wrenwood

This looks like it covers almost everything. If we had this pass and wanted to do the typical hikes and sights, what do you see that is not covered?

http://www.swisspasses.com/railpass/...rau-unlimited/

I see Junfrau is at 50%. I do not see that Schilthorn is covered. We would be staying in Murren, and were told to park our car in Stechlberg, and I do not see that the cable car from Stechlberg to Murren is covered?

Thanks!

kappa1

Seems like a new ( or maybe not ) pass. Apparantly Stechelberg - Mürren - Schilthorn cable car is not covered at all and you will have to pay 100%. The other cabelcar and trains ( First, Schynige Platte, Grutschalp, etc ) are all part of Jungfrau Railways (Not Schilthorn cables) so this is a product made by Jungfrau Railways + Thun/Brienz Boat company.

PalenQ

http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/...-oberland.html

Have you looked at the Berner Oberland Pass which if I read correctly does cover the Shilthorn in full and is wider ranging I believe it say going to Bern or Lucerne.

by looking at the Jungfraubahn map no no coverage apparently at all except main route Lauterbrunnen-Grutschalp-Murren nothing beyond - you can also park your car in Lauterbrunnen's parking garage or other places.

Swiss Passes do cover 100% both routes Lauterbrunnen Valley to Murren - either via Stechleberg or Grutschalp and cable in between Murren and Gimmelwald and of course travel to Lauterbrunnen - if you are visiting other places in Switzerland the Swiss Pass may interest you and I believe having a pass gives you a discount also off the Jungfraubahn Pass.

Melnq8

Potential problem right here:

<Ticket is valid for any SIX CONSECUTIVE day period from 1st May until 20th October 2013>

wrenwood

I think it is new. 6 consectutive days is fine (there is also a 4 day pass) We would be staying in Murren for 5 nights in 2014, Murren or Grindelwald for 7 nights 2015, and are interested mostly in the pass for getting to different villages, hikes, sightseeing etc.

We will have a car so I don't think the Swiss Pass would be helpful.

It looks like if we left the car in Lauterbrunnen that we could get to Murren via Grutschalp, but apparently that takes longer?

Melnq8

<Lauterbrunnen that we could get to Murren via Grutschalp, but apparently that takes longer?>

Not really.

Sitting in Lauterbrunnen at this very moment, enjoying the winter weather.

PalenQ

Yes with a car no Swiss Pass - sorry I forgot about that even though you mentioned parking - if you are not traveling around by car other places though taking the train here and back would be best - I have gone to Murren both ways and I would say that with the new cable car Lauterbrunnen to Grtuschalp replacing the antique funicular that also had capacity problems it should not take that much longer - and the train ride Grutschalp to Murren along the edge of the cliff - seemingly - is always awesome except after dark of course.

Don't miss Gimmelwald - a stop on the Stechelberg to Murren gondolas and a short enough downhill stroll from Murren - not much in Gimmelwald but it is totally unique. And Rick Steves did NOT invent Gimmelwald.

Cheers,

michelhuebeli

From the validity map it is clear that the Schilthorn is not included - see

http://www.swisspasses.com/railpass/...rau-unlimited/

And see the Schilthorn “Ferienpass” validity map at

http://schilthorn.ch/en/Angebot/Time...iffs/Timetable

I suggest you contact the Swiss Travel System (for who they are and what they do, see http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/...ompany-en.html), telling them exactly what and where you want to visit, and when and within what timeframe, and let them advise you, since they hold sway over all these member systems and their passes.

Use the Contact form on their website (this URL may work -
http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/...ompany-en.html -
or you may have to click on the link yourself).

PalenQ

If Murren is that last stop on a trip after driving around Switzerland why not just ditch the car in Interlaken and spend your days there car-less as cars are useless in that area and take the train to Zurich airport from Interlaken?

