POSTBUS ROUNDTRIPS IN THE CENTRAL SWISS ALPS

Swiss Postbus offers several roundtrips, among them:

Airolo dp 10.30 - Nufenen Pass (1/2 hr stop) - Gletsch (lunch stop) - Furka Pass (5 min stop) - Andermatt (40 min stop) - Gotthard Pass (1/4 hr stop) - Airolo ar 16.32. Connecting trains to and from Lugano.

(Connecting train from Lucerne dp 8.06 - ) Meiringen dp 9.25 - Grimsel Pass (40 min stop) - Nufenen Pass (1/4 hr stop) - Airolo (lunch stop) - Gotthard Pass (1/4 hr stop) - Andermatt (1/2 hr stop) - Stein Glacier/Susten Pass (1/2 hr stop) - Meiringen ar 18.10. Connecting train to Lucerne ar 19.55.

Tons of other roundtrips are possible by combining train, bus, mountain railways/gondolas, like

Lucerne - train - Engelberg - gondola - Titlis - gondola Truebsee - Jochpass - Engstenalp gondola stop - 3 miles hike along Lake Engstlensee to Tannalp - Fruttli train - Melchsee-Frutt - gondola -Postbus - Sarnen - train - Lucerne;
https://www.melchsee-frutt.ch/en/summer/fruttli-train/

Lucerne - train - Engelberg - gondola Truebsee - Jochpass - Engstenalp gondola stop - 1 mile hike along Lake Engstlensee - bus stop Engstlensee - Postbus - Innertkirchen - hike or train - Aareschlucht - Meiringen - train - Lucerne;

Lucerne - train - Giswil - Postbus - Glaubenbielen Pass - Schoenenboden - gondola - Brienzer Rothorn - cog wheel steamtrain - Brienz - train - Lucerne;

Lugano dp by Lake Lugano boat 8.00 - Luino ar 9.40, dp by bus 9.55 - Luino ar 10.17, dp by Lake Maggiore boat 10.55 - Isola dei Pescatori ar 12.45, lunch in a typical ristorante, dp by boat 14.20 - Isola Bella ar 14.25, visit of the castle and the botanical gardens, dp 15.50 by boat - Stresa ar 16.00, dp by train 16.38 - Domodssola ar 17.07, dp by scenic Centovalli Express 17.25 - Locarno ar 19.19. Have dinner at Locarno or continue straight to Lugano (1 hr journey, trains every 30 min).

The list could get endless......

To N (and others) ALL THESE PASSES ARE MAKING ME CRAZY!!!!!!! and on "myswitzerland" there is a spreadsheet to help you figure it out? Is this a vacation or a college course?! So my hotel in Lugano will most likely GIVE me a Ticino card? and then I would need to BUY a Tell pass for the Lucerne part of the trip?

So I'm thinking a reasonable plan might be, use the Ticino card to explore that area, buy a Tell pass and utilize that and then maybe have just one high priced rail trip - from Lucerne to Lugano on the panoramic train and thus not purchase any other half price / flex day / consecutive day pass?

Thank you for all the help - it has been awhile since I planned a DIY trip and while Switzerland is looking very attractive, I am a tad frustrated by all the discount transportation choices.

I would not rule out the Half-Fare Card which applies to practically every thing that moves in Switzerland, except cows!

suec1 -

Swiss transport passes can indeed make one nuts. I suggest you decide where you want to visit, what you most want to see in a given area, and then, and only then, worry about the passes.

YOU asked about rail passes and WE gave the answers. But you are absolutely free to visit Switzerland by car. The 2 mountain pass loops I mentioned above can be done by car as well.

neckervd - I very much appreciate your, and others, input. We will use the trains, boats, buses and cable cars - but it seems there are quite a few pass / discount options to choose from. Not that sure of some of the daily details of the trip so making the best choice is perplexing at this point. On our other DIY trips to the various countries there did not seem to be as many options!

I'm am beginning to understand why the concurrent Switz. thread has so many postings!

Again, to ALL who gave input - thanks!

more confusion - if we go from Lucerne to Lugano on the Gotthard Panorama train? do we go thru the tunnel or is it a special train that stays above the ground with lots of scenic views? I understand it begins with a portion on the lake. Thank you!

https://www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress/gettingthere
As per the Dutch version of myswitzerland.com the train goes through the tunnel.

The Gotthard Panorama Express runs along the historic line with 6 helical tunnels and a short summit tunnel (only 10 miles long), not through the new 37 miles long base tunnel.
Trains along the historic line run every hr, but only the Gotthard Panorama Express has panoramic wagons (in 1st class only).

If you go from Lucerne to Lugano, you will have to pay for the Ticino leg too, as you will not get your Ticino ticket before having checked into your hotel in Lugano.

Can't Ticino hotel send you that Ticino ticket ahead of time?

IMO, the number of posts on that thread has nothing to do with helpfulness, but rather a refusal by the OP to actually do her own research and competitive chest-pounding of the I-know-more-than-you variety on the part of those who repeatedly reply. My recommendation: Don't even click on it. JMO as someone who has refused to click on it after the first 100 or so posts.

That thread is totally INSANE

It would take longer to read through then the OP's entire trip. I quit reading it around post #90 and that was two weeks after it started back in FEBRUARY.

Threads like that become useless with all the circling back to the same topic over and over and over . . . and over.

Yes that thread went a litte cray-cray but actually (I'm on page 10) it has given me some ideas - very detailed! After some investigating and mulling I think I am going to do 3 nights Luzern, 4 nights Lugano and 3 nights Rapallo. Honestly, I got a little nervous about rain in Luzern in Aug. and thought I might get a bit stir crazy. We've been to Rapallo before - loved it! so now I'll have a bit more variety of locals and culture.

It really depends on what YOU want to see and experience, but IMO, 3 nights is not much for Lucerne. And FWIW, I've been there when it's raining and have thanked my lucky stars for it, as it meant that I had the streets more or less to myself!

Too, 4 nights is not much for Lugano.

I'm sure you'll have a great trip no matter what you choose.

TO SUEC1
For the Gotthard panorama Express you may buy a first class uprade ticket (CHF 17.50/pax for the train ride only, resp. CHF 29.--/pax for boat and train) together with your seat reservation (CH 16.--).
https://www.sbb.ch/en/freizeit-ferie...ss/kaufen.html

Thanks to your help we may be able to celebrate post number 500 in Jane's never ending thread very soon

Glad to be of help.....would it be a Fodor's record?.......and thank you for your help. But I have figured out I will not be purchasing a half price card because that is for a year? and automatically renews? (I'm doing some research!) So the price you quote me above would be applicable for a 2nd class flex card?

Half Fare Card can be purchased for one month (120 CHF) or one year (180 CHF last time I checked). Only the one year card renews (and it requires a photograph at time of issuance, whereas the one month card does not - it is a one off purchase).

We've purchased the one month Half Fare Card on our last 5-6 visits to Switzerland - it's by far the best value for us. We've considered buying the one year card (and probably should have last time as we'll be returning within 10 months of last year's visit although we didn't know it at the time) but having a photo taken after a long sleepless overnight flight didn't seem like a good idea at the time

Thanks Mel, I did not see that on the website! I am trying to do homework but the complexity / options are frustrating.

I just looked again and did not see a monthly one - can anyone send a link? I'll keep looking

Googled it, found it, not sure why I was not bumping into on the main website.

Jane's thread is currently 17th most replies in Fodors history in the Europe board, but all the way up to number 7 in most viewed. This is out of 257,000 threads! Definitely Hall of Fame material.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holida...fare-card.html