The tunnel is on an Autobahn/autostrada, road signs on green background; the pass is on a Kantonstrasse/strada cantonale, road signs on blue background. Tips about hiking in the high Alps available? GE - Zermatt to Chur vs Zermatt to St. Moritz. On the autobahn there will be a large sign giving the radio frequency to tune to to get up to the minute road reports on traffic. Also - is the gotthard pass (rather than the tunnel) worth it for the extra time? (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? more. Longer but very pretty and useful in case of jams before the tunnel and work on the pass. One on the north (Göschenen) and one on the South ((ta && ta.queueForLoad ? :). ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-57030150', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Andermatt might be a good place to stop (between Göschenen and St.Gotthard pass) or nearby Hospental. It stretches over 57 km, some 2,300 metres under rock. The road over the pass, the rail tunnel, the motorway tunnel and the Rail Base Tunnel link northern and southern Europe, and connect northern Switzerland with the Ticino vacation region. Last post before yours was in march this year! Crossing the Gotthard mountain massif via the alpine pass however is still the most scenic and adventurous experience and sometimes the best alternative to avoid traffic before the tunnel. It isn't the pass that will be closed for repairs it is the tunnel. Where is the exit for the Pass? and down to Airolo. Gotthard Base Tunnel, Switzerland. Or should I consider a detour like the GE pass for the evening as well? A scenic route is following Lake Lucerne north and east shore, roughly from Küssnacht (am Rigi) to Brunnen to Flüelen (or even Altdorf for a place to stay). Look also at the Top Questions about Andermatt for some information. Are Coocko clock still made in Switzerland or Germany? Then continue down to Oberwald. Almost 10,000 passengers and around 67,000 tonnes of freight pass through the 57-kilometre-long Gotthard Base Tunnel each day. Basel – Genoa via Great St. Bernhard pass 6 h 15 min 562 km . Please do tell me your field of expertise in the roadworks on the pass and I will defer to your greater knowledge. Since you are travelling on a holiday weekend (Fri is our National Day and a public holiday) traffic may well be lighter on the Saturday than last week, especially N-S. Gotthard Tunnel. And scenic. Wassen is at 4.5 km from Göschenen. Traffic jams on weekends take easily 5-10 km, can be more - … I hear there can be jams at the tunnel. The electrification of the line in 1922 sped up the journey even further as better, faster trains could now quickly pass through the jagged peaks. According to Pore there are no roadworks on the pass on the weekends. Thank you. Ian F, as you know better, just go ahead. Amsteg at 16 km, Erstfeld at 23 km. JAMS ARE EVERY WEEKEND AND if you do go, make it very early otherwise expect jams of many kms. Webcams on both entrances/exits so that you can see the traffic flow in and out of the tunnel. (we have a good roaming data plan, so my wife can check the smartphone while I'm driving ...). Also we are looking at good but cheap overnight accommodation before we go in to the tunnel - do you have any ideas please? ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-60204046', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Airolo). And there is another option - take the (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? The longest sleigh runs of the Swiss Alps, The Leading Hotels Of The World in Swiss Alps, Hotels near Zermatt-Matterhorn Ski Paradise, Hotels near Matterhorn Museum - Zermatlantis. "Gotthardtunnel Göschenen in Richtung Süd", "Gotthardtunnel (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? How much of a detour are we talking here? Crossing the San Gottardo pass is an adventure, no matter how you cross it. In 1708 the road was improved considerably and in 1775 we find documentation of the first carriage crossing, realized by the English geologist Greville. Tandem Paragliding Experience from Interlaken, Glacier Express Panoramic Train Round Trip in one Day Private Tour from Luzern, Base for hiking in Val d' Anniviers without a car, Veteranarian recommendation needed for Saas-Fee. At least once a season, we like to skip the dark, long Gotthard tunnel that separates the German-speaking part of Switzerland with the Italian region and head over the mountain pass. "Pore" says that is silly and the road is fine! Traffic jams on weekends take easily 5-10 km, can be more - … Thread Tools Search this Thread Sep 12th, 2012, 02:53 AM #1 MAURICIOB. In your place I would listen to the radio, see what the jams are (how intense) and make a decision accordingly. Hi, I cannot give details about exits etc. