Austria, Switzerland & Warsaw - Flying in J (OS, LX & LO 787) Riding Trains & Hiking!

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Nov 20, 2014, 2:53 pm

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Austria, Switzerland & Warsaw - Flying in J (OS, LX & LO 787) Riding Trains & Hiking!

Introduction and Index to Trip Report: Austria, Switzerland & Warsaw - Flying in J (OS, LX & LO 787) Riding Trains & Hiking!

Mrs. FindAWay and I enjoy hiking (we even spent several days of our honeymoon hiking in Argentine and Chilean Patagonia). However, before this trip, neither of us had been to Switzerland or hiked in the Alps. So, we decided to plan a trip to hike in the Swiss Alps during the week of U.S. Labor Day in September 2014 and book the trip before the United Airlines award chart devaluation took effect in February 2014. As part of our redemption for flights on Star Alliance carriers, I wanted to complete one of my goals for the year – flying long haul business class on both the 787 and the A380 (we flew in business on Thai’s A380 in March 2014). So, we booked our trip to return to Chicago from Warsaw on LOT Polish Airlines’ 787 Dreamliner. Since we planned to take about 11 days for the trip, we chose to travel through both Switzerland and Austria (as neither of us had previously visited Salzburg or spent any significant time in Vienna) before a quick exploration of Warsaw during an overnight (~21 hours) connection.

Links to FindAWay’s Photo-Filled Trip Reports:

Photo Below: What Prompted this Trip – Views while Hiking in the Bernese Oberland Region of Switzerland

During our 11 day trip, we flew 3 flights (on 3 different carriers), rode on more than 20 trains, enjoyed several aerial cableways, spent 10 nights in 6 different hotels, and hiked the majority of 4 of the days of our trip. Unlike some of our previous award bookings, we routed our trip almost as directly as possible. Of course, I still selected an itinerary that provided us with lie-flat business class seats on both long haul flights. One of our checked bags was delayed by the carrier during our trip and it rained more days than it didn’t during our trip. Nonetheless, we thoroughly enjoyed the trip!

Index

Last edited by FindAWay; May 18, 2015 at 3:27 pm Reason: Updated TR Links

Nov 20, 2014, 2:54 pm

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Trip Overview and Summary

Trip Overview and Summary

Map Below: Entire Trip Route

Route: ORD-VIE(destination)/(1st open jaw)ZRH-WAW(overnight)-ORD(3-month stopover)-SJU(2nd open jaw)
Miles Actually Flown: 10,398 miles (excluding ORD-SJU)
Dates Traveled: Friday, August 29, 2014 to Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Destinations Visited: Vienna, Salzburg (and Hallstatt), Zurich, Wengen (and Bernese Oberland), Lucerne, and Warsaw (the future flight to SJU is excluded from this TR)
Travelers: 2 (Mrs. FindAWay and me)

Miles, Points, & Credits Used and USD$ Paid:

102,500 United MileagePlus Miles (per person) USED
$83.10 Cumulative Taxes & Fees Imposed by Airlines (per person) PAID
$50.00 Change Fee Imposed by United Airlines (per person) PAID
$143.26 Total Paid for two (2) Separate Austrian OBB First Class Train Tickets (per person) PAID (mostly credited back using Arrival+ Miles)
$257.00 Total Paid for 2nd Class 4-Day Swiss Saver Passes (per person) PAID (mostly credited back using Arrival+ Miles)
~$33.00 Total Paid for a 2nd Class Swiss SBB Train Ticket (Luzern - Zürich Flughafen) (per person) PAID
25,000 Choice Privileges Points (total - 1 night) USED
1 Category 1-5 Marriott Rewards e-Certificate (total – 1 night) USED
144,000 Club Carlson Points (total - 6 nights) USED
$394.18 Total Paid Hotels.com Reservation (total - 2 nights) PAID

Our Final Itineraryin chronological order (decision process is outlined below) was as follows:

DEPART CHICAGO & ARRIVE VIENNA: Fri., August 29, 2014 - Sat., August 30, 2014
4:05pm-8:40am - ORD-VIE -- Austrian Airways #OS66 Bus. [9h 35m] (part of 102.5k UA MP & $83.10/pp)

VIENNA (2 DAYS): Sat., August 30, 2014 (arrive 8:40am) until Mon., September 1, 2014 (depart 9:30am)
Hotel: Radisson Blu Style Hotel, Vienna [2 nights] (25,000 CC Points & $0.00 per nt. after credit card last night free benefit)

DEPART VIENNA & ARRIVE SALZBURG: Mon., September 1, 2014
9:30am-11:52am – Wien Westbahnhof – Salzburg Hbf – RailJet #562 First Class [2h 22m] (29.00 EUR/pp)

SALZBURG (2 DAYS): Mon., September 1, 2014 (arrive 9:30am) until Wed., September 3, 2014 (depart 7:56am)
Hotel: Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg [2 nights] (22,000 CC Points & $0.00 per nt. after credit card last night free benefit)

DEPART SALZBURG & ARRIVE ZURICH: Wed., September 3, 2014
7:56am-1:20pm – Salzburg Hbf - Zürich HB – Railjet #364 First Class [5h 24m] (79.00 EUR/pp)

ZURICH (LESS THAN 1 DAY): Wed., September 3, 2014 (arrive 1:20pm) until Thur., September 4, 2014 (depart 8:02am)
Hotel: Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich [1 night] (25,000 Choice Privileges Points & $0.00 per nt.)

DEPART ZURICH & ARRIVE WENGEN: Thur., September 4, 2014
8:02am-10:51am - Zürich HB – Wengen – IC#812-IC#961-R#151-R#351 2nd Class. [3h 49m] (part of Swiss Pass $257.00/pp)

WENGEN/BERNESE OBERLAND (2.5 DAYS): Thur., Sept. 4, 2014 (arrive 10:51am) until Sat., Sept. 6, 2014 (depart 5:03pm)
Hotel: Hotel Edelweiss [2 nights] (Hotels.com 180.00 CHF per nt.)

