[Removed user]

22 September 2010 at 23:21:06 #804008

Hi, I will be traveling to Switzerland next month with my wife to celebrate our honeymoon, but since this is our first time, I would appreciate advice on what train tickets to get.

1) We are traveling from Paris to Grindelwald. Should I only buy a train ticket to Basel, then use a Swiss card to get to Grindelwald? It should be a cheaper alternative, based on what I’ve seen so far.
2) We will be in Grindelwald for about 3 days, but I think we will be taking trips to the neighboring areas to hike, etc. Would a Swiss pass be a good idea here? Or a flexi pass?
3) We leave on a plane in Zurich, so we would need to take a train from Grindelwald. Would the flexi pass cover our journey there?

Advice appreciated!

Thanks,
David

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[Removed user]

23 September 2010 at 1:34:49 #831840

Just adding a few comments:

Day 1 – Train from Paris to Grindelwald
Day 2, 3, 4 – Grindelwald area (sightseeing, etc)
Day 5 – Train to Zurich, fly out of airport

Since this covers 5 days, I don’t think the 4-day Swiss Saver Pass would cover it, but the 8-day is $100 more. Are there any other options? How much would it cost if we bought Grindelwald->Zurich train ticket separately?
Thanks!

[Arno]

23 September 2010 at 1:55:52 #831841

Hi David,

I would choose either the Swiss Card or the Swiss Half Fare Card. The Swiss Card includes the transfers from Basel to Grindelwald and Grindelwald to Zurich Airport, plus 50% discounts on the trips on day 2-4. The Swiss Half Fare Card provides 50% discounts on all trips, including the inbound and outbound trip. All in all, the Swiss Half Fare Card is slightly cheaper, but the Swiss Card is more convenient as you don’t have to purchase separate tickets for the inbound and outbound trip. Details and purchase options for both passes can be found on the pages I mentioned.

Enjoy your stay!

[Removed user]

23 September 2010 at 2:11:13 #831842

Great! Thanks for the quick reply! We will probably go with the half fare card.

[Removed user]

23 September 2010 at 2:19:04 #831843

Quick question, we can purchase from Basel station as well I assume. The shipping to the US is expensive so we will probably buy on location.

[Arno]

23 September 2010 at 2:39:21 #831844

Yes, it is available at larger rail stations such as Basel. Just make sure you’re not planning to purchase really late at night as ticket offices may be closed then.

[Removed user]

23 September 2010 at 2:48:53 #831845

Do you think 30 min between arriving at the station to the connecting train will be enough time to buy the Half Fare pass? Or should I leave an hour in between?

[Arno]

23 September 2010 at 3:17:51 #831846

Hi David,

Under normal circumstances, 30 minutes is definitely sufficient.

[Removed user]

23 September 2010 at 3:36:59 #831847

Thanks! I just bought 2 tix from SBB, but the pdfs do not show any train times…it just has * for the times. is this ok?

[Arno]

23 September 2010 at 5:40:57 #831848

That’s allright, assuming that you purchased regular tickets without a seat reservation. You can just use them for any train.