GMAN, this is just for you. All others must visit the Timetables and Flight Information thread ot get this information.
AR14 Timeline(revised 12/31):
Oct. 31 leg 1 depart U.S. for Locarno, Switzerland via Frankfurt and Zurich or via Milan:
The only applicable flight in the right time frame from the U.S. is UA990 SFO FRA 1348 0830
A different route goes LAX to Milan-Malpensa(MXP) as follows: TN022 1145 0845+1 connecting with AF1214 0945+1 1145+1
Here are the bus schedules in the same time frame:
Shuttle bus leaves airport Arrival in Bellinzona at Connecting train leaves Arrival in Locarno
12:30 14:20 14:39 14:58
14:30 16:20 16:39 16:58
From LAX to Milan-Linate a similar schedule applies:
TN (Air Tahiti Nui) 022 LAX CDG 1145 0845+1, conecting with XM5997 CDG LIN 0935+1 1110+1
From LAX to Zurich via Frankfurt we have the interesting combination:
LH457 LAX FRA 1435 1025+1 connecting with LH3726 FRA ZRH 1200 1255
What I find most interesting is the fit LH457/LH3726 has with the observer comments about seeing 7 teams in Frankfurt Airport the morning of Saturday Nov. 1. I expect no other reason to go to Frankfurt except to connect to Zurich. There are 10 nonstop flights on Saturday between Frankfurt and Zurich, so if any are delayed there are alternatives.
The train schedule from Zurich to Bellinzona to Locarno indicates that 3 1/4 hours is required. Here is is:
Train leaves airport Change in Connecting train leaves Arrival in Locarno
11:47 Zurich HB (main station) 12:09
Arth-Goldau 12:52
Bellinzona 14:40 15:06
12:47 Zurich HB (main station) 13:09
Bellinzona 15:40 16:06
13:47 Zurich HB (main station) 14:09
Arth-Goldau 14:52
Bellinzona 16:40 17:07
16:47 Zurich HB(main station) 17:09
Bellinzona 19:40 19:06
It is my belief that AR14 teams used a minimum of 2 flight combinations to get to Locarno. One may be to Milan, another to Zurich directly, and a third to Zurich via Frankfurt.
Nov. 1 arrive mid-morning in Europe and reach Locarno sometime in the afternoon; then tasks; this might be a TBC to allow known timing of next leg, but probably isn't
Nov. 2 leg 2 Locarno to Domodossola to Spiez to Interlaken by train; then tasks in Interlaken
dep. Locarno 1047 arr. Domodossola 1235
dep. Domodossola 1248 arr. Spiez 1353
dep. Spiez 1425 arr. Interlaken West 1454 or dep. Spiez 1432 arr. Interlaken West 1451
total trip is 4 hours train
Nov. 3 leg 3 Interlaken probably by rail to Zurich, then plane to Salzburg; arrival possibilities mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and late evening
From Interlaken to Salzburg, the early morning Tuesday(as in Nov.4) train schedules are:
dep. Interlaken West 0605 transfer trains in Spiez, Romanschorn, 7 min. walk to ship, ship to Frederichshafen ship terminal, 5 min. walk to Hafen station, 2 min. train to Frederichshafen station, Ulm, then arr. Salzburg 1454 after a 8 hour 53 minute trip OR
dep. Interlaken West 0731 transfer trains in Spiez, Bern, Zurich arr. Salzburg 1529 after a 8 hour 0 minute trip
Based on the above, it seems more likely that teams flew to Salzburg on Nov. 4. In order to do that the optimal route is to take a train from Interlaken to Bern(somtimes changing first in Spiez) and then change for Bern to Zurich. The trains that fit are:
First train is dep. Interlaken West 522 transfer at Bern, arr. Zurich HB 0728, transfer there to Zurich Airport dep. HB 0746 arr. Airport 0747, a difficult 23 minute connection to make the first flight below from Zurich airport
Next is dep. Interlaken West 1031 transfer at Bern, arr. Zurich HB 1228 dep.HB 1237 arr. Airport 1246 .
Last is dep. Interlaken West 1729 transfer at Spiez and Bern, arr. Zurich HB 1928, dep. HB 1937 arr. Airport 1946.
At Zurich there are several nonstop flights to Salzburg, each with a connection from one of the train trips above:
C91202/LX4290 0810 0915 ZRH SGZ
C91204/Lx4292 1335 1440 ZRH SGZ
C91208/LX4294 2040 2145 ZRH SGZ
Nov. 4 tasks in Salzburg
Nov. 5 leg 4 depart Salzburg for Bucharest, with several late-night flight options:
through Munich drive back form Salzburg early evening, then LH3424 2130 0025 MUC OTP
through Frankfurt OS269 1830 1950 SGZ FRA connecting to LH3416 2030 0005 FRA OTP
Nov. 6 arrival in Bucharest after midnight; transfer to train to get to Brasov
morning train departures: Bucharest Nord 2358 arr. Brasov 0246 or dep. 0630 0922 or dep. 0730 1019 or dep. 0616 1051(note: nobody would want this) or 0830 1124 or 0942 1254 or 1130 1404
Nov. 7 tasks in Brasov
Nov. 8 leg 5 leave Transylvania for unknown location #1(could be Siberia)
Nov. 10 leg 6 unknown location #2(could be Siberia)
Nov. 12 leg 7 unknown location #3
Nov. 14 leg 8 leave unknown location #3 to arrive Bangkok the next morning
Nov. 15 fly Bangkok to Phuket apparently on TG203 0740 0850, then tasks in Phuket area
Nov. 16 leg 9 fly from Phuket to ?
Nov. 18 leg 10 fly from ? to Guilin
Nov. 20 leg 11 Guilin to Beijing flight choices:
CZ3281 0900 1125
CA6312 1145 1435
CZ3287 1710 1950
CA1226 2105 0015
then tasks in Beijing and start pitstop
Nov. 22 leg 12 return from Beijing to U.S. for Finish Line in Hawaii via Tokyo
PEK NRT on Air China has several choices:
CA6651/NH956 0845 1305
CA925 0930 1350
CA167 1350 1750
Continuing on from Tokyo-Narita to Honolulu (NRT to HNL), there are 9 choices with departures between 645pm and 10pm. With the 6 hours 45 minute flying team and 5 hour time difference, these flights arrive HNL 0630 to 0950. The most logical choice to me would be UA880 NRT HNL 1925 0710+1. All these are same day due to crossing the International Date Line.
Finish Line on which Hawaiian island not known yet although I guess Oahu now for convenience
Note: this is a 23 day race.