bob_brown

Looks like it time to trot out my two sets of cost analysis figures for Swiss Passes. I have done my own calculations to compare the Berner Oberland Regional Pass and the Swiss Card. All calculations are based on Lauterbrunnen because that is where I will be. <BR><BR>The BOB Regional Pass is 195 chf; the Swiss Card is 176 chf. <BR><BR>I considered the 2nd class, 7 day Regional Pass which includes 3 free days of travel and 50% reductions on the other 4 days. The holder may designate which 3 of the 7 days are &quot;free days&quot;. For the Swiss Card, I considered the 2nd class, 1 month card. It yields 50% off in general, and the train trip from the Swiss entry point to your destination and back is included in the cost of the card. I used entry at Z&uuml;rich airport.<BR><BR>All calculations for the BOB Regional Pass are based on free day travel, but with two constraints. The Jungfraujoch - Kleine Scheidegg trip and the M&uuml;rren - Schilthorn trip are NEVER free; they are always 50% off with the pass.<BR><BR>Let's start with a set of cost comparison figures for transit rides in the BOB area on trains and gondola/Luftseilbahn lifts. All in chf.<BR><BR> 47.60 Lauterbrunnen -Kleine Scheidegg <BR>102.00 Kleine Scheidegg Jungfraujoch <BR> 61.40 Lauterbrunnen to Schynige Platte <BR> 19.60 Lauterbrunnen - M&uuml;rren <BR> 62.20 M&uuml;rren - Schilthorn <BR> 48.00 Grindelwald - First <BR>340.80 Total, undiscounted of the above<BR> prices<BR><BR>129.20 round trip fare Z&uuml;rich Airport <BR> to Lauterbrunnen and return. <BR><BR>470.00 total of the BOB rides plus the train<BR> fare listed above. <BR><BR>195.00 cost of Regional Pass<BR> 51.00 half the cost KS - Joch<BR> 31.10 half the cost M&uuml;rren - Schilthorn<BR>277.10 total cost of all the 2 rides listed above with the Regional Pass cost factored in.<BR><BR>The pass saves you 63.70 (340.80 - 277.10)<BR>The breakeven point is reached BEFORE using the cost of the Schnige Platte trip.<BR><BR>The Jungfraujoch, the Grindelwald-First trip, and the Schilthorn trip are sufficient to reach the breakeven point. The separate legs of the Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch trip are included because of the cost structure. You pay half for the final two stages, but getting there entails no additional cost on a free day.<BR><BR>Bottom Line: the Berner Oberland Regional Pass reaches the break even point with three trips: Grindelwald - First, Lauterbrunnen - Schilthorn, and Lauterbrunnen - Jungfraujoch. <BR>For the Swiss Pass, the same set of rides would cost you half of the total; the train trip is free. <BR><BR>The cost of all rides with no discount card is: 340.80 + 129.20 for a total of 470.<BR><BR>With the Swiss Card the cost is reduced to <BR>half of 340.80 or 170.40 + 176.00<BR>Total = 346.40 <BR>The breakeven point would be reached before <BR>considering the Schilthorn trip. <BR><BR>Now for the kicker. The BOB trips taken with the Swiss card costs you 346.00.<BR><BR>The same trips with the Regional Pass costs you 277.10. The train fare with the Bob pass gets complicated because you get 50% off of the stretch between Lauterbrunnen and Bern, so I cannot simply say that the savings between the two is (277.10 + 129.20)- 346.40 <BR>or 59.60. But if a train trip is in your plans, the Swiss Card is probably better. <BR>But it all depends on which excursions you take.

swandav2000

bob,<BR><BR>Good stuff, but you haven't included the Jungfrau Railways pass, at 165 chf. This includes free travel between Interlaken Ost, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Muerren, Wengen, Kl. Scheidegg, First, &amp; even the Jungfraujoch. The only exclusion I can see is Schilthorn.<BR><BR>What're your thoughts?<BR><BR>s

Melnq8

Bob -<BR><BR>What about the Swiss Rail Pass and Saverpass? It's good for unlimited travel on most rail, boat and postbus lines throughout Switzerland including scenic trains, funiculars and some cable cars. It also covers those stretches on the BOB that some other passes don't, such as Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald and Wengen.<BR><BR>You also get 25% off the lines not covered (such as Wengen-Kleine Scheidegg, Kleine Scheidegg-Jungfrau, Murren-Schilthorn, Wengen-Mannlichen, Mannlichen-Grindelwald Grund-First) etc.<BR><BR>It's also easy - you can be spontaneous and not have to plan which days to use the &quot;free travel&quot;.

