[Anonymous]

5 August 2021 at 16:55:52 #826009

Hi Guys,

I am planning a trip starting in Italy and ending in Switzerland for a period of 2 weeks, one week in Italy and travelling to Interlaken from Venice. So I am planning to set Interlaken as base and then travel to nearby places for a week and cover whatever I can. so which option would be the best? looking at the cost to value aspect. Thanks in advance

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[User]

Reply 1 of 29 • 5 August 2021 at 17:24:22 #936035

Hi Leo99 and welcome to MySwissAlps.com!

We have a great calculation spreadsheet that you can download from http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass. This is what you need. If you already know your itinerary you can calculate the costs with the 2 rail passes.

If you are travelling a lot in Italy then maybe Interrail Global Pass will be the better for you. See the validity map at http://www.myswissalps.com/interrailglobalpass/validity.

You’ll find the validity map of the Swiss Travel Pass at http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/validity.

Also as you are coming from Italy to Switzerland, have a look at http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/italy. You are coming via Ticino, it is also a nice part of Switzerland: http://www.myswissalps.com/ticino.

If you are in Interlaken, you can easily visit more the Jungfrau region or Lake Lucerne area. But you can travel also to Zermatt or Lake Geneva area if you wish. Switzerland is a small country 🙂

Here you can read more about these regions:

• http://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrauregion
• http://www.myswissalps.com/lakelucerne
• http://www.myswissalps.com/zermatt
• http://www.myswissalps.com/lakegeneva

Happy planning,

Ildiko

[User]

Reply 2 of 29 • 6 August 2021 at 14:30:46 #936036

Thanks lldiko,

Thanks for explaining in detail. Appreciate it. I am still undecided undecided between buying a single pass or buying interrail for Italy and then buying swiss travel pass for Switzerland. It costs more. So I assume almost all the places near Interlaken can be visited only by train, I mean if we get a place nearby the train station I assume no place can be seen by walking. Both interrail and swiss pass has very limited 100 percentage off on the nearby attractions. And what would be your suggestions to visit nearby Interlaken and which pass would be better?

Thanks

Leo

[Anna]

Reply 3 of 29 • 6 August 2021 at 15:33:44 #936037

Hi Leo,

Interlaken is a fairly small town but there are plenty of things to do. Check out this link: http://www.myswissalps.com/interlaken/activities
Nearby attractions can be visited on foot or by taking a bus: http://www.myswissalps.com/interlaken/travel

Whether a travel pass is necessary really depends on your itinerary. If your base is in Interlaken and your plan involves mainly sightseeing within the region. consider getting the Jungfrau Travel Pass or the Regional Pass Bernese Oberland. These travel passes provide you with unlimited rides on regional public transport such as trains, bus and boats, and substantial discounts (and in some cases free rides) on selected cable cars and mountain railways.

The Swiss Travel Pass is ideal if you plan to travel extensively across multiple regions. It will save you time and money from buying tickets for each trip as regular and single tickets can be very expensive.

I hope this has given you some ideas about which travel pass to get. Let us know if you have further questions.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 4 of 29 • 7 August 2021 at 10:20:39 #936038

Thanks Anna,

How many days would you suggest for Interlaken and nearby places overall?

[Anna]

Reply 5 of 29 • 7 August 2021 at 13:56:35 #936039

Hi Leo,

That depends on your itinerary and your interests. I could easily spend a week in Interlaken just exploring the Jungfrau region and the two lakes Brienz and Thun. But Interlaken has an excellent transport network and would also make an ideal base to plan multiple day trips to other places such as such as Zermatt, Montreux and Lucerne. Switzerland after all is a small country and the excellent public transport makes it easier to explore other regions in a fairly short time.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 6 of 29 • 8 August 2021 at 13:56:12 #936040

Thanks Anna,

I read that Interlaken is a tourist trap and we should book a BNB or hotel somewhere else like in Murren, Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen? Which one would you guys suggest as we will travel only nearby places and places like you suggested like Zermatt, Montreux and Lucerne. we plan to travel to basel for our return flight? so my question is can we reach everywhere easily if we do chose a place like Murren, Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen to stay?

