[Anonymous]

9 January 2023 at 12:24:06 #828860

hi friends, help please. Overload of information. We have 3 days in Interlaken and Grindelwald. We have a rented car and can drive from one area to the other. What is the best pass to buy if we want to:

Day 1 Go to Harder Kulm (from Interlaken)

Day 2 Schilthorn Skywalk (from Lauterbrunnen)

Day 3 Grindelwald First and JUNGFRAU (Top)

I can see that the Jungfrau travel pass is quite ideal but don’t know if includes all these? Also, we are a family with 2 adults and 2 kids. What is the Junior Pass for CHF30, will that also cover Jungfrau (Top) and the rest?

Appreciate anyone’s thoughts. Thank you so much 🙂

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[Anna]

Reply 1 of 15 • 9 January 2023 at 12:45:15 #949494

Hi MicB,

Welcome to MySwissAlps.

Based on your plan, you might want to consider buying the Top of Europe Pass as it includes a free trip to Jungfraujoch. The Jungfrau Travel Pass is also a good alternative but you would need to pay extra for a connecting ticket to Jungfraujoch (about CHF63 return). Children aged 6 – 15 pay a flat rate of CHF30. The Junior Card or Swiss Family Card is not valid in combination with the Top of Europe Pass and Jungfrau Travel Pass.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 2 of 15 • 10 January 2023 at 0:22:00 #949495

Thanks Anna, that’s very helpful. Never heard of that Too of Europe pass. Do u know where we can buy it online that is a legit website? Appreciate that.

[pvonk]

Reply 3 of 15 • 10 January 2023 at 13:14:06 #949496

Anna provided a link above to Top of Europe Pass info which includes a purchase opportunity. What month will you be going?

[Anna]

Reply 4 of 15 • 10 January 2023 at 13:40:26 #949497

HI MicB,

You can purchase the Top of Europe Pass directly from the link provided. This is the official website of the Jungfraubahn which operates the main transportation within the Jungfrau region.

regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 5 of 15 • 11 January 2023 at 3:31:41 #949498

Thank you so much 🙂

We plan to be there in September.

[User]

Reply 6 of 15 • 11 January 2023 at 9:39:48 #949499

Hi,

Does Top of Europe pass include bus and boat travel in Interlaken region? I understand Jungfrau Travel Pass does inlude Bus and boat rides…

Thanks

[User]

Reply 7 of 15 • 11 January 2023 at 13:04:45 #949500

No.

The maps for each pass clearly show the validity areas. Jungfrau Travel Pass includes the lakes, Top of Europe Pass (ToEP) pass does not.

One other VERY IMPORTANT point. The ToEP lists one great benefit as “a free trip to Jungfraujoch”.

However, now compare the prices of the Jungfrau Travel Pass versus the Top of Europe Pass:

Jungfrau Travel Pass 3 days: CHF 190

Top of Europe Pass 3 days: CHF 229 (and without lakes and Interlaken – Brienz train)

see what I mean?!

[User]

Reply 8 of 15 • 11 January 2023 at 13:05:22 #949501

There was a similar discussion here:

http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/top-of-europe-pass-and-jungfrau-travel-pass

[User]

Reply 9 of 15 • 11 January 2023 at 13:24:53 #949502

Thank you! I plan to spend 1 day taking boats and hop on-off different stops in both lake. Guess will use the HFC to buy the boat day pass.

[Annika]

Reply 10 of 15 • 11 January 2023 at 13:56:34 #949503

Hi Mikeang8!

Since you’re mentioning ‘HFC’: are you considering to buy the Swiss Half Fare Card anyway? In that case you probably don’t need any other pass for the Jungfrau Region and your Jungfraujoch trip. The Swiss Half Fare Card already provides a 50% discount on all transport in this area: https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard. You’d carefully need to calculate whether it’s worth the extra expenses of an additional Jungfrau Travel Pass or Top of Europe Pass to get some more discount.

Assuming you will be using a Swiss Half Fare Card: this allows you to buy a discounted Jungfrau Travel Pass: https://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrautravelpass/price. The Top of Europe Pass is not discounted with a Swiss Half Fare Card though.

