One day in Switzerland – 1 day travel pass or not?

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 April 2019 at 18:51:11 #820807

    Trying to decide if it’s worth messing with a one day travel pass

    Here’s the plan for my wife and me for our trip in May of 2020. Landing in Milan early morning, and then taking a train to Lucerne. Hoping to have enough time to So to the top of Mt Pilatus, eat dinner in Lucerne, and then Spend the night in Basel before leaving for Strasbourg the next morning. So really it’s just one day traveling through Switzerland, with a big stop in Lucerne to have some fun.

    Should I even get a one day travel pass,or just plan on paying for all train rides and the Mt Pilatus funicular individually?

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

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    6 April 2019 at 20:36:53 #908586

    Hello Fourfinleys and Welcome to MySwissAlps

    Nothing like planning ahead.

    The Saver Day Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/sa verdaypass and bit.ly/2rkekat) would definitely be worthwhile to reduce ticket costs. You will still need to buy full fare tickets for Pilatus but Rigi is fully covered by the Saver Day Pass.

    If you are travelling early May keep an eye out for the limited time offer of the Companion ticket which can be used in conjunction with a Saver Day Pass (http://www.sbb.ch/en/travelca rds-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/1-day-travelpass/companion-ticket.html).

    The Pilatus cogwheel does not start operating until “mid-May” depending on weather conditions so watch that. You would still be able to reach Pilatus by cableway from Kriens.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 April 2019 at 20:45:13 #908587

    Looking at the itenerary, it looks like we would be there on May 18th. (unless something changes)

    The Swiss pass website is confusing to me. It looked like with the one day pass I would still get about 50% off the pilatus passes. Not true?

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 April 2019 at 20:46:02 #908588

    Hi Fourfinleys,

    For one day in Switzerland, you could get a Saver Day Pass: http://www.myswissalps.com/sa verdaypass

    The 1 day travel pass is only available for Swiss Half Fare Card holders: http://www.myswissalps.com/on edaytravelpass

    To calculate whether that would be cheaper than point to point tickets, you should compare the price of point to point tickets to a Saver Day Pass. You can do that using the timetable: http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable (note that this gives half fare prices so they should be doubled for your calculations).

    Regarding Pilatus – it is not free with a Saver Day Pass, as you can see here: http://www.myswissalps.com/sa verdaypass/validity

    Hope this helps and have a great trip!

    Maria.

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    6 April 2019 at 20:51:48 #908589

    Forget the “Swiss Pass website” and concentrate on the Saver Day Pass which will definitely save you money on Point-to-Point fares. Nothing else will beat that.

    These links may also be of interest:

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    6 April 2019 at 20:57:18 #908590

    A ticket from Chiasso (the Italian border) to Basel via Luzern will set you back CHF92. A Saver Day Pass CHF52.

    The full fare tickets for train trips plus Pilatus don’t even add up the the break even point at which a Swiss Half Fare Card would start to help so you can rule that out.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 April 2019 at 21:07:35 #908591

    That’s an amazing difference. So I buy the saver day pass before I leave the US, and all my travel within Switzerland is free for that day? I was confused when I saw the travelpass requirement of having to be a half fare car holder to use it. So the travelpass is different than the day pass?

    Sorry if these are dumb questions

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    6 April 2019 at 21:11:25 #908592

    There is a Saver Day Pass and a 1-Day Travel Pass. You have want the former. The latter is a legacy of history and now only of any value to someone incapable of getting their act together before the SDP sells out (which they rarely do).

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 April 2019 at 21:16:18 #908593

    thanks, I’ll mark my calendar to get two saver day passes when time comes. As long as you’re being so helpful, can you give me your opinion on Rigi vs Pilatus?

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    6 April 2019 at 21:26:57 #908594

    Both very scenic. Pilatus round trip with boat, cog wheel and cableway probably best. If cogwheel not running than Rigi combines lake cogwheel and cableway experience but not to the same altitude.

    Pilatus is a rugged peak. Rigi more of a large hill (relative to the Alps you understand) but scenic nontheless.

    If cost is a factor then Rigi wins hands down as it is free with SDP.

    See:

    For a completely left field scenic suggestion if the weather doesn’t look favourable for mountain ascents look a following the Gotthard Panorama Express (http://www.myswissalps.com/go tthardpanoramaexpress) route for free with the SDP using regular trains/boats.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 April 2019 at 21:33:32 #908595

    Awesome, thanks

    If we arrive in Lucerne what can we expect to pay for the round trip experience there and back to pilatus? I looked up a site, but there was three different prices listed (including gold and silver) without a description of what the difference in the three tours was.

