One More Swiss Pass /Berner Oberland Question
 

Ok, now I'm confused. I was in Wengen last week, (was it really just last week!), and had a 3 day Flexipass. We used a free day on the pass on a rainy day to take the boat to Thun and on the way back decided to head up to Grindelwald. We figured we could spend a half hour take the train to Kleine Sheidegg and take the last train down to Wengen. Soon after leaving Grindelwald, we showed the pass that we had been using all day for free travel to the conductor who said we couldn't use it for this and wanted 50chf. We questioned him, but he kept saying we couldn't use it and we asked if we'd also have to pay to get back to Wengen from K.S. and he said yes. We really didn't want to spend that kind of money, when all we wanted to do was get back to the hotel, so we got off the train at the next stop and... well that's a long story. Yes I am planning on posting a trip report.

I knew that the Jungfraujoch wasn't covered and that there was one other area that wasn't and covered by free travel, and assumed all along that this was it. But I just looked back at the threads for this, and found that it's the Shilthorn trip that is never free.

So was the conductor wrong? Did we do something wrong? Does anyone have any explanations? (3 questions - I should change my title.)

Swiss Pass does not pass beyond Grindelwald or Wengen - thus you'd have to pay 50% for the Grindelwald-Kl Sch-Wengen fare, which is as steep as the railway. No free ride here. the map you got with the pass should show which lines are covered in full and which are 50% off - Grindelwald-Kl Sch-Sengen is 50% off only.

Thanks, Palq. I just found it on another thread too. To quote you: <i> You can use Swiss Pass for free travel to Wengen, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Gimmelwald and Murren - everything else above these 50% off. </i>

I didn't realize that. Well, it's nice to know the rules, now that I'm home, LOL.

The Swiss flexipass and Swiss pass are valid only for discounts on the mountain trains. If you had been that situation last year, the Swiss PaSS would have only valid for a 25% discount.

That ride from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen to Lauterbrunnen is one of the most expensive of the trip in that area. It is 59 chf undiscounted.

You will not, unfortunately, get a lot of sympathy for not knowing.

bd: After coming back, aren't Swiss trains (and boats) great?

Awww, I'll give you some sympathy bd! Try as I did ahead of time - I just couldn't learn everything either, especially concerning the use of rail passes. It's a lot easier once you get home and can visualize the terrain and relationship of the towns. The next best thing would have been to take Bob Brown or PalQ along with us - I learned most of what I knew about rail passes from them!!! (Thanks for all your input you two! It was very helpful and saved me!)

Yes the Swiss trains are great. On the trip to Switzerland I had the full itinerary printed out - times of arrival and departure and platforms for each leg - Zurich to Bern to Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen to Wengen - nervous about making all the connections.

On the trip home, we just got on the train to Lauterbrunnen and knew at each step there would be be a train shortly to take us to the next town on route to the airport.

Everything is clearly marked and announcements made in numerous languages. It was really very easy to get around. We got bored on the boat to Thun, so we hopped off at Spiez, got a bus to the train station and took a train to Thun.

Thanks Kwren. My husband was pretty amazed at how well-prepared I was for this trip, and I have a lot of Fodorites to thank for that.

I was surprised how well he took it when we were standing at some unknown train station running out of time to catch some last trains back to our hotel, much less to make it back in time for dinner. I sure wished I had access to this site at the time.

My husband called me his travel agent all during the trip!

Two more passes to consider if you are based in the Bernese Oberland are the Regional pass which will give you either 3 days unlimited travel and 4 days half price travel in this area, including to the Kleine Scheideg, or 5 days unlimited and 10 days half price.
The only mountain railways not covered are the Jungfraujoch from Kl.Scheideg to Top of Europe and Piz Gloria from Murren. It also covers boats and buses.
There is also a Jungfrau regional pass valid for six days unlimited travel excluding Kl.Schiedegg to Top Of Europe. This pass is only valid between Interlaken Ost and all railways, cable cars and mountain buses in the Lauterbrunnen, Grindlewald, Wengen, Murren, Kl. Scheideg, steckleberg areas.

Berner Oberland Pass i believe is available only between May and Oct - not in the high season of winter. Its cost is so high that you have to be traveling a lot in this one area to make it attractive - for most the Swiss Flexipass and the 50% it gives off all things covered by the BOB pass will be better, especially if coming to the area from outside the BOB coverage.