[Removed user]

6 May 2013 at 8:40:05 #805966

We are travelling by train from Strasbourg to Murren. My plan is to buy a ticket from Strasbourg to Basel, where we will purchase Swiss half-fare passes and then, the tickets to Murren. My question is, will the ticket seller book us all the way through to Murren or do I need to purchase individual tickets at each stop where we change trains?

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[Arno]

6 May 2013 at 12:47:51 #838582

Hello jpeter1093,

One ticket from Basel to Mürren is sufficient. It does not matter where you change trains, and you can even break your trip (e.g. pause in Bern for a few hours) if you want.

If you also plan to travel back to Basel (or any other border town or airport) you may want to look into a Swiss Card instead. A Swiss Card would include the trip from Basel to Mürren and back for free, and also get you 50% discounts on other trips just like the Swiss Half Fare Card. All in all it’s slightly cheaper than a Swiss Half Fare Card (if you travel back to Basel) and you don’t need any ticket for the trip to and from Mürren. See the Swiss Card page for details and resellers.

[Removed user]

6 May 2013 at 13:42:07 #838583

Thanks for the reply. We’re actually travelling to Fussen, Germany after Murren. Here’s my math, let me know if I missed something but it looks like I could save a few dollars using the half fare card:

Basel-Murren 1/2 fare price: 38 CHF
Murren-St Gallen 1/2 fare price: 51 CHF
Zungfraujoch trip 1/2 fare price: 100 CHF (rounded, approximate for illustration)
Half fare card: 120 CHF
Total 1/2 fare price: 319 CHF
Basel-Murren Swiss card price: 0 CHF
Murren-St Gallen Swiss card price: 0 CHF
Zungfraujoch trip Swiss card 1/2 fare price: 100 CHF (rounded, approximate for illustration)
Swiss card: 225 CHF
Total Swiss card price: 325 CHF

[Arno]

6 May 2013 at 14:06:42 #838584

Hi jpeter1093,

Your calculations are close, but the Swiss Card is cheaper than CHF 225. Also your return trip does not end in St. Gallen but at the border in St. Margrethen (or perhaps Buchs, depending on the route) which makes it a bit more expensive if you buy regular or half fare tickets.

I would recommend the Swiss Card. It saves you money and it’s more convenient as there are 2 tickets less to pucrhase. Also, if you buy it in advance you save time in Basel as you don’t need a ticket and can board your next train straight away. Please check the link in my previous post for Swiss Card prices, resellers and further details.

Enjoy your stay!

[Removed user]

7 May 2013 at 4:59:16 #838585

Thanks! The Swiss Card it is!

About the return trip; how do I let the conductor know that I’m traveling on the free return portion of the Swiss Card? Especially since I’m exiting the country at a different location than I entered? Do I tell them when I first travel? In other words, when I board in Basel; do I tell them I’ll be leaving via St. Margrethen on my travel date?

[Arno]

7 May 2013 at 5:15:30 #838586

Hi,

You just need to fill out two dates on the Swiss Card: the dates of the inbound and outbound trip. There’s no need to explain anything, although a conductor may ask your final destination of the day. The return trip is not relevant until the day itself. As long as you don’t fill out the second date, you’re free to decide when that trip will take place (up to one month after the inbound trip).