Day trip to Zermatt

373

We got up this morning, ate breakfast and checked out of our hotel. Today was going to be a long drive, After filling up with gas we left Lugano behind and headed toward the St. Gotthard Pass. We headed up the pass thinking that it was open. We went up and up and up uptil we got to a spot where the road was covered with snow and we could not go any farther. Ther was a car following us and they had to back down the hill until they could turn around. We were able to turn our car around, but it was a tight fit. I may Jay get out and look for me, because I was afraid I was going to run off the side of the mountain. We eventually got the car turned around and headed back down the mountain. I put Andermatt as the next town into our GPS thinking it woulf take us to the St. Gotthard tunnel which is 10 miles long. But instead it took us on this long way around through another ajoine pass. It was probably a prettier drive instead of going through the tunnrl. We then headed to Realp and the Furka Pass. Again we went up and up and up until we got to a poing that the had a gate clsing off the rest of the road. So once again we headed back down the mountain. There is an auto train in Realp that takes you through the mountain. I pulled up to the gate and could not figure out how to get a ticket. A car pulled up behind me and he did not know either. He eventuall went inside and got his ticket and told me to do the same. After purchasing the ticket, I went back to the machine stuck the ticket in it and the gate lifted. When the train arrives you drive onto the train. The trip takes about 20 minutes and most of that time you are in a very dark tunnel. At the other end, you just drive off the train and you are on your way.

We drove to Tasch, where we parked our car in the train terminal garage. We unloaded the car and headed into the train station. We bought two one way tickets for Zermatt. We just had enough time to get the tickets and then go through the ticket gate and get on the train. Once on board the train, I called the hotel to let them know we were on our way, so they could send there shuttle taxi for us.

We arrived at the hotel and got checked in. We have a one bedroom suite on the 3rd floor. There is a sitting room with a lovely wod carved ceiling. There are also 2 televisions, one in the sitting room and one in the bedroom. There are also two bathrooms, one with a shower and the other with a tub.

We walked down through the town until we found a restaurant to eat at. Then it was back to our hotel.