[Removed user]

22 April 2012 at 7:46:49 #805149

Hello, my wife and I are travelling to Lauterbrunnen in September for 5 days and I’m a bit confused as to which pass is best. I realize this is surely redundant, given all the similar posts, but… thanks in advance.

9/3 Paris to Basel (seems cheapest) to Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen

Using Lauterbrunnen as our home base, we plan to do the Jungfraujoch, the Schilthorn, a boat trip on Lake Thun, as well as lots of hiking around the valley.

9/8 Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken to Zurich aiport for the flight home

I was thinking the Half Fare Card would be the best savings, but then I read about the Swiss Pass Fall Special, which also seems to be a good deal, given that we’re travelling within the required time frame.

A little help from a knowledgable outside perspective would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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[Arno]

22 April 2012 at 14:16:41 #835707

Hello jboote76,

You can best look into the 4-day Swiss Saver Flexi Pass. There is indeed a 2-for-1 promotion for it. That makes it just slightly more expensive to buy, but it offers more benefits than the Swiss Half Fare Card as you get 4 days of free traveling instead of just discounts. One difference worth mentioning is that the Jungfraujoch is discounted by 25% with the Swiss Saver Flexi Pass, and 50% with the Swiss Half Fare Card, but the other benefits will make up for that.

Not all resellers are already selling 2-for-1 passes for September, but they will do so soon. Just keep an eye on our 2-for-1 topic for the latest information.

[gyellin]

23 April 2012 at 12:25:20 #835708

Hello jboote76,
My wife and I are planning a very similar trip, also in September, to the one you described. After looking into the options, I decided that Arno’s recommendation of the 4-day Swiss Saver Flexi Pass was the best choice because of the 2 for 1 offer. What I’m not sure about is whether or not to spend the additional amount (~$175 US add’l) for the 1st class pass. One of the recent posts recommended 1st class during the busy season, as the 2nd class cars were very crowded. I don’t know what to expect in September. Arno, could you advise.

Thanks, Gary

[Arno]

23 April 2012 at 16:00:01 #835709

Hi Gary,

September is not the high season, so I would recommend 1st class only if you like the more spacious seats and windows, but not because of the crowded trains. Of course some trains are more popular than others, but generally you won’t have a problem finding free seats in September.

[Removed user]

23 April 2012 at 18:02:45 #835710

Thanks for the great info! I bought our 2nd class 2 for 1 Flexi Passes last night. Looks like great savings.
What are your thoughts on the Golden Pass train from Luzern to Interlaken? Is it worth the extra time even in 2nd class? If so, how much more time does it take than the regular train? We’ll be coming from Paris. How much time would it add to the already pretty long trip?

Thanks!

[Annika]

24 April 2012 at 5:55:54 #835711

Hi jboote76. The Golden Pass line is a detour indeed when coming from Paris. But if you don’t mind spending an extra few hours on your inbound trip, it’s definitely worth your time. A free travel day on your Swiss Saver Flexi Pass will allow you to travel from free from Basel onward, whichever route you choose. Just use the timetable to find the most direct route, or alternatively enter ‘Lucerne’ and ‘Meiringen’ as via-stations to obtain information on the Golden Pass route. Please note that you can either choose panoramic trains (for which seat reservations have to be made) or regular regional trains (that don’t require reservations).