Swiss TrainPass
 

Specifically, the Regionalpass Berner Oberland:
USED to be valid on trip TO and FROM airport as well. That is gone now.
But it DOES list both Berne and/or Lucerne as starting point for validity.
So, my question is, we plan to stay in Unterseen, suburb of Interlaken, and visit both Berne and Luzern on different days (my sister has never been to the country). Even though Luzern in not in the BO, that trip should be covered, since Luzern is the starting (and I assume ending) point of validity.
Anyone more knowledgeable on this specific pass?
This is my ?15th trip nach der Schweiz, so weisse ich schon uber die "Half-Fare Karte."
Danke im voraus!

Hi mokka - l can't help with your specific question, but there are some local experts over on Trip Advisor that probably can.

Lucky you going to Switzerland - we're hoping to go back in October, but too soon to tell if that will be possible or not.

With regret and hope, I am planning for May 2022... I agree that this Fall is still too "iffy." So, if I have to wait until 2022, I promised myself TWO trips next year-May and September, IF all goes well!

You may get answers to all your questions by having a look at https://www.regionalpass-berneroberland.ch/en/ I suppose you know that the ride to Jungfraujoch is not fully free with this railpass.

Following, we too have just started planning 12-13 days in Switzerland for end May/early June of next year...

Yes, thanks neckervd.
I have already been up to the Jungfrau summit, and it is not in my sisters budget.
We will visit lesser peaks that may have some reduction, to help with costs. All depends on whether we get the Berner Oberland pass or the Swisspass. I have plenty of time to work on a costs spreadsheet!
As we will go in April or first half of May, we are considering summits which "open" earlier in the season. Two that I have not yet visited are the Niesen and Niederhorn. Does anyone have personal experience with/preference for one over the other?
We will likely hike a different day around Grutschalp/Muerren/Grindelwald (grandmother and/or father walks).

I believe I got this pass a couple of years ago.

I looked at it and figured I'd be able to use it enough. I had the Half Fare Card and I believe the HFC will give you a discount on the Berner Oberland pass as well. For instance, the cruises all the way to Brienz and Thun are not cheap, even with HFC.

But with this it's included and I believe you can use it as many times as you want during the validity.

I went up Harder Klum 2 or 3 times with the pass. Didn't have time to take Rothorn up to the top from Brienz. But the cruise there on a sunny day is spectacular.

Also believe the funicular and gondola all the way up to Beatenberg is also included. That is also a very spectacular mountain top. Went on an overcast day but still you could see the landscape is special. Maybe because of the weather, there weren't too many people going up there on that particular day.

There are indeed not many Bernese Oberlandviewpoints accessible by public transport in late April or early May.
April: Niesen, Niederhorn, Schilthorn, Lauchernalp (Loetschental), Kleine Scheidegg
May: Niesen, Niederhorn, Schilthorn, Stockhorn, Lauchernalp (Loetschental), Kleine Scheidegg.
The ride to Niesen is more spectacular than that to Niederhorn.
Operating times of all lifts, etc: https://www.regionalpass-berneroberl...lic-transport/

As most of the expensive lines will sttill be closed, the BO Pass may not be the best solution

Ooh I wasn't aware of Niesen. So you have to start from Mulenen, no way to get to it from the ferry that stops at Spiez?


Maybe these venues will be open by May 2022 or is it just that these services don't operate until June?

Actually, I have done some intense research into mountain lift openings for 2021 (anyway).
Harderbahn- April 17
Niederhorn- April 17 (via Beatenbucht)
Niesen- April 17 (via Spiez and Aeschi)
So, since I/we will be travelling very late April to very early May, earlier openings are required....

Brienzer Rothorn- too late-June 5
Gelmerbahn-late- May 21
Schynige Platte- May 22
Allmendhubel - too late June 12

Thanks for the Niesen tip!

I suppose this "intense research" took less than 1 minute by clicking to the link I gave you above:https://www.regionalpass-berneroberl...lic-transport/
Anyway: the result corresponds to what I told you in the first 3 lines of my post 8.
But be aware that you cannot go directly from Aeschi to the Niesen funicular by public transport. You must first turn back to Spiez and then reach Muelenen Niesenbahn from there by train.

Yes, neckervd, I did much research before my initial post. At that very same site. I think I will aim for the Niesen then, as it would be new to me, and at lesser cost.
I will look again at the connections.
I have a long year ahead to plan!

Found another place that the B-O pass seems to cover, the gondola from Kandersteg to Oeschinensee. That lake looks spectacular.

Kandersteg seems some distance from Spiez though, so if you're pressed for time, may be off the beaten path. But looks like you can also reach the Niesenbahn on the way to Kandersteg

That lake looks spectacular.

It is.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...411afe284a.jpg
Oeschinensee, June 2017

scrb, it’s only a 28 min train journey Spiez to Kandersteg. The summer gondola timetable will start in June though.

I have spent a week previously in Kandersteg, and hiked DOWN from Oeschinensee. That was a VERY different, cool area to hike-Loetschental!

mokka - we hiked down one year as well - it was still winter, so the gondola was closed.

If you open the llink in my post 8, you see that the Oeschinensee gondola runs during the whole winter, until end March. It begins again to run in early May. The walk down to Kandersteg is extremely easy (even with a stroller).
Loetschental is very different from Kandersteg and Oeschinensee, indeed (more natural, with many rather unspoilt places).

neckervd - I misspoke - we were there in April (April 13, 2009 to be exact). I just looked up my trip report for that visit and found the description of what we walked:

We knew the chairlift to the Oeschinensee (Oeschinen Lake) wasn’t operating, but closures don’t slow us down much, so we walked up instead. The lake is located east of Kandersteg in the Oeschinen valley, at an elevation of 5,180 feet.

The path was partly hiking trail, road and ski run, and it was a bit on the steep side, but it was a very pretty walk. We encountered snow, mud and a creek or two. It took us 90 minutes to reach the closed Oeschinensee Hotel, where we trudged through thigh deep snow to access a bench overlooking the lake for a picnic lunch. It was stunning.

After lunch we continued walking along a wooded path above the lake and past an assortment of wood sculptures to the waterfall. There was loads of snow and it was incredibly peaceful. We then backtracked and detoured to the Sesselbahn (chairlift), planning to walk down from there for a different return to Kandersteg. Instead of a path, we found a steep drop off under the chairlift, so we walked back towards the lake and returned the way we had come.

It was a beautiful day, a great walk with eye popping views of the surrounding peaks and scattered spring flowers poking their heads through the snow. We enjoyed this walk immensely (total walking time 4.25 hours, just under 7.5 miles).

Wow it must not be that long or steep of an ascent yet they charge 30 CHF round trip for it so it must not be a small chair lift for a short distance and ascent?