6 days in Brienz, late April: car vs train, open attractions, clothing
A family of four is flying into Zurich and plans to take a day trip to Lucerne before heading to Brienz for a six-day stay. They need advice on whether to use the Swiss Travel Pass, Half Fare Card, or rent a car, and want to know if attractions near Brienz will be open during their visit.
- Use public transport instead of renting a car; Switzerland has excellent train services and some places can't be reached by car.
- Consider getting Half Fare Cards for adults and check for a free Swiss Family Card for kids under 16.
- Many mountain attractions may be closed in the spring, but the Ballenberg museum and some boat services start operations in early April.
- Pack warm layers for spring weather, especially if you plan on visiting mountainous areas.
AI-generated summary-
Hi
We are a family of four flying into Zurich and then plan take a day trip to Lucerne and back on the day our flight lands. Travel to Brienz the next for a 6 day stay. We are debating on using the Swiss travel pass, half fare card vs car rental for the trip and looking for guidance from the experts in this forum. Which option will be economical and are the tourist attractions near Brienz open at this time of the year. Should we pack warm clothes?
Thank you and looking forward to the responses.
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Hello
Welcome to MySwissAlps
Thank you for sharing your travel plans with us.
Rent-a-Car?
No! Switzerland has the best public transport in the world. And remember that the driver of the car has to watch the road, not the fantastic scenery.
And there are places in Switzerland like Wengen and Murren which cannot be reached by car.
Car vs train: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/train-or-car/
Public Transport Passes
It seems that except for your first two days and your last day, all your travelling will be done in the area called the Berner Oberland. If I am correct on that point then it may be not worth investing in Swiss Travel Passes.
If you decide against STPs, what you should do is get Half Fare cards for all family members over 16, and 8-day Berner Oberland Passes for everyone over 16.
The coverage of the Berner Oberland Pass is explained here: https://www.myswissalps.com/details/berner-oberland-pass-validity/. For family members over 16, a BOP will cost (with the discount for the HFC) 287 CHF per person.
Are there any members of the family under 16?
If yes, get a FREE Swiss Family Card. This in turn means that the under-16 travels FREE on all Swiss Public Transport.
Attractions Open?
A lot of mountain trails will still be snow-covered and not open
The Brienzer Rothorn and Schynige Platte Railways will not be running,
However
The Ballenberg open-air museum opens on April 10
The Lake Brienz boats start on April 12: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/boat-lake-brienz/
The Harder Kulm Funicular starts on April 5: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/harder-kulm/
(This list is not exhaustive.)
What to do on your first day?
I infer that your first night will be spent in Zurich. If you have time to spare after you have touched down in Zurich there is no point in going to Lucerne. You will go through Lucerne on your second day on your way to Brienz. Depending on the time available and the weather, either explore the city, go for a boat ride on the lake, or up the Uetliberg mountain. If you decide to invest in Swiss Travel Passes a longer trip to say BERN would be possible.
Best wishes for your detailed planning
Roger
Hi Ajmiester,
You will be visiting during the Spring season. I would pack a light jacket and some warm clothing to layer with, especially if you’re planning a few mountain excursions.
You can useful information about the seasonal weather and what to pack in the following links: https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/practical/weather/
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Anna
Thank you for the information
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