DEPART WENGEN & ARRIVE LUCERNE: Sat., September 6, 2014
5:03pm-7:55pm – Wengen – Luzern – R#366-R#166-IR#2235 2nd Class. [2h 52m] (part of Swiss Pass $257.00/pp)

LUCERNE (2 DAYS): Sat., September 6, 2014 (arrive 7:55pm) until Mon., September 8, 2014 (depart 1:10pm)
Hotel: Radisson Blu Hotel, Lucerne [2 nights] (25,000 CC Points & $0.00 per nt. after credit card last night free benefit)

DEPART LUCERNE TO ZURICH AIRPORT & ARRIVE WARSAW: Mon., September 8, 2014
1:10pm-2:13pm – Luzern - Zürich Flughafen – IR#2340 2nd Class. [1h 03m] (28.00 CHF/pp)
5:15pm-7:10pm – ZRH-WAW – Swiss (Op. by OAW Helvetic Air) #LX1352 Bus. [1h 55m] (part of 102.5k UA MP & $83.10/pp)

WARSAW (1 DAY): Mon., September 8, 2014 (arrive 7:10pm) until Tues., September 9, 2014 (depart 4:30pm)
Hotel: Warsaw Marriott Hotel [1 night] (1 Marriott Cat. 1-5 eCert. & $0.00 per nt.)

DEPART WARSAW & ARRIVE CHICAGO: Tues., September 9, 2014
4:30pm-7:05pm - WAW-ORD – LOT Polish Airlines #LO003 Bus. [9h 35m] (part of 102.5k UA MP & $83.10/pp)

{FUTURE (but not included in this TR):DEPART CHICAGO & ARRIVE SAN JUAN:8:20am-3:05pm – ORD-SJU – United Airlines #UA1688 Bus. [4h 45m] (part of 102.5k UA MP & $83.10/pp)}

Background: In September 2013, I transferred a large balance of Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to United MileagePlus Miles because I feared a shutdown of my Chase accounts. The shutdown didn’t happen (or, at least, hasn’t yet happened) to me. Just over a month later, United announced a massive devaluation to their award chart. Perfect; just perfect. As the February 1, 2014 devaluation effective date approached, we determined where we wanted to go to lock-in our pre-devaluation award rate. Since neither of us had been to Switzerland or hiked in the Alps, we decided to plan a trip to hike in the Swiss Alps while it was still 100,000 miles per person in business class on Star Alliance partners. And, I decided to take advantage of United’s generous routing rules (that allow both a stopover and a double open-jaw) to include a leg to San Juan, Puerto Rico during Chicago’s cold winter as part of our itinerary for only 2,500 miles per person more.

Our plan was to have an open jaw arriving into Geneva, Switzerland and departing from Vienna, Austria (and we’d take trains with stops in destinations between the two cities) with an overnight connection in Warsaw on the return to both visit Warsaw and fly our return flight on LO’s 787. After a lot of research and discussion, I first settled on and booked the following redemption (as Lufthansa opened a ton of business class award space on their new YYZ-MUC route with their updated business class):

102,500 United Airlines MileagePlus Miles and $153.60 per person (for 2 people):
Fri., August 29, 2014 - Sat., August 30, 2014
11:00am-1:26pm - ORD-YYZ – United Express #3634 Bus. [1h 26m]
-- 4h 19m Layover in YYZ --
5:45pm-7:45am(+1) – YYZ MUC – Lufthansa #495 Bus. [7h 20m]
--3h 40m Layover in MUC --
11:25am-12:35pm – MUC-GVA – Lufthansa Cityline #2384 Bus. [1h 10m]
---Destination: Geneva---
---Open Jaw Return From: Vienna---
Mon., September 8, 2014
5:40pm-7:00p – VIE-WAW – Tyrolean Airlines #631 Bus. [1h 20m]
---21h 30m Overnight Layover in WAW---
Tues., September 9, 2014
4:30pm-7:05pm – WAW-ORD – LOT Polish Airlines #003 Bus. [9h 35m]
---Long Stopover in ORD---
 Future Date
7:04am-9:51am – ORD-CLT – United Express #6217 First [1h 51m]
--1h 54m Layover in CLT --
11:45am-4:13pm – CLT-SJU – US Airways #752 First [3h 28m]
---Double Open Jaw Destination: San Juan---

I wasn’t thrilled with the 3-leg journey with long layovers from Chicago to Geneva; but, it was available and I wanted to try LH’s new business class seats. Unlike my past calls to US Airways agents, the very first United Airlines agent with whom I spoke was able to quickly ticket my itinerary.

A few months later, in April, I noticed there was a schedule change on the very last leg (CLT-SJU) that caused a misconnect in Charlotte. In looking at availability on-line, the United Airlines ORD-SJU non-stop for the same day was available in business; so, I called to make the fee-free change. However, the agent was having difficulty. There was a small change in taxes that meant I had to pay slightly more ($7.00 per person)…so, my new itinerary was:

102,500 United Airlines MileagePlus Miles and $160.60 per person (for 2 people):
Fri., August 29, 2014 - Sat., August 30, 2014
11:00am-1:26pm - ORD-YYZ – United Express #3634 Bus. [1h 26m]
-- 4h 19m Layover in YYZ --
5:45pm-7:45am(+1) – YYZ MUC – Lufthansa #495 Bus.[7h 20m]
--3h 40m Layover in MUC --
11:25am-12:35pm – MUC-GVA – Lufthansa Cityline #2384 Bus. [1h 10m]
---Destination: Geneva---
---Open Jaw Return From: Vienna---
Mon., September 8, 2014
5:40pm-7:00p – VIE-WAW – Tyrolean Airlines #631 Bus. [1h 20m]
---21h 30m Overnight Layover in WAW---
Tues., September 9, 2014
4:30pm-7:05pm – WAW-ORD – LOT Polish Airlines #003 Bus. [9h 35m]
---Long Stopover in ORD---
 Future Date
8:20am-3:05pm – ORD-SJU – United Airlines #1688 First [4h 45m]
---Double Open Jaw Destination: San Juan---

Now, while not perfect, I had a good itinerary that satisfied me. I wasn’t going to miss-out on the opportunity to fly Polish LOT’s 787. However, 90-days prior to departure, I constantly checked United and ANA for availability on Austrian’s ORD-VIE or VIE-ORD non-stop (the latter applicable only if ORD-WAW on LO’s 787 was also available on Friday, August 29th). And, I found availability! We had also decided to omit Geneva from our itinerary to give us more time in other destinations). So, with a call, I changed my itinerary to the following (although I did have to pay $50.00 per person as a Silver member for the change as my destination would be different…but, I actually saved money overall as the taxes dropped by more!):

102,500 United Airlines MileagePlus Miles and $83.10 per person, exclusive of $50.00 per person change fee, (for 2 people):
Fri., August 29, 2014 - Sat., August 30, 2014
4:05pm-8:40am - ORD-VIE – Austrian (Tyrolean) Airlines #066 Bus. [9h 35m]
---Destination: Vienna---
---Open Jaw Return From: Zurich---
Mon., September 8, 2014
5:15pm-7:10p – ZRH-WAW – Swiss (OAW Helvetic) Airlines #631 Bus. [1h 55m]
---21h 20m Overnight Layover in WAW---
Tues., September 9, 2014
4:30pm-7:05pm – WAW-ORD – LOT Polish Airlines #003 Bus. [9h 35m]
---Long Stopover in ORD---
 Future Date
8:20am-3:05pm – ORD-SJU – United Airlines #1688 First [4h 45m]
---Double Open Jaw Destination: San Juan---

Our itinerary had gone from a bloated 7-flight journey with multiple undesirable layovers to a lean 4-flight journey. We were excited and worked to book hotels in each city we planned to visit and some of the trains we would take (as Austria’s OBB offered cheaper non-refundable advance purchase tickets available).

