[Removed user]

23 May 2012 at 22:29:54 #805300

my husband and i will be arriving in zurich on sunday morning from the united states. we want to go right to wengen and spend until may 30 there. then we want to spend the night of may 30 in zurich and catch our plane back home on may 31. is it possible to get the 2 for 1 any other way than mail. also looking at places to stay in wengen ive come accross some holiday apartments for really good deals. is there any reviews on these or information on how safe they are and how they compare say to the expensive hotel rates in wengen. im just nervous about booking one when im finding little to no reviews on any of these sort of accomodations. we are trying to do as low of a cost as possible but we want to enjoy our stay and not worry about pests or crime. also now that im thinking of it. is eur or chf more common for us to carry around. thank you

[kim11]

24 May 2012 at 4:45:54 #836222

Don’t know about 2 for 1 passes so will leave that to others.

Re: holiday apartments in Wengen, everything there is extremely safe. Don’t know how you have found these rentals but most are let through an agency that manages many apartments.

Swiss franc (CHF) is the currency in Switzerland, not Euros. You will find some places in large cities that will take Euros but will give you bad exchange rate. Businesses in small villages like Wengen will not take Euros.

[Wandermann]

24 May 2012 at 5:13:03 #836223

Hello waswaq,

No, the 2 for 1 offer of the Swiss Pass or Swiss Flexi Pass can only be ordered online. It could be sent to your holiday address, but it seems you haven’t decided about that. Even if you had a holiday address it might be too late. The best alternative I can think of is the Swiss Half Fare Card. You could buy them on arrival at Zürich airport (ticket office of SBB train station there). Just to be sure check other possibilities of Swiss Rail Passes.

If I where you, I wouldn’t hesitate to book a holiday apartment if you think it’s a good deal. Wengen is very well equipped to receive holiday guests. And don’t worry about “pests or crime”. In general Switzerland is a very safe country for tourists. Bad experiences are exceptions, as far as I know.

You’ll have to use CHF instead of Euro.

Enjoy your stay!

[Removed user]

24 May 2012 at 12:43:23 #836224

Thank you for the input.
So I’m still a bit confused on the whole rail system.
If I get a swiss saver pass, well both my husband and I, the 4 day pass, my understanding is that we can ride the train unlimited throughout all of switzerland, and the 4 days starts on the day we get the pass validated, which for us would be 27may12.
My question is I got sidetracked by an advertisement for the “chocolate train.”
Is this a separate excursion we would pay for or it would be free for us to do the chocolate train since we have the swiss pass?
🙂

[Removed user]

24 May 2012 at 12:54:57 #836225

also to answer the question of where I found rates for holiday rentals was a website called slow travel. slowtrav.com

[Annika]

26 May 2012 at 12:57:20 #836226

Hello waswaq! Yes, you’ve understood the Swiss Saver Pass correctly. Please download the validity map from the Swiss Pass page to see which routes are for free and which (mountain transportation) routes are discounted. The Chocolate Train is not quite a regular train, but more an attraction including a visit to museums. Therefore it’s discounted with a Swiss Pass. Please find prices here.

[vmokshagundam]

27 May 2012 at 12:57:55 #836227

Hello, we just got back from Switzerland. I also had this dilemma of weather I have to buy my swiss pass in the US or in Switzerland. Since it was not clear on if we can get the 2 for 1 in Switzerland, I went ahead and ordered it in the US, to be delivered to my hotel address in Luzern. Unfotunately, the pass did not reach the hotel, even though it was ordered and mailed 2 weeks in advance.

I had to call the vendor from our hotel and they said they will refund me and I can buy the pass in Luzern station. I had also inquired about this at the SBB counter as soon as I reached Luzern and the lady at the counter said I could buy the pass right there.

I DID buy the 2 for 1, 4-day swiss rail pass on May 14th valid thru May 17th, showing my US passport as well as my wife’s, at Luzern SBB counter. Price was for 2 for 1 – 226 CHF with a 15% discount. They accept all major US credit cards at the counter (I had a Visa), so no need to carry cash if you have a major card.

Hope it helps future travelers.