Italy-Switz family of 6: June 2015

Old Apr 28th, 2015, 09:12 PM
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Italy-Switz family of 6: June 2015

We are traveling with a family of 6 including grandparents for a dream trip to Italy. We have planned to leave Positano in the early morning and arrive in Assisi in the afternoon on June 21. I am not able to find Trenitalia tickets from Napoli to Assisi. I'd greatly appreciate help on other economical ideas, including other train sources, driver, or van rental. We will be in Assisi one night only and then traveling on by train (or Van) to Florence. So it could be possible to rent a van for 2 days from Napoli--does anyone know how to best do this, not returning to the same destination?

I also greatly need advice on how to get from Venizia Maestre to Spiez, Switzerland--then Interlaken: Murren on June 30. Again, I cannot find tickets on Trenitalia to Spiez and need help with finding train tickets. I thought of flying Venice to Zurich for $100, though Swiss train to Interlaken is expensive. We will be in Switzerland: Murren for 3 nights, then traveling to Zurich airport to depart. Does a train discount pass make sense?

I am not familiar with Italy travel and feel so responsible with my family. Thank you for helping.
famreunion is offline  
Old Apr 29th, 2015, 04:07 AM
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The train ride from Napoli to Assisi would require one or two changes of train depending on the time of day. For example, Napoli Centrale to Roma Termini to Assisi; or Napoli Centrale to Roma Termini to Foligno to Assisi. Both options take 3.5 to 4 hours.

There are definitely tickets available for this route for your dates. The tickets do not show as available because part of your route includes a Regionale train -- Regionale tickets cannot be purchased online more than 7 days before the day of travel. Also, it is not a good idea to purchase Regional tickets online because they come with many more restrictions for use compared to just buying at the station, plus they are never discounted.

If you want to see the possibilities for tickets for Napoli to Assisi, just search using the date May 3 since it is the same day of the week as June 21.

You could purchase the Napoli Centrale to Roma Termini ticket now to get good discounts on that ticket, and then purchase Roma Termini to Assisi at any train station in Italy once you arrive.
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Old Apr 29th, 2015, 06:55 AM
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There is also a direct bus from Naples to Assisi
http://www.tambus.it/servizi/prenota/

Direct trains Assisi - Florence (2 1/2 hrs journey) about every 2 hrs:
Assisi dp 9.25, 11.19, 13.17, 15.17, 17.21, 19.17

Venezia Mestre - Interlaken Ost:
Mestre dp 08.32 - I'laken Ost ar 14.28, change at Milano C and Spiez
Mestre dp 14.32 - I'laken Ost ar 20.28, change at Milano C, Brig and Spiez
Mestre dp 15.32 - I'laken Ost ar 21.40, change at Milano C and Spiez
Mestre dp 16.32 - I'laken Ost ar 22.40, change at Brig and Spiez

Book the tickets Venezia Mestre - Milano Centrale and Milano Centrale - Brig separately

Trains from Interlaken Ost to Muerren every 30 to 60 min, from 6.00am until 23.04 (1 hr journey).

If the last train is late, you may risk to not be able to reach Muerren the same day.

If you stay at Muerren without using any mountain railway, a Railpass wouldn't make sense.
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Old Apr 29th, 2015, 08:19 AM
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Something to consider if you rent a van. Do you know if you can find parking for it in the cities you might drive to?
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Old Apr 29th, 2015, 10:24 AM
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We will be in Switzerland: Murren for 3 nights, then traveling to Zurich airport to depart. Does a train discount pass make sense?>

Depends on what you are going to do in isolated Murren - not much there but hiking and The Schilthorn so presume you will be going down to Lauterbrunnen and up to Wengen or Grindelwald or down to Interlaken for a boat ride - great for kids - as is the famous
Ballenberg Open-air museum overlooking Lake Brienz - well the Swiss Pass covers your trains in full from the Swiss border (so you'd only need an Italian ticket to Domodossola and all the way to Murren via Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen.

So if going down each day to Lauterbrunnen and or anywhere else then the 4-consecutive-day Swiss Pass may be great and other things like it giving free entry to Swiss museums and sights like Ballenberg - $20 or more there for adults - also would give 50% off long expensive cable to The Schilthorn from Murren.