With our flights locked-in, I set about connecting the open-jaw from Vienna to Zurich by train. To do so, I chose the following trains to fill-in our travels to various destinations:

29.00 EUR per person (for 2 people) {Advance Purchase}:
Mon., September 1, 2014
9:30am-11:52am - WIEN WESTBAHNHOF - SALZBURG HBF – RailJet RJ#562 First [2h 22m]

79.00 EUR per person (for 2 people) {Advance Purchase}:
Wed., September 3, 2014
7:56am-1:20pm - SALZBURG HBF - ZUERICH – RailJet RJ#364 First [5h 24m]

2nd Class 4-Day Swiss Saver Pass ~$257.00 USD per person (for 2 people) {Advance Purchase after $50.00 discount}:
USED FOR NO ADDITIONAL COST TRAVEL ON MORE THAN A DOZEN TRAINS, CABLECARS, BOATS ETC. WITHIN SWITZERLAND, INCLUDING:
Thurs., September 4, 2014
8:02am-8:58am – ZURICH HB - BERN – InterCity IC#812 Second Class [56m]
-- 06m Connection in BERN --
9:04am-9:57am – BERN – INTERLAKEN OST – InterCity IC#961 Second Class [53m]
-- 08m Connection in INTERLAKEN OST --
10:05am-10:25am – INTERLAKEN OST – LAUTERBRUNNEN – Regio R#151 Second Class [20m]
-- 12m Connection in LAUTERBRUNNEN --
10:37am-10:51am –LAUTERBRUNNEN - WENGEN – Regio R#351 Second Class [14m]
Sat., September 6, 2014
5:03pm-5:21pm – WENGEN - LAUTERBRUNNEN – Regio R#366 Second Class [18m]
-- 12m Connection in LAUTERBRUNNEN --
5:33pm-5:54pm – LAUTERBRUNNEN - INTERLAKEN OST – Regio R#166 Second Class [21m]
-- 10m Connection in INTERLAKEN OST --
6:04pm-7:55pm – INTERLAKEN OST - LUZERN – InterRegio IR#2235 Second Class [1h 51m]

28.00 CHF per person (for 2 people) {Purchased on Platform}:
Mon., September 8, 2014
1:10pm-2:13pm - LUZERN - ZÜRICH FLUGHAFEN – InterRegio IR#2340 Second Class [1h 03m]

With all of our travel booked/planned, we had a complete itinerary of destinations (other than activities at each destination). So, I went about deciding on hotels. I focused on locations that would be convenient either or both for sightseeing and transportation (walking distance to the train station, etc.)

In Vienna, I wanted to maximize the last-night-free aspect of the US-issued US Bank Club Carlson credit card since this was only a 2 night reservation; so, I chose:

25,000 Club Carlson points & $0.00 per nt. (after the “last-night-free” bonus)
2 Nights at the Radisson Blu Style Hotel, Vienna

In Salzburg, I continued my trend of maximizing the last-night-free aspect of the US-issued US Bank Club Carlson credit card since this would also be a reservation of only 2 nights; so, I chose:

22,000 Club Carlson points & $0.00 per nt. (after the “last-night-free” bonus)
2 Nights at the Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg

In Zurich, with only a single night, I looked at hotels in central locations available for reasonable redemptions. Since I had a good amount of Choice Privileges points expiring at the end of the year, I choose:

25,000 Choice Privileges Points & $0.00 per nt.
1 Night at the Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich

We decided to stay in Wengen as our central base for exploring the Berner Oberland. For our stay, lots of research and reading reviews led me to book the following paid reservation:

Hotels.com – 180.00 CHF per night
2 Nights at the Hotel Edelweiss, Wengen

In Lucerne, I again reverted to my trend of maximizing the last-night-free aspect of the US-issued US Bank Club Carlson credit card since it would also be only a 2 night reservation; so, I chose:

25,000 Club Carlson points & $0.00 per nt. (after the “last-night-free” bonus)
2 Nights at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lucerne

During our overnight layover in Warsaw, I decided to book the Marriott using a Category 1-5 e-Certificate (and hope for a nice upgrade with my Platinum status):

1 Marriott Cat. 1-5 eCert. & $0.00 per nt
1 Night at the Warsaw Marriott Hotel

We continued researching each of the destinations, noting desired activities in each place. We pre-booked a full-day Sound of Music tour in Salzburg that included an afternoon in Hallstatt. Otherwise, we kept our itinerary somewhat unplanned in each destination to be able to maximize activities we enjoyed along the way.

Last edited by FindAWay; Nov 25, 2014 at 11:02 am

Nov 20, 2014, 2:55 pm

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Chicago O’Hare Airport, Austrian Check-In, & Swiss Lounge (ORD T5)

Chicago O’Hare Airport, Austrian Check-In, & Swiss Lounge (ORD T5)

We began this trip as we have with most of our international business class trips – by taking public transportation to the airport. Specifically, we took a Chicago CTA public bus to the CTA Blue Line train to O’Hare. Our bus and train rides were surprisingly full (I had to stand most of the ~35 minute train ride).

We arrived at O’Hare a little over 2 hours before our scheduled departure. We made our way to the Austrian Airlines check-in counter in Terminal 5 and found no other passengers in the priority check-in line. We were promptly and politely checked-in for our flight to Vienna. The agent mentioned our tickets provided us lounge options – either the Swiss Lounge or the SAS Business Lounge. Our Priority Pass Select membership also provided us the option of the Air France VIP Lounge. All lounges were past security. Security was fairly swift for me; however, it took the personnel approximately 5 minutes to track down a “female assist” to complete Mrs. FindAWay’s pat-down, which seemed pretty absurd as the woman who eventually did the pat down was standing idly by (despite repeated yells for a “female assist”) twenty feet away the entire time.

In honor of our travels to Switzerland, we chose to visit the Swiss Lounge over the other options. The Swiss Lounge was easy to find. It was moderately busy. However, it was fairly small. There was a self-serve refrigerator with various alcoholic and soft drinks. Four different wines were available. And, there was a small selection of cold food and other snacks. There was no hot food out during our visit. I found the lounge adequate; but, it fell a little short of my expectations for a non-U.S., international carrier-branded lounge. We thought about lounge-hopping to check-out one or both of the other lounge options; but, decided instead to settle-in and make use of the wifi for a while.

