kwren

Hi all -
It's been a while since I've been on the Forum, but my trip to Switzerland is in 4 weeks so it's time to get back to my planning!

I'll be in Lauterbrunnen for 4 days, taking the train from Zurich, hoping to go up the Jungfrau and Schilthorn (pending the weather) and leaving the country for Salzburg at the end. I think I've figured out that the Swiss Card will suit me best, but would like any input from anyone if you think the FlexiPass would be better.

More importantly, I'll have my two 12-years olds with me. I read about the Swiss Family Card, but find different information...will the Family card allow both kids to ride all the above for free, or only one with the other travelling for 50% off? Any info for me?
Thanks!

PalQ

With the Swiss Family Card yes your kids go free to match any kind of ticket you buy - both kids if under 16 and you are the parent (grandparents, aunts, adult friends, etc. don't qualify)
Whether a Swiss Flexipass is better for you, as i suspect it may be, go to www.sbb.ch and get real fares for Zurich-your Jungfrau location and then from there to the Austrian border (St Margrethen for practical purposes) - you could buy a 3-day Swiss Flexipass for yourself and, if bought in the US, get a free Family Pass to give totally free travel for your kids. (I think Family Pass costs SF20 or about $16 in Switzerland.) The minimum Swiss Flexipass is for 3 days out of a month - a flexipass three unlimited travel days and, new this year and what makes the Swiss Pass often a better deal than the Swiss Card - you get 50% off everything in Switzerland that moves for the whole month period - all the days you don't use the pass for free travel.
What you will do with the 3rd day on the pass could be the tipping point - in the Jungfrau area for example the tremendous day trip Lauterbrunnen-Stechelberg for the dramatic aerial cable car to Gimmelwald and then on to Murren and back to Lauterbrunnen could be your free day and this trek could cost about $40 at full price i suspect. Or if you go for a boat ride on Lake Thun or Lake Brienz - both covered in full by Swiss Pass from your Jungfrau area base - that could be your free day. (And if you're going to the very popular Ballenberg Open-air Museum on Lake Brienz the Swiss Pass, on the days of free travel, also acts as a Museum Pass so on that day you'd save about $15 i suspect on the museum - or if you day trip to Bern on a rainy day and see the highly acclaimed Paul Klee Museum.
Anyway the point is consider what you may do with the 100% covered days.
As the Swiss Card costs $133 and the 3-day flexipass $176 - the difference is but $43, which i think you'll find is less than the 50% tickets you'd have to pay on the days that would be covered 100% by the Swiss Pass, thus this seems to be the best option for you. (I'm quoting prices thru RailEurope in the U.S. because though you can buy the Swiss Card at stations in Switzerland, they are significantly cheaper in the U.S. due to the fall of the dollar i guess (compare prices for those bought in Swiss at www.sbb.ch) - RailEurope will charge a $15 mailing fee for orders under $200 but in any case i always recommend Budget Europe (www.budgeteuropetravel.com; 800-441-2387) for their Swiss rail expertise and they'll only charge a $5 mailing fee - on their home page ask for their excellent European Planning & Rail guide that has an excellent chapter on Switzerland train travel and the Jungfrau area in particular. www.ricksteves.com also has good info on Swiss trains as does www.euraide.com.

PalQ

I'm assuming you are traveling solo as an adult - if you have another adult along you could get a Swiss Saver Pass, for three days at $150 - just $17 more than the Swiss Card!

kwren

Thanks PaIQ - you helped me understand the passes a bit better. Now I will research the open air museum and Paul Klee Museum and decide if my 2 kids would like another day trip as opposed to relaxing near the hotel and getting over jet-lag! I'm always raring to go, but I don't want to wear them out the first 4 days of a 3 week trip! Any opinions as to 12 year olds and these trips are very welcome and appreciated.

