[Removed user]

25 March 2011 at 13:25:22 #804178

I have friends who will be flying in Zurich and then coming to stay with us in Wengen for about a week. They are thinking of buying the Eurail Saver pass since they want to continue on to Italy and Austria. However, I am concerned that they be able to get a 50% discount on cable cars, trains and boats in the Bernese Oberland area. What Swiss pass would you suggest to augment their Eurail pass?

Thanks,

Carol

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[Annika]

26 March 2011 at 5:49:53 #832369

Hello Carol, and welcome! It’s true that the Eurail Select Pass doesn’t cover many mountain trains and cable cars in the Bernese Oberland. There are discounts available for the Jungfraujoch trip and your friends will be able to make boat trips over Lake Thun and Lake Brienz for free, but if they plan on using mountain trains and lifts extensively, it may be a good idea to supplement the Eurail Select Pass with another pass. It’s hard to tell in advance which one is best though. Calculations would have to be made to be sure about the cheapest solution, and this would require your friends to make a detailed list of all their travel plans in the Bernese Oberland. To give some guidance: if they want to discover a larger part of the region, they may like the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland. If they really want to concentrate on the area surrounding Wengen (the Jungfrau region), they may be better off with a Jungfrau Railways Pass. Both are valid about 6 or 7 days, and both could cover their needs for their one week stay in Wengen.

Does this help you out a bit? Please let us know in case you have further questions. Have a great week together in Wengen!

[Removed user]

26 March 2011 at 17:07:04 #832370

Thanks, this is helpful. I don’t think they want to travel every day for the week they are in Wengen, so maybe just adding the Swiss Half Fare Card is the way to go. Also, is there any place where I can find the ticket prices for the BOB, Mannlichen and First cable car and Wengenalpbahn….so we could plan an itinerary and know what the ticket prices would be and that would help us decide on what supplemental pass to buy. I know how to get the prices on SBB, but not on the private railway systems.

Thanks again….I really appreciate this. We have been going to Wengen for 15 years and I know how to get around but need to save my ticket stubs so I can tell our guests what to expect in terms of costs….with the US$ not very strong, it is good to give them this information ahead of time.

Carol

[Annika]

27 March 2011 at 9:30:58 #832371

Hi Carol. You’re right, if your friends don’t plan on travelling each day, a Swiss Half Fare Card may be a good solution as well. I assumed they’d want to make unlimited use of mountain lifts on some days (instead of receiving discounts only), that’s why I suggested the Regional-Pass and the Jungfrau Railways Pass. But a Swiss Half Fare Card is a good and fairly economical supplement to the Eurail Pass too, as it covers a lot more mountain transportation than the Eurail Pass does.

Prices for the BOB and Wengernalpbahn can be found in the regular Swiss timetable, but they’re also mentioned at the Jungfrau Railways website. Prices of the other cable cars (Männlichen and First) can be found here as well. Further transportation companies in the Bernese Oberland are listed at our link page. Good luck with your calculations!

By the way, it’s great to hear that you’ve been going to Wengen over the past 15 years. You must have really fallen in love with this beautiful part of Switzerland!

[Removed user]

27 March 2011 at 15:00:13 #832372

Thanks again for all the help. Yes, I have said that there may be a more beautiful view in the word (other then from the balcony of our little rented chalet looking down on Lauterbrunnen and up toward the Breithorn and the Jungfrau) but I doubt it. And even if I did not doubt it, I have neither the time nor the desire to find it.

After fifteen years in the same chalet, the first view when we return takes my breath away.

Carol

[Removed user]

27 March 2011 at 16:41:32 #832373

Annika,

One last question…..I promise. I notice that when I look at the Eurail map, it says that there is a 25-50% discount on the BOB from Interlocken, also on the the line to Murren and the Wengenalp bahn. Do you happen to know….is the discount 25 or 50% off the regular ticket price for these specific trips?

Thanks,

Carol

[Annika]

28 March 2011 at 5:01:12 #832374

Hello Carol. Don’t mind asking your questions, that’s what the forum is for! Each railway company can have its own Eurail Pass discounts, and sometimes it’s hard to find out which rate applies. However, a 25% discount applies to the lines being part of the Jungfrau Railways network, including the BOB, WAB and the line to Mürren. In this case, prices can be found through the Jungfrau Railways webshop, where you can enter your departure and arrival station, and indicate whether you have a pass granting discounts or not. Eurail is one of the passes that can be selected, and if you do so 25% discounted prices appear.

I hope that helps you calculate your friends’ travel plans. Have a great stay in Wengen, where scenery is breathtaking indeed!