Photo Below: Our CTA Bus to the CTA Blue Line Train

Photo Below: CTA Bus Interior

Photo Below: Our CTA Blue Line Train from Chicago to O’Hare Airport

Photo Below: CTA Train Platflorm – O’Hare Airport

Photo Below: Austrian Airlines Check-In Counter, Terminal 5, Chicago O’Hare Airport

Photo Below: Entrance to Swiss Lounge (O’Hare Terminal 5, between Gates M09 & M10)

Photo Below: Front Seating Area - Swiss Lounge (O’Hare Terminal 5, between Gates M09 & M10)

Photo Below: Primary Seating Area - Swiss Lounge (O’Hare Terminal 5, between Gates M09 & M10)

Photo Below: Cold Food Selections - Swiss Lounge (O’Hare Terminal 5, between Gates M09 & M10)

Photo Below: Wine Selections - Swiss Lounge (O’Hare Terminal 5, between Gates M09 & M10)

Photo Below: Cold Drink Selections - Swiss Lounge (O’Hare Terminal 5, between Gates M09 & M10)

Photo Below: Cookies - Swiss Lounge (O’Hare Terminal 5, between Gates M09 & M10)

Nov 20, 2014, 2:56 pm

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Austrian Airlines Boeing 767-300ER Business Class from ORD to VIE

Austrian Airlines Boeing 767-300ER Business Class from ORD to VIE

Map Below: Austrian Airlines Business Class from ORD to VIE

FLIGHT: ORD-VIE
DATE: Friday August 29, 2014
CARRIER: Austrian Airways (Operated by Tyrolean Airways Tiroler Luftfahrt GMBH) (OS)
FLIGHT NUMBER: 66
AIRCRAFT:Boeing 767-300ER (Wiener Sängerknaben (OE-LAE))
CABIN: International Business Class (two class aircraft)
SEATS: 4K, 5K
DEPARTURE GATE: M21
DEPARTURE - SCHEDULED: 4:05pm // ACTUAL: 4:43pm
ARRIVAL - SCHEDULED: 8:40am(+1) // ACTUAL: 8:29am(+1)
DURATION: 8 hours 46 minutes
MILES FLOWN: 4,707 miles

We left the Swiss Lounge a bit before our scheduled departure to see the plane and gate area. Gate M21 was the very last gate on the end; but, it did afford a decent amount of seating nearby. The gate area was outdated but reasonably sized. We sat for about 20 minutes before boarding commenced (a bit late).

Boarding was open to passengers requiring extra time first and, then, business class passengers were invited to board. A crowd had gathered near the boarding door while the scheduled boarding time came and went; so, we had to make our way through the crowd and wound up being some of the last business class passengers to board.

We located our seats and each found an amenity kit, headphones, dinner menu, pillow and blanket waiting. The breakfast menus were distributed shortly after we sat down and the on-board chef stopped-by to take our orders before departure.

Once I had settled into my seat, I began to acquaint myself with the controls, features, and in-flight entertainment system. The seat controls are touch-screen. The IFE had a decent selection of very recent movies and television programs. There was a bassinet in the first row of business class that was used; but, luckily, the child didn’t cry much during the overnight flight. There was not very much storage at the seat itself. After we pushed back, there was a fairly long taxi line for takeoff.

I’m torn about how much I like the seat – I like it; but, I just can’t rate it as highly as some other business class seats I’ve flown. I think for a daytime flight (i.e., the reverse of what we did – like, VIE-ORD), I’d probably rank it very highly. However, I had difficulty getting comfortable when trying to sleep. And, I was unable to sleep very much or consistently. My problems sleeping stemmed primarily from 2 factors: (1) the pillow provided was very thin and (2) air moved around the air-cushion of the seat during the flight (this may be related to the massage function), which kept waking me up. Frankly, if the seat was filled with regular padding and didn’t have an air-cushion, I think it would have been softer and I would have really enjoyed the flight and slept much better. The seat is also a bit narrow; but, not much more than other similar business class seats I’ve flow (like EVA, Thai, etc.). The blanket was actually very good – soft and warm, but not hot.

I found the food okay. [Edited to add: Mrs. FindAWay reminded me that meal service took exceedingly long on this flight. In fact, Mrs. FindAWay skipped dessert in order to try and get more sleep.

] It was not bad, but, it certainly was not some of the most tasty food I’ve had on-board international business class flights. I know many love the coffee on Austrian; however, I don’t drink coffee, so, I have no opinion. Overall, I would definitely fly the same plane again during a daytime flight, but, would pause at another overnight flight.

Photo Below: O’Hare Gate M21 – Waiting for Our ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Airplane at Gate M21 – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Austrian Scale (I Did Not See It Used) at O’Hare Gate M21 – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: O’Hare Gate M21 – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Cabin Interior –ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Seat – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Seat Controls, Light & Power Port – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Seat IFE Screen – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Seat – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Seat Controls – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Seat Knee Space – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Seat – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Cabin – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class IFE Controls – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Seat Power Port – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Headphones, Pillow & Blanket – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Seat Table – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Amenity Kit – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Breakfast Menu – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Menu – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Drink Menu – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class White Wine Menu – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Red Wine Menu – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Dessert Wine – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Drinks – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Menu – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Warm Nuts – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Dinner Service – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Appetizer – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Dinner – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Dessert – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Breakfast – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Photo Below: Business Class Arrival in Vienna – ORD-VIE 767-300ER OS 66 Flight

Last edited by FindAWay; Nov 21, 2014 at 3:55 pm

Nov 20, 2014, 2:56 pm

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Radisson Blu Style Hotel, Vienna, Austria

Radisson Blu Style Hotel, Vienna, Austria

HOTEL: Radisson Blu Style Hotel, Vienna, Austria
NIGHTS/DATES: 2 Nights – Saturday, August 30, 2014 to Monday, September 1, 2014
LOYALTY PROGRAM STATUS: Club Carlson Gold
ROOM: 613
ROOM TYPE: Standard Guest Room, 1 Queen Bed
EARLY CHECK-IN?: Yes
LATE CHECK-OUT?: N/A
COMPLIMENTARY ROOM UPGRADE FROM RESERVED TYPE?: No

We arrived at the hotel around 10:00am after taking the S7 express train (note: not the 4x more expensive but only 8 minutes faster City Airport Train (aka “CAT”)) from the airport and connecting to the U3 line to the Herrengassee stop and walking to the hotel. Official check-in time was 3:00pm and I had read others’ reports that early check-in is generally not granted; so, we weren’t expecting to be able to check-in to our room (but wanted to drop our bags before venturing out to see Vienna). However, we were pleasantly surprised that we were quickly checked-in upon our early arrival!

