Hi,

Trying to plan my train pass for an upcoming June trip to Switzerland. Having a little difficulty planning which pass is going to be the most cost effective given most legs of the trip require booking multiple trains / cablecars / etc. It's tough to figure out what is included and what is not included - not sure for example if the Swiss Pass would give us free tickets to the airport given we are coming from a different town. Our trip is 8 days in Wengen in the Alps / BO, 4 days in Weggis on Lake Lucerne.

Train / cablecar legs:

1) Zurich - Wengen (one way from airport - involves at least 3 trains)
2) Wengen - Murren (roundtrip - quick trip but involves two trains and a cablecar)
3) Train to top of Jungfrau (roundtrip)
4) Wengen - Berne (roundtrip - this is not definite. But thinking we will want to take a day trip somewhere from Wengen)
5) Wengen - Lucerne (one way)
6) Lake Lucerne boat to Weggis (one way)
7) Mt. Rigi cablecar in Weggis (round trip)
8) Weggis to Zurich airport (one way - perhaps taking a boat to Lucerne or just a train from Weggis to Zurich?)

Additional legs are likely. If I had to guess, we'd probably use the boats on Lucerne a few times. And we will be looking to take a day trip from Wengen to explore a nearby city / town within easy striking distance (thinking Berne but probably better options exist).

We're looking for 2nd class travel if that makes a difference.

If in the US, suggest you follow this link for Byron and Budget Rail Travel - He is very knowledgable about which option is best for you. http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com

No pressure at all.

thanks this is great.

Hi,

Just a short overview of the passes available for Switzerland:

Swiss Pass: Free travel on the entire train network. Also including public buses, boats and the classic scenic routes. In addition you receive a 50% discount on the majority of mountain rail- and cable ways. You also get free admission to over 400 museums in Switzerland. It can be purchased for 4, 8, 15, or 22 days. When traveling in a group of 2 or more, the Swiss Saver Pass grants a 15% discount on the Swiss Pass.

Swiss Card: Half Fare Card for visitors. You pay half the price for your excursions in the Swiss Travel System (train, bus, boat, mountain rail- and cable ways). Valid for 1 month.

In the case of your travel itinerary I do recommend you to get the Swiss (Saver) Pass. It is easy math:

1) Zurich Airport-Wengen: CHF 82 (one way, 2nd class)
2) Wengen - Murren: CHF 34 (roundtrip, train only)
3) Wengen - Jungfraujoch: CHF 157 (roundtrip, with Swiss Pass only 118)
4) Wengen - Berne: CHF 79 (roundtrip, 2nd class)
5) Wengen - Luzerne: CHF 69 (one way, 2nd class)
6) Lucerne - Weggis: CHF 18 (one way, 2nd class by boat)
7) Mt. Rigi cablecar in Weggis CHF 64 (roundtrip, free with Swiss Pass)
8) Weggis - Zurich Airport: CHF 32 (one way, 2nd class)

So the total 'savings' on train and cable car legs with the above itinerary when traveling with a Swiss Pass are CHF 418. A Swiss Pass for 8 days costs CHF 384 (CHF 326 with the 15% group discount). The Swiss Pass for 15 days costs CHF 465 (CHF 395 with the 15% group discount).
To look up train schedules and prices for individual rides online you can go to www.sbb.ch. Swiss Pass information can be found online at www.swisstravelsystem.ch

I hope this helps you make a decision. Have a great time in Switzerland!

Can you assist me as well? I am also very confused what to get. Here is our itinerary:

Day 1 Zurich airport train to Lucerne
Days 2+3 - staying in Lucerne
Day 4 - travel to Lauterbrunnen hotel
Day 5 - hiking around Lauterbrunnen
Day 6 - travel to Evian-les-Bain, France
Day 7 - visiting Lake Lausanne towns
Day 8 - train from Lausanne to Florence Italy (separate ticket I assume)

We are thinking of getting 2 4-day Swiss passes (total 8 days) due to the deal now running (2 for 1). Does this make sense?

Thank you!

It does make sense but be sure to carefully read the fine print - there may be some travelrestricitons on the 2 for 1 deal, like dates it is not valid on. With that caveat - it may be good to get the 2;1 deal

docdan, I looked at Rail Europe for prices on trains from Zurich Airport to Lucerne. Fare was about $62. Then I looked at the same trip on Swiss SBB and got a fare of about $15. About the same travel times and length of trip. Why the big difference? Are these different train systems? (I think I have information overload.)

Megandean, always use

www.sbb.ch for all train travel in Switzerland.

DO NOT USE RAIL EUROPE SITE.

Tschuss,
Pepper

The cost of train travel from Zurich Flughafen to Luzern is 27 CHF ($30 US) for a second-class, one-way ticket.

I don't know where you are getting $15 from.

If you had Half-Fare Card, the ticket would be 13.50 CHF.

A one-month half-fare card is 110 CHF.

Tschuss,
Pepper

I must have been looking at the Half Fare Card ticket, because 13.50 CHF is what I saw. Thank you for the advice not to use Rail Europe!