bob_brown

Reference the two immediately preceding comments. <BR>Nuts to both of you jokers. I am not sure who died and left you chief critic. <BR><BR>Write your own analysis if you don't like mine. I think you rascals would fuss about a free steak from a good restaurant.<BR><BR>For comment number one, there is enough information in my post to do your own.<BR>So why did you not? <BR><BR>As for the second comment, it is little more than eye wash, and not good eyewash at that. The Swiss Card gives half off of ALL travel in the BOB area. It only gives 25% off on the Schilthorn and the other trips, which takes it out of competition in a big hurry with the Regional Pass.<BR><BR>If this statement: &quot;You also get 25% off the lines not covered (such as Wengen-Kleine Scheidegg, Kleine Scheidegg-Jungfrau, Murren-Schilthorn, Wengen - Mannlichen, Mannlichen -Grindelwald Grindelwald Grund-First) etc&quot; is trying to say that you get no discount with the Swiss Card on KS - Jungfrau and others, that simply is not a true statement. Also there is no connection of any kind from Grindelwald Grund to First. The First Gondola station is about a mile up the street from the train station; I know because I have walked it several times, including last year.<BR>Also, I have ridden on all the lines I described and I have gotten discounts with the Card. They were 50% discounts except for the lift up to Pfingstegg. That one is 25% with the Card. <BR><BR>So my response holds. Let me see your analysis of the Swiss Pass. I have looked at the set of hypothesized paramaters to could make it competitive with the regional passes. The assumptions are so varied that there is virtually an unlimited number of assumptions you must make, but all of them entail riding on the SBB system, and not on the rides where you get only 25% off.<BR><BR>I will wait for you to give me exact figures showing where the Swiss Pass could reach the break even point in the Berner Oberland.<BR>

BillJ

Hi gang. I just posted this on NormaB's question thread. Thought I'd throw it in here too, just to (hopefully) add to the collective knowledge. <BR>Hi, NormaB. There's a lot of noise about this pass thing, so let me just tell you what we did last July '02. We arrived at Interlaken by car a little before noon, drove to Grindelwald. Shopped, had fondu lunch, drove back to Lauterbrunnen. Covered car park. Bought 5 day Jungfrau pass for 165 chf each. Rode up to Murren from Lauterbrunnen, stayed 3 nights at Alpenruh, south edge of town, adjacent ot tram up to Schilthorn.<BR>Day two: Up early, rode train down to Lauterbrunnen, then next train up to Kleine Scheidegg. To go from there up to Jungfrauhoch, we paid 50% of normal fee, or 48 CHF (regular rate 96 chf).<BR>After coming back down to Keine, continued by train to Grindelwald, shopped some more. Different train from Grindelwald back to Lauterbrunnen, then back up to Murren.<BR>Day 3: Alpenruh hotel has some kind of connection with Schilthorn, but no break on ticket price. You get a certificate for a continental breakfast up top. You pay for regular menu items. If you get to the Schilthorn early (before 9am as I recall) the ticket is about 50%. We barely made it and paid 46.50 chf round trip.<BR>Next day, checked out, and train back down to Lauterbrunnen. I didn't write down what the carpark cost, but I remember thinking it was reasonable.<BR>Hope this helps. <BR>I think I'll put this on Bob Browns other post just for the fun of it. I think I saved $, but. . . ? You bet on the weather allowing you to make the train rides.

NormaB

No matter what the correct answer I just started to laugh when I read all the posts. It reminded me of what the house was like when the kids were little.<BR><BR>I was looking for an easy answer and I guess there isn't one! IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER!!!

swandav2000

bob,<BR><BR>Well I didn't *really* mean to get under your skin. I did, however, want to make the point that the pass quesion is, in fact, on the confusing side. When I answered NormaB's question, I noted that the trains &amp; fares in the area can be confusing. You responded flatly in the negative. Maybe instead of saying &quot;it is confusing&quot; I ought to have said &quot;can be confusing.&quot;<BR><BR>In any case, I think I made my point.<BR><BR>Yup, I've done the same analysis myself and I usually buy point-point tickets with the half-fare card.<BR><BR>s

Melnq8

Geez, Bob, I didn't mean to start a war. I stand corrected about Grindelwald Grund - First. I realize you have to walk to the First station as I've done it myself. What I meant is that you can purchase the entire trip from Mannlichen, and get 25% of the purchase price by showing your Swiss Rail Pass. <BR><BR>My point is that there is more planning involved when purchasing a regional pass or a card that gives free travel on some days, but limited travel on others. This may work fine for some, but personally I like having the freedom of hopping on a train or bus when the spirit moves me.<BR><BR>Strictly an opinion - I apologize for ruffling your feathers.

Patrick

I've spent several times in Grindelwald -- usually about 5 days, but have always had the Swiss Pass as we also go to numerous other areas in Switzerland by train on the same trip. One other advantage of the Swiss Pass is that the last time we were in Grindelwald we really had a lot of lousy weather so didn't do the Schilthorn or many of the other planned mountain excursions. We were glad we hadn't bought the regional pass as it would have become pretty much a waste. Instead we hopped on trains and went off to explore Bern, Basel, and a variety of smaller towns. All of these were &quot;free&quot; with our Swiss Pass. Again -- &quot;it all depends on the weather&quot;.

jmw

Topping because I'm enjoying this energetic exchange, while not exactly understanding all of it. Hope everyone is smiling out there. J.