The hotel’s lobby is broken-up into a few different rooms and the restaurant (in which we never stepped foot) and is nicely appointed. The elevator is not particularly fast.

We had been told our room was on the top floor, which was readily apparent upon entering as the walls were sloped with a gabled window. While the room was not tight, it was a little small. However, the bathroom was enormous relative to the size of the room. The room was well appointed (though, it could use additional artwork on the wall). It did not have a view despite being on the top floor. We really liked the location of the hotel and, overall, it was a terrific base for exploring Vienna. We’d certainly stay here again if back in Wien.

We did receive a small bottle of champagne upon our return from sightseeing our first evening.

Photo Below: Exterior Entrance – Radisson Blu Style Hotel, Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Lobby – Radisson Blu Style Hotel, Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Standard Room, 1 Queen – Radisson Blu Style Hotel, Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Hotel Floor Layout – Radisson Blu Style Hotel, Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Welcome Champagne – Radisson Blu Style Hotel, Vienna, Austria

Nov 20, 2014, 2:57 pm

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

2 Days in Vienna

2 Days in Vienna

The Radisson Blu Style, Vienna served as a great base for us to explore Vienna. We mostly walked and took trains around Vienna (and from the airport). We really enjoyed Vienna; however, it rained almost our entire stay, which was unfortunate. We toured the Imperial Apartments and Treasury at the Hofburg Palace (and I used the Chip+PIN compatibility of my Arrival+ credit card at an unmanned kiosk to purchase the tickets for the Treasury). We visited St. Stephen’s Cathedral and climbed the 343 stairs of the south tower. We took the Vienna Ring Tram around the entire Ringstrasse. We visited the Naschmarkt on Saturday morning during some heavy rain. We toured the Haus der Musik, which was very interesting, different, and long. We walked around MuseumsQuartier. We walked through and had lunch in a biergarten in Stadtpark. We rode the Wiener Riesenrad in Prater. Also, we took a self-guided walking tour around the older parts of the city, including the opera house, city hall, and parliament.

Below are some pictures from (with descriptions of a few of our activities during) our 2 days in Vienna:

Photo Below: S7 Train at Airport Station Platform – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Inside S7 Train from Airport to Central Vienna – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: U3 Train to Herrengasse – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Crowded U3 Train from Wien Mitte/Landstrasse – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Schönbrunn Palace Gardens – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Schönbrunn Palace Gardens with City – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Schönbrunn Palace Gardens Gloriette – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Schönbrunn Palace Entrance – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Naschmarkt – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Opera House Fountain – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Albertina Fountain – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Rain-Soaked Street – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: St. Stephen’s Cathedral – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: St. Stephen’s Cathedral Roof – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: View from atop St. Stephen’s Cathedral – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: St. Stephen’s Cathedral from atop Wiener Risenrad – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Bratwurst Lunch – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Painted Cathedral Dome – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Hofburg Palace – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Keys on Display in Hofburg Treasury – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Crown on Display in Hofburg Treasury - Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Statue Outside Hofburg Palace – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Hofburg Palace – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Hofburg at Night – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: City Hall Spire – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: City Hall – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Ringstrasse Tram – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Horse-Drawn Carriage – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Wiener Riesenrad – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: Wiener Riesenrad (2) – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: View of Vienna from Wiener Riesenrad – Vienna, Austria

Photo Below: View of Vienna from Wiener Riesenrad (2) – Vienna, Austria

Nov 20, 2014, 2:58 pm

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof

Map Below: ÖBB from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

TRAIN: Wien Westbahnhof – Salzburg Hbf
DATE: Monday, September 1, 2014
OPERATOR: Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB)
TRAIN NUMBER: 532
TRAIN TYPE: RailJet
CABIN: First Class (Not the More-Expensive Business Class)
DEPARTURE - SCHEDULED: 9:30am // ACTUAL: 9:30am
ARRIVAL - SCHEDULED: 11:52am // ACTUAL: 11:54am
DURATION: 2 hours 24 minutes
DISTANCE: Approx. 180 miles

We booked this one-way train trip about 3 weeks before arriving in Vienna. It was an advance purchase, non-changeable, non-refundable fare. My understanding is that because we were on a domestic ticket, we did not have access privileges to the Vienna station first class lounge. I later read that booking a ticket to Munich may have been cheaper (and then we just hidden-city ticket and exist the train in Salzburg), which could have both saved us money and given us lounge access.

We did not reserve seats. We arrived at the station over 30 minutes before departure; so, we were some of the first passengers on the train. We chose to sit in the first passenger car. It was primarily business class (higher than first class) seats with about 20 first class seats. It was a good choice as it was quiet, we had a nice window view, and we had plenty of room for our luggage. The seats were comfortable and had a good amount of leg room.

The train ride was extremely smooth and moved very quickly. It was certainly better than an economy flight (and, given the short distance and the proximity of the train stations to our origin hotel and destination hotel, probably a lot faster). We were very comfortable and the train was on-time.

Photo Below: Vienna Departure Board – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: Vienna Station – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: Vienna Train Platform – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: Train – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: Interior Train Door – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: Typical First Class Train Car (Not Ours) – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: Restroom – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: Our Train Car – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: First Class Seats – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: First Class Seat – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: Route Map – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: First Class Seat Leg Room – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: Overhead Reading Lights in First Class – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: First Class Footrest – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: First Class Tray Table – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: Train Information Screen upon Arrival – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: Business Class Seats (We Were Back in First Class) – ÖBB RailJet Train #562 from Wien Westbanhof to Salzburg Hbf

Nov 20, 2014, 2:58 pm

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

HOTEL: Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria
NIGHTS/DATES: 2 Nights – Monday, September 1, 2014 to Wednesday, September 3, 2014
LOYALTY PROGRAM STATUS: Club Carlson Gold
ROOM: 112
ROOM TYPE: Standard Guest Room
EARLY CHECK-IN?: No
LATE CHECK-OUT?: N/A
COMPLIMENTARY ROOM UPGRADE FROM RESERVED TYPE?: No

Our train from Vienna arrived in Salzburg nearly exactly on-time. We took a public bus from the train station to near the hotel. The Scotty ÖBB app on my android phone worked very well for helping us find the next bus. The traffic near the train station was horrendous because there was substantial road construction.