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-60075368', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Italy (Saronno (= just north of Milan) next Saturday (Aug 2). Usually on a Saturday during summer holiday season most vehicles will pass through the Gotthard tunnel. At the end of the day you will have spent about the same amount of time as you would have in the traffic jam before going into the tunnel (assuming it is one of the "2 hour" variety!) And as such it has two entrances. For public transport, there are two railway lines through different tunnels, and the postal bus through the pass road. The 57 km long Gotthard Rail Base Tunnel was completed in 2016. Going over the Gotthard massif allows you to see all the historic places that you usually miss out on. Wich are the most scenic railway-routes in the Swiss alps? What is the journey time difference Tunnel vs Pass? The (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? The Gotthard Pass is known as the “people’s route”, a name that fittingly illustrates its function in the past, namely that of comfortable route for people but a less comfortable one for goods. Where exactly do you leave the A2 to take the Pass road? :-). Follow signs for the Furka Pass. Traffic jams are expected at St.Gotthard tunnel South entrance this Saturday between 11 and Sunday 1h (Friday 10 to 23 h, Sunday from 11 to 21 h). A brief history of the pass and the building of the tunnel itself, interjects our journey through the 9 mile long double track tunnel. When open I always use the pass road from Göschenen to Airolo, with a stop at Schöllenen, Andermatt or St.Gotthard. If you stop to visit the Furka Glacier (park at the kiosk after the Belvedere Hotel and walk in to the glacier) of course it will be correspondingly longer. I travelled over the pass on Saturday the 26th July and again Saturday 10th August. The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is a railway tunnel under construction in Switzerland. Find detailed information on our dedicated Saint Gotthard Pass road traffic page. In 1882 trains traveled through the pass via the Wassen and the Gotthard Rail Tunnels. Which resort in saas fee open for skiing? Continue your visit to www.tripadvisor.com, Get answers to your questions about Swiss Alps. Should we go via the the Pass or Tunnel? Simple but with food. but we have driven over the pass the last four years on an August Saturday morning as the tunnel traffic is always very bad. more. On the detour - provided that you do not mind alpine pass driving - this route should take you 1hr 45min: From Göschenen turn off the A2 up to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Is traffic just as bad then as during the day? (any more news on the severity of the roadworks ?). is there usually adequate snow in first week of january? ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-57022459', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Airolo via the tunnel takes around 20 minutes, some 40 minutes via the pass road. As already mentioned: Göschenen is the normal highway exit for St.Gotthard mountain pass road (and last exit before St.Gotthard road tunnel). Where exactly do you leave the A2 to take the Pass road? It lies at the heart of the Gotthard axis and constitutes the third tunnel connecting the cantons of Uri and Ticino, after the Gotthard Tunnel and the Gotthard Road Tunnel. The Gotthard Road Tunnel in Switzerland runs from Göschenen in the canton of Uri at its northern portal, to Airolo in Ticino to the south, and is 16.9 kilometres (10.5 mi) in length below the St Gotthard Pass, a major pass of the Alps.At time of construction, in 1980, it was the longest road tunnel in the world; it is currently the fifth-longest. The world's longest rail tunnel is set to be unveiled June 1 in the Gotthard Pass linking Switzerland's Italian-speaking Canton Ticino and the German-speaking Uri Canton. St Gotthard Pass in the Swiss Alps - everything you would expect from such a road: tunnels, serpentine twists, turns and incredible scenery. While the pass might take longer if there is no traffic in the tunnel it is also a much nicer way to cross the Alps, and cooler, with snow still around at the very top. The link consists of two single-track tunnels connecting Erstfeld (Uri) with Bodio (Ticino) and passing below Sedrun ( Graubünden ). Ulrichen has some very lovely old barns and chalets in blackened wood right around the Nufenen Hotel, off the main road. What is the journey time difference Tunnel vs Pass? This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. And hopefully the road workers will be on holiday too! (Would be useful for tourists if they did and perhaps they do. So maybe the tunnel is better. Join Date: Sep 2012. This is a tunnel. I hear there can be jams at the tunnel. Göschenen to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? The Gotthard Railway tunnel opened in 1882 and dramatically reduced travel time through the Alps in this area. This part will take about an hour if you stop to take photos. Compare driving time via tunnel or via pass with route planners