RE@40 Travel Information

The seminar will be held in a former monastery in Kappel am Albis, Switzerland, which is located on the countryside near Zurich.

The easiest and cheapest way to travel from Zurich Airport or Zurich main station to Kappel am Albis is by train and bus. Other options would be renting a car or taking a taxi. Please be aware that taxis are ourtrageously expensive in Switzerland.

The Swiss Federal Railways has an online timetable in English. When making a connection query, enter "Zurich Airport" in the FROM field and "Kappel am Albis, Kloster" in the TO field. When traveling from Zurich main station, enter "Zurich" or "Zürich HB" in the FROM field. Please note that there is also another village in Switzerland called Kappel. Hence, make sure that you specify "Kappel am Albis, Kloster" as your destination.

The bus stop "Kappel am Albis, Kloster" is located directly adjacent to the seminar venue, the former monastery (Kloster) Kappel. After leaving the bus, walk along the pond towards the church. In front of the church, turn left to the reception ("Empfang").

Basically, there are three public transport connections per hour from Zurich Airport to Kappel am Albis. Trains leave at

h:03 (S24 to Zug, one change from train to bus in Baar; total travel time 1 h 11');
h:18 (Fast train towards Zurich main station, change trains at Zurich main station and change from train to bus in Baar; total travel time 56');
h:36 (S2 to Ziegelbrücke or Unterterzen, change from train to bus in Thalwil. Some connections may require another change (bus to bus) in Hausen am Abis; total travel time 1 h 6').
Trains leave from the underground train station in the airport. The ticket counters and ticket vending machines are located one level above the platforms. On Sunday, buses don't run to Kappel am Albis in the evening. The last connection to Kappel am Albis on Sunday leaves Zurich Airport at 19:18. If you arrive later on Sunday, you still have trains to Baar, but then would have to take a taxi from Baar to Kappel am Albis.

From Zurich main station, the Interregio train leaving to Luzern at h:35 is the best connection (change from train to bus in Baar; total travel time 39').

If you travel by train from Italy, leave your train at Zug and take an S-train or Interregio train from Zug to Baar, where you change to the bus as described above.

From the "Kappel am Albis, Kloster" bus stop, walk along the pond towards the church. In front of the church, turn left to the reception ("Empfang"). Here is a map (PDF, 2 MB) with directions and a situation plan (JPG, 568 KB) of the buildings and facilities.

After your arrival, go to the reception to register and obtain your room keys. On Sunday, we meet at 18:30 in the dining hall ("Klosterkeller") for dinner. After dinner, there will be an informal get together in the Abbot's Cellar ("Abtkeller").

When arriving on Monday, register first at the reception and then join us in the meeting room called "Refektorium" (the former monks' dining room), which is accessible from the cloister.

Here is a situation plan of the venue:

You have to buy a ticket before boarding a train or bus. When using a ticket vending machine or buying a ticket online, enter "Kappel am Albis, Kloster" as your destination. A one-way ticket from Zurich Airport to Kappel costs CHF 17.40. From Zurich main station, the price is CHF 13.80.

Advice for participants who travel with their kids:
Children under 6 are free*, children between 6 and 16 pay half the price. Families can buy a so-called Junior Travel Card. With this card, children under 16 traveling with their parents are free. Normally this card costs CHF 30 (valid for one year). However, currently there is a promotion where you get the Junior Travel Card for only CHF 15, which makes buying it worthwhile even when you travel only from Zurich Airport to Kappel am Albis and back with a kid of age 6-16. Detailed ticketing information can be found here.
*When buying tickets online, the ticketing app will ask you to enter the names of the traveling persons. Only enter adults and kids of age 6+. Otherwise, you will be charged a half-price fare also for kids under 6.

Zurich Airport dep h:03 (train S24 to Zug)
Baar arr h:51 (Exit and change to bus. The bus station is located east of the train station buiding, adjacent to track 1. If your train arrives on track 1 (trains from Zurich normally do), you can just walk straight from the platform to the bus (on street level). If you arrive on track 2 or 3, use the underpass and follow the bus signs. When you exit the station building, turn left and you will see the bus station.)
Baar dep h+1:04 (Bus 280 to Hausen am Albis)
Kappel am Albis, Kloster arr h+1:15
Total travel time: 1 h 11'. One change at Baar.

Runs daily every hour from 7:03 to 22:03 on Mon-Sat and from 7:03 to 19:03 on Sun.

If you arrive later on Sunday, there are still trains to Baar, but then you need a taxi from Baar to Kappel (taxi should be pre-ordered; there might be no taxis at the Baar train station).

Zurich Airport dep h:18 (Intercity train to Zurich-Bern-Genève)
Zurich main station (Zürich HB) arr h:27 (exit and change train)
Zurich main station (Zürich HB) dep h:35 (Interregio train to Luzern)
Baar arr h:56 (Exit and change to bus. The bus station is located east of the train station buiding, adjacent to track 1. If your train arrives on track 1 (trains from Zurich normally do), you can just walk straight from the platform to the bus (on street level). If you arrive on track 2 or 3, use the underpass and follow the bus signs. When you exit the station building, turn left and you will see the bus station.)
Baar dep h+1:04 (Bus 280 to Hausen am Albis)
Kappel am Albis, Kloster arr h+1:15
Total travel time: 56'. Two changes (at Zurich and Baar).

Runs daily every hour from 7:18 to 20:18 on Mon-Sat and from 7:18 to 19:18 on Sun.

If you arrive later on Sunday, there are still trains to Baar, but then you need a taxi from Baar to Kappel (taxi should be pre-ordered; there might be no taxis at the Baar train station).

Note that later fast trains depart five minutes earlier: 21:13, 22:13.

Zurich Airport dep h:36 (train S2 to Ziegelbrücke or Unterterzen)
Thalwil arr h+1:00 (Exit and change to bus. The bus stop is on the lake side (east) of the station.)
Thalwil dep h+1:04 (Bus 240 to Hausen am Albis)
Hausen am Albis arr h+1:33 (depending on the time of the day, you can stay in the bus which will change to line 280 and continue to Baar or you have to change to bus 280 to Baar: checkout the online timetable for your connection or ask the driver)
Kappel am Albis, Kloster arr h+1:42
Total travel time: 1 h 6'. One change at Thalwil and maybe another one at Hausen am Albis. Runs daily every hour from 6:36 to 19:36.

Please note that the trains to Baar also stop in Thalwil. However, the bus connection via Baar is faster when traveling with S24 or IC/IR trains.