Swiss Paddlesteamer Timetables

Welcome to John's

Swiss and Italian paddle steamer Timetables
This is an unofficial site
(Always check locally before booking for any future sailing)

Sunday 29th June 2008

PS Concordia (Lake Como)

photo: Gordon Stewart
The paddle steamer waits at Colico before her return sailing pier in sunshine
By the time the steamer was half way back to Como
it was stormy and lighting flashes all round the lake !

Monday and Thursday 23rd and 26th June 2008

MPV Italia (Lake Garda)

photo: David Lewis The motor paddle vessel departs Limone on the early-afternoon "short working" to Malcesine on Thursday 26th June 2008

Monday 23rd June 2008	Thursday 26th June 2008

The motor paddle vessel covered the full-length sailing 2 to Riva and return
She called at Limone approximately 15 minutes late on both dates

Do you know if the MPV has sailed on any other summer date ?

Sunday 22nd June 2008

MPV G Zanardelli (Lake Garda)

photo: Jim McCreery
The motor paddle vessel is seen off-Bardolino on Sunday 2nd June 2008
This is the first "reported" signting of her in 2008
- have you seen her in service - if so please e-mail me with any details you have

Sunday 15th June 2008

PS Concordia (Lake Como)

photo: Jacopo Tagliaferri
The paddle steamer sailed despite the poor weather for the second Sunday running

Saturday 19th April 2008

PS Stadt Luzern (Lake Luzern)

photo: Roger Roth
A large crowd enjoyes the 80th Birthday Parade of the flagship..........

photo: Robert Kn�pfel
.......... along with the other four paddle steamers..........

photo: Hans Eichenberger
.......... and later forming a star off-Weggis..........

photo: Hans Eichenberger
.......... and finally running in parallel formation

Headline News - now appears on the "Start Page" - click here

This website was last updated on
Thursday 28th August 2008

see Log Page for full details

* * * If this page loads without the Contents on the left, please click here * * *

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I have received reports that the notifications I have send out using "Coollist"
have not been working properly
In the circumstances I propose in future to maintain a "dedicated e-mail list"
and send out messaages direct from it as and when appropriate

Would YOU like advance notification of last-minute alterations to sailings
also major updates to this website?
In addition, if this website is "down" for any reason, all those on the
list also receive a direct e-mail advising them the current position
and also get the latest news of what is happening on the lakes

If so, please enter your e-mail address here and mark it "updates"
Such a request will be treated as your agreement to me keeping your e-mail address on file

If you have already requested through "Coollist" - please send me a fresh e-mail as I am unable to reach their database and retrieve your address ! - thank you

Swiss paddle steamers currently in service

Click here

for details of the fourteen Swiss Swiss paddle steamers
now in service

updated following the re-entry into service of
PS Lötschberg on Sunday 1st June 2008

For further information
- see Paddle Steamer Fleet Details page

FUTURE SPECIAL SAILINGS

Dates of ALL public special sailings
during 2008 by paddle steamers
(that I am aware of *)
on the Swiss and Italian lakes will be shown on the
News Page or the Parades Page
also on the appropriate lake Summary Page
under the relevant date
* - please e-mail me with details if YOU are aware of any

(look for the "gold" or "lightblue" backgrounds)

In responce to numerous requests
Advance Information on some of the "POSSIBLE" sailings for Summer 2009 is now given

Confirmed information for most lakes for 2008
can now be found on the lake index pages
see Contents Index on the left hand side of this page
(if it is not showing, click here)

REMEMBER the situation may change CONSIDERABLY
nearer the time or as the season progresses

Click here

for "Advance Information 2009" Index Page giving links to the individual lakes
this information will be updated as appropriate
until detailed timetables are posted

Before visiting any of the lakes, PLEASE check first with the operator
much nearer the time

REMEMBER, you saw it here first !!!

Important
Site Updates
and News

For full details of ALL updates to this website see Log Page
For full details of paddle steamer news see News Page
For latest known 'status' of each operational paddle steamer see:-
Active Paddle Steamer Summary Page or
Paddle Steamer Details Page (includes details of all known future public sailings * )
or other Paddle Steamers/Motor Vessels Index Page

* - if you are aware of any others (or spot an error)
please e-mail me and I will update the information
for the benefit of other visitors to this website

20th July 2008

* 20,000 visitors

have logged onto this website
since the counter was re-set to zero
on 20th February 2007

Thank you for visiting
and please 'spread' the word around by introducing it to ANOTHER one of your friends !!!

Once again, a very big thank you to those of you who have been in touch from all over the world
especially those who regularly supply information, pictures, etc.

--- perhaps YOU too can help ?

updated
20th February 2007

Summary of Sailings INDEX
First select one of the nine Swiss or Italian lakes below
(including the two which are International)
Then "click" on the link to obtain an overview of all the operational Swiss and Italian paddle steamers $, the routes operated and their regular timetabled and special public sailings
($ - includes one German - which occasionally visits Swiss waters)

There are also maps of both the Swiss and Italian lakes if case you are unfamiliar with the area
You can "click" on your selected lake to find the individual lake timetable index (which then has links to find out detailed timings and calling points of all paddle steamer operated sailings on your selected date)

Alternatively, you can use the following links to take you straight to the regularly updated summary of each lake, which now also includes details of all public special cruises advised to me that are planned to be operated by a paddle steamer

Lake Brienz Lake Geneva Lake Luzern Lake Thun Lake Zurich Lake Maggiore Lake Como Lake Garda
Lake Konstanz (sailings to/from Swiss piers only)

