[Anonymous]

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29 November 2018 at 13:12:33 #819055

Hi, I would like to get some advice on ski pass and ticket options for Jungfrau.

In our upcoming Switzerland trip in late March 2019, my partner and I will be spending 2 days in Grindelwald, and we’ll be getting a Swiss half fare card.

We plan to visit Jungfrau together on the first day; on the 2nd day I’ll go skiing in First, and my partner, who does not ski, will just hang around in First (e.g. the cliff walk… etc).

Below are my questions:

1. Will the trip to Jungfrau usually take the whole day? Is it possible to add a bit of hiking on the day?
2. I understand that the Ski Pass (i.e. the one for Grindelwald-Wengen) will cover all ski lifts in that area, but does it cover the train as well (e.g. up to a certain station towards Jungfrau)?
3. What’s the best ticket options for the 2 days, e.g. Shall we (A) Buy tickets for Jungfrau on day 1, and get myself a 1-day ski pass and First gondola tickets for my partner on day 2; or (B) Get a 2-day ski pass if it covers the trains as well, and buy the other tickets as required; or (C) any other recommendation?
4. When you pre-purchase the ski pass online, you’re required to specify the first skiing day, is the pass still valid if I later decide to ski on a different day?

There are many questions and your help is most appreciated. Thanks.

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[Snowman]

Reply 1 of 8 • 29 November 2018 at 16:03:53 #899702

Dear Agatha,

Let me reply to your question 1 only. Others will give you hints on your questions 2-4 (most probably links on this very site!)

What you can do on the day you also go from Grindelwald to Jungfraujoch and back depends on your condition and age, among other factors. It is probably possible to do some skiing in the Kleine Scheidegg area, but bear in mind that Jungfraujoch is at an elevation of 3’454 m above sea level. The air there is thinner, and that will make you tired even if you don’t do any exercise. Even if you don’t suffer (maybe you have been to such elevations before and know what to expect), it makes sense to stay at the Joch for 2 hours, just to enjoy the sightseeing opportunities up there, and maybe have a meal before taking the train back down. You can’t ski on the Joch itself (AFIK) unless you ski down the glacier on the Valais side, but then you are not talking about a one-day tour.

[User]

Reply 2 of 8 • 30 November 2018 at 8:13:09 #899703

Hi Agatha,

1. No the trip won’t usually take all day (lots of variables that Snowman notes) but adding a hike is often doable. See some recommendations here: http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion/activitie s
2. You can see what the ski passes in the region cover on this PDF: http://www.jungfrau.ch/filead min/Prospekte_und_Bros chueren/Preisliste_Jun gfrau_Ski_Region.pdf. It is in German but the map works in any language. 🙂
3. If you have a Swiss Half Fare Card (http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isshalffarecard) you’ll get discounts on Jungfraujoch and First (for your partner) and then you can grab a ski pass for yourself.
4. As far as I know you are set for the date you choose normally. Is there a pre-purchase savings with the ski pass to encourage you to buy online now?

[User]

Reply 3 of 8 • 30 November 2018 at 15:22:22 #899704

Hi Snowman and Lucas, thanks for your replies.

1. I guess we might just take it easy for our day trip to Jungfraujoch then, what is the best time of the day to start the trip?
2. I found the English version too, but I’m confused about a Ski Pass and a Sport Pass, are they the same thing? (http://www.jungfrau.ch/filead min/Prospekte_und_Bros chueren/Price_list_Jun gfrau_Ski_Region.pdf)
3. I’d like to find out if the Ski/Sport Pass covers the train as well (e.g. from Grindelwald to Eigergletscher), because if it does I will do the maths again to see how it compares to using the half fare card only, e.g. whether getting a 2-day Ski/Sport pass may turn out to be cheaper overall…
4. Yes, you can get an earlybird Ski Pass with 20% off if you book online. The reason for my question was that if the weather on day 1 is not good to visit Jungfraujoch then I may swap and ski on day 1 instead, and I wasn’t sure about whether booking a Ski Pass will lock in the skiing day…

Your help is most appreciated, thanks.

[User]

Reply 4 of 8 • 30 November 2018 at 15:43:56 #899705

Often the weather can be better in the early mornings on Jungfraujoch but I’d just wait and see how the weather looks that day.

As far as I know a ski pass wont cover a trip to Jungfraujoch; and it notes on the PDF: Connecting ticket to Jungfraujoch –Top of Europe for CHF 61.– with Grindelwald-Wengen Sportpass valid for three or more consecutive days.

If you don’t think you will ski in poorer weather you may want to hold off buying the pass online and wait until you are there and can get a more accurate weather forecast.

[User]

Reply 5 of 8 • 2 December 2018 at 8:14:41 #899706

Thanks Lucas.

[User]

Reply 6 of 8 • 2 December 2018 at 10:08:08 #899707

I have received the following official advice and I thought it may be useful to share them in the forum:

1. Skipass and Sportpass are the same.
2. Apart from ski lifts, the skipass also covers all the trains in the skiarea and the skibusses. The train from Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch and back is not included. You have to pay for additional ticket which costs CHF 69.- per person, return fare.
3. If you buy a skipass online you have to put in a specific day on which the pass will be valid. If you’re not sure when you really want to go skiing I recommend that you came into our region and take a look at the weather forecast while staying with us. It’s easier if you went to the ticket office of one of our stations in the area and bought the skipass on the day you decide to go.

This means that to take advantage of the 20% discount on the Earlybird Skipass, I won’t have a back-up day for my Jungfraujoch day trip (although for us it’s only either day 1 or day 2), as the skiing day can’t be changed…

How bad the weather should be to make the Jungfraujoch day trip not worthwhile?

[Arno]

Reply 7 of 8 • 2 December 2018 at 10:47:03 #899708

Thanks for sharing this Agatha! As for the Jungfraujoch trip: although there is more to see and do once up there, the views are the main attraction. A sunny blue sky is not required, but if there are low clouds or precipitation, then you won’t see much or even nothing. You’ll find details about the trip here: http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch.

[User]

Reply 8 of 8 • 2 December 2018 at 12:28:10 #899709

Thanks Arno for the advice.