We walked by the hotel at first as we were walking along Rudolfskai and the hotel’s primary entrance (which is pictured almost everywhere) actually faces the Old Town. The GPS on my phone showed we had walked by the hotel, so, we turned around and quickly found it. We arrived at the hotel around 12:30pm and were told that we were not able to check-in and we should try back later. Official check-in time is 2:00pm. So, we dropped our bags and left to have lunch. As we left for lunch, we realized how wonderful the location of this hotel was and were glad to be so close to the center of the Old Town attractions. After lunch upon our return to the hotel reception desk, we were quickly checked-in and led to our room. The hotel definitely has character and historic charm. The hallways are fairly winding. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the rooms have quite different layouts.

Our room faced a small interior open space (calling it a courtyard would be an overstatement). The room was larger than we expected and very nicely laid out. The bathroom was large too. The bed was very comfortable and the room afforded plenty of storage (and even a coatrack in the entryway for our wet jackets, umbrellas and shoes). The wifi was fair. Turndown service included small chocolates.

Breakfast would have been 26 Euros more per person; so, we passed. However, the breakfast appeared to be upstairs and the hotel also has a large coffee shop connected to the lobby. The hotel did have an elevator that we used only with our rolling suitcases. However, there was a step after the elevator before our room door; so, the hotel is not fully wheelchair accessible.

The hotel’s location is great. We also really liked its charm and character. If we returned to Salzburg, we’d definitely stay here again (especially on points with the last night free benefit of the Club Carlson credit card).

Photo Below: Exterior Entrance – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Reception – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Lobby Seating – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Lobby Atrium – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Additional Lobby Seating – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Lobby Hallway – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Exterior Entrance (from Old Town) – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Exterior (Old Town) – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Standard Room – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Bathroom in Standard Room – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Coat Hooks at Room Entrance – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Floor Layout – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Bathroom Amenities – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Turndown Chocolate – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Room Chair – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Exterior (Facing River) – Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria

Nov 20, 2014, 2:59 pm

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

2 Days in Salzburg

2 Days in Salzburg

The Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt was perfectly situated for us to explore Salzburg. From the hotel, we walked around the Old Town and a bit of the other side of the river. It was also less than a 3 minute walk to the office of Bob’s Special Tours, which we used to book (in advance) our full day Sound of Music and Hallstatt tour. We took a self-guided walking tour of The Old Town. We walked through the Salzburg Cathedral. We spent an hour wandering through the Mirabell Gardens. We took the tram up to and enjoyed exploring the Hohensalzburg Fortress overlooking the city.

Below are some pictures from (with descriptions of a few of our activities during) our 2 days in Salzburg:

Photo Below: Mozart Statue – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Salzburg Cathedral – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Mozartplatz– Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Salzburg Cathedral Dome Interior – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Salzburg Cathedral – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Crowning of Virgin Mary Statue – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Snacks at Kapitelplatz – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Horse Bath at Kapitelplatz – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Graveyard Inspiration for Sound of Music – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: View from Hohensalzburg Fortress – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: View of Salzburg from Hohensalzburg Fortress – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Getreidegasse – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Old Town – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Riverfront – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Hohensalzburg Fortress – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Hohensalzburg Fortress at Night – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Riverfront at Night – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Lake House from Sound of Music Exterior – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Gazebo from Sound of Music – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Salzkammergut/Lake District – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Hallstatt, Austria

Photo Below: Town Center – Hallstatt, Austria

Photo Below: Hallstatt, Austria

Photo Below: Sound of Music Wedding Church – Mondsee, Austria

Photo Below: Sound of Music Wedding Church - Mondsee, Austria

Photo Below: Mirabell Gardens Fountain – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Mirabell Gardens – Salzburg, Austria

Photo Below: Riverfront – Salzburg, Austria

Last edited by FindAWay; Nov 20, 2014 at 3:33 pm

Nov 20, 2014, 3:00 pm

#10

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) First Class Lounge - Salzburg Hbf

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) First Class Lounge - Salzburg Hbf

Our train departing Salzburg was an early morning ride. We made our way from the hotel to the station by taking the No. 5 bus from just down the street and across the Salzach from the hotel. We arrived at the train station about 30 minutes before the train was scheduled to depart.

After checking the departures information screen, we found ourselves right next to the lounge. So, as we were on an international first class ticket that included access, we decided to stop in before our train. The lounge was longer than it seemed from the outside. Although the food offerings were somewhat meager, it was more than we expected or needed. The lounge also had several television screens and a dedicated restroom. The seats were comfortable and we had a snack and beverage before leaving.

Photo Below: Entrance to ÖBB First Class Lounge - Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: ÖBB First Class Lounge Interior - Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: ÖBB First Class Lounge Restroom Door - Salzburg Hbf

Photo Below: ÖBB First Class Lounge Food and Beverage Offerings - Salzburg Hbf

Nov 20, 2014, 3:01 pm

#11

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) First Class from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) First Class from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Map Below: ÖBB from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

TRAIN: Salzburg Hbf -- Zürich HB
DATE: Wednesday, September 3, 2014
OPERATOR: Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB)
TRAIN NUMBER: 364
TRAIN TYPE: RailJet
CABIN: First Class (Not the More Expensive Business Class)
DEPARTURE - SCHEDULED: 7:56am // ACTUAL: 7:56am
ARRIVAL - SCHEDULED: 1:20pm // ACTUAL: 1:23pm
DURATION: 5 hours 24 minutes
DISTANCE: Approx. 294 miles

This one-way train trip was booked about 3 weeks before our trip began. It was an advance purchase, non-changeable, non-refundable fare. We reserved seats at the station when we arrived from Vienna two days earlier. Our seats were 11 & 15 in Car 26. We probably would have been fine without reserving seats; however, since the ride was over 5 hours, we didn’t want to chance being separated. Ironically, the seats we were assigned were somewhat separated – they were at the back of a car and were on opposite sides of the aisle (although both had windows too, which was nice).

We made our way from the First Class Lounge to the platform about 10 minutes before scheduled departure. The platform had a very informative screen with which cars were going to be where on the platform; so, we were able to quickly find where our car would be when the train arrived. The train arrived shortly after we found our place on the platform.

After making our way to our assigned seats, we settled in for the long ride. I had planned to try and catch-up on sleep; but, I had been awake too long and really couldn’t fall back asleep. So, I passed the time by working on my computer (using the wifi until we left Austria) and watching a movie.

The train ride was extremely smooth and the views out the window were quite enjoyable. The seats were comfortable, had power ports, reclined a bit, and had a good amount of leg room. We reached Zurich in, what felt like, short order.

