help in choosing the best swiss travel pass!

  • mistybabu
    Participant
    28 posts
    15 May 2015 at 13:03:25 #807225

    Hello!

    I would greatly appreciate your help for the best rail passes we ( family of 4 including 2 children) need for the following itinerary.

    DAY-1 Arriving Geneva by TGV Lyria from Paris, 11.30am, sight-seeing in Geneva

    ( I read on this forum that the tickets for this train are covered by the Swiss travel Pass and we need to reserve the seats alone. Kindly advise)

    Reaching Lausanne late evening and check-in

    Day-2 Visit Cheese Factory in Gruyere, Chocolate factory in Broc and Chillon Castle, Montreux and boat ride back to Lausanne

    ( Please advise if we could make all these in a day)

    DAY-3 See the Lavaux Vineyards on way to Montreux and take the Golden Pass Panaromic to Interlaken

    ( I have read on most forums that the journey from Interlaken to Montreux is more beautiful but I can’t fit it that way since our flight back home is from Zurich. Do you think we will be missing much!)

    DAY-4, 5, 6 Visit Jungfrau, Murren and Zermatt from Interlaken

    DAY-7, 8 & 9 Visit Mt. Titlis, Mt Pilatus from Lucerne and Lucerne

    DAY-10 Zurich

    Thanks very much!

  • Effortlessly learn from the questions and answers in the forum. Receive a daily e-mail with new discussions.

    Annika
    Moderator
    7104 posts
    16 May 2015 at 10:02:49 #843099

    Hello mistybabu!

    I think there are two options you should look into. One is buying an 8 day Swiss Travel Pass for days 2 to 9 and additional regular tickets for day 1 and 10. Many of your trips on days 2 to 9 will be covered by this pass; mountain transportation is discounted.

    The other option is buying a Swiss Half Fare Card, which gives 50% off all your trips. You can best check both passes and decide which is more convenient for you. You can even calculate which option is most economical by following these guidelines.

    As for your further questions: trains from Paris to Geneva are not covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, since this train route is in France and Geneva is directly at the border. Please check the validity overview. Here‘s information on TGV tickets from Paris to Geneva.

    Your plans for day 2 are very ambitious. Just the chocolate and cheese factory can take a full day, and a single journey Montreux-Broc takes bout 1h40. So you’d have to pay short visits to the factories and the castle in order to complete all activities. Please check the timetable and Lake Geneva boat information to make a detailed planning. Golden Pass information can be found here, including a detailed route description. Montreux-Interlaken is fine too!

    mistybabu
    Participant
    28 posts
    16 May 2015 at 15:50:48 #843100

    Thanks Annika for the prompt reply according to which I have amended my plans! We shall forgo Chillon Castle on DAY-2. So we would visit the factories in Gruyere and Broc, come down to Montreux to take the CGN (5:23pm hopefully) back to Lausanne. I gather from some reviews that the boat ride is beautiful!

    Would like to know if there are lockers available at the Montreux Station to store our luggage! In that case, on DAY-3, we would take the Golden Pass Panaromic in the afternoon 3:44 and try to see the Castle before. Also does the train from Lausanne to Montreaux pass through the beautiful Lavaux region or should we make a separate visit to any of the vineyards near to Lausanne or Montreaux? Will that be feasible?

    Regarding the Golden Pass, would like to know if the coaches are connected to each other and if it is possible to move freely within and change seats if one feels like!

    Thanks again for your valuable advice!

    Annika
    Moderator
    7104 posts
    17 May 2015 at 8:39:13 #843101

    Hi mistybabu! Yes, there are lockers the Montreux railway station. You will get a bit of a taste of the Lavaux region during the train ride from Lausanne to Montreux, but of course it’s not the same as actually hiking there. You could try to insert a short stop, but if you also want to visit the Chillon Castle before heading for interlaken, it will be full day.

    Some of the Golden Pass coaches are interconnected, but not all, I think, as the train consists of a few separate segments. You are allowed to walk around and try different seats, but some of them may be reserved.

    mistybabu
    Participant
    28 posts
    18 May 2015 at 9:52:08 #843102

    Hi Annika!

    Could you suggest a short convenient stop for seeing the lavaux as per our itinerary! We’ll try to start early from Lausanne so as to make it!

    Does the Golden Pass make a stop at Interlaken West? It doesn’t show in their schedule but the hotel we booked in Interlaken is near the Interlaken West and it would be very convenient if there was a stop!

    I would also like to verify if a day according to Swiss Pass is counted as 24 hourly or as per the date. Meaning if we validate our Swiss Pass at 12noon on Day-1, will the time till 12noon on Day-2 be counted as a day or otherwise!

