Mt Pilatus and Jungfraujoch
 

Hi all, we will be bringing our daughters 15 and 10 to Switzerland for the first time. It is a dream come true.
When we are staying in Lucerne for 4 nights we are considering going up Mt. Pilatus. And weather permitting also Jungfraujoch as we are staying in Wengen for 4 nights.
I have spent many days reading up about these two places on various forums and websites.
But I find conflicting information.
PLEASE can someone tell me the price to go up Mt. Pilatus from Kriens for 2 adults and two kids. We will have the Half Fare Pass and are arriving in 3 weeks.On the site I read kids under 16 are free, but when I put in our details with Half Fare Pass it said 36 Fr for each of us.
And the same from Wengen to Jungfraujoch please.
While I have your kind attention - also please tell me if supermarkets will be open in Lucerne on a Sunday as this is the day we'll be arriving from Zurich.

I cannot answer your pricing questions, but I can say that in my experience, the only super market I have found to be open on Sunday is the one at the Lucerne train station.

When are you going?
Transports up Mt. Pilatus has between the season maintenance closures. All your concerns regarding prices don't matter if you are there during the down time.

>>> also please tell me if supermarkets will be open in Lucerne on a Sunday as this is the day we'll be arriving from Zurich.

Luzern (most places in Switzerland for that matter) shops shut down around 4pm on Saturday and don't open until 9am Monday. The exception are the train station and airport store. Get your shopping done at Zurich, ZRH or Zurich HBF not clear where you are coming from, or at Luzern train station. You might read one-size-fits-all postings by those who haven't had to deal with weekend closures as if you can easily find stores to buy whatever necessities any time. That has not been my experience.

Thank you! We'll be in Luzern from December 11 - 14.

When we were in Milan in July we didn't know all the supermarkets would be closed. It was very inconvenient.

The children < 16 yr old free travel is a benefit of a different card, "Swiss Family Card," which is free card. I have used this route with my 12 year old. http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/...mily-card.html.

How the half fare card and family card interact is described here: http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/...fare-card.html.

Whether having most shops closed on most of the weekend is an inconvenience or a benefit depends on how one frames how a society operates. One can evaluate other societies with respect to own. One can also look at pros and cons with different approaches. You might see the business hours practice where you live in a different light when you visit and observe how other societies handle this.

Yes the free Family Pass is available at any train station for kids under 16 traveling with at least one parent- whatever the adults pay for the kids go free- everything I believe.

You may want to check the Berner-Oberland Pass which covers both Lucerne and Interlaken areas and price it out and see what discounts it gives or covers for free. Probably not cost-effective but not sure and may depend on what you do in and from Lucerne.

www.swisstravelsystem.com - www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com are great sources for info on public transit in that area.

I would also check out an 8-consecutive-day Swiss Pass that gives you free at will of trains, buses, trams, lake boats and 50% off most cable ways and trains to mountain tops.

Pilatus is a fickle mountain - often shrouded in clouds or fog or mist IMO of being in Lucerne a lot - if it's clear head for the hills.

I have read many times on this forum that the family/junior card is free for under 16s when travelling with an adult. Twice though, we were charged a small fee for the card (30chf last time). This is still a fabulous bargain so absolutely no complaints! But don't be surprised if there is a small charge. I'm not sure why there is a difference in what people have experienced. The first time, my husband and I had half fare cards and the second time, I paid standard point to point fares for myself (no pass). We don't live in the EU, don't know if that's a factor. We also had to present our passports to buy passes at the station so I recommend you have yours on hand just in case.

Did you pick up the Family Card in Switzerland or did you order it online?

Luzern station has a very detailed website, including everything you'd want to know about shopping right there.

Use this website (in English) to search for the type of shop you'll need and its opening hours.

http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service.../shopping.html

Note that "takeaways" are "food-to-go" shops.

PalenQ, was that question to me? If so, we purchased at train stations in Switzerland. Getting passes sent to Australia seemed, at the time anyway, to be a hassle and wasn't necessary with our itinerary. On another occasion I purchased online and printed at home but no kids on that trip.

Once purchased, the kids' cards gave them free travel which was great.

Thank you everybody for the helpful answers. Even your answer was helpful this time michelhuebeli. (And this is my thread too.)

I am struggling - I have to book our trip for 4 which will last 31 days in various countries and the amount of info that I need to find is overwhelming.

