May/June, 8 days Swiss Travel Pass or Tell Pass?
A traveler is planning a trip to Switzerland with 4 adults, starting in Basel for 3 days and then moving to Lucerne for 5 days before heading to Zurich airport. They are confused about whether to buy the Tell Pass or the Swiss Travel Pass, especially regarding what '2+ FREE' days means and whether these passes cover their specific activities like trips to Mt Pilatus and Mt Rigi.
- The Tell Pass is ideal for travelers focused on the Lake Lucerne area, as it covers both Mt Rigi and Mt Pilatus completely.
- Point-to-point train tickets from Basel to Lucerne and Lucerne to Zurich airport are often cheaper than purchasing a Saver Day Pass.
- Buying the Saver Day Pass in advance is typically less expensive compared to purchasing it on the same day.
AI-generated summary-
I’m confused about which Pass (or none) is best for us. We are 4 adults, will be in Basel end of May for 3 days, then train to Lucerne for 5 days, then train to Zurich airport for home. We hope to do the Mt Pilatus Golden ticket….cogwheel, tram, boat and perhaps also the trip to Mt Rigi, both weather permitting. We also are thinking to do a boat hop on/off around Lake Lucerne. From my research and questions posted on TripAdvisor, the answers are conflicting. The Tell pass appears to be the best for us, but I’m not sure if that’s correct. Also the website for Tell Pass indicates that we get 2+ “FREE” days and I’m not sure what that means. Are they extra days added to Pass and we would only purchase a pass for 3 days?? Or is something else free?? We could purchase the Tell Pass or the Swiss Pass for the 4 days we might use it but does it cover all I mentioned?? I’m quite sure that I’m overthinking this and it is probably simpler than it seems!!! Thank you for your help and input.
-
Your trip is overwhelmingly focused on the Lake Luzern area so the Tell Pass would be best.
I can’t see what you mean by ‘2+FREE’ – where can you see it in this web page?:
http://www.tellpass.ch/en/discover/whats_the_tell-pass_all_about/
The Tell Pass is valid for 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 days free travel and the price list shows the cost for each version:
http://www.tellpass.ch/en/shop/summertickets
For Basel – Luzern and Luzern – Zurich travel, a Saver Day Pass may work out cheaper than a point to point one way ticket
1960man, Thank you for your reply. I think I was confusing the Pass listing for the amount of days to purchase for “free” and it really means those are the days it is good for. Is the Tell pass good for 24 hours for each day and consecutively….say, starting at 9am on day 1 to 9am on day 2, for example? Will it cover both Mt Rigi and Mt Pilatus completely then? And would it not cover our train Lucerne to Zurich airport? I’ll look into the Saver Day Pass for Basel to Luzern. Thank you so much for your input. Too many choices and combinations!!!! But appears that Switzerland has a very comprehensive public transport system!!!!
Hello Dodi,
Yes, the rail passes can be overwhelming when trying to figure out the best option. Many members of the forum find it useful to carry out their calculations via our link here and see which options suit: https://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass
Given your plans, it does appear that a lot of your travel will be based around Lucerne so as per 1960man, the Tell Pass would be a sensible option, combining Saver Day Passes for your other trips. More information below on each. Do take a look at the “where it’s valid” page too so you can see where the Tell-Pass covers. Mt. Pilatus and Mt. Rigi are covered. Your journey to Zurich would not be covered.
Just as an example if you purchased a two day pass, starting tomorrow. You can use it for the 16th and 17th March. A note on Saver Day Pass tickets, these need to be purchased in advance and not on the day of travel.
Another useful link, the timetable so you can plan the Basel and Zurich legs: https://www.myswissalps.com/timetable
I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Responding to your comments in order:
1- rail pass validity:
Yes, all European rail ‘passes’ of the ‘unlimited travel’ type (not just in Switzerland) are valid ‘all day’ – that almost always equates to from the ‘start of service’ to the ‘end of service’ – eg 04.00 to 01.00 the next day (on busy commuter routes around and between main cities) OR on more rural routes in the Alps, something like 06.00 – 23.00.
If your pass is for 2 or more consecutive days it is valid throughout the period, for example a 3 day pass is valid from start of service on Day 1 to end of service on Day 3.
2 – Tell Pass coverage
The validity map is here: http://www.tellpass.ch/__/frontend/handler/document/42/219/TellPass_Streckennetz_EN_Sommer_2023.pdf
The Tell Pass is slightly unusual in giving total coverage ‘for free’ without any cheaky ‘not free only discounted’ routes like other passes such as the Berner Oberland Pass.
On the map, bottom left, the closest the free coverage gets to Zurich is Baar (on the main line Luzern – Zug – Baar – Zurich) or Pfäffikon (on the line from Chur to Zurich along Lake Zurich . The closest the pass gets to Basel is only Luzern itself.
It is worth carefully studying the map to see that there are quite a few really nice places that are not the ‘famous cliched tourist destinations’, for example: Oberalp Pass – Sedrun, Luzern – Langnau along the Emmental (of cheese fame) valley, Einseideln (Monastic town), Melchsee Frutt
3 – Comprehensive Swiss transport system:
Indeed Switzerland is generally recognised as having the most comprehensive, far reaching and cohesive integrated public transport (including walking routes) network in Europe (probably the world), closely followed by Austria and perhaps Germany.
Just one look at the ‘Schweizmobil’ transport map will show you just how many thousands of transport stations and stops there are on the network, and if you are away from a bus or train route, the famous iconic yellow marked paths get you there on foot (often with the walking time on the sign itself)
Thank you ever so much, Yolanda and 1960man!!! So very helpful and just the information that I needed!! One more question (for now)….Is there an advantage to purchasing the Tell Pass before departing US or should we wait until we arrive in Luzern? I was thinking we might want to make sure weather is favorable for the mountains closer to the time? For the Saver Day Pass, by “need to be purchased in advance”, do you mean prior to departing US or just day before using?? Again, thank you both so much!
