fortress

I'm travelling to Switzerland--arriving in Basel on a Sat. evening. I am planning to purchase the half fare card but want to know if I should buy it here (Canada), Amsterdam (first stop), or when we arrive in Switzerland. I have found that it will be about $100 CAD to buy here or 65 euros in Amsterdam. Has anyone bought the card in Switzerland? Can it be purchased at the rail station on a Sat. evening (around 7pm).

Thanks

bob_brown

As far as I know the half fare card is available in Switzerland only. The price in Switzerland is 99 francs which converts to about US $83 right now.

That would be about $97 to $100 Canadian dollars. €65 right now equals about
107 chf.

I have been told that it can be bought at most train station in Switzerland.
If your arrive at a major station such as Basel, Bern, or Zürich you will be abe to buy it. I don't see a major savings if you buy it in Switzerland as opposed to Canada as long as you don't have to pay postage.

The half fare card is available for one month. I presume you can specify the date of initialization when you buy it.

bob_brown

Amend that first remark. The half fare care IS sold outside of Switzerland!! I failed to read the fine print carefully enough.

kbrennan

We bought half-fare cards at the train station at the Zurich airport, but I noticed that even very small train stations sold them.

JN

Isn't there a huge fee to mail the card to the US or Canada? As I recall, it was something like 42chf. If so, wait till arriving in Switzerland and buy it there--though not all stations are open late. Zurich station sells tickets till about 10:15. In Basel, if the phrase "Beratung und Verkauf " means ticket window sales, it is open till 10pm. Here is a site for finding basic info on Swiss train stations:
http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisemarkt/...of/further.htm

bob_brown

I think you are right on the fee. A few years ago I needed the card BEFORE I got to Switzerland along with other tickets. I ordered a packet which included tickets in Germany to Switzerland,etc. I paid a fair fee for it, but it was still cheaper than Rail Europe.

PalenQ

Raileurope does not sell the Half-Fare Card, which i too thought could only be bought in Switzerland itself.

RE does sell Swiss Transfer Ticket and Swiss Card - the latter giving a trip from any border point, airport to any place and back to any border point and airport and then 50% off for one month. As this costs i think but $40 more than the Half-Fare card it could be a better deal and is sold by RailEurope in Canada - but mailing fees would apply. This card can be bought at stations in Suisse as well.

Don't dismiss the Swiss Flexipass where you get 3 100% covered days of travel in a one-month period then get 50% off on the days in between the 1st and last flexible day used on everything that moves in Switzerland - gondolas, mountain tops, etc.

www.sbb.ch to see if the fares you may use on the 100% travel days plus 50% off other days is better than the Half-Fare pass with just 50% off everytime.

If taking some long journeys on the 3 day flexipass at 100% it could be better than the half-fare card.

Swiss Passes however about 15% more in Switzerland than in US thru RailEurope, even though Swiss Rail owns a fair chunk of RailEurope - guess Swiss Rail is ripping off people - a charge usually reserved for RailEurope.

fortress

Thanks so much for all the info. I'm pretty sure what we want is the half fare card since we are mainly travelling from Basel to Interlaken and then back to Basel again. We will be doing day trips from Interlaken. I contacted the Treinreiswinkel in Amsterdam and they do sell the half fare card. Does anyone know how much the Swiss Flexipass costs?

PalenQ

In US dollars currently $165 p.p. in 2nd class on a Saverpass - two names on one pass.

With your limited travel the half-fare card probably is the way to go as in three 100% travel days you are unlikely to recoup the $82 difference in price - meaning you'd have to spend $164 at 50% off to break even. I guess some day excrusions in Interlaken could be pricey - say Murren-Interlaken-boat Lake Brienz-Meiringen and back - covered in full by Swiss Pass but not likely.

anyway at www.sbb.ch you can easily see what the real deal is.

And with Swiss Pass if order is under $399 you'd pay $18 mailing fee with RailEurope (one reason i always recommend www.budgeteuropetravel.com for their lack of fees for this type of order and you can also ask them any question whether you buy a pass or not IME and they will patiently answer - 800-441-2387. But i think the Half Fare card is best for your plans it seems - and $83 in Switzerland sounds a lot better than 65 euros ($91 or so) in Amsterdam - and you can readily buy at Basel SBB station.

fortress

Has anyone bought the half fare card online?

swandav2000

For fortress,

I've been buying the one-year HFC for a few years, and I renew it online. Once when I renewed it, I picked it up in the train station at the Zurich airport, and once they mailed it to me in Germany. Do you have a specific question?

s

PalenQ

why bother - buy in Basel station same price maybe cheaper if mailing fee is involved.

Do you realize that Half Fare Card also gives 25% off trains to Germany and Italy - the whole route no matter how far you go into these countries - that's my understanding at least in case it enters you plan. Not sure you can buy such tickets in Germany or Italy and go to Suisse however.

fortress

forget that post...i just checked it out and it's an extra 48 francs to have it delivered to a can. or us. address. has anyone actually bought it at a station in switzerland?

PalenQ

no but i'm 105% sure that you can buy it at Swiss stations, just like the Swiss Pass - the latter however at higher prices than in US or Canada. Since Half-Fare card to my knowledge is not sold in US or Canada the SF99 price is the price.

I'd still say look strongly at the 3-day Swiss Flexi Saverpass.

kbrennan

I bought the half-fare card at a train station in Switzerland. No extra fees and very quick to purchase.
At other train stations throughout Switzerland, many ticket sellers commented that the 1/2 fare card is a smart purchase and an easy card to use.
Remember, you must also carry your passport with you if you are using the 1/2 fare card.

Budman

We purchased our 1/2 fare card at the train station in Grindelwald. I would bring a copy of your passport to include with 1/2 fare card packet. The Station attendant made a copy of ours for us, but I think they did it as a courtesy. Then you don't have to bring your passport with you all the time. It will fold up nicely in the 1/2 fare card packet they give you.

PalenQ

I may have misspoke above about Half-Fare cards getting 25% off international journeys to Germany and Italy - i believe this may be the case only with the one-year Half-Fare cards and not the one-month ones. but not sure.

PalenQ

Anyone help me clarify the 25% off German and Italy fares from Switzerland with half-fare card. We've been thru this before but i can't remember the answer though i believe no with one-month but yes with one-year cards?

thanks

kbrennan

There is some information about the half-fare card reducing some rates on trains in countries adjoining Switzerland on this website. It seems to refer to the monthly pass.
http://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalf...rd.asp?lang=EN

Ingo

Pal, the one-month half-fare card is also good for the discount to Germany/Italy.

I am surprised about the mailing fee. Mine didn't cost a fee and it was mailed from Switzerland to Germany. It was a two-year HFC, though.