Also note that your children (under 16 years old) can travel along for free (even all the way up to Jungfraujoch!) if you buy a Swiss Half Fare Card and get the additional free Swiss Family Card:

• https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard/price
• https://www.myswissalps.com/swissfamilycard

More information about car traveling in Switzerland can be found here: https://www.myswissalps.com/car.

[User]

Reply 11 of 15 • 11 January 2023 at 14:15:03 #949504

Hi Annika,

Yea I plan to purchase HFC. I checked and notice there is discount for Top of Europe pass w HFC.

I plan to travel in Oct and to stay Lucerne for 2 night follow by 4 nights in Lauterbrenna or Wengen then 2 nights in Zurich before flying back home.

My main concern is convenience and won’t not want to spend time purchasing tickets and would like to purchase hop on-off buses and trains… especially in Jungfrau region.

I thought of getting HFC + Jungfrau Travel Pass and top up for Jungfrajoc trip. Main thing that attracts me is the inclusion of buses and boats. On the other hand, I am not sure if I will be taking much buses in my trip as I guess most will be trains and gondolas.

Else I my get HFC + Top of Europe pass and the pay for buses and boat rides. I assume Top of Europe pass will include all train rides between Interlaken, Lauterbrenne, Marene, Wengen etc.

Another possibility is to get HFC + Berner Oberland pass and top up for Jungfrajoch trip the BO pass include train from Lucern to Interlaken… I assume ..

I have been going through the forum and got information overload. Hahaha.

Thanks again for your tips!!

[Annika]

Reply 12 of 15 • 11 January 2023 at 15:38:21 #949505

Hi Mikeang8!

Yes, there’s a discount on the Top of Europe Pass for Half-Fare Travelcard holders. But here’s the catch: that’s not the same as the Swiss Half Fare Card. See https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard/details. So that can be pretty confusing. I’ve been in touch with the Jungfrau Railways a couple of months ago to check whether the discount goes for Swiss Half Fare Card holders as well, but the answer was no.

Yes, finding the right pass or pass combination can be challenging! Know that you can’t go wrong with either of the options you’ve mentioned. You’ll save money compared to buying regular full-fare tickets anyway.

Some considerations:

• If you prefer ticketless traveling for your stay in the Jungfrau Region, an additional Jungfrau Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrautravelpass) or Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland (https://www.myswissalps.com/regionalpassberneseoberland) does make sense.
• The Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland has a much larger area of coverage: https://www.myswissalps.com/regionalpassberneseoberland. That’s handy if weather messes up your plans, and you have to choose another trip or activity while you’re there.
• To add to your information overload: note that there’s also the Tell-Pass, which provides ticketless traveling in a large region for your days in Lucerne: https://www.myswissalps.com/tellpass.
• So maybe a combination of the Tell-Pass, a regional pass for the Jungfrau area and a local card for Zurich (https://www.myswissalps.com/zurich/travel) will work out.

If you want to be sure which option is cheapest, you’ll have to run detailed calculations. This guide can help you out: https://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass.

[User]

Reply 13 of 15 • 18 January 2023 at 23:07:41 #949506

Why would you want renting a car?

I would warmly recommend NOT TO DRIVE in Switzerland as you will anyway use public transport for your excursions. The best way to travel in Switzerland is by public transport. Your vacation will become very expensive because you will have to pay for the rental car, the expensive parking fees, the railway & cable car tickets. Your car is parked somewhere while you travel on public transport.

[User]

Reply 14 of 15 • 19 January 2023 at 0:43:54 #949507

Hi, we rent the car from Germany and Switzerland will be in the middle of our itinerary 🙂 i know parking fees are so expensive anywhere in Europe, but we are a family of 4 and it works out cheaper than doing tours.

Thanks 🙂

[User]

Reply 15 of 15 • 19 January 2023 at 13:06:27 #949508

Hi MicB,

I recommend this previous thread for you, you might find some useful information here: http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/compare-train-and-car-costs-of-a-switzerland-trip

In case you have children (in a family of 4), in Switzerland, they can travel for free by trains under 6 years old and for free or for very cheap under 15 years old.

Take care,

Ildiko