My husband and I will be traveling from Basel to Lauterbrunnen by train, staying in Lauterbrunnen for three days to hike/sightsee in that area, then to Lucerne for a day and finally to Zurich for a day. I'm wondering which we need to book tickets for ahead of time, which pass would work the best for this itinerary. I assume we may want to take some of the cable cars and private trains to get where we want to go in Lauterbrunnen area and read somewhere that the Jungfrau pass may be the best option. Anyway, need advice, please!

In addition to the Half-Fare Card consider the Swiss Card which also gives you everything the Half0-Fare thingy does but also two train trips from any airport or border station like Basel to any place in Switzerland and then back to any airport or border station - it often is a bit cheaper than the Half-Fare Crds and gives everything it does -

great sources on Swiss trains, passes, etc check out www.swisstravelsytem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. Also check on some special on Swiss Passes goingon now someone else posted recently - some kind of special discount.

the only Swiss Pass you would consider would be a 3-day Flexipass (Saver if two or more traveling on one pass) - in between your first and last day of 100% covered travel you get 50% off everything that moves practically - gondolas, trains, buses, etc.

I notice PalenQ didn't answer your question on pre booking tickets the naswer is no wait until the day because you have no idea what the weather will be like. You might try looking on the Swiss TV first thing Channel one gives the weather forecasts for the tourist areas in Switzerland, then double check in the live links at the station.

The Swiss card entitles you to go from Basle to Lauterbrunnen and from Lauterbrunnen to Zurich airport, without any intermediate stop. So, forget Lucerne!
If you plan a lot of excursions in the Bernese Oberland, you may also check the Regional Pass Bernese Oberland:
free ride:
Berne - Interlaken - Meiringen - Bruenig - Lucerne,
Interlaken - Lauterbrunnen - Kleine Scheidegg - Grindelwald - Interlaken,
Lauterbrunnen - Gruetschalp or Stechelberg - Muerren - Allmendhubel,
Wengen - Maennlichen - Grindelwald,
Grindelwald - First and Pfingstegg,
Wilderswil - Schynige Platte,
Brienz - Rothorn (cog wheel steam train) - Soerenberg - Schuepfheim - Lucerne or Thun or Berne,
Brienz - Ballenberg - Bruenig - Hasliberg - Alpen Tower,
Interlaken - Beatenberg - Niederhorn,
Boats and trains/buses along Lakes Thun and Brienz,
Spiez - Kandersteg/Adelboden
Spiez - Goppenstein - Brig/Loetschental
Spiez - Gstaad/Lenk/Rinderberg
etc.
Half fare for:
Kleine Scheidegg - Jungfraujoch,
Grindelwald - Grosse Scheidegg - Meiringen
Meiringen - Engstelnsee - Jochpass - Truebsee - Titlis or Lucerne,
Post Buses over Susten Pass, Grimsel Pass, Furka Pass, Gotthard Pass, Nufenen Pass, Glaubenbielen Pass, Pillon Pass.
Gondola Pillon Pass - Glacier 3000.
http://www.regiopass-berneroberland.ch/offer-2014/
http://www.regiopass-berneroberland....-XL-14-WEB.pdf

for three days the Jungfraubahn Pass may be too expensive - I think it is a 6-day pass but not sure.

As for half-Fare Card it costs about $130-40 I think figuring in foreign exchange fees too if your credit card imposes them - so look up ordinary prices and double the $130-140 as your break even point and do the same with the Swiss Pass but this all predicates you know exactly what you will be doing and nothing more - a pass allows much more flexibility on 100% covered travel days - if poor weather sets in in the hills day trip down to Interlaken and beyond - a boat ride can even be nice in wet weather - at least in the lower covered decks.

In Lauterberunnen the awesome loop cable car to Grutschalp - train to Murren, cable way to Gimmelwald and cable from there back to Luaterbrunnen Valley at Stechelberg and post bus back to Lauterbrunnen is 100% covered by a Swiss Pass - so it depends on whether you are doing those things or not.

Or if taking a boat ride on either of the two lakes bookending Interlaken - say Lake Brienz and you want to go to the popular Ballenberg Open-Air Museum - 100% coverage days on a Swiss Pass covers everything - boat, train back to Lauterbrunnen and entry to the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum, about a $20-25 value I believe - passes giving free entry to 470 Swiss museums but only on 100% covered travel days - and no 50% off with half-Fare Carad at museums either I think.

So there are various factors to consider with a pass vs other options.

Your best bet if traveling relatively little would be to just buy tickets as you go along - again www.sbb.ch has all the fares then compare with 1/2 fare card and passes, etc.

The Swiss card entitles you to go from Basle to Lauterbrunnen and from Lauterbrunnen to Zurich airport, without any intermediate stop. So, forget Lucerne!

The Swiss Care in this case yes would not be a better deal than the Half-Fare Card simply because your last journey - Lucerne to Zurich is so cheap - I believe you can leave from any place in Switzerland - with the Swiss Card if you go to say backto Basel it would be a better deal - and I believe you do not have to leave from the same place you took the included train/bus/boat ride to from in your case Lauterbrunnen but can I believe also use it from Lucerne to Zurich but again that fare is so cheap - so forget the Swiss Card (though others who are pondering the Half-Fare Card may well find the Swiss Card all in all a better deal.

SWISS CARD (official text):

Are you planning to spend your Swiss vacation in ONE place? But would still like the freedom and flexibility to travel around? If so, the Swiss Card is just the ticket for you.

This ticket entitles you to travel to and from a Swiss border railway station or airport to your holiday destination. But that’s not all. It also gives you a 50% discount off train, bus, boat and mountain railway travel during your entire stay. The Swiss Card is perfect for holidaymakers who would like to spice up their stay with a few excursions.

The transfer to and from your holiday destination must be via THE MOST DIRECT route

Thank you for the helpful replies. We need to figure out how much we will be riding transportation and which type while in Lauterbrunnen area. Only there two full days. Seems like Half Fare may be way to go? Dont' think we'll be going to museums. NOW, do I need to reserve tickets for train from Basel to Lauterbrunnen on a Friday, late afternoon/evening?

Simple answer to that one maryebutton, No need at all.

Unless traveling around a lot it is hard to see how Half-Fare could be cheaper than regular tickets - given its cost of $130-40 to start with - if traveling that much in the Lauterbrunnen area then the Jungfraubahn Pass could be a better deal all in all or the Berner Oberland Pass which I think could take you to Lucerne as well.

http://www.jungfrau.ch/en/quick-navi...-europe/fares/

Here are all the normal fares in the region or most of all tourists will take. the Half-Fare Card costs about $130-140 so you'd have to do another $130-140 to make it break even (including your train from Basel) - seems like you'd be better off with solo tickets or if doing a lot in the Jungfrau region perhaps the Jungfraubahn Pass.

NOW, do I need to reserve tickets for train from Basel to Lauterbrunnen on a Friday, late afternoon/evening?>

Just to repeat tipsygus' take - absolutely no - never - very few folks reserve mainline trains like Basel via Bern to Interlaken-Ost and I think you cannot even reserve Interlaken-Ost to Lauterbrunnen - just be careful you get on the right half of the train at Interlaken-Ost - the train splits en route with half going to Grindelwald and the other half to Lauterbrunnen. Cars at Interlaken-Ost are clearly marked on the outside as to which mountain town they are trundling - yet I always see flummoxed passengers having to get off the train at Zweilutschenen (sp?) where the train splits and scurrying to the right half of their train - which by that time is often SRO!