If you have kids under 16 they get a free Swiss Family Pass with the adult pass and they never pay a cent for any travels - even once you pay 50% off on like Schilthorn (much of James Bond's On Her Majesty's Secret Service was filmed at Piz Gloria the revolving restaurant there when it was under construction!)

anyway Ballenberg is a great open-air museum - a nice day - go down to Interlaken-ost and take a boat on lovely Lake Brienz to Brienz and train then one of Switzerland's iconic postal buses to Ballenberg - return by postal bus to Meiringen - visit there Reichenbach Falls where the fictional Dr Moriarity and Sherlock Holmes tangled on a belvedere overlooking the tumultuous falls) - and return to Interlaken via train. Great great day out and every inch is covered by Swiss Pass, including admission to Ballenberg.

for lots of good info on Swiss trains, the Jungfrau region transports and passes, etc check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com. www.sbb.ch - the Swiss Federal Railways has ordinary fares to compare to the pass. Funky weather can set in in the Alps so a pass lets you do a day trip to say Bern or Lucerne - much better in wet weather than up in dem hills without worrying about cost - the pass lets you hop any train any lake boat, anything it covers in full without having to go to the ticket window.

http://www.ballenberg.ch/

https://www.google.com/search?q=Ball...w=1455&bih=977
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Old Apr 29th, 2015, 12:50 PM
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Milano Centrale - Brig separately>

If you do get a Swiss Pass book the Italian train ony to Domodossola which is considered for tarification purposes to be a Swiss station I have been informed at least.
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Old Apr 30th, 2015, 07:00 AM
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DOMODOSSOLA/SWISS TRAVEL PASS:

The Swiss Travel Pass, the Swiss Travel Pass Flex and the Swiss Half Fare Card are fully valid on the lines:
Domodossola - Simplon tunnel - Brig - Geneva/Berne
Domodossola - Sta Maria Maggiore - Locarno (- Bellinzona)
Domodossola - Gondo - Simplon Pass - Brig

The Swiss Travel Pass, the Swiss Travel Pass Flex and the Swiss Half Fare Card are NOT valid on the lines:
Domodossola - Stresa - Milano
Domodossola - Omegna - Novara
Domodossola - Malpensa airport
Domodossola - Gravellona - Verbania Intra
Domodossola - Ponte/Zum Steg
Domodossola - Macugnaga/Z'Maggenen
Domodossola - Antronapiana
Domodossola - Bognanco
Domodossola - Altoggio
Domodossola - Alpe Lusignano
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Old Apr 30th, 2015, 08:38 AM
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I believe the reason or a reason Domodossola is considered to be a Swiss station for tarification purposes is that a Swiss postal bus - over the Simplon pass from Brig ends here and so does the Swiss Centovalli train from Lugano.
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Old Apr 30th, 2015, 10:45 AM
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At times on trenitalia.com you may find a discounted Milan-Spiez ticket cheaper or as cheap as a Milan to Domodossola ticket - fine if going to Spiez but from there to Murren or Grindelwald or Wengen costs a lot - one reason to use the Swiss Pass if going from Italy to those places in one day.
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Old May 2nd, 2015, 08:54 AM
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I greatly appreciate all of your help. The bus to Assisi is a great price. So is the Swiss pass good on all Swiss trains? Is there a number in the US I can call to help me see if a pass will save us money? I've looked on the site and it is not clear for me. We are traveling from Domodossola or Brig to Murren, up to Schilthorn, down to Lauterbrunnen, up to Junfrau down to Lauterbrunnen, up to Murren, to Zurich or to Basel.
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Old May 2nd, 2015, 12:02 PM
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Swiss pass good on all Swiss trains? Is there a number in the US I can call to help me see if a pass will save us money?>

No it is not 100% valid on all trains - but all trains that actually link two towns or places with people living there - but on trains to mountain tops - mnot utilitarian trains but sheer excursion or pleasure trains it is usually 50% off - but new this year on a flexipass - not concseutive-day pass, only if you buy the Half-Fare Card at half-price when you buy the card an option that gives you 50% off every conveyance you may use, incuding the trains to Jungraujoch, only 25% covered by a Swiss Pass above Wengen and Grindelwald.
(Consecutive-day passes get the discount as usual.)

If there someone to call to ask in the U.S. - well I'd call Byron at www.budgeteuropetravel.com - I've bought passes from his for years - and IME he is candid and will tell you an honest opinion. But to me there are various factors - you may end up using the pass more than you think - I always do - like on a whim on a gorgeous afternoon just popping down to say Interlaken from Grindelwald or such and take a relaxing boat ride on sunny Lake Thun. Or on the not so infrequent rainy wet day in the hills - do a day trip to say Berne, more enjoyable in wet weather - especially since it has a bevy of covered walkways in its city center!

the pass covers travel 100% in full to Murren, including either of the two aerial cable ways - one from Stechelberg via Gimmelwald (be SURE to check out totally unique and awesome Gimmelwald and the aerial gondola from it that literally plunges down to the valley floor at Stechelberg - postal buses scoot from there back to Lauterbrunnen or there is a lovely easy foot path a few miles along a bubbling brook! But the pass covers either route - the other by an equally thrilling aerial cableway from Lauterbrunne's train station to Grutschalp (replacing several years ago an old on the ground funicular) and then from Grutschalp a flat mountain train to Murren - Murren has a cableway to Gimmelwald or it is a nice downhill walk on paved paths I believe between Murren and Gimmelwald.