Or perhaps you are going there in betweencar jaunts around Switzerland? But ditching car could save a lot of money on car rental and parking fees if you can organize your trip like that.

wrenwood

Hi PalenQ ~ not really an option either trip. Next year we will be in the Alsace region for a week before 5 nights in Murren and 3 nights in Bern. If we go in 2015 with my brother and his family we will fly into Munich, stay in Berchtesgaden and Fussen before driving to Grindelwald, and then flying out of Zurich. I had debated dropping the car in Meersburg or somewhere and taking a train to Grindelwald, but we may have an additional stop or 2 between Fussen and Grindelwald.

We did do a "car free" trip in Switzerland several years ago and it was great!

And no, we won't miss Gimmelwald. Next years trip is planned because we found Murren and Gimmelwald so enchanting. I'm pretty excited that it is in late June/early July, hoping there will still be some wildflowers hanging around.

Melnq8 ~ not fair, green with envy!

neckervd

Stechelberg - Murren is covered and Murren - Schilthorn is half fare.
Kleine Scheidegg - Jungfraujoch, Interlaken - Heimwehfluh and the buses around Grindelwald are falf fare too, everything else in the Jungfrau area is fully covered by theBErnese Oberland Pass.
Have a look at
http://www.regiopass-berneroberland....ich_web_13.pdf
http://www.regiopass-berneroberland....e-of-validity/
http://www.regiopass-berneroberland.ch/

BTW: it would probably be easier to give back a car at Konstanz than at tiny Meersburg.

michele_d

Hi wrenwood,
I've stayed in Lauterbrunnen twice. If you park in the parking garage in Lauterbrunnen and take the cable car to Grutschalp and the train to Murren it really will not take any more time than driving to the far end of the valley and taking the Stechelberg cable car up to Murren.

wrenwood

Thanks Michele, it looks like that it covered on the pass.

PalenQ

so many passes so many options- looks like Berner Oberland Pass is the deal!

Melnq8

<It looks like if we left the car in Lauterbrunnen that we could get to Murren via Grutschalp, but apparently that takes longer?>

We this in reverse today - took about 20 minutes, end to end.

Beautiful day in Murren today...BEAUTIFUL. We've visited many times, but those incredible views never get old. We've had flawless weather for the past two weeks - snow expected for tomorrow.

Rosti and gluhwein for dinner tonight...yum.

wrenwood

Thanks all, pretty excited, not too long until we leave!

Another question has come up. When ordering online, do they mail passes to you or can you print them from your computer?

PalenQ

No reason for ordering any Swiss Pass online I believe - you can buy any pass, except the Swiss Transfer Ticket which few would find a great deal, once in Switzerland at any train station. I believe mailing from online orders involves a significant mailing fee - if I recall past posts about this accurately.

Now is buying a Swiss Pass or Swiss Card then you may want to, if you live in the U.S. or Canada see what RailEurope is charging for the exact same pass - often more than not in the past several years the passes have been, sometimes significantly more, expensive than in Switzerland - plus you have to figure in any 3% or so your credit card charges for foreign transactions - even of course, for online purchases.

So compare North American prices with Swiss franc prices - most agents here have no mailing fees anymore except for rush overnight services maybe - I have bought various passes from Byron at www.budgeteuropetravel.com for years and if you have any questions he will expertly IME answer them if even you habve already bought passes or are not buying. I do not think you can print Swiss Passes on computers - in any case you have to activate the pass in Switzerland by going up to a train-station counter to validate the pass - they put the dates of validity on it then - you have to do that only within six months of issuance.

You may ask about a current special someone mentioned on a another thread - about a free extra day or something on Swiss Passes.

Pepper_von_snoot

Visiting Gimmelwald is like watching paint dry.

If you are going from Murren to Stechelberg by gondola, then have a look at Gimmelwald but there really isn't anything there except some houses.

Keith and I sat on a bench on the second tier near the small hotel and ate a can of Pringles, looking a the side of a mountain.

We saw 2 people the entire time we were there.

There is a small cafe the size of a lawnmower shed near the gondola station.

Thin

Melnq8

<We saw 2 people the entire time we were there.>

A major attraction as far as I'm concerned!

neckervd

Melnq8:
<We saw 2 people the entire time we were there.>

There are tons of similar places in the Swiss Alps, but foreign tourists usually don't want to go there because they are not mentioned in guidebooks.