Swiss Travel Pass vs tickets at the train stations

Hi,

We are planning a trip in July and Zurich will be our base for 7 days.

I am trying to see if it is worth buying the Swiss Travel Pass. I have been looking up train routes to the places we want to go in Switzerland from Zurich and I am confused by which route to take. For instance in Zurich you can take Zurich HB or several other routes, not sure which one to choose when going to Interlaken for instance and then which one do I take in Interlaken? This is the list of places we would like to travel to from Zurich:

Gruyeres

Interlaken

Grindelwald

Zermatt and then take the Gornergrat Bahn Cogwheel Train

Appenzell

Berggasthaus Aescher

For first time tourists travelling across all parts of Switzerland in one week the Swiss Travel Pass is the best option

To start - look at the 'how to travel resources on this site: www.myswissalps.com/travel/inswitzerland

The above link gives advise and the link to find timetables, use the link to the Swiss railway journey planner

Another even better timetables aite is the official timetable where you can get point to point journey planning, specific route tables honed to your requirements, plus station departure boards:

timetable-pt.transportdatamanagement.ch/qv/#/EinfacheFahrplanauskunft/Suche?timetable=current

Also, there are two good map resources showing where all transport stations are located:

Schweizmobil:

select (tick) the 'Rail Bus Boat' on the left hand menu and every single station /stop is shown on the map. You can then click the plus sign to filter out the types of transport you don't want to see. So for example in Luzern start with all stations showing and you will see Luzern main station, the bus station and the boat landing stage all close together. If you then filter out everything except 'train' you will be left with just the railway station showing

map.schweizmobil.ch/?lang=en&photos=yes&logo=yes&detours=yes&season=summer&bgLayer=pk&resolution=2.5&E=2666140&N=1211335&layers=Station

MAP Search ch

On the left hand side click the star in a black circle called 'points of interest' and you will get a list of transport modes. Click on the one you want eg 'rail'

map.search.ch/?mode=oev&pos=666313,211475&zoom=14&poi=zug

For clarity, I have separated this message from my other message about 'how to travel'

The normal routes from Zurich to the places you list (number of changes of trains varies depending on route) are as follows - however note that the Swiss system is so comprehensive that there are usually options to go other ways round:

Gruyeres:

Zurich HB - Bern - Bulle - Gruyeres

Interlaken / Grindelwald:

Zurich HB - Bern - Interlaken Ost - Grindelwald OR Zurich HB - Luzern - Interlaken Ost

Zermatt:

Zurich HB - Bern - Visp - Zermatt

Appenzell / Aescher:

Zurich HB - Herisau - Appenzell - Wasserauen - Ebenalp

1960Man

Thank you so much this will help us tremendously!

Hi Thorpe valor,

Zurich HB is the main train station in Zurich. There are various small stations in Zurich of course, but Zurich HB is the hub and main arrival and departure point for most regional and intercity trains.

Before your trip, you might want to inform yourself about how train travel works. You can find practical info and useful tips here: www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/howtotravel

Based on your plans, getting the Swiss Travel Pass might be the best option since you'll be doing daily day trips from Zurich. With the Swiss Travel Pass you can travel freely on the trains to all the destinations on your list without the need to buy tickets. The only tickets you need are for the cable car to Berghaus Aescher and the cogwheel train to Gornergrat. You can find more information on how to use the Swiss Travel Pass here: www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass

I recommend you install the SBB Mobile App or use the SBB timetable to plan your journeys: www.myswissalps.com/timetable

Best regards,

Anna

Thank you Anna I have installed the SBB Mobile App and will use it for my trips.