Rail passes for Germany & Switzerland
 

Two of us are traveling and are evaluating a Eurailpass vs. German and Swiss passes. We'd be traveling Day 1 from Germany to Switzerland and staying in Switzerland for Days 2 and 3 (Jungfrau region). Day 4 would be travel from Switzerland to Germany, with Day 5 in Fussen area and Day 6 traveling to Munich for a few days before heading home. I know that we can get discounts (saver/twin) on both rail pass options. Essentially, we'll be traveling long distances only 3 of the 8 days. I've seen that probably the country passes are a better option for us (especially in Switzerland). Any advice would be very helpful! Thank you!

Only the Swiss Transfer Ticket is what you should look at + the half-off half-fare card you can buy in conjunction with it - gives you a train trip from any Swiss border station to any place in Switzerland - including all towns in the Jungfrau Region and then a trip back to any border station and in between you get half-off everything that moves practically in Switzerland - including the Jungfrau area - would be the best deal for you I believe rather than a Swiss Pass- you are not traveling enough in Germany to look at a pass.

And though there is a Germany-Switzerland Eurailpass that pass does not cover many things in the Jungfrau Region as Swiss Passes and the Swiss Transfer Ticket + Half-Fare Card does.

Look into the Swiss Transfer Ticket - here are some sites that explain it and cover train travel in Switzerland and the Jungfrau Region: www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.swisstravelservice.com.

I see only two long trips - DE to CH and back again on Days 1 & 4. It's unclear if you're traveling to Füssen on Day 5 or if you're already there. Day 6 can be done for €28 for two adults on a Bavaria Ticket Day Pass; public transport within Munich is included:

http://www.munich-touristinfo.de/Bavaria-Ticket.htm

The Bavaria Ticket can be bought at any train station in Germany.

If on Day 5 you are traveling to Füssen from elswhere you can probably use a Bavaria Ticket as well.)

You should be looking at train tickets - not passes - for travel on Days 1&4. It's completely unclear what your travel details are so I cannot provide specific advice. But let's guess that you are 2 adults traveling from Frankfurt to Interlaken on June 11 as an example. You can buy pre-purchased saver fare for €118 for 2 adults at the DB (German Railways) site. And since it's an example, let's use the same date for Interlaken to Ulm Germany (in western Bavaria.) That fare for 2 is available now for €58 for two.

So... Frankfurt Airport - Interlaken - Ulm - Füssen - Munich on 4 separate travel days totals out at €233 for 2 in this example

With saver fare tickets you purchase online and select the specific trains and travel dates, all well in advance, and stick to that schedule - not a big sacrifice for just two travel days, I imagine. Buy tickets when these fares first go on sale for the best prices. That's 91 days in advance. Prices rise as tickets sell.

If you are unfamiliar with the DB site, feel free to provide your specific travel information (travel dates, destinations, passenger ages) and someone like me will probably offer to look up the details for you.

As long as we don't know your itinerary, we can't give any advice.
"Germany - Switzerland" means nothing: there ar at least 7 possible itineraries (trains and long distance buses).

Will you just go from border point 1 to Interlaken and then to border point 2 or do you want to see more places of Switzerland?
Do you want to do some boat or mountain railway rides around Interlaken and if yes which one's?

Some good practical info can be found here:

ttps://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/germany-rail-passes

We've found that local all day tickets and pre-booked saver fare point-to-point tickets (for the longer segments) are better for travel within Germany than a rail pass and with such a short visit I'd think the same for you.

I seem to recall that some Swiss train passes also cover travel to some border towns in Germany, but I can't find that info to confirm, so take that with a grain of salt.

"We've found that local all day tickets and pre-booked saver fare point-to-point tickets (for the longer segments) are better for travel within Germany than a rail pass..."

That's exactly right. But the savings on those tickets are not limited to "within Germany." That's something the Rick Steves page above doesn't address. Steves refers you to his "fares estimate maps" - which for example indicate a comparison fare for Frankfurt-Zurich of $135 per person once you add up his mapped out travel legs. On the basis of prices like that - prices you would pay if you walk up to the ticket counter on the day of travel - he asks you to decide whether the railpass is cheaper. But this is a bit deceptive when in fact, on the DB site, you can find saver fares like the one I mentioned above - €118 for two adults for Frankfurt-Interlaken. The DB refers to these international discount fares as "Europa-Spezial" fares. I guess that's why I don't trust the ricksteves pages very much - the information is slanted with the goal of selling railpasses (which will indeed cost less per day if you compare them with full-fare prices referenced on his maps.)

