Hi JSully,
>> We will be staying in Lucerne for 2 nights and want to go up the mountains of course. Pilatus, Rigi and Titlis all look amazing..we want views and hiking but want to do some “fun activities ” also….From there we will be heading to Grindelwald and want to experience the same there . I believe the First mountain has some fun motor carts and bikes…….
The “fun actitivies” cost extra, as they are not covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.
>> our confusion is the Swiss travel pass and what it includes.
You can download a map from the link below, showing what is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.
As explained in the legend on the map, red lines are trains, yellow lines are buses, black lines are cable cars, white lines are boats. Solid lines are free, dotted lines are discounted. Discounts are mostly 50%, but only 25% for transport where you see the number “1” inside circle near the dotted line. There are a few grey lines on the map as well, which indicate transport that is not covered by the Swiss Travel Pass. Dashed red lines on the map are railway tunnels, and are on routes that are free with the Swiss Travel Pass.
http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/validity
>> If we are staying in Grindelwald. how do we get to the Jungfrau ?
The train goes from Grindelwald to the Jungfraujoch via Kleine Scheidegg, where you change trains for the final leg. You can come back via Wengen for a change of scenery. This page will tell you all you need to know:
http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch
>> does the pass give us a discount?
The Swiss Travel Pass gives you free travel to Grindelwald (or Wengen), and a 25% discount between Grindelwald (or Wengen) and the Jungfraujoch. This is shown on the validity map.
>> How about all the cable cars and trains we take up and down mountains?
Some are free, most are discounted by 50% for Swiss Travel Pass holders. The validity map will show you what applies.
>> Very confusing….We have a total of 7 nights in Switzerland, ending our stay in Zurich. The rail pass is expensive , not sure if its worth it if it doesn’t give discount on many things
If you will be out and about every day on trains, buses, boats or cable cars, an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass is probably a good option for you. However, there is only one way to be certain, and that is to have a detailed itinerary and add up the cost of every train, bus, boat and cable car you are likely to take, and compare the cost of buying separate tickets each time with the cost of using one of the available passes. This page might assist you:
http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass
Alpenrose