OK that makes a whole lot of difference i hadn't realized, and quite a bargain that probably pays off in a single trip - i was comparing apples to oranges.

Schuler--Are you sure it is not necessary to buy a Swiss Pass or Card to get a Family Card? When I asked RailEurope about that, they said they didn't think it was possible. Also, does each child cost 20SF?

It's called a Juniorkarte. It costs SFr. 20.-- for each child. Third + children get it for free.

As a parent, I just need to show a valid ID from the children showing their birthdate. You don't need to buy a halbtax or anthing else with it.

For more info:
http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisemarkt/...uniorkarte.htm

Thanks very much, Schuler!! The adults in our party will be travelling with a Eurailpass. Do you know whether that qualifies as a "valid ticket"?

I don't know. I think it's best if you write them an email about this. Or perhaps someone else on this board could comment?

The excellence of this development is not to be understated.

Maybe i don't understand the Family Pass - my understanding was that it would give free passage to a child traveling with a parent, and only a parent, and would match the type of ticket the parent has - thus would it just match the Eurailpass benefits in Switzerland and Eurail gives 25% off on all Jungfrau area trains, even to Jungfraujoch, so if you pay SF20 for the family card it would give 50% instead of 25% - point is unless doing the very pricey Jungfrau jaunt if you pay SF 20 for the pass you'll in effect only save 25% on each ticket purchased - thus if just going to Grindelwald for example the savings would not add up to the cost of the pass. But if you were going to take several gondolas, etc. then the pass would be worthwhile even if the kids had a Eurailpass which i assume they will.
Still the question remains does the SF20 pass give a 50% discount on regular tickets or just match the ticket or pass the adults have?

With the Family Card the children are completely free, no cost, when accompanied by a parent with a valid pass. For instance, riding on the Junfraubahn, a family of four with a Swiss Pass would get 50% off for the parents and the kids would ride free so that family would essentially all ride for the price of one adult ticket.

drexelus: thanks for clarification with Swiss Passes - we still don't know with a Eurailpass valid in Switzerland where parents get 25% off Jungfrau if kids then go free as one may suspect according to rules of the Family Pass - but the Family Pass comes free with the Eurailpass - maybe they would have to buy a SF20 Family Pass in Switzerland for this to be so? This seems unlikely to have different forms of Family Pass so the answer is still questionable. Thanks for the Swiss Pass info!

It now appears to me that Family Cards "work only with Swiss Travel System products," at least that's the wording from RailEurope's product info sheet regarding Family Passes - as Eurailpass is not a Swiss travel System product it would not qualify.

There are two passes for children. One is the Family Card (or Pass) which comes free when you buy the swiss Pass etc., and covers all the children traveling with you aged under 16. They then travel free everywhere.
The other is a Junior card, which costs chf20 per child for the first two children, and free for any others. again, it covers your own children under 16 who travel with at least one parent, and the children go free wherever you go, regardless of what sort of ticket you have.
We were in Oberland in 2004, and had Jungfrau Passes and bought Junior Cards (2 at chf20 each, 3 free ones). Then we were in Grindelwald in January, and had a Swiss Pass, and the Family card came free.So one way or another the children travelled free.(or near enough - the expenditure was limited to 20chf for the first 2 children)

One additional clarification regarding the Swiss Family Card--you still need (or so I was told) to make and pay for seat reservations for the kids where guaranteeing particular seats is required or desired--for example, on the GoldenPass routes.

This is all so confusing to me. Perhaps, someone out there can point us to what kind of pass we need. Thanks in advance. There are two of us traveling together based in Basel for 7 plus wks this summer. We will be using public bus transportation in Basel, traveling around Switzerland, day trips to Zurich, Bern, Lucern, etc., 5 day trips to Lugano, Geneve, Strasbourg, Dijon and perhaps a day trip to Frieburg. It's so hard to figure out what to buy, especially when many of the passes only are offered for a month. There's one pass (I can't recall the name now) that's offered for up to a yr (I wish!!) and gives 50% off all transportation in Switzerland. Would that be my best bet? I love the idea of getting a museum pass as part of the deal. Any and all help appreciated!! Thanks again.

Annette

Probnably two Swiss Passes - both good for one month overall validity and then chose the number of long-distance travel days and use the passes for the rest of the time for 50% - then just buy point-point to go to Strasbourg and Dijon. BETS info line - 800-441-9413 will answer any questions on Swiss rail, passes, etc. On their web site: www.budgeteuropetravel.com you can request the free European Planning & Rail Guide that has a good chapter on Swiss trains, including specialty ones like Bernina Express, which to me is Europe's number one scenic train and i think i've taken them all in 36 years of railing Europe.

I am completely confused. Budget Europe Travel Service told me children would never be free on the trip to the Jungfraujoch. They would only be 50% off. I have e-mailed the SBB, and I will post their reply when I receive it.

Strange. According to the Jungfraubahn website, the juniorcard is valid for their bahn.

http://www.jungfraubahn.ch/DesktopDe...9/86_read-158/

But is the juniorcard the same as the free Family Pass you get with Eurail? Maybe you'd have to buy or obtain the juniorcard once in Suisse for it to give free travel. Maybe we're comparing apples and oranges? This means little to me in effective terms but will be interesting to find out definitive answer.

Annette--
You may be referring to the Swiss half-fare card. It is available for one month's travel for CHF 99 or for one year for CHF 150.

If you purchase the one year card, you will need one passport-size photo. They'll give you a temporary card, then mail you the year card within a week or so.

I purchased mine at a ticket window in the SBB station in Basel.

Enjoy Basel!

digbydog: nice name by way - i'm sure what Budget Europe was saying comes from the RailEurope product sheet that i read - that the free Family Card that comes with Swiss Pass is valid only with Swiss Travel System products, which would not include the Jungfraubahn - so on this the child would only get the same discount as the adults - 50% - not that there is no circumstance in Switzerland where kids can't go free, just with a Swiss Pass and accompanying Family Pass they don't - that's my reading of the RailEurope info sheet they must be referring to.

All I can say is that maybe someone screwed up, but on the Jungfraubahn last summer, my kids went free using the Swiss Family Card. A HUGE savings.