Photo Below: Entrance to Salzburg Station – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Departures Screen in Salzburg – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Salzburg Hbf Interior – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Escalators up to Salzburg Platform – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Departures Screen – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Salzburg Platform – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Train Diagram on Platform – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Train Arriving at Salzburg Platform – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Train at Salzburg Platform – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Train Car Interior – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: First Class Train Seat – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Leg Room – First Class Train Seat – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: First Class Train Car – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Tray Table – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Seat Reserved Sign above Seat – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: View along Train Ride – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Train Car – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: View along Ride – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Onboard Train Office – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Accessible Seating Area – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Photo Below: Onboard Restaurant Car – ÖBB RailJet Train #364 from Salzburg Hbf to Zürich HB

Nov 20, 2014, 3:02 pm

#12

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

HOTEL: Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland
NIGHTS/DATES: 1 Night – Wednesday, September 3, 2014 to Thursday, September 4, 2014
LOYALTY PROGRAM STATUS: Choice Privileges Gold
ROOM: 607
ROOM TYPE: Junior Suite, Upgraded from Superior Room
EARLY CHECK-IN?: Yes (approximately 30 minutes)
LATE CHECK-OUT?: N/A
COMPLIMENTARY ROOM UPGRADE FROM RESERVED TYPE?: Yes

Our train from Salzburg arrived in Zurich approximately on-time. We walked the ~10 minutes from the train station to the hotel. It was uphill (some of which were stairs, which made the trip a bit more interesting with our larger rolling bags).

The hotel was easy to find. We arrived at the hotel around 1:30pm. Official check-in time is 2:00pm. However, we were promptly checked-in before then. Initially, the information for our reservation showed a rate of 239 CHF instead of 25,000 points. I pointed it out and they corrected it right away. The lobby was small, but, also has additional areas around the corner and a smoking room down the hall.

We booked a “Superior Room” but were upgraded to Junior Suite with a second bed (a murphy bed) and a sitting area. It was on the 6th of 7 floors (oddly, the elevator goes only to the 6th floor; those staying on the 7th must take an additional flight of stairs). The windows faced Lake Zurich and had a decent view of the Old Town and mountains in the distance. The room was a good size and the bathroom was quite large. The bathroom had both a tub with shower and a separate steam-shower/sauna. There was also a juliet balcony.

The location was fantastic. We could walk to most of the sights and attractions we wanted to visit within a matter of minutes. The hotel was also fairly quiet.

We enjoyed the complimentary breakfast in the morning. We were the first to arrive but it was fairly busy by the time we left as there isn’t a lot of seating. It had a good variety of breakfast items and we were glad to have it included in the rate.

If we returned to Zurich, we would consider staying here again.

Photo Below: Exterior – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Room Door – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Junior Suite – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Junior Suite Bathroom – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Junior Suite Steam Shower – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Junior Suite Bathtub – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Junior Suite View – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Junior Suite – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Junior Suite Desk – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: 6th Floor Layout – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Sauna Instructions – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Lobby – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Lobby Bar – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Lobby – Additional Seating Area – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Lobby Coffee/Tea – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Smoking Lounge – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Complimentary Breakfast – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Breakfast Offerings – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Breakfast Drink Offerings – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Breakfast Offerings – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Breakfast Seating Area – Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich, Switzerland

Nov 20, 2014, 3:02 pm

#13

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

An Afternoon in Zurich

An Afternoon in Zurich

Our afternoon (and evening) in Zurich on Wednesday, September 3, 2014 was spent mostly on our feet. After checking in to the hotel and leaving our bags in the room, we set out to explore the city around 2:00 p.m. We walked from our hotel back toward the train station and down through the Old Town area. We strolled along the Bahnhofstrasse, meandered through the Altstadt, stopped by the Church of Our Lady (Fraumunster), and climbed the tower of the Great Church (Grossmunster). We also walked along the Lake Promenade and spent some time enjoying the lakefront of the Zurichsee.

Below are some pictures from (with descriptions of a few of our activities during) our short time in Zurich:

Photo Below: Walking around Old Town – Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Building Views – Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Great Church (Grossmunster) – Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: View from Great Church (Grossmunster) Tower – Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Church of Our Lady (Fraumunster) from across the River – Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: View while Crossing the Bridge – Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Street Scene – Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: View into Old Town from the Lake Promenade – Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Down the River – Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Below: Tram – Zurich, Switzerland

Nov 20, 2014, 3:03 pm

#14

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) Second Class from Zürich HB to Wengen

Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) Second Class from Zürich HB to Wengen

Map Below: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) Second Class from Zürich HB to Wengen (via Bern, Interlaken Ost, & Lauterbrunnen)

TRAIN: Zürich HB to Wengen (via Bern, Interlaken Ost, & Lauterbrunnen)
DATE: Thursday, September 4, 2014
OPERATOR: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS)
TRAIN NUMBERS: IC #812, IC#961, R#151, R#351
TRAIN TYPE: InterCity (IC) & Regio
CABIN: Second Class (Using Swiss Pass)
DEPARTURE - SCHEDULED: 8:02am // ACTUAL: 8:02am
ARRIVAL - SCHEDULED: 10:51am // ACTUAL: 10:52am
DURATION: 2 hours 50 minutes (4 different trains with 3 transfers)
DISTANCE: Approx. 110 miles

Before the trip, we purchased a 4-day Swiss Rail Pass for two that was mailed to our home. We took the pass on our trip. However, our pass was the type that has an area requiring a stamp from railways personnel in order to be validated to start the clock for the 4 days. So, we made our way to the station a bit early and had the pass validated at the ticket counter, which had a longer-than-expected line. Also, the evening before our departure, we decided which trains we were going to take from Zurich to Wengen. We selected one that is a popular rush-hour commuter train and often crowded because it arrives in Bern just before 9:00 a.m. So, we also used the SBB app to reserve seats on the first 2 legs of the trip (the other 2 have no advance seat assignments).

We took the following four trains on the journey:

8:02am-8:58am – ZURICH HB - BERN – InterCity IC#812 Second Class [56m]
-- 06m Connection in BERN --
9:04am-9:57am – BERN – INTERLAKEN OST – InterCity IC#961 Second Class [53m]
-- 08m Connection in INTERLAKEN OST --
10:05am-10:25am – INTERLAKEN OST – LAUTERBRUNNEN – Regio R#151 Second Class [20m]
-- 12m Connection in LAUTERBRUNNEN --
10:37am-10:51am –LAUTERBRUNNEN - WENGEN – Regio R#351 Second Class [14m]

Zürich HB was bustling that early Thursday morning. However, the crowds moved quickly and we found our way to the platform with ease. We didn’t have too much time to spare as the line to get our pass validated was longer than expected. So, the train was quite full by the time we boarded. And, it appeared completely full by the time the train departed. Once on-board our train from Zurich to Bern, we determined our seats were on the upper level; so, we left our larger luggage in the upper-level, mid-car corral and made our way to our seats. We were assigned the 2 window seats in a cluster of 4 seats facing each other. However, one of our seats had someone sitting in it. As we enjoy sitting next to each other over across from each other, it was no problem as I took the unassigned aisle seat next to Mrs. FindAWay. With the seats facing each other, legroom was fairly tight. The seat was relatively comfortable though. The 56-minute ride was very smooth and moved faster than the next 3 trains (each moved at a slower pace than the last as we made our way into and up the mountains). The train was on-time.