    I can’t thank you enough for helping us shape up our dream trip to the Switzerland! Your website is a great help to people like us! Thanks a ton!

    Annika
    Moderator
    7104 posts
    18 May 2015 at 16:57:33 #843103

    Hi mistybabu, glad to hear MySwissAlps has been helpful so far!

    Make sure to get on a regional train, or so-called S-bahn, when traveling from Lausanne to Montreux, as most quick connections only stop in Vevey along the way. If you take the S-bahn, you could consider rail stations like Cully or St. Saphorin to get out and do a short vineyard tour. Hikes in the Lavaux region have been discussed in previous forum topics that might be helpful for you:

    Yes, Golden Pass trains do stop in Interlaken West. If you pick a connection in the timetable, you can click ‘Show intermediate stops’ for such details.

    A valid day for a Swiss Travel Pass is measured by date, not by 24 hour period. It’s explained here.

    mistybabu
    Participant
    28 posts
    19 May 2015 at 17:52:25 #843104

    Hi Annika!

    Reading the links on the Lavaux sent by you, I am wondering whether on Day-2 return from Montreux by train with a short stop at Chexbres and short walk upto St. Saphorin and then train to Lausanne is a better choice over the boat ride from Montreux to Lausanne! Need your advice on that.

    Also, I have heard that the shops and restaurants close down early in Switzerland. We will be mostly eating out and would have a hard time for dinner if the restaurants close early. Please advise.

    On Day-1 for sight-seeing in Geneva, mainly the Palais de Nation, International Red Cross Museum, Watch Museum and the Jet deau, please suggest how we could commute with regular tickets and the rates.

    We have kept a day for Jungfrau and a day for Mt. Titlis. Are both same kind of experience? Should we visit both or seeing one is good enough?

    I am sorry that with each reply from you, I am bringing more queries to you! Highly banking on your advice. Thanks, once again!

    😀

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    20 May 2015 at 4:38:30 #843105

    Hi mistybabu,

    These are some real personal choices you have to make; hard to provide advice on that as it should be based on what you like. Jungfraujoch and Titlis are very different experiences. You can best check the links and decide for yourself. Likewise, a short hike or a boat trip are both very nice, but different. Just see what the weather’s like on the day, and what you feel like doing. Personally I like sightseeing on foot, but I like boat trips as well, especially after a long walk.

    Please see myswissalps.com/ geneva/travel for public transport. Restaurants are mostly open for dinner between 6 and 10 PM. More about food and opening hours can be found here.

    mistybabu
    Participant
    28 posts
    22 May 2015 at 11:55:57 #843106

    Hello Annika and Arno!

    With your guidelines, have been able to chalk out sight-seeing programme for the day in Geneva, well most of it! We are reaching Geneva at 11:26 am, 4th July by TGV. Intend to store our baggage in the lockers at the station. However, I was unable to find prices for locker services. Would be thankful if you could send me any link to that! And take the evening train ( around 7) to Lausanne where we have booked hotel.

    On reading some of the other messages on this forum, we were wondering to include the Brienzer Rothorn steam engine trip in our itinerary and probable stay an extra day at Interlaken. Would like to know if this trip is covered in the 8day swiss pass. Kindly advise. Thanks very much!

    Annika
    Moderator
    7104 posts
    23 May 2015 at 7:02:40 #843107

    Hi mistybabu!

    Usually locker prices are mentioned at the SBB website, but in the case of Geneva they are not currently. I think they’ll be displayed soon, but you can also contact the SBB to find out. I guess the price will be somewhere between CHF 6 and 10 per day, as it is at other larger railway stations.

    Spending an extra day in Interlaken would be a good choice anyway, since this region has so much to offer. The Brienzer Rothorn is definitely beautiful if weather is clear, and the train ride itself is fun too. It’s 50% off with a Swiss Travel Pass, as you can see on the validity map I referred to earlier (make sure to zoom in sufficiently).

  • The thread ‘help in choosing the best swiss travel pass!’ is closed to new replies.

About MySwissAlps

We’re passionate tourists and locals. We share tips about how to plan a trip to Switzerland. MySwissAlps was founded in 2002.

Get a free account for a worry-free trip

  • Join our 10730 members and ask us questions in the forum
  • Access to member-only promotions
  • Detailed maps and weather forecasts

Planning your first Switzerland adventure?

Get a jump-start with Annika’s 20-minute e-mail course, “Switzerland for beginners”. Subscribe to our newsletter to unlock the course.