandatory!)
Arrive Strasbourg Mo, 11.06.07 arr 09:42
(Duration 2H 18M, no changes)
Depart Strasbourg Mo, 11.06.07 dep 12:53 via EC91 (Reservations mandatory!)
Arrive Interlaken Ost Mo, 11.06.07 arr 17:03
(Duration 4H 10M, no changes)
(TOTAL DURATION - 6H 28M)

I didn't check for an overnight train, as I suspect that might complicate the situation somewhat. Some of the night trains have numerous changes (4 or 5 on some routes), and in that case I doubt that you'd be getting any sleep. In the schedule listed above, you still have one change in Strasbourg, but I couldn't find any direct trains.

Hope this helps. Happy planning!!!

[rchua]

there should be train leaving paris from gare d'lest station to interlaken. you'll have to make a stop at basel and switch trains there. i took the overnight train last year on my trip.

[jas]

thanks for the help
if a train is an overnight train, does it necessarily have couchettes? I was really hoping for that. This site www.eurorailways.com/sleepers/index.htm lists the only 'overnight' train like that from Paris to Switzerland as going to Zurich. Is it not a good site?
Thanks again don't know who I would ask without this!

[madamtrashheap]

Nothing wrong with that website jas, you'll just find that many Members here use RailEurope or DB as resources as they access a great number of other sites for their information. I'd say your site only lists the one train as this is the only special price or deal it has access to.

If you want an overnight train, then best go with the Paris-Basel-Interlaken Ost option (even though it requires a change at 4am!). That really offers the least hassle and quickest overnight journey. Otherwise, consider taking the TGV (fast train) from Paris to Geneva or Lausanne (around 3hr30) then a train from either Swiss city to Interlaken Ost (they all go via Bern and take btwn 2hr15 and 2hr45). This means travelling during the day (at whatever time you like) but at least the scenery is good (if not fast!).

The only way you can be assured of getting a sleeper (or couchette) is to book (reservations on these are mandatory). The TGV also requires a reservation, check the conditions on your rail pass but it should also be able to be used on the TGV as long as you pay the extra booking fee.

[me]

the 5 hour train from Paris to Basel has couchette. don't know about the ICE from Basel to Interlaken.

as Madam sez, be sure to reserve!

EDIT: if it's a problem to change trains at 10 'til 5 in the morning, there are ways to work around it. that D469 train also stops at several more places in Switzerland, after Basel. each one would be at a progressively later time. you could take a train from one of these other towns to Interlaken.

i took a look, D469 gets to Zürich at 06.24 (an extra 94 min. to sleep? almost 8 hours after depart from Paris), there are trains from Zürich to Interlaken, too. [you'd get to Interlaken a little later but, because you have a rail pass which includes Switzerland, it shouldn't cost you any extra cash]

- d

me said:

at 1st look on www.sbb.ch i see a "Fast Train," D469, departs Paris-Est at 22.43 & gets to Basel SBB (France) at 04.50. transfer to "InterCityExpress," ICE1050, which departs Basel SBB platform 11 at 05.27 and gets to Interlaken Ost at 07.35.

[madamtrashheap]

Silly me, there's also a TGV Paris-Bern direct that takes around 4hr45 a few times a day - saves trekking too far south in Switzerland. Again it means daytime travel, but it's an alternative. Look on David's tip of www.sbb.ch and you'll find times and details. Basel to Interlaken ICE trains don't have couchettes (not a far enough distance and they're too fast) to the best of my knowledge.