12th June 2005

** HISTORY **
Things haven't changed much on Lake Brienz
over the last 30 years plus !
Mondays to Fridays 1975
Saturdays 1975 Sundays 1975

23rd December 2002

** HISTORY **
LAKE GENEVA - mid-1980's
Who wanted to know then which sailings
were operated by paddle steamers ?
In the peak-Summer of 1984 only one afternoon sailing
(starting Lausanne) was advertised as such in the official timetable !
along with the Saturday evening dance cruise
(an extension of the daily sailing 76)

Updates are usually posted between 1400 and 2400 the previous day
For full details of ALL website updates see Log Page

The best results from this website can be achieved by viewing in Firefox or Internet Explorer
but it should also be viewable from any brouser

Your help is VITAL !!!
If YOU know something else or spot something wrong on these pages,
please e-mail me

This website site was originally planned to simply give a historical record of the timetabled sailings
made by the paddle steamers on the principle Swiss lakes

However, over the years it has gradually expanded to also give future sailings expected to be operated by the
18 remaining Swiss Paddle Steamers
(including the three Lake Geneva diesel-electric "motor paddle vessels" #)
on
Lakes Brienz Geneva # Luzern Neuchâtel $ Thun and Zurich

However, in order to help holidaymakers and others plan their lake cruises,
where advance information is not yet available
LINKS will lead to the equivalent period during the previous year(s)
For those not familiar with the area
Summary of Sailings Index and Map Index pages are available
with further links to
"detailed summaries" of the sailings on each lake
PLEASE check with the operators nearer the time, as they often have to make
late changes, especially to the vessel operating a particular sailing

# - Two of which ( MPV Helvétie and MPV Italie) are presently "long-term laid-up" awaiting restoration
$ - PS Neuchâtel is presently "long-term laid-up" awaiting restoration - having been transferred to the Trivapor Organisation

Lake Konstanz
(Switzerland/
Germany/Austria)

This website also gives Swiss information on the one remaining operational
German paddle steamer
which occasionally visits Swiss piers
This now includes Konstanz which is just three minutes by train "across the border"

Lake Maggiore
(Switzerland/Italy)

This website also gives limited Swiss and Italian information on the one remaining
Italian paddle steamer
now returned to service following a major rebuild which has in the past occasionally visited the Swiss piers

Lake Como
(Italy)

This website also gives limited information about the two remaining
Italian paddle steamers
one of which is operational and the other still laid-up despite having visited dry-dock in 2004 for the first time in a decade

Lake Garda
(Italy)

This website also gives limited information about the two remaining
Italian motor paddle vessels
which usually operate timetabled services on a non-advertised basis during the main summer
also the occasional special
"Regatta" sailings

Note: Additional sailings are operated by motor vessels on all the lakes featured

Separate timetables lead from the links on each lake index (and archive index) page
Where timetables are large (mainly during peak summer dates),
it is advisable to
Open Frame in New Window
(a Restore Frames link is provided at the bottom right of every page)
Most underlined text will lead to an additional page
and larger pictures can be found by clicking on many of the small pictures

This site has been created from scratch. Whilst much of the basic information contained herein could be found by studying and translating timetables issued by the various companies, I have set out to present the timetables of the sailings on all lakes in English
in a consistant simplified form
They will normally be available for historical reference after expiry of official publicity - please e-mail me if you are unable to find any particular timetable or you find any link not working
(note: many old timetables were 'lost' when my webhost's server crashed some years ago and I have not had the time to re-create them all - any specific ones you request I will attempt to restore as long as I still have the information or if you can supply the details)

The timetables on this site normally only show the public regular and special sailings planned to be operated by paddle steamers (PSs)
(or - if I have been advised - day to day variations and/or what actully happened on the day)
[Note:- in the cases of Lake Geneva and Lake Garda, they also include those sailings operated by the operational motor paddle vessel (MPVs) $]
Sailings operated by a motor vessel are normally only shown when they deputise for a paddle steamer - or when a paddle steamer may cover on certain dates
$ - on Lake Geneva (MPV Helvétie and MPV Italie) have been 'long-term' laid-up since early-Spring 2002 and late-Winter 2005 respectively

In order to further simplify presentation, timetables are split into limited dates to obviate
(a) the wavy lines - also other irritating notes which are so common in most official timetables (sometimes only in the 'local' language)
(b) a single multi-coloured column - where only part(s) of the sailing apply on some dates

Details of any day-to-day late variations to the
basic Summer and Autumn 2008 sailings
will only be posted if you advised me accordingly

Further timetables for 2008
are gradually being added/updated for those lakes which have declared their
(in some cases revised) intentions

Please BOOKMARK this site NOW
and revisit again soon!

If you would like a

e-mail to advise you of any important updates to this site please enter your e-mail address in the box at the top of this page

This is an unofficial site.
No responsibility can be taken for the accuracy of any information contained in this site by the webmaster, the webhost or anyone else connected with the site.
Anyone visiting Switzerland or Italy to sail on the Paddle Steamers is strongly advised
to check the latest position with the operator concerned.

Information may be copied for personal use only
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES are any pages to be reproduced in whole or part thereof on any other web site or published in any other form whatever

Links from other sites would be appreciated
Please let me know if you have any suitable photographs, etc. for possible inclusion. Credit will be given if published

The web-master would be pleased to receive details of any further information, corrections or updates known to you, especially details of problems in loading any page or link so they can be corrected for use by subsequent visitors
e-mail