[Viki]

25 July 2020 at 19:10:03 #825626

Hi

I am already busy to plan our trip to Wengen and surrounding area for next year June, I am so excited about all the useful information which is available on this forum. We are two adults and 1 child, age 12 and the planned iteranary is as follows:

1. Arrive Zurich from South Africa, transfer with train to Wengen

2. 5 nights in Wengen

3. 2 nights in Bern

4. Transfer to Salzburg by train

With all the options for the different passes, I’ve done the maths and are considering the following for our itenarary, point to point tickets from Zurich to Bern. With our 6 day Bernese Oberland Pass, go from Bern to Wengen, and then again after 5 nights in Wengen, travel with the Bernese Oberland pass from Wengen to Bern on day 6.

In Bern, the city travel is included with the hotel reservation.

I plan to buy the train tickets from Bern to Salzburg on the oebb website.

My question is with regards to the Brienz Rothorn. This excursion is covered by the Bernese Oberland pass, but I am confused in terms of the seat reservation, although it is optional, it is recommended. The information I could get, indicates that you need to do this at the Rothorn ticket office. But do you then have to stand in the queue at the ticket office, can you not do this reservation online. How I understand it, one of the advantages of the pass, is that you do not have to stand in any queues.

I will appreciate any advice please.

Regards

Viki

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[Anna]

25 July 2020 at 20:08:06 #933952

Hi Viki,

Welcome to MySwissAlps! It’s great to hear that you are planning a trip to Switzerland next year.

Yes you can definitely book your Brienzer Rothorn seats in advance online. It costs CHF8 and you can do it on the website: shop.brienz-rothorn-bahn.ch/en/tickets-with-seat-guarantee

From experience, I do recommend booking your seats in advance if you travelling at the weekends and in a group. The train leaves every hour and seats do sell out very quickly.

You can find more details about the Brienzer Rothorn here: http://www.myswissalps.com/brienzerrothorn

Additionally, you can find information about tickets to Salzburg from Bern here: http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/austria

Regards,

Anna

[Viki]

25 July 2020 at 20:29:10 #933953

Hi Anna

Thank you very much for the clarity, and also for the additional information.

Just another question, if you do not have a seat reservation and only the Bernese Oberland Pass, how does it practically work when you arrive, do you just proceed to the entrance? How is this then different from having a seat reservation as well in terms of ‘entering’?

Regards

Viki

[Removed user]

25 July 2020 at 22:18:53 #933954

Seat reservations are a new concept on most Swiss mountain railways – traditionally you just queue! Last time I went on the BRB I had the Oberland Pass (one reason I got the pass for that trip ( a car trip from London with camping in Interlaken!).

We joined the queue, but the weather wasn’t fully clear so the number of people in the queue was small and the train wasn’t full. Until reading this conversation I had no idea that they had introduced reservations! I would have liked the concept to have been around in 1990 when I remember ‘ducking and diving’ around the queue to ensure I was not shepherded onto a diesel train.

However it is clear on the BRB website how the reservation helps you ‘jump the queue’.

[Viki]

26 July 2020 at 8:02:13 #933955

Hi 1960man

Ok, thank you, that was also the tipping point for us, to have the BO pass because the BRB is included.

Regards

Viki