neckervd

The Swiss Pass is unfortunately not valid for boat rides on the following Lakes:
Lac de Joux
Lac des Brenets
Lej da Segl
Lago Maggiore
Walensee
German domestic lines on lake Constance (boats starting at Constance without touching Swiss ports)
Car ferry Beckenried - Gersau
Only half fare is granted on:
Greifensee
Rorschach - Lindau resp Friedrichshafen(Lake Constance)
Car ferry Romanshorn - Friedrichshafen

LR220

Thank you both for this information! I hope we won't have any problems with the passes, but as long as we are able to get on local buses then that would be the best since we could head to stations faster for early morning departures. Thanks!

PalenQ

the boats neckervd lists are ones most tourists will never take - not that they are not nice but just not on most turists' radars - every boat the average tourist will take will be fully covered by a Swiss Pass.

LR220

Thank you! I think there are no discounts on Rheinfall boats either. My TC really wants to stay in Zurich even though nothing specifically there is on the top of our list and good accommodation is difficult to find. I asked her to come up with an itinerary for the day, but she only had a few things and decided we should see the Rhine Falls as a 1/2 day trip. We will probably only do this if we aren't tired from the days earlier and we'd want to spend 2 hours max there.

neckervd

I mentioned only the reductions on Lakes.

Rhine river boats:
Rheineck - Altenrhein - Rorschach: free
Kreuzlingen - Konstanz - Gottlieben: free
Stein am Rhein - Schaffhausen: free
Rheinfall Schloessli Woerth - Dachsen: no reduction
Rheinfall Schloessli Woerth - Rheinau: no reduction
Rheinfall Schloessli Woerth - Eglisau: no reduction
Ellikon - Ruedlingen - Eglisau - Rheinsfelden: no reduction
local cruises around Laufenburg: no reduction
Rheinfelden - Basel - Hueningen - Weil am Rhein: half fare
Breisach - Colmar: no reduction
Ferries Kaiseraugst - Herten, St. Alban, Muenster, Klingenthal, St. Johann: no reduction

neckervd

BTW: Rhine Falls (usually combined with Schaffhausen medieval city and castle and with Stein am Rhein) are closer to Zurich airport than to Zurich downtown.

"good accommodation (at Zurich) is difficult to find"
??????????

LR220

Thank you! We'll figure out an itinerary, though we aren't that picky with boat rides as we have been to Niagara Falls about 10+ times.

As for accommodation, within our budget we are having difficulty finding clean places to stay. We have booked all our other accommodation, but we are just trying to figure out if we should add on 2 nights elsewhere or stay in Zurich since there isn't much to see here. Though we'd probably stay since TC really wants to.

PalenQ

but she only had a few things and decided we should see the Rhine Falls as a 1/2 day trip.>

I've done the Rhine Falls as a day trip from Lucerne once - take a train to Schlaffhausen, a neat city completely surrounded by Germany - even being on the north side of the Rhine - and then I walked along the Rhine on nice footpaths right to the falls.

There is a train stop right at the falls but I found walking from Schlaffhausen so neat.

No need to do any boat ride to see the Rhine Falls, which if you've seen Niagara Falls will seem like a mere rapids!

PalenQ

"good accommodation (at Zurich) is difficult to find"
??????????>

yes in deedy - what exactly does 'good accommodation' mean - if it means affordable for many than no - this is one of the most expensive places for accommodations across the board with nothing in most folks budget digs.

LR220

For us good accommodation is clean and affordable. We don't expect many amenities and huge space, as long as we have a clean bed and bathroom and it's within our budget. We aren't expecting much since we are booking hostels but the prices we've come across for Zurich seem ridiculously expensive compared to the other hostels we've booked for longer stays. It's kind of funny because some of the reviews we've read are along the lines of "this hostel should be reason enough to never waste your vacation time and money visiting Zurich" etc. I hope we don't have that bad of an experience!

neckervd

There are tons of couch surfing places and airbnb in and around Zurich, Youth hostels too. But it's up to you.
BTW: I have not the impression that Switzerland is particularly dirty.

PalenQ

BTW: I have not the impression that Switzerland is particularly dirty.>

Yeh spic-and-span clean IME - maybe too clean!

PalenQ

Switzerland is so clean that drivers turn off their engines at rail crossings when trains approach and even at red lights IME!