[Removed user]

23 March 2012 at 17:01:28 #805354

My wife and I will be in Zurich Monday May 21 to go to Gimmelwald. Can this be done in one day, or stay in Interlaken that night and go to Gimmelwald Tuesay May 22? We will return to Zurich May 23 or 24.
Can you advise the routing and best rail pass?
Thanks,
kasperzi

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[Wandermann]

23 March 2012 at 19:18:11 #836373

Hello kasperzi,

As you can see in the Timetable it will take you about 3 hours to reach Gimmelwald from Zürich (there you can find the route, where to change trains and prices as well). If you start early, it’s doable. But of course it depends on the time you want to spend in or near Gimmelwald.

Whether a Swiss Rail Pass will be economical depends on all your traveling plans put together.

If your only trip will be from Zürich to Gimmelwald and back, I very much doubt you may benefit from any Rail Pass. If you’re planning to do other trips as well by train, bus, boat etc, I suggest you look at the 2 for 1 offer of the Swiss Pass (valid for 4 days).

This link may be of help to make the calculations of cost effective traveling.

Have a nice stay.

[Removed user]

24 March 2012 at 12:31:52 #836374

Thank you, it looks like same day travel is doable.
In the timetable, is the cost of the cable car included in the total (~38 Swiss Francs each, one way)? Also, it only shows the price for a month in advance, does the price vary a lot in May and summer months? Are advance ticket purchases advisable or do it at the time of travel? Are there lockers in the Zurich train station for storing largs suit cases for 3 or 4 days?
Thank you,
kasperzi

[Arno]

25 March 2012 at 4:50:29 #836375

Hi kasperzi,

If you fill out a trip From Zurich to Gimmelwald in the timetable you’ll see these comments once you get to the ticket prices: “Price information is not available for the entire trip. Please take note of the portions of the trip which can be calculated. The following route(s) for the requested journey are available: ZÜRICH HB – LAUTERBRUNNEN“.

So, it gives you the price to Lauterbrunnen. The additional price of the final leg to Gimmelwald can be found on the website of the local railway company: Jungfraubahnen.

Please note that the default price shown for Zurich – Lauterbrunnen is the discounted price of a single trip, and that’s CHF 36.10. If you unselect “Half-Fare travelcard” and select the double arrow instead of the single one, you’ll see the full fare of a return trip to Lauterbrunnen: CHF 144.40. In additional to that, you need a return ticket Lauterbrunnen – Gimmelwald which is about CHF 30 (I took the round trip price via Mürren as Gimmelwald is not listed on the Jungfraubahnen website; it’s probabably a bit cheaper if you take the direct route both in- and outbound). So the total price would be 174.40 per person. A rail pass would normally not be economical for just one trip, but you may have reviewed the 2-for-1 offer Wandermann referred to. A 4-day Swiss Saver Pass for 2 people is only CHF 235 now, so that’s 117.50 per person. It includes your entire trip for free, and you have 3 more days of free traveling. Please check the associated forum topic, and go to the Swiss Pass page to find the best reseller on the right side of that page. The pass needs to be purchased in advance through the buttons “Go to website” you’ll find on that page.

There is a manned luggage department at the Zurich rail station, and there are lockers as well.

[Removed user]

26 March 2012 at 16:09:35 #836376

Wandermann,
Arno,
Thank you very much for your help. I will look at these websites and set up a more detailed itinerary. We would possibly go to the Wengen side of the valley so the 2 for 1 Swiss Saver Pass looks like a good deal.

Thanks again,
kasperzi

[Removed user]

10 June 2012 at 13:33:56 #836377

Thanks so much for your help!
My wife and I used the 2 for 1 four day pass – it was great. The train connection times in Bern and Interlaken and the bus from Lauterbraunnen to Stechelberg and the cable car to Gimmelwald made for a good trip. On the way back to Zurich. we stopped in Bern for a while and then got to Zurich with time to get on the tram from our hotel (Hotel Leoneck – good place) to downtown Zurich to see more of it. All covered with the pass. Thanks again for your help.

[Annika]

11 June 2012 at 13:05:13 #836378

Hello kasperzi! Thank you for getting back to us. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed your trip and the Swiss Pass that much. Of course you’re welcome to share your experiences with other forum visitors if you like!