such as www.viamichelin.ch. and you won't have had to drive 16km in a tunnel with two way traffic. Zermatt to St. Moritz, scenic train trips, general advice... GE - Zermatt to Chur vs Zermatt to St. Moritz. Summer drive through the swiss alps/Switzerland, Cost of snowboarding near Basel, or in Andermatt area. We will be travelling via St Gotthard in late July. We will be travelling via St Gotthard in late July. During the week usually not much of a problem, at least to my experience no reason for not leaving the highway using the relatively long Göschenen exit lane just before the tunnel. Are there statistics about average waiting times / date or / hour of the day? One of the things you need to notice before replying to someone is the "age" of the thread - in fact your have tacked your answer onto a rather "stale" thread. Related: What are the most popular tours in Swiss Alps? Good news and thanks for telling us I am sure the views were lovely too. the road is fine - well made etc. Apparently the works will be suspended over the summer weekends so hopefully it will be clear. Christmas/New Year's in France & Switzerland, Best mountain town summer - Zematt, Grindelwald or Villars. Switzerland, Gotthard Pass or Tunnel ? It is crossed by three major traffic tunnels: the Gotthard Rail Tunnel, the Gotthard Road Tunnel and the Gotthard Base Tunnel. Can I expect traffic to be the same / worse or better than last two Saturdays? Gotthard Pass (to Airlolo) then - Val Bredretto (very very lovely!) We will be travelling via St Gotthard in late July. Waiting 1-2 hours or more is not unusual for more than 10km traffic jams. Is that information also available in English? Drive carefully and have a wonderful time. This part will take about an hour. Each of the tunnels were considered to be the world's longest at the time of their construction. This is useful information! ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-60078533', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Furka pass into the Valais and then the Nufenen into the Val Bedretto. Given the fact that Friday is already a (Swiss) holiday, one might indeed expect for a lot of traffic to pass already on Friday indeed. Traffic jams on weekends take easily 5-10 km, can be more - check road information the day you travel. Thank you kindly for this (again) very usuful information, Hamba :). The Gotthard Pass lies in a crucial north-south axis in Europe, called Gotthard. But in case the waiting time is longer than 40/60 minutes the use of the old Gotthard Passroad will be not only the better solution, but also an opportunity to see a spectacular view. Photo: Swiss Travel System; ... traders from the Romans onwards had to trudge across the Alps via the Gotthard Pass. This discussion is not worth the time. I would go up to Andermatt - www.andermatt.ch/en/essen-schlafen/Alle-Unterkuenfte - where you have an excellent choice of accommodation. We have relied on out Tom Tom to guide us and never hit traffic so it must send us off at the right time. It will be in German. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-60110379', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Andermatt. Currently, we are counting 15 Saint Gotthard Pass traffic incidents. It may take a little longer (but not always) than waiting to go through the tunnel, but it is a whole lot more beautiful. On weekend check traffic information - Wassen exit might already be part of Saturday morning traffic jam. But we speak German, French and Italian so it makes no difference to us - husband and me). Or some other online resource? Turn your radio on and listen the traffic news. Tips about hiking in the high Alps available? From there drive over the Nufenen pass to the Val Bredretto (there is a café/restaurant at the top where you might have lunch and the view is breathtaking!) Europe - Gotthard Base Tunnel - Hi, I'm planning to travel to Switzerland in May 2017, and was planning to travel from Lucerne to Milan to especially enjoy the scenic beauty en-route. Again, thank you so much for your time to answer! Comparison between the roads from Basel to Genoa via the Gotthard tunnel vs the Great St. Bernhard pass: Basel – Genoa via Gotthard tunnel 5h 25 min 483 km. Pass is quite nice. Does my ViaMichelin trip to, from or through Saint Gotthard Pass take into account the traffic conditions in Saint Gotthard Pass? As we emerge on the German speaking northern side of the Gotthard Massif, the long ramp begins all over again, this time in a downward direction passing through many more spiral tunnels and avalanche shelters until reaching the terminus at Erstfeld. Thank you so much - tips such as leaving the road at Wassen are exactly what I'm looking for. Main traffic jams in front of St.Gotthard road tunnel are on weekends in July and August (plus other vacation breaks such as Easter). Amsteg at 16 km, Erstfeld at 23 km. Do you get trapped in traffic jams when leaving for the Pass?