PalQ

I think 12 year olds would revel in the boat trips on either lake - some are old-fashioned paddlewheel steamers and probably like Ballenberg more than Klee - Ballenberg has traditional style rural edifices moved here and has demonstrations of old-time crafts, etc.
In Interlaken they may like the Rodelbahn, or summer luge run on top on a mini-mountain near town. And they will definitely love the world's longest cable car ride (i believe it is) from Stechelberg all the way to Schilthorn - the Murren-Schilthorn cable is several miles long and Schilthorn has a great observation place with revolving restaurant.
And Trummelbach Falls a mile out of Lauterbrunnen - a roaring water cascade inside the mountain - said to be the sole drain for the Jungfrau glacier.

kwren

The Trummelbach Falls and Schilthorn are already on my list, but I hadn't heard of the Rodelbahn. I think that fits the bill for both my son and daughter! Is it a complicated trip from Lauterbrunnen? Would it be worth going to the Flexipass if that is our third excursion, or stick to the Swiss Card and use the 50% travel for me?

You are full of info and I really appreciate hearing from you! Thanks once again.

bob_brown

The Swiss Flexi Pass is very expensive and you would need to use it a LOT on the national rail system to get it to pay off.

Go to this subset of the Swiss National rail system.
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/Tick....html?&L=2

It lists all of the passes available to you. There has been a change in policy and you must buy them through RailEurope or similar agency. In the past, I bought directly from the Swiss, but that is no longer permitted under current policy.

The cost of a Swiss Card is $133 regardless of where you buy it, here or there.

There is also a comprehensive list of prices for all of the passes, Swiss Pass, Swiss Flexi Pass, and the Swiss Card for the whole system.

Also there is a Jungfraubahn Pass which is described at this website:

The Jungfrau pass is 190 chf for adults. It yields 6 consecutive days of free travel in the Jungfrau area. The Schilthorn is not included. The Jungfraujoch trip is never entirely free. You pay 50% of the cost for travel between the Eigergletscher station and the top regardless of the type of pass you have.

If you are arriving by train, the Swiss Card includes a trip from the border to your first night's destination. It also includes a free trip on your exit trip to the Swiss border.

In between, it yields 50% off most all transportation tickets and some museums and other attractions.

The Jungfraupass is good is you arrive by car because you cannot to many places in the Berner Oberland by car. Wengen, for example, is car free.

The drawback to the Jungfraubahn pass is that the Schilthorn is not included at all.

I suggest that rather than reading and trying to digest most of the stuff here, go to the source data in the web sites I list and draw your own conclusions after your own analysis that is specific to your travel plans and conditions.

By the way, Rick Steves gets his Swiss Pass information from the same place. He posts nothing original!!

kwren

That was a good site for info Bob - thanks. I had been reading all I could before posting my question - even Steve Ricks! (who does make it sound original I have to admit). The info here is just as helpful as everything else, especially for getting to the most helpful web sites. Thanks to everyone for helping me with this decision. I wish I had known about the forum for my last trip to Switzerland!

PalQ

<There has been a change in policy and you must buy them through RailEurope or similar agency. In the past, I bought directly from the Swiss, but that is no longer permitted under current policy>

I think this is inaccurate and according to the site Bob referenced it gives prices for Swiss Passes and Swiss Cards obtained in Switzerland in Swiss Francs - to my knowledge you certainly can buy them at the station and you do not need to go thru Raileurope - though it's to your advantage pricewise to do it:
Swiss Card bought at stations in Switzerland- 178 CH (Swiss Francs) or about $143 US vs $133 US thru RailEurope

Swiss 3-day Flexipass: 240 CH in Switzerland for solo traveler ($192) vs $176 thru REurope

Swiss 3-day Flexi Saverpass (2 names on one pass) - 204 CH in Suisse or $164 vs $150 thru RailEurope

Family Cards are free with passes either her or in Suisse.

