Which pass for 7 day Swiss rail and car itinerary

  • Katzeye
    Participant
    6 posts
    20 June 2019 at 14:49:53 #822379

    Hi, Seems like there is a multitude of discount passes and train passes, so very difficult to decide if any are worth it for us. Taking a train from Milan to Lucerne on Sunday afternoon in August and flying out of Geneva the following Sunday. The plan is to do Mt. Pilatus on Monday via boat to Alpnadistad, cog wheel up and gondola down, and back to Lucerne by bus. Then renting a car and spending 2 nights in Interlaken (need to determine one great activity for one of the days, possibly with some physical activity. Wondering if canyoning is too aggressive). On Thursday, day of driving leaving Interlaken going up to Bern, down through Gryrere to Geneva with several stops along the way. Turning in the car and doing the last 2 days in Geneva without a car. So here are a few questions:

    1) Does it make sense to buy any discount activities or train passes for the one day of Mt. Pilatus?

    2) Any suggestions for the Interlaken area or comments on canyoning?

    3) Comments on the overall scope of the itinerary and suggestions of anything special along that route that we should include. Thanks.

  • Effortlessly learn from the questions and answers in the forum. Receive a daily e-mail with new discussions.

    Annika
    Moderator
    7103 posts
    20 June 2019 at 15:21:26 #915688

    Hello Katzeye!

    The task of picking the right pass can be challenging indeed. So if I’m correct you’ll spend a week in Switzerland, using both public transportation as well as a car. Are you sure about using a rental car though? It’s not that useful in the mountain area south of Interlaken, as quite some places can only be reached by mountain transportation. You can easily do all of your plans by public transportation instead. I’d advise to study myswissalps.com/carver sustrain and probably reconsider the car option.

    A rail pass will for sure help you to save money. If you stick with the car plan, a Swiss Half Fare Card might be a good choice: myswissalps.com/swissh alffarecard. If not, an 8 day Swiss Travel Pass makes sense: myswissalps.com/swisst ravelpass. Only detailed calculations will show which option is most economical: myswissalps.com/train/ ticketspasses/practica l/chooserailpass.

    As for your further questions:

    1) If you have a rail pass, the Pilatus visit will be discounted: myswissalps.com/pilatu s/tickets.

    2) I haven’t experienced canyoning myself, so I can’t advise on that. There are several sports activities in and around Interlaken, as well as scenic trips, hiking trails, etcetera. An overview can be found at myswissalps.com/interl aken/activities.

    3) Inspiration for your visits to Bern and Geneva can be found here:

    Shroffchetan
    Participant
    255 posts
    20 June 2019 at 16:12:26 #915689

    Due to efficient and clean public transport, car is not really required. Why drive a car if you can sit in clean and comfortable train and appreciate scenic Switzerland. Due to travel plan, swiss travel pass will be an ideal choice. My request will be to do bit of more research and finalize itinerary as per your choice. I wrote a blog which may be useful to you http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/trip-report-switzerland-may-2017 click tabs Switzerland and swiss itinerary

    JaneEB
    Participant
    219 posts
    27 June 2019 at 11:13:51 #915690

    In your almost duplicate post of the 27th June on rail passes you mention driving to Gimmelwald.

    Unless I am mistaken, this is not possible. The village can only be reached on foot or by cable car.

    I am replying on this thread because Arno asked you to use the first one you created.

    Good luck with your planning.

    Jane

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    28 June 2019 at 0:17:32 #915691

    <<“The village can only be reached on foot or by cable car. “>>

    Right.

    I wonder…..What is the reason for their going to Gimmelwald? I’d skip it……

    Slowpoke

  • The thread ‘Which pass for 7 day Swiss rail and car itinerary’ 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 10730 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.