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    6 April 2019 at 22:35:12 #908596

    CHF72 each for Kriens/Alpnachstad–Pilatus Kulm–Kriens/Alpnachstad. The SDP will get you to/from Kriens/Alpnachstad.

    That’s 2019 prices at http://www.pilatus.ch/en/book ing/prices/.

    Gold and Silver are described at link I posted earlier http://www.myswissalps.com/pi latus. Scroll down.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 April 2019 at 22:46:37 #908597

    thanks, that site is much easier to understand

    the gotthard looks amazing, I wonder if we would have time to take that to Lucerne, and still have time to go up to pilatus. it looks like it’s a 5 hour journey instead of 2. I bet we will have to choose one or the other

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    6 April 2019 at 22:52:28 #908598

    Doing both depends on your stamina levels. I just offer the information. You get to make the tough decisions. 😎

    Plenty of time to ponder and as long as you get your SDP you can leave your decision up until the time you leave Milan as no reservations are required for your Swiss travel.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 April 2019 at 22:58:21 #908599

    ok, after talking to the wife, she has her heart set on Pilatus, so unless we get into milan very early, we’ll probably have to take the fast train.

    Having said that, is there any scenerio where we should be looking at the travel pass in order to get the 50% off the trip to the top of Pilatus?

    and yes it will be a really long day. With jet lag, who knows what we will be up to doing

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    6 April 2019 at 23:15:10 #908600

    . . . is there any scenerio where we should be looking at the travel pass in order to get the 50% off the trip to the top of Pilatus?

    Yes. You could forget the SDP and get a Swiss Half Fare Card for CHF120. The Chiasso to Basel train trip would then cost you CHF46 and Pilatus would cost you CHF36. You just spent CHF202 each. That still doesn’t include the cost of getting to/from Kriens/Alpnachstad but I don’t have those numbers at the top of my mind so I’ll leave you to ponder the economics of that equation. 😉

    ps There is no absolute guarantee the Pilatus cogwheel will be running on 18 May so be sure to check at http://www.pilatus.ch/en/nc/l ive/ closer to your travel date.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 April 2019 at 23:27:54 #908601

    This is what I’m referring to. I see a one day travelpass for CHF 52 that does not seem to require the half fare travel card. Am I reading this wrong? Isn’t this the one that would give me the 50% off the pilatus trip?

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 April 2019 at 23:31:07 #908602

    Well I tried to attach a screen shot and couldn’t. It was From sbb.ch and it said “full price without the half fare travelcard” and the 2nd class price for one day of travel was CHF52 with advance purchase

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    6 April 2019 at 23:31:37 #908603

    Well, you’re wrong but if you tell me where you are reading it (link) I can more clearly point out the error of your ways. Although already Maria did some posts ago.

    ps We just broke the thread-length record for a one day Swiss trip.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 April 2019 at 23:38:52 #908604

    i think i see the problem. I was looking at this page where it says “travelpass” at the top, but if you click on the section on the left, it changes to the saver day pass.

    http://www.sbb.ch/en/travelca rds-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/1-day-travelpass.html?tracking-marketingurl=1-day-travelpass

    Guess we will bite the bullet and get the SDP and then, if open, pay the trip up to pilatus. Seems incredibly expensive for a trip up and down a mountain though. Wasn’t expecting it to be that much

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    7 April 2019 at 0:26:34 #908605

    The 1-Day Travelpass (as Maria pointed out, different from the Saver Day Pass) gets you 50% discount off the Pilatus trip. Not because you have the pass but because you have to have a Swiss Half-fare Card to use it! Total cost of half-fare card plus pass is CHF195!

    If you think Pilatus is expensive you would die at the price of Jungfraujoch.

    When I did Pilatus in 2017 it was fully covered by the Swiss Travel Pass which was good. I did Pilatus one day and the weather was brilliant. I did Rigi the next day and the weather was brilliant bu the top of Pilatus was shrouded in cloud. Luck of the draw.

    If you want to save money you could do Rigi for free but don’t get home wondering if Pilatus would have been better. 😇

  • The thread ‘One day in Switzerland – 1 day travel pass or not?’ 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.