Raileurope's $15 mailing fee for order under $200 would add onto a single adult pass - again BETS referenced above would only charge $5 so there are savings in the U.S. - especially for those buying more expensive Swiss Passes.
I did make a mistake in my original discussion - the Swiss Card would give you a round trip journey between any border point or airport and your destination by the most direct route -
So to see whether the Swiss Pass is best for you would depend on what you do with the third 'free passage' day that you get above the Swiss Card - and as on a Saverpass the difference is just $17 that means if you travel at full price is more than $34 you're better off with the pass - esepcially so if doing any expensive museums. Sorry about my mistake in earlier response. So for your plans the difference would be minimal - Card or Pass probably about the same. But for those doing more extensive travel on the third day or fourth day of a pass, etc. like to St Moritz, Zermatt, long day trips from Interlaken the pass would be a boon.

kleeblatt

This is a nice info sheet about the Swiss Pass:
http://www.raileurope.co.uk/trade/fa...02006%20V1.pdf

PalQ

Schuler - you may be able to answer the question i pose about Bob's info saying you can no longer buy Swiss Passes, Swiss Cards, etc. in Switzerland at the stations but have to go thru Raileurope if in the U.S. -

<There has been a change in policy and you must buy them through RailEurope or similar agency. In the past, I bought directly from the Swiss, but that is no longer permitted under current policy>

can you please confirm or contradict me in saying that indeed you can buy those there, albeit currently at higher prices than for the same product in the U.S.?? Thanks a lot.
the Swiss Transfer Ticket i believe is the only Swiss Travel System product that cannot be bought in Switzerland.
This could be important for those who don't know if they want a Swiss Pass, Card, etc. and would be nice to know whether the option to buy in Suisse exists. Merci.

swandav2000

Hi PalQ,

This may answer your question --

I believe Bob_Brown usually arrives in Switzerland from another European country so would need to have the pass in hand when boarding the train in Italy or Germany or Austria . . . I *think* he meant that we couldn't buy the pass for U.S. mail delivery except through Raileurope.

I can't imagine there will be a time when you can't buy the passes in person in Zurich, either at the airport or the Hbh. In fact, in all the online documentation, it still says we can buy them in Switzerland.

s

PalQ

Thanks - that's what i though but wanted to be sure. And there would be no reason for anyone currently to buy the pass from sbb.ch online and have it sent to the U.S. because prices in U.S. are cheaper than in Suisse - though this could always change to what it was a few years back when Swiss Passes, etc. were considerably cheaper when bought at stations in Suisse - depends on currency fluctuations - and indeed Raileurope has been raising some pass prices recently due to the declining dollar. eurailpasses this year are actually priced in euros, due to a dictate of the Eurail Commission, based in Utrecht, Holland, who markets them i believe - though RailEurope has not raised Eurailpass prices since Jan 1, 2006, unlike in years past when prices were cemented in dollars, this year they say that prices could change anytime - presumably along with the rise of the euro - if the euro falls i wouldn't expect pass prices would tumble, however! So whereas before most passes RailEurope marketed were sold at prices in effect thru Dec 31 of that year, this is no longer promised and Swiss Passes could be readjusted at anytime i guess.

SRG

Happy 4th of July!

I am heading to Switzerland, Austria and Northern Italy with my family (kids 10 and 13) for two weeks. I am looking for kids friendly activities in Zurich, Lucerne, Salzburg and Laka Garda area (I know about Gardaland already).

Any insights appreciated.

nancynancy

I just returned from a week inthe Berner Oberland with our two 14-year-olds (boy and girl twins), so wanted to add a bit about your kids. First, definitely get the Family card for the $20 - it's invaluable, and all travel for them is free as long as they are with you, even the travel that you may have to pay an extra fee for because it is beyond the SwissPass. Really, ALL their travel is free. Plus, the SwissPass and family card covers museums 100% this year - this allows you to go in and if you don't like it, you can just leave without feeling you need to get your money's worth!

IF your kids are the adventure types, I have a few hints. The Rodelbahn was a bit too "young" for my kids - if you've been on carnival rides, this is sort of a letdown. We had great luck with bike rentals in Lauterbrunnen ($35/person/day, nice bikes). Depending on your energy, you can just ride the valley, and lock the bikes at the sights (the Trummelbach Falls impressed us and was well worth the entry fee). We continued on to Stechelberg, and put the bikes onthe lift to Gimmelwald (total price with the passes was just 5 SF: kids and their bikes were free, we were covered, so the sole charge was 2.50 for my and my husband's bike). We biked up (very up) to Murren, then around and down to Lauterbrunnen the top ridge route. The kids loved it; it took about 5 hours including lunch and looking around in the villages.