The 6-minute connection in Bern was tight; but, we made it without issue. However, we did have to take our larger rolling luggage over to a different track, which was not very easy with the crowd. The train from Bern to Interlaken was an older, single-level train (compared to the Zurich to Bern train). Once on-board, we made our way to our seats and were able to fit our larger luggage in-between our seats and the next seats. The train car was also configured with a cluster of 4 seats facing each other; however, there was a bit more legroom than on the previous train. The train was relatively full by the time the train departed. The seat was comfortable but a bit more worn than the previous train (which I gladly traded for the additional legroom). The 53-minute ride was very smooth and on-time.

During the 8-minute connection in Interlaken, we leisurely (

) made our way to the next train. The train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen was our first smaller, regional train. The car was certainly more cramped and not as well appointed. It was tighter than the previous trains as well. However, the seats were padded and we were able to get some of the last seats (some of the final arrivals had to stand). We did not have assigned seats for this ride, so, we chose some seats close to the door as we had our larger luggage with us. We held our luggage between our legs during the ride to open up room for others who had to stand. It was tight. The seat was small, but still modern and padded. The 20-minute ride left slightly late.

Our train arrived in Lauterbrunnen before our next train to Wengen, so, we actually stood still on the platform (something we hadn’t done all day thus far) while awaiting the train to Wengen. Not only was this a regional train; but, it was also a cogwheel train. It was an older, smaller, single-class train with wooden seats. We were among the first to board when the doors opened and others departed, so, we choose some of the furthest-in seats, which were a bit tight (in all dimensions). The car eventually filled to standing-room only. As we ascended from the Lauterbrunnen Valley to Wengen, we were treated to spectacular clear views of the valley below and Alps above. The view was certainly the best we had seen out a train window so far during the trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the views during the short 14-minute, which ascended over 1,500 feet!

We arrived a couple of minutes late into Wengen.

Photo Below: Train Platform in Zurich – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: Train on Platform in Zurich – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: Upper Level Seating – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: Reserved Seat Sign – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: Seat – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: Upper Level Aisle – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: Seating Table – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: Power Outlet, Coat Hook, & Luggage Storage Instructional Sign – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: Seats – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: On-Board Car Identification – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: On-Board Luggage Storage – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: On-Board Stairs – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #812 Second Class from Zürich HB to Bern

Photo Below: Train Exterior – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #961 Second Class from Bern to Interlaken Ost

Photo Below: Seats – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #961 Second Class from Bern to Interlaken Ost

Photo Below: Inside Train Car – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #961 Second Class from Bern to Interlaken Ost

Photo Below: Seat Reservation Sign – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #961 Second Class from Bern to Interlaken Ost

Photo Below: Seats – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #961 Second Class from Bern to Interlaken Ost

Photo Below: Seat Configuration – Swiss Federal Railways InterCity Train #961 Second Class from Bern to Interlaken Ost

Photo Below: Train Exterior – Swiss Federal Railways Regio Train #151 Second Class from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

Photo Below: Train Car Interior and Seating – Swiss Federal Railways Regio Train #151 Second Class from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

Photo Below: Train Exterior – Swiss Federal Railways Regio Train #351 Second Class from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

Photo Below: Train Seats – Swiss Federal Railways Regio Train #351 Second Class from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

Photo Below: Train Car Interior – Swiss Federal Railways Regio Train #351 Second Class from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

Photo Below: Views Aboard – Swiss Federal Railways Regio Train #351 Second Class from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

Photo Below: Passing Another Train – Swiss Federal Railways Regio Train #351 Second Class from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

Photo Below: Legroom – Swiss Federal Railways Regio Train #351 Second Class from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

Photo Below: Views – Swiss Federal Railways Regio Train #351 Second Class from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

Photo Below: Train Car Interior – Swiss Federal Railways Regio Train #351 Second Class from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

Photo Below: View of Wengen and Beyond from Wengen Station Platform – Swiss Federal Railways Regio Train #351 Second Class from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

Nov 20, 2014, 3:04 pm

#15

FindAWay

Original Poster

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: ORD/MDW

Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt

Posts: 2,889

Hotel Edelweiss, Wengen, Switzerland

Hotel Edelweiss, Wengen, Switzerland

HOTEL: Hotel Edelweiss, Wengen, Switzerland
NIGHTS/DATES: 2 Nights – Thursday, September 4, 2014 to Saturday, September 6, 2014
LOYALTY PROGRAM STATUS: N/A (Independent Hotel)
ROOM: 104
ROOM TYPE: Standard Double Room, Facing Southside with Balcony
EARLY CHECK-IN?: Yes
LATE CHECK-OUT?: N/A
COMPLIMENTARY ROOM UPGRADE FROM RESERVED TYPE?: No

We selected the Hotel Edelweiss in Wengen based on its cost, location, and promised views. We were not disappointed. It was reasonably priced, in a good location and offered wonderful views from the room and attached balcony. It was a 5-minute downhill walk from the train station. We arrived in the lobby before 11:15 a.m. and were quickly checked-in, offered advice on activities and hikes for that afternoon, and shown the way to our room over 4 hours prior to scheduled check-in time.

The room was small (172 sq. ft.) but provided us with sufficient space for our belongings with some room to move around. The room had a great view of the Jungfraujoch and a nice balcony. We did have a corner room and the light from windows on 2 different walls helped make the room feel larger.

The bed was comfortable. The bathroom was small and lacked much counter space. There was a desk in the room as well as a decent wardrobe. The hotel had a small elevator for moving luggage up and down.

Breakfast was included. The selection was adequate and food was okay. We did choose to eat dinner the hotel the 2nd night. It was reasonably priced and decent.

The hotel has numerous common areas and common rooms. Adjacent to the lobby are the dining room, a reading room, and a snack room. Downstairs offers a game room, a sauna, a music room, an old bomb shelter, and additional restrooms.

The hotel’s location was very good. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. The views offered from the south-facing rooms and dining room were fantastic. If we returned to Wengen, we’d definitely stay here again.

Photo Below: The Hotel, as Seen from Train Station – Hotel Edelweiss, Wengen, Switzerland