Me and my wife are travelling to Switzerland between August 10 - 15, 2015 for a vacation. To start with, we would reach Interlaken by 1.00 pm on August 10 and stay there for three days. Thereafter, on August 13, will shift to Zurich and stay there for another two days before returning on August 15, 2015 early morning.

While advising, please keep in mind the following points -
1. We would take the Swiss travel pass for 4 consecutive days from August 10 (12 noon) to August 14 (around 12 noon, hope this is correct)
2. My wife is expecting (mid of 2nd Trimster)

We have planned the following itinerary -

August 10, 2015 – Reach Interlaken by 1.00 pm
Visit the Trummelbach Falls, Lautterbrunnen and then go to Bern and Lake Thun

August 11, 2015 –
Go to the Jungfrau early morning and spend rest of the evening in Interlaken

August 12, 2015 -
Chateau de Chillon, Montreux and Chocolate and cheese trail (Village Gruyere)

August 13, 2015 - reach Zurich
Visit the Lucerne city and roam in the city full day

August 14, 2015 -
The Rhine Falls early morning and explore the Zurich city

August 15, 2015 - return early morning

Please advice if the plan looks ok, any other things which should be added or deleted from the plan, any must do things that I am missing - I know a few like The Matterhorn, Zermatt, Schilthorn, Mt. Pilatus and Bernina Express but am finding it difficult to fit in the plan.

We would be really greatful for your advice...thanks in advance.

How will you arrive at Interlaken: by car or by parachute?

Aug 12th may look like this:
Interlaken dp 6.00 via Fribourg (boring itinerary) to Gruyeres ar 8.59 - cheese diary - castle - medieval city - lunch - dp 13.51 - Broc chocolate factory ar 14.19 - visit - dp 16.38 - Montbovon - Goldenpass - Montreux 18.13 - Chillon castle ar 18.34, have a look at the castsle from outside (it closes at 6pm) - dp 19.49 via Visp - Interlaken ar 22.40

If traveling that much in a 4-day period the 4-day consecutive Swiss Pass is a no-brainer - there is no longer a Saver Pass but now you can buy a Half-Fare Card in conjunction with the pass for half-off or about $65 - that would be a good deal because just half-off the Jungfraujoch Fare not covered by the pass may equal that.

anyway for loads of great info on Swiss trains and passes check these IMO superb sites: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com (if you want to talk to an expert call Byron here - I've bought passes from him for years and he will expertly answer any questions IME whether you are buying or not); www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

Going to Zurich only to turn right around and visit Luzern makes little sense. Just stay in Luzern your last two nights. There are frequent trains between Luzern and the Zurich airport you could take the morning you leave, only be sure to check the departure times to make sure one leaves early enough.

Also, be prepared to change plans depending on the weather. If it is dreary, then scratch your mountain plans and spend the time in cities. If it's sunny, ditch the cities and spend the time in the mountains, shifting your home base to Lauterbrunnen. A sunny day in the Alps beats any castle, chocolate factory, or cheese shop.

@neckervd - I would be arriving in Interlaken by Train from Zurich. So my four day travel pass would start from Zurich itself. Questions - do we have to pay extra for the golden pass and if we skip medieval city, can we then visit the Chillon castle. Thanks so much for the detailed itinerary...makes it so much easier for us.

@PalenQ - you mean to say that we should but the 4 day consecutive pass and along with that the half fare card which is for about $65. I believ I am not understanding correctly.

With my travel plans, should I buy the half fare or swiss travel pass for 4 days?

Edward2005 - actually my return flight is from Zurich and that is early in the morning and the four day Swiss travel pass would expire by then, so though of staying in Zurich. Once the pass expires, we can generally roam around the city. Thank you so much for your advice on sunny and dreary, have made a note of it.

In order to arrive at I'laken at 1pm, you have to leave ZRH airport at 10.40. Stop over at Berne (the train arrives at noon) and visit the town in early afternoon instead of backtracking in the evening. Leave Berne at 15.07 (at 18.07 if you visit some of the famous Berne museums), change at Thun to a Lake Thun boat and arrive at Interlaken at either 17.49 (boat's pier) or 20.40 (by bus after having changed from boat to bus at Faulensee).

Leave the Truemmelbach Falls for Aug 11th.

As I showed you above, a somewhat decent visit of Gruyeres AND Broc AND Chillon castle is not possible in a day trip from Interlaken.

Leave I'laken at 9.08 by scenic Goldenpass train and sleep at Gruyeres.
Visit Chillon the following morning, go then to Lausanne (by boat or train) and board there a direct Lucerne bound train.

You may need a Swiss Travel Pass for 8 days. If you travel ZRH - Lucerne - I'laken - Goldenpass - Gruyeres - Montbovon - Montreux and back the same way (without Gruyeres, of course), the Regional Pass Bernese Oberland may be more advantageous.
The Swiss Half Fare Card may be more advantageous than both Passes, however.
Fix your definitive itinerary and compare the prices.
http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/home.html
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en
http://www.regiopass-berneroberland.ch/home-en

With my travel plans, should I buy the half fare or swiss travel pass for 4 days?>

You should definitely buy the 4-consecutive-day Swiss Pass IMO and actually the only thing you are doing that is not covered 100% is the Jungfrau Train (pass covers only 25% from Wengen/Grindelwald via Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch - so if your total un-covered fare would be greater than $65 would you want to buy the half-fare card along with the pass (Half-Fare Card is normally $129 by itself).