Hi dodi!
Could you have seen a 2-for-1 Tell Pass promotion? There is a promo giving you an additional free Tell-Pass , but only if you book at least 3 nights in several participating hotels in Vitznau, Weggis or the Rigi area. It’s not valid in high season, from mid-June to mid-September. And it only applies to the 3-, 4- or 5-day Tell-Pass.
Will you be staying in Lucerne? In that case the offer won’t apply to you.
Hello Dodi,
Once your plans are fixed, buying a Saver Day Pass in advance, the prices are normally cheaper. (Though prices can still go up and go down again). They can be purchased up to 60 days prior to the travel date. As mentioned previously, they can not be bought on the date of travel.
Do have a read through the link I provided earlier for all information 🙂
For the Tell Pass, there is no immediate rush. You can easily purchase nearer the date. More information below:
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Yes, Annika….I do think that is what I was looking at!! Thanks for pointing that out! And, yes, we are staying in Luzern for the 5 nights and just visiting the applicable towns, or a couple of them anyway so the promo isn’t applicable for us. Thank you, Yolanda…..very helpful and I will research it all further from the websites you and 1960man provided and sort it all out. It is MUCH clearer now because of your assistance and input!!!
In doing a bit of research, it does appear that point to point train tickets from Basel to Luzern and from Luzern to the Zurich airport are less expensive than purchasing a Day Saver Pass, unless I’m missing something. Are the point to point tickets best purchased in advance for the best price or is the price the same no matter when purchase? It is a few weeks too early (dates not loaded yet) for me to purchase our train tickets but needing to clarify that. And for the Tell pass, is it less expensive to purchase it prior to our departure from US or can we wait until we arrive at hotel in Basel? I know many times in many train systems, the tickets are less to purchase 60 days in advance or like that.
In days gone by train tickets were fixed (set on a per km basis), but nowadays ticket prices vary a lot and tend to be ‘market orientated’. You will need to wait until the ’60 days’ purchasing window opens to see what fares are available for particular journeys. There are usually several types of ticket available, including those at ‘Supersaver’ rates, but these are (like hotels and airlines) specific to a particular train and not refundable.
Swiss train passes have fixed prices, but can be purchased immediately before travel if you so wish, even for a multi day pass.This is assuming you are in the right place to do it, but most passes are available from main stations – anywhere that has a manned ticket office. The Tell pass web site quotes 80 locations which are sales outlets, including Basel SBB and Zurich Flughafen
Hello Dodi,
You may have been reading the incorrect ticket type whilst researching. Which website were you looking at? Sometimes a website can be on auto so you are viewing half price tickets opposed to the normal standard fares. Via the timetable link below, please scroll through and it will guide you on the ticket types, how to find, the pricing etc.
Certain ticket types are normally cheaper to purchase in advance, for example the Saver Day Pass but these can also go up and down too. Point to point tickets, similarly, these can also change prices too. It’s very personal, some like to purchase everything beforehand, so all is in hand and you are ready to go, others like to wait and see. This can be advantageous but it can also mean you may be paying more.
For the Tell Pass, there is no immediate rush. You can easily purchase nearer the date or online here:
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Thanks, Yolanda. I was on the website that you sent me….. https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/public-transport/timetable/. It is too early to do our exact date for tickets but I put in 02 May (Tuesday, since our actual date is on a Tuesday, 23 May) and the cheapest ticket from Basel to Luzern is $26.15 for one way on the 10:03 train. Are those prices shown with a Day Saver card?? I didn’t see that indicated anywhere but maybe that’s what you mean?? With the Day Saver price appearing to be CHF 52 for the day (and maybe it’s too early for that exact price??), that’s why I thought it cheaper to purchase point to point for our 2 train trips. Are those prices ( eg. $26.15) NOT the correct prices OR only with a Day Saver pass?? I know the prices are subject to change and I was planning to purchase our tickets for Basel >Luzern and Luzern>Zurich Airport as they became available. But I’m not clear on whether I’m looking at the correct prices now.
The Saver Day pass (SDP) rate comes up on journey planners (if it is the best fare according to the ‘computer’!).
However, the simplest way of seeing the cost of a Saver Day Pass is to look just at the chart for SDPs rather than on the timetable. The direct ‘buy’ area on the SBB web site very clearly shows all the rates (discounted and ‘full rate’). You can then check it with the ‘usual’ point to point fare to see which would be cheapest.
For example, at the moment, SDP rates are available up to May 15, with non-discounted prices around that date currently CHF52 2nd class
I calculate that the ‘usual’ non discount fare Basel – Luzern is CHF34
Hello Dodi,
Thank you. I just researched your route, same date, same time and it gave me a price of CHF34.00. So it seems the pricing is changing and can change again. You were looking at the correct pricing, this was the standard full price for a one way, without any discounts. In this instance, yes this ticket option is more favourable, than a Saver Day Pass for CHF52, if you were only traveling from Basel to Lucerne.
The Saver Day Pass would only be more beneficial if you were doing a lot of travel on the day of purchase. For example if you were going from Basel to Lucerne, Lucerne to Zurich all in the same day.
I hope this clarifies.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Thank you! You’ve been very helpful! Think I’ve got it figured out with all your input! I so appreciate alll the assistance and guidance from all of you.
- The thread ‘May/June, 8 days Swiss Travel Pass or Tell Pass?’ is closed to new replies.