Europa-spezial: http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/pr...-spezial.shtml

And for trips WITHIN Germay you should be equally suspicious when comparing railpass costs with the p2p fares found on Steves' maps. Those full-price p2p fares do not compare favorably with the saver fares at all.

Saver fares: http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/pr...rtickets.shtml

To see if the Swiss Transfer Ticket is a good deal figure it costs $148 for the two train trips from borders to any place in Switzerland and the chance to buy a Half-Fare Card for half-price - about a $65 savings or buying it alone (and if doing the Jungfraujoch train the 50% off will just about pay for the Half-Fare Card itself plus you get 50% off everything else that moves)

subtract $65 from $148 = $83

and go to www.bahn.de/en and see what your German trains will be to the German-Swiss border station - may well be 29 euros vs what Fussganeger quotes above for Frankfurt to Interlaken - see which one adds up best (I'm not sure) - kind of complex but I think the Swiss Transfer ticket with discounted domestic tickets in Germany many be the best deal because of the 50% off the Half-Fare Card which if doing expensive things in the Jungfrau Region may make it that - but if doing mainly hiking then you do not need a Half-Fare Card - but again if doing Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch the 50% off card will save a bundle.

So if doing those things getting a half-off Half-Fare Card (at local stations) along with a Swiss Transfer ticket may be as cheap or cheaper than booking discounted tickets direct from Germany to Interlaken (or wherever you are going - like Wengen, Grindelwald (fuus quotes fares to Interlaken but if going to Grindelwald or Wengen, etc that will cost more but would be covered by a Swiss Transfer Ticket - and with the Swiss Transfer Ticket you can take any train - just hop on - discounted fares may well be train-specific,have to be booked far in advance to guarantee as they are sold in limited numbers and are non-changeable and have a 15 euro or so refund penalty.

If you just save even a few euros on the discounted route over the Swiss Transfer Ticket and half-off Half-Fare Card go for the full freedom to hop any train any time once you get to Switzerland from Germany.

Not sure which is best but I know what is easiest - the Swiss Transfer Ticket and half-off Half-Fare Pass.

BTW I would stay an extra day in the Jungfrau Region as you can only reach the tip of the iceberg (no pun intended) in the basically one full day you would be there - or scratch it and explore more of Germany.

Thinking it over if you have only one full day in the Jungfrau Region and are NOT taking the Jungfrau train then just take the discounted tickets fussg laboriously explains in detail and pay the fare to Grindelwald, etc. In one day you will not realize any benefit with the Half-Fare Card unless doing the Jungfraujoch train, the most expensive train in the world perhaps.

Thanks to everyone for your advice! I know I was vague with my itinerary, but it certainly generated many ideas to consider. After investigating your proposed options and websites, today we have ordered two second class 5-day Eurail select passes (promo saver) for two countries (Germany and Switzerland).

Each Eurail ticket was $251; it allows for 5 days of travel over 2 months. We will use the Eurail passes on day 1 from Frankfurt to Lauterbrunnen, day 4 from Lauterbrunnen to Fussen, and day 6 from Fussen to Munich. This $251 is substantially less than the point to point fares coupled with a Swiss Transfer Ticket. We will have flexibility on choosing the other 2 days of use—either in Germany or Switzerland. If needed, we also plan to purchase a Bavaria whole day ticket (28 euro for 2 people) when we tour in Munich on day 7.

Additionally, with the Eurail passes, we will receive 25% discounts on the Jungfrau day trip (Good Morning tickets are 138 CHF each) and the Schlithorn day trip (102 CHF). We think this Eurail choice will provide us flexibility, ease of use, and a good price for all of our travel. FYI, we will be traveling on a Rhine Cruise for 8 days and in the Amsterdam and Mosel Valley region for 2 weeks in addition to this extra excursion, so we are trying to travel efficiently when on trains in Germany and Switzerland.

Thanks again for your input! It was very helpful.

sounds great!

$251 is a great price - forgot about the new 2-country Eurail Select Saverpass pricing reduction this year. $50/day or about 42 euros a day for fully flexible travel. Flexibility is key to me but not many but I like just getting out of the hotel, heading to the station and hopping on the next train - very few trains in Germany require resevations -none that you should encounter nor in Switzerland.