So I think we will book the one-way fare on sbb.ch from Zurich airport to Lucerne (should we do this now or when we land at the airport - what is we are delayed, etc?), and then buy a 4-day Swiss Pass from sbb.ch as well to start later in the week, after we have spent two days in Lucerne. On our last day, I understand (from Rail Europe's site) that we can get a discount on our Lausanne to Florence ticket by noting that we have the Swiss Pass.

Thank you!

I have never pre-booked any train in Switzerland.

I am not one to ask about Swiss Pass. I always buy a Half-Fard Card; it works out better for me as I stay in Switzerland for about 2 weeks at a time.

I always buy my Half-Fare Card and my train ticket into Zurich at the Zurich Flughafen. The train station and ticket booths are located in the basement of the airport.

If you are on an international flight--once you clear customs and walk out to Arrivals Area, go through glass door to outside road/taxi pickup and walk across the street to another building. Then take escalator down to ticket booths.

Follow the train sign if you get confused.

Tschuss,
Pepper

If a Swiss Pass is close to half=fare card then take the pass as not only will you not have to wait in lines to buy tickets but just hop on you may also IME travel more than you think - like on a nice afternoon in the Interlaken area just on a whim hopping on a lake boat for a float around - so so relaxing and the awesome Jungfraujoch Massif hovers over the lake - if having to decide whether to pay a lot of money for that however you may not. A consecutive-day pass is the best deal per travel day and the pass is also valid for free entry at over 400 Swiss Museums, like the fantastic IMO Ballenberg Open-Air Museum in the Interlaken area - $20-25 entry fee waved by waving the pass.

You could also consider the Jungfraubahn Pass, good on many transports in the Jungfrau Region.

We did talk with Bryon at Budget Rail and he was very helpful. We did get the pass, primarily for the reason PalenQ mentioned - that we won't need to Financially evaluate every activity we choose to do. The pass was also helpful for our trip to Florence, as someone stated.

And thanks for the airport tip, pepper.

We are only pre-booking because we are worriers and like to have details checked. I am sure the next time we go to Switzerland we will be more relaxed!

Thanks again for everyone's help!

for folks who do not pre-book hotels Swiss towns have a neat system where there is often a hotel board with just about all of the town's hotels and hostels and ski/hiking dorms, Nature Friend's Houses, etc on them with a green light meaning hotel has vacancy or a red light if not - there is a free phone to call the hotel - the amenities of the establishment are indicated as is the location. In Interlaken there is one at both the Interlaken-West train station and Interlaken-Ost (jumping off point for the hills) station. Prices are also indicated on the boards.

BTW - If going to the hills, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, etc then be sure not to get off the train at what is the main train station in Interlaken - Interlaken-West right in the heart of town but keep on the train until it terminates at the Interlaken-Ost or east station on the eastern edge of central Interlaken. All trains I do believe serve both stations and Ost is the end of the normal-gauged (width) tracks and narrow-gauge only from there to the hills and onto Meiringen and Lucerne over the Brunig Pass.

The train from Luzern only stops at Interlaken Ost. It does not stop at Interlaken West. This train also stops in Brienz and Meiringen.

At Interlaken Ost, one would get on the train to Lauterbrunnen. I believe that is track 3.

At Lauterbrunnen, one can get on train to Wengen, or take gondola up to Grutscalp and train on to Murren.

From Murren, one can get to Schilthorn or to Gimmelwald via gondola.

For Schynige Platte, one would depart on Lauterbrunnen/Interlaken Ost train and get off at Wilderswil.

For Grindelwald, one can transfer at Zweilutschinen.

Tschuss,
Pepper

Thanks again to all this has been so helpful.

For Grindelwald, one can transfer at Zweilutschinen.>

No need to transfer if you get in the correct train car at Interlaken-Ost - the train to Lauterbrunnen is the exact same train as the one to Grindelwald - located on two very different valleys with a high ridge in between them. The train does split at Zweilutschinen, with half of it trungling up to Grindelwald and the other part to Lauterbrunnen - eacdh train car is clearly marked either Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald so be careful when boarding so you indeed do not have to change trains at Zweilutschinen.

The train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen DOES NOT SPLIT at Zweilutschinen to go to Grindelwald.

There is a separate train that goes from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald. I think that it always departs from track 1 or 2 B.

HOWEVER, if you are coming FROM Lauterbrunnen to go to Grindelwald YOU CHANGE TRAINS AT ZWEILUTSCHINEN so you don't have to go all the way to Interlaken OST to get on the train to Grindelwald.

Hope that is clear to everyone.

Tschuss,
Pepper

Pepper is wrong - there is one train that leaves Interlaken-Ost at :35 and :05 after the hour and splits in Zweiluschenen - the part that goes to Lauterbrunnen leaves Zweil. at :16 and :46 mins after the hour and one minute later the remaining half departs Zweilutschenen for Grindelwald. There is no separate train to Grindelwald as confirmed on www.bahn.de - the German railways online pan-European schedule site.