[Arno]

Reply 7 of 29 • 8 August 2021 at 16:52:17 #936041

Hi Leo,

I don’t consider Interlaken a tourist trap, but it’s definitely touristy, especially in the summer high season. The big advantage of Interlaken is that it’s the regional hub: there are many direct trains to lots of places, and a wide choice of restaurants and shops. The downside is that it can be crowded and feels like a city. From the alternatives you mentioned, Lauterbrunnen is closest to Interlaken, and from there you’d connect to trains to destinations beyond the Jungfrau region. Wilderswil is 5 minutes by train from Interlaken, with the Alpenrose hotel at a few minutes on foot from the train station: https://www.hotelscombined.com/hotels/Alpenrose-Hotel–Gardens,Wilderswil-p183008-h241528-details/. You can also look into the town of Spiez: traveling to the Jungfrau region will take longer from there, but Montreux and Zermatt will be quicker to reach.

My recommendation is to consult the timetable for traveling times: http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable. You will be able to reach any town, including Basel, from any base, so it’s just a matter of how much time you’re willing to spend traveling.

More town info can be found here:

• http://www.myswissalps.com/interlaken
• http://www.myswissalps.com/lauterbrunnen
• http://www.myswissalps.com/murren
• http://www.myswissalps.com/grindelwald

[User]

Reply 8 of 29 • 8 August 2021 at 18:33:51 #936042

Thanks Arno for replying on a Sunday

Yeah, we will either choose Lauterbrunnen, Wilderswil or Wengen, so that we are close to Interlaken. Thanks for that. One more question is that what would be the best approach to reach Interlaken from Venice? Flixbus is there, but they have a lot of negative reviews. Planning for a train but most of them needs a lot of train changes. I have one swiss train leaving in the evening with zero changes, but it reaches around 22.00. Will there be a connection I can get to Lauterbrunnen or Wengen or Wilderswil at that time? is it worth buying interrail pass plus Jungfrau Travel Pass, or buy an interrail and then pay the 50 or 75 percentage on all the tickets in Interlaken area? Which one is most likely to save some money if I plan to see all the places near Interlaken ? From the map i see only Jungfrau Travel Pass has full free travel around Interlaken area.

[Anna]

Reply 9 of 29 • 9 August 2021 at 9:46:21 #936043

Hi Leo,

The last train from Interlaken West to Lauterbrunnen leaves at 10pm according to the timetable. There’s a bus service after that until right after midnight. If you’re taking the evening train from Venice and expect to arrive in Interlaken at 2200, I would suggest finding a place to stay in Interlaken just for the night, to be safe. There are lots of hotels near the train station which allow late check-ins. http://www.myswissalps.com/interlaken/hotels

If you plan to travel mainly in the Jungfrau region throughout your stay here, consider getting the Jungfrau Travel Pass. This will cover most of your travel in Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald and also Interlaken, as explained here: http://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrautravelpass/validity

However you will need to pay for additional tickets if you wish to visit Zermatt, Montreux, Lucerne and Basel.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 10 of 29 • 12 August 2021 at 19:35:55 #936044

Thanks Anna,

One more doubt is can I combine Gothard and golden panorama to reach Interlaken if i board from Lugano? if I take bernina from tirano where should I get off, so that I can reach interlaken?

[Anna]

Reply 11 of 29 • 13 August 2021 at 5:03:11 #936045

Hi again,

Yes, it’s possible to combine the Gotthard Panorama Express and Golden Pass to reach Interlaken from Lugano. This will involve travelling on the Gotthard Panorama Express from Lugano to Lucerne and then taking the Golden Pass train from Lucerne to Interlaken. If the panoramic trains are not in operation, you can always take the regular trains which travel on the same route.