I think the supplement for the Jungfraujoch trip may not be much more than $65 or even a tad less so I guess I would forget about that and just do the 4-consecutive-day pass. Most people are taking other gondolas, etc not fully covered but I note you are not so I think the 4-consecutive-day pass would be the only thing for you and for your plans a great deal.

A Pass covers tshe Golden Pass train in full - reservations not needed but if you want a seat for sure in the observation cars, of which there are some in each class now I understand, you may want to make an optional reservation in Interlaken at the station for a few francs but unlike Glacier Express which imposes a heft surcharge on pass holders of about $40 there is none of that nonsense on the Golden Pass.

I'd try to get VIP seats - totally unique TMK on European trains.

https://www.google.com/search?q=VIP+...w=1455&bih=977

Amongst the images of the Golden Pass in general you can see some shots of the VIP seats - seats next to the driver's compartment so you can sythesize driving the train yourself - some are at the back of the train - not nearly as good. But need to be booked way in advance on the official Golden Pass site and need a first-class upgrade I believe with a 2nd class pass or ticket.

@neckervd - we are reaching Zurich from paris and will have 2 suitcases along with us, is there a way that we check-in the luggage at Zurich and collect it at Interlaken in the evening. In that case, we can go by your plan of visiting Bern and Lake Thun on the way to Interlaken.

Can you give some suggestions for thebest things to do in Lucerne and Zurich - one day each.

We can't thank you enough for taking time and responding to our queries in detail.

@PalenQ - thank you agian for making it simple, we shall buy the Travel pass for four days.

There are luggage lockers (and a luggage deposit office) at Berne railway station.
If you send your suitcases from Zurich airport to Interlaken, they will not arrive the same day.

A Swiss Travel Pass for 4 consecutive days may be the most expensive solution. The supplement for Jungfraujoch would cost about 130 USD/pax. And you would have to buy standard fare tickets for Aug 14th and 15th. A trip from Zurich to Rhine Falls/Schaffhausen/Stein am Rhein would cost about 50 USD (standard fare).

neckervd - they could buy a flexipass to extend the validity period -= yes if there 5 days check out the Swiss Flexipass 3 days in one month + buying the half-fare card at half-price - sorry rchit for not realizing your train travels are over a 5-day period not 4. Makes it a bit more hard to figure out but with a pass I've always found that my travel plans could change - rain in hills - do a day trip to Bern or on a whim go down to Interlaken for a relaxing boat ride on say Lake Thun, etc.

~PalenQ - We will validate the 4 day Travel pass on August 10 at around 12.00 noon and it should then be valid until August 14 12.00 non. We will try to go and come back from the Rhine falls before that and explore Zurich thereafter. Hope it should be ok based on your experience.

If you validate your 4 days Swiss Travel Pass August 10th at noon, you loose the whole morning, worse: you will even have to buy a ticket ZRH - Berne for 55 CHF.
And you will have to buy standard fare tickets for all your travels which end later than August 14th at 5am.

Neckervd - we will reach Zurich from Paris at around 11.00 am only. I hope the consecutive day passes have 24 hours validity, so if I validate it on August 10 at around 11.30ish, it will remain valid till August 14 11.30 am.

Please correct me if I am wrong....thanks.

Unless things have changed recently the Swiss Pass is not a 24-hours validity but per calendar day - activate it at 11:30 am it will still expire at midnight on the 4th day. Look into a 3-day Swiss Flexipass that will give you three days of unlimited travel and buy with it the Half-Fare Card at 50% off - on the other two days use it - such as the day to the Jungfruajoch - don't burn one of your 3 flexible travel days but use the Half-Fare Card - just a scenario. Half-off the Jungfraujoch trains is a lot of money in itself.

But no the passes TMK are calendar days not 24 hours or 96 hours in that case from when you activate it - again if any questions about that call Byron at www.budgeteuropetravel.com - as I said before he has the definitive answers if you want to confirm that.

If you want to go to Lucerne on day 1 - that is a cheap enough ticket from Zurich - then use the 4-consecutive days from there on.

If you also buy the Half-Fare Card at 50% off then that first day Zurich to Lucerne ticket would be very cheap - activate your pass the next day and have everything covered.

"if I validate it on August 10 at around 11.30ish, it will remain valid till August 14 11.30 am"
You are wrong: if you validate it at any time between Aug 10th 0.01am and Aug 10th 11.59pm it will remain valid until Aug 14th 5am
http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/...Questions.html

As you likely will not be traveling midnight to 5 am basically it's four consecutive calendar days regardless of when you activate it on your first day of use - not like a car rental with 24-hour or in your case 96-hour periods.