Also, we did like the Ballenberg Museum, because there were lots of animals and a few live demonstrations (cheesemaking, carving, chocolate making). It's mellow and low key. We took the train to Brienz, a bus to Ballenberg, then the boat back to Interlaken. If your kids are a bit teenager-ish, the boat ride is not a huge thrill - it may be scoffed at by other Fodorites, but kids aren't always impressed by mere scenery! It did give us some pleasant down time, though. The entire day was free with the Passes.

We also swam at the public pool in Interlaken, which has a slide and a mega diving platform - fun for the kids to mingle with the Swiss kids. My daughter was even invited to attend a swim teeam practice with their local team, which she loved.

One HUGE thrill was the day trip to Bern (one hour train from Interlaken)where we also rented bikes (well, the bikes are loaned for free from the train station) and rode through town, then went for the float inthe Aare River! It's cold and fast but a lifetime memory - YOU MUST BE ABLE TO SWIM! This was fabulous.

Other highlights were a toboggan ride in Lucerne (4400 feet long) and a ropes course park in Lucerne - ask if you want details.

Now that you have all the info on passes, I hope this family information helps!

kwren

I'll be in Salzburg with 2 12 year olds and a 17 year old and here, in no particular order, is what I have learned and planned...can't guarantee these will be a hit with your kids (or mine for that matter), but...

Salt mine tour - we will do the one in Hallstatt, but there is one in Hallein (I think that's the town)
Sound of Music Tour - my daughter is excited to do this, the boys definitely are NOT
Salzburg Marionette Theater - we reserved the Best of Mozart show as it is only 1 hour 10 min. I had wanted to see the Magic Flute, but it was as I recall 2 1/2 hours and in German so I didn't think my kids would survive. I have heard great things about this.
Hellbrun Palace with the trick water fountains
Of course we will walk around the Old City, Fortress and Mozart's house.
Augustinerbrau - OK I admit this one's not for the kids, except for the food court type area serving what sounds like food which will appeal to my one picky eater. My husband and I want to check out the beer

If you buy a Swiss Pass or Swiss Card - and maybe others - before leaving the US (if you are in the US, that is) the Family Pass is free.

I'll be checking to see if anyone has other suggestions - hope this helps in the meantime.

kwren

Just for info - I called RailEurope for info and I was told their shipping/handling is now $25.

PalQ

I think RailEurope is charging $25 for phone orders, in case you want to talk to someone - i believe on their web site it's still free shipping if ordering online. And if you want to talk to someone who knows anything about Swiss trains again i suggest BETS (800-441-2387) who in my experience with them always has a very knowledgeable person very experienced with Swiss trains to talk to and it's free - and except for rush orders they also have no shipping fee.

kwren

Has anyone here PERSONALLY had their kids with them in Switzerland and used the Family card to get the free trips to the Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn? I just ordered my Swiss Card and Family Card and the man at BETS said that he doesn't know if it is true, that some railroad agents have said they must pay 50%, others have said they may be free. He continued to say that BETS has tried to get the policy in writing, but have not been able to do so. Just curious - I'd rather know up front if possible in terms of our budget planning. (I told him that Fodorites have told me the trips are free for the kids with the Fam. Card, but he said it may not be true. The nerve of him not to believe Fodors Forum!!! )

By the way, the man at BETS was extremely knowledgeable and was willing to take as much time as possible to answer all my questions. Great service!!! Thanks for the recommendation. One more thing crossed off my list!

nancynancy

Yes, I personally just returned from Switzerland, and the kids were absolutely free on every lift with the Family Card, including the Jungfrauboch and every shorter ride, even where we had to pay partial fares using our adult Swisspass. I swear. (Even their bikes were free on the lifts!)