Anyway that is a factor in favor of the Swiss Pass.

But reviewing your proposed trips now I think a Swiss Pass is not the best option for you. I think the Swiss Transfer Card is now the best - it costs a lot less than a pass and gives you two train trips from any airport or border station to any other airport or border station in Switzerland - thus you would use it to go Domodossola to Murren - then Murren to Basle or Zurich - in between you can buy a Half-Fare Card at 50% off in conjunction with the pass and get 50% everything in between your two covered train trips - into Murren and out of Murren - 50% off the Jungfraujoch trains would be much more than the Half-Fare option would cost and maybe approach the cost of the whole Swiss Transfer Ticket - again this is a new thing this year all different from last year so call someone like Byron and get the exact details - I am re-hashing from what I've read - check their www.budgeteuropetravel.com which also has 2015 details (and which I will look up soon myself to be sure I know of what I'm spieling about. Anyway me thinks the Swiss Transfer Card will perhaps and especially you are doing the expensive Jungfraujoch train and get 50% off not 25% as the Swiss Pass would do.

Do the maths and if at all close take one of the passes - you may us e it more than you think!

Cheers!
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 03:58 AM
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SWISS TRAVEL PASS
included:
Domodossola - Brig - LBT or Kandersteg - Muerren - Berne o Lucerne - Zurich
50 per cent reduction:
Muerren - Schilthorn, Lauterbrunnen - Kleine Scheidegg - Grindelwald
25 per cent reduction:
Kleine Scheidegg - Jungfraujoch

BERNESE OBERLAND PASS
included:
Brig - Kandersteg - Muerren - Kleine Scheidegg - Grindelwald - Lucerne
50 per cent reduction:
Kleine Scheidegg - Jungfraujoch
no reduction:
Domodossola Brig, Brig - LBT - Spiez, Lucerne - Zurich, Berne - Zurich

SWISS HALF FARE CARD
50 per cent reduction everywhere
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Old May 4th, 2015, 01:51 PM
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Muerren - Schilthorn, Lauterbrunnen - Kleine Scheidegg - Grindelwald
25 per cent reduction:
Kleine Scheidegg - Jungfraujoch>

with a Swiss Pass it was 50% off Murren to Schilthorn but is that correct now that it is only 25% off - are you sure and yes I am sure you are sure but just want to clarify as I have been saying Murren-Schilthorn 50% off because that's what 2014 Swiss Travel Map said. Or may 2013?
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Old May 5th, 2015, 02:13 AM
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Yes, I am sure of what I wrote:

"SWISS TRAVEL PASS

included:
Domodossola - Brig - LBT or Kandersteg - Muerren - Berne o Lucerne - Zurich

50 per cent reduction:
Muerren - Schilthorn, Lauterbrunnen - Kleine Scheidegg - Grindelwald

25 per cent reduction:
Kleine Scheidegg - Jungfraujoch"
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Old May 5th, 2015, 06:23 AM
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OK - I read it wrong - putting spacing in makes it easier - I read Murren-Schilthorn as part of the 25% group - glad it is 50% - thanks again for clarifying what should have been already clear!
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Old May 5th, 2015, 02:09 PM
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50 per cent reduction:
Muerren - Schilthorn, Lauterbrunnen - Kleine Scheidegg - Grindelwald

25 per cent reduction:
Kleine Scheidegg - Jungfraujoch">

Last year it was 25% reduction from Wengen and Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg but was always 50% as you say the previous years - again I'll check to see if this has been raised back to 50% and that would save a good chunk for folks going round trip.
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Old May 5th, 2015, 02:58 PM
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neckervd - 2015 Swiss Pass from official site says:

Note: The Jungfrau Railway is an exception.The Swiss Travel Pass / Swiss Travel Pass Flex incl. Youth entitles you to a 25% discount from Wengen and Grindelwald and the Swiss Half Fare Card to a 50% discount off excursions to the Jungfraujoch-Top of Europe.

So it is only 25% reduction after Wengen/Grindelwald as it has been for a few years - Half-Fare Card 50% the whole route.
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Old May 6th, 2015, 11:33 AM
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Again the newly re-formulated Swiss Pass would give ther 25 or 50% discounts only on consecutive-day passes - flexipasses used to give discounts on days between the 100% covered travel days but as of this year no longer - now you can buy the Half-Fare Card at 50% off in conjunction with buying a flexipass and get them and the base price of Swiss Flexipasses has been lowered I believe to sadjust for this - there are also no longer any Saverpasses - just solo passes whose prices have been lowered to compensate for having no Saverpass.
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