What is not clear to me, is the following: do I need to buy the Half Fare Card online before we leave? It seems that the ticket office at the airport station will be closed by the time we arrive. We will need the half fare card to buy the tickets from the station to our address in Zurich.

And I still don't know what it will cost for 2 adults and two kids (15 and 10) if we want to travel up Mt Pilatus and Jungfraujoch mid December. Probably with half fare card. Is there anyone who can please help me out?
Up Mt Pilatus from Lucerne
Up Jungfraujoch from Wengen

I don't understand why you can't work out the fare. Using sbb.ch, when you search for journey Luzern to Pilatus and select your journey date/time the system asks for the details of each traveller, including whether they have a half fare card or whether they are children. You and your partner will have a half fare card (presumably) and the kids should travel free if you buy them a family/junior card each.

According to sbb, the half fare price for Wengen to Jungfraujoch is 42.50 for each adult. And Luzern to Pilatus, 20.60chf per adult. Both with half fare discount applied and travelling tomorrow.

Normally, I've found no advantage in prepurchasing tickets in Switzerland but have heard that occasionally special deals are available for advance purchase. I believe that you can purchase in advance, saying you have a half fare card, and just present it to the train conductor when he checks your ticket. No need to have it prior to booking online as far as I'm aware. Personally, I've never booked in advance in Switzerland so have no experience of this.

With regard to buying your half fare cards, if the train office is closed on arrival and you want to use your half fare card to travel from Zurich airport to central Zurich on your first day, then I think that, yes, you'd have to buy your pass online before your holiday. I've done this before and you can print the half fare card at home after your order has been accepted. However, given that the fare from Zurich Airport to Zurich appears to be 6.60chf per adult, I think it might be easier to just pay full fare to get to your Zurich hotel and buy the passes at the train station in Zurich the next day. btw I'm surprised if train station at Zurich airport unmanned while flights are still arriving but never having travelled very late at night I'm not sure. Hours are probably on the sbb website.

I have just noticed that sbb is not quoting ticket prices after 15th December. Not sure why. When are you travelling exactly? Some European rail systems load new timetables in early December.

Thank you dreamon. Pilatus: 12, 13 or 14 December. When I search the site the price I get is 40chf per adult.

Jungfraujoch: 16, 17 or 18 December. The price I get here is 88chf per adult.

For both searches I clicked on Half Fare. And return journey not single.

You understand why I am uncertain? You get different prices than I.

But thanks so very much for your time and helpful answer. With the travel cards and airport transfer I'll take your advice.

PalenQ, was that question to me>

Yeh - because I thought you may have ordered online and paid some mailing cost -when was it - maybe it was different a few years ago but yes everything says it is free TMK.

Vanessa, I looked at one way prices, which would explain the difference. Of course, you do need return tickets and I should have been clearer about that in my post. btw. are you using the official sbb.ch site? From all accounts, it's best to buy tickets to the mountain tops on the day because the weather of the day could affect your experience.

I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time. It is a truly stunning part of the world. Good luck with your planning.

There is an Early Bird Special on Jungfraujoch trains - first trains in morning - can return on any train - significantly cheaper - check the official Jungfraubahn site.

You may also want to investigate the Berner Oberland Pass that covers trains and conveyances in both Lucerne and Jungfrau areas. Sold locally at train stations.

Thanks you guys.
Berner Oberland pass and Early bird special not available in winter months.
Yes I am using the official sbb.ch site. Not planning to buy the tickets yet - I know it depends on the weather. But I need to get the relevant info because we have to budget for these outings.

Thanks for all the help.

You're probably already aware of this if you're asking about supemarkets... If budget is a consideration (which it is for most of us) you will probably need to self cater a bit. I travelled from Italy to Switzerland last year and, for example, a coffee was about 3 times the price in Switzerland. For most of our stay, we rented a place with some cooking facilities. Even buying stuff at the grocers was expensive but nothing like eating out. When dining out, I was scanning the prices on the menu before I looked at what the food was. There are some inexpensive cafes so seek them out. It was a lot more expensive than the previous times I'd been there, due in part no doubt from the currency adjustment made early last year. But so worth it! I'd go back tomorrow if I could.

In Lucerne, we did the walking tour organised by the tourist office and recommend it. You can get a small discount if staying in Lucerne but it's not expensive anyway.