Travel from Fussen to Grindelwald with Swiss Pass

Short summary – read this first

A traveler is planning a trip from Füssen to Grindelwald and is wondering if they should buy a Swiss Travel Pass, and how to navigate the train connections. They discovered online that the train journey takes longer than 8 hours, which they find inconvenient compared to a 4-hour drive, and they are looking for quicker options.

Key takeaways:
  • Consider purchasing a Swiss Travel Pass to cover journeys in Switzerland after crossing the border.
  • If you take a direct train from Buchloe to Zurich, your Swiss Travel Pass will be valid from the Swiss border onward.
  • Always verify your train's border crossing point, as it may vary, typically at St. Margrethen or Buchs SG.
  • For a scenic alternative, consider traveling via Luzern, which may add an hour but offers beautiful views.
➤ We can plan your Switzerland trip for you. Save time and avoid mistakes! See how it works
InfoAI-generated summary
  • Anonymous
    Inactive
    83503 posts
    21 July 2017 at 15:01:16 #812686

    Hi,

    Would like to know if traveling from Fussen to Grindelward one way trip, should i purchase a Swiss pass? And has to transfer for a cross border train somewhere?

    Searching on web saying that it takes more than 8 hours by train, while driving only take 4. Is there any way faster than 8 hours?

    would be grateful if can share the info about the route.

  • Arno
    Moderator
    15730 posts
    Reply 1 of 5 • 22 July 2017 at 6:53:18 #867119

    Hi Yldleung, welcome to MySwissAlps!

    The SwissPass is for Swiss residents only nowadays. The pass you may need is the Swiss Travel Pass. If that’s the best choice for you depends on all of you transfers and day trips combined. Please see here for a detailed explanation.

    Füssen to Grindelwald takes at least 5 hours by car, if there are no traffic jams. You’d best avoid the Zürich/Luzern area during rush hour. By train it takes 7h40 at least. There’s no quicker way unfortunately. If you’re willing to spend about one more hour on the trip you could travel via Luzern on the Golden Pass line. The tip will take a day anyway so you could make it more scenic that way.

    The easiest way to plan for Switzerland

    ➤ No need to spend hours on research. We use our local expertise to plan your independent trip exactly as you want it. Professional and easy. See how it works

    User
    Inactive
    83503 posts
    Reply 2 of 5 • 22 July 2017 at 7:59:40 #867120

    Hi Arno,

    thanks so much for the detail and prompt reply.

    so in your opinion, should I take direct express from Buchloe to Zurich, or should find a transfer within Swiss border if I get a Swiss travel pass? (Or there is not such an option?)

    Regards

    Arno
    Moderator
    15730 posts
    Reply 3 of 5 • 22 July 2017 at 18:23:47 #867121

    You’re most welcome YldLeung!

    I’m not sure if I understand your question. Just let me know if that’s the case. A direct train from Buchloe to Zurich will cross the border, usually in St. Margrethen, and your Swiss Travel Pass is valid from that point onward. That works regardless of which train you are on. So in this example you would only need a ticket to St. Margrethen. You just stay seated there as the pass covers the rest of the trip.

    User
    Inactive
    83503 posts
    Reply 4 of 5 • 23 July 2017 at 5:29:01 #867122

    Hi Arno,

    That’s very helpful, thats exactly what I am asking for! Thanks so much! That’s mean in Fussen, I should purchase a ticket from Fussen to St. Margrethen, and then get onboard a train that is from Fussen to Zurich, right? (And I suppose most of them are not terminal in St. Margrethen but in Zurich)

    Regards

    Daniel

    Arno
    Moderator
    15730 posts
    Reply 5 of 5 • 23 July 2017 at 12:26:00 #867123

    Hi Daniel,

    Yes, exactly, that’s how it works. You can buy the ticket for the German section through http://www.bahn.com/en or any of the websites listed here. Just make sure you double check where your train is crossing the border. You can do so in the timetable (you can click down to the train details so it shows all the stops). It can be St. Margrethen, but Buchs SG is also a possibility. Once you have verified that you can buy the ticket.

  • The thread ‘Travel from Fussen to Grindelwald with Swiss Pass’ is closed to new replies.

About MySwissAlps

We’re passionate tourists and locals. We share tips about how to plan a trip to Switzerland. MySwissAlps was founded in 2002.

Get a free account for a worry-free trip

  • Join our 9080 members and ask us questions in the forum
  • Access to member-only promotions
  • Detailed maps and weather forecasts

Planning your first Switzerland adventure?

Get a jump-start with Annika’s 20-minute e-mail course, “Switzerland for beginners”. Subscribe to our newsletter to unlock the course.