My wife and I plan to fly to Zurich aroung 4/19/05 (will be there 4 days) and need some help with the Swiss train pass. The more I read about this subject the more confused I get. We plan to to go by train to Interlaken upon arrival and will plan day trips during the time we are in Interlaken. I would think the 1/2 price pass would be best, as many of the day trips will be on a privately owned rail, rather than the publicly owned. Can anyone give us any advice on this subject? Any advice on 1st or 2nd class seats?

Can't advise on the pass, but I always use 2nd class seats on trains in Europe and find them just fine. On long distance routes the additional comfort of 1st class is a nice luxury, but for day trips from Interlaken I wouldn't bother.

A 4-day trip will not likely make any pass economically feasible (with the 1/2 price card possibly being the exception). However, you may still want to consider a Swiss Pass or a the regional Oberland Pass since these allow you to avoid standing in lines for tickets, except for the private rail lines.

With only 4 days, I'd probably buy point-to-point 2nd class tickets at the train station each time.

I'm not sure on the exact economy as I have never researched passes for my Swiss trips, quite honestly.

The good old Swiss train system. Expensive but reliable. I would also just buy from point to point. If you are just going from Zurich to Interlaken and then short trips from there you could even take a bus to some of those points which is much cheaper. Berner Oberland is a great place. Have fun

I have posted on this subject several times with detailed cost analyses of the various options, but those figures are buried and old.

Last year, I did a cursory review, and concluded that for my purposes, the Swiss Card was the best option. Here is my rationale:

1. The Swiss card provides for free train transportation from the border to your first night's destination AND a free ride out of the country or to an airport. The entering and departing points NEED NOT be the same.

2. In between, every thing (almost) is half price. If you are in the Berner Oberland riding the BOB, WAB, and other mountain transportation such as gondolas, those tickets too (save two short cable lines) are half price.

3. You select the dates of validity by writing them in yourself.

The normal Swiss Pass is going to save you only 25% on mountain transportation.
Those train and cable lines are privately owned and, as a result, you pay for your tickets.

Now, the question is this: In only 4 days will you amortize the cost of the pass?

It is a fairly simple calculation.
Go to the various Swiss web sites and look up the cost of the point to point tickets.

The compare that cost with the Card or Pass cost for the same tickets.

You can find point to point prices for Swiss national rail trains, the SBB, at
www.sbb.ch. Click on en for English.
To see the costs, you will have to go as far as clicking on purchasing the ticket. Bail out before you actually buy it!!

Individual ticket prices in the Berner Oberland can be found at this site:
http://www.jungfraubahn.ch/en/Deskto...9/86_read-158/

Bear in mind that no pass is certain to save you money. So I suggest a little review of your travels with a prediction of where you want to go.

Also Swiss Cards are sold in Switzerland only at border or airport train stations and online at the Ticket Shop.

Current cost of the CARD is
174 chf. You can order by mail, and pay extra for shipping, or you can buy the Card at the Zürich airport train station.

Let's take an example. Assume you fly in and out of Zürich, travel to and from Interlaken Ost, travel to the Jungfraujoch one day and ride the gondola from Grindelwald to First the next day. (The trip to First is my favorite.)

Let me summarize:

Point to point costs in chf - no pass

Zürich airport - Interlaken Ost 130.00
Interlaken - Jungfraujoch 172.60
Grindelwald - First 50.00
Interlaken Ost - Grindelwald 19.60
Total: 372.20

With the Swiss CARD:

Cost of the Card 174.00
Airport - Interlaken Ost .00
Half the other costs 122.25
Total 296.25

Using the above assumptions, you would beat the point to point costs by purchasing the card.

But notice that the costs depend entirely on what you do and where you go.

Have fun planning. That is some of the job. Plan well and you will have a heck of a trip.