If you are travelling on the Bernina Express to Tirano, to reach Interlaken you can take the Bernina bus that takes you to Lugano. In Lugano, you can travel on the Gotthard Panorama Express via Lucerne or use the regular trains. To plan your journey, please use the SBB timetable. http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable

Please refer to the following links for more information about these scenic trains:

• Gotthard Panorama Express: http://www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress
• Golden Pass: http://www.myswissalps.com/goldenpass
• Bernina Express: http://www.myswissalps.com/berninaexpress

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 12 of 29 • 13 August 2021 at 8:27:56 #936046

Thanks again Anna. Really appreciate your and your teams help. This website is really great.

So coming from Venice – We will have to take a train to Milan then Tirano – then Lugano then next morning gothard and Golden pass line to Interlaken. I assume we can reach by evening

How does the Bernina express bus work? I mean we book from the same Rhb site? Is it better than we going directly from Venice to Lugano? Also is the bus covered in interrail pass?

[Arno]

Reply 13 of 29 • 13 August 2021 at 9:45:08 #936047

Hi Leo,

The Bernina Express bus is nice but the highlight of the Bernina Express is the train section. See Anna’s last link for details, also regarding booking and coverage. With so little time in Lugano, I would recommend to go straight to Lugano from Venice. You can then enjoy half a day in town or the region, rather than the detour via Tirano: http://www.myswissalps.com/lugano. The train ride from Milan to Tirano is quite nice too, but personally I would spend my time in and around Lugano.

[User]

Reply 14 of 29 • 13 August 2021 at 10:17:40 #936048

Thanks Arno,

Do you think we should spend some days in Lugano before heading to Interlaken? What would be your suggestion on that?

[Anna]

Reply 15 of 29 • 13 August 2021 at 16:34:26 #936049

Hi Leo,

I personally love Lugano so yes, I would recommend spending a night or two here if you have the time. Here’s a great sightseeing idea if you’re only visiting the city for a short time:

• Experience Ticino in one day: http://www.myswissalps.com/onedayticino
• Boat trips on Lake Lugano: http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakelugano

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 16 of 29 • 22 August 2021 at 16:51:38 #936050

Thanks Anna,

is this site legit – http://www.jungfrau.ch/shop/en/tickets/bergbahn/angebote/jungfrau-travel-pass/jungfrau-travel-pass-4-tage

Their site shows everything is free in the Jungfrau region even if its a 3 day pass. is that correct? Also I see on getyourguide.com that i need to exchange voucher for a ticket at any counter at the railway station in Interlaken Ost. Would that be possible on a sunday?

[Arno]

Reply 17 of 29 • 22 August 2021 at 17:57:44 #936051

Hi Leo,

That’s the website of the local train company – it is legit. They are talking about the Jungfrau Travel Pass, which only covers the Jungfrau Region. Please find details here: http://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrautravelpass. So it’s different from the Swiss Travel Pass which covers the whole country – but with differences on local coverage.

A Sunday is no problem, the ticket office in Interlaken is open daily until 6:40 PM.

Please find purchase options listed here: http://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrautravelpass/price

[User]

Reply 18 of 29 • 2 September 2021 at 20:29:07 #936052

Hey Guys, another doubt – so I have an interrail pass which gives me 50 percentage off from Interlaken to wengen, How can I book that ticket online? SBB site doesn’t show up interrail pass option, it just lists half fare card.

[Anna]

Reply 19 of 29 • 3 September 2021 at 6:02:28 #936053

Hi leo99,

I think it’s possible to book that ticket online using the Half-fare option. Otherwise you can purchase your ticket from any SBB station. Make sure you show your Interrail pass when you make your purchase.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 20 of 29 • 3 September 2021 at 7:38:23 #936054

Ohh. Is it? Thanks Anna. So we are supposed to reach Interlaken ost around 6.00 pm. Counter closes at 6.40 pm. If we’re not able to buy a Jungfrau pass from Interlaken, can it be bought from wengen station?