Confusion with passes

Hi,

I'm not sure which pass would apply to us. My husband and I are arriving in Zurich on September 7th for two days, then we are leaving for Wengen on September 9th for 7 days of hiking in that area. On September 16th, we will be going to Bern for 2 days then Geneva for one day before leaving.

Which pass should I buy? We plan to do some hiking in the Wengen area for 7 days so we will be using the ski lifts/gondolas and cog trains. Is it worth it to buy the Bernand Oberland region for 6 days for $125 SF? Or, do we only need to the Swiss Pass for 15 days.

Do I need to make a reservation on the trains for travel in September?

Hi pattersonm, and welcome to this forum!

In order to calculate which pass suits your plans, you need to lookup the standard fares for the trips you have planned. The timetable can be used to find these prices (per person, second class):

• Zurich HB (central station) - Wengen: CHF 76.20 (this is the quickest standard route, but I recommend a more attractive route is via Luzern and Meiringen which takes longer but is cheaper: CHF 59.20)
• Wengen - Bern: CHF 39.20
• Bern - Geneva: CHF 46.00
• Geneva - Zurich airport (assuming your return flight departs there): CHF 83.00

In total, this would cost CHF 244.40.

Option 1, Swiss Half Fare Card
If you purchase a Swiss Half Fare Card of CHF 99.00 per person, you may purchase tickets for half the price. In total, these transfers would then cost you CHF 221.20. On top of that, you also get a 50% discount on many trips around Wengen.

Option 2, Swiss Transfer Ticket plus a pass for Wengen
Whether it would be worth it to purchase a separate pass for you stay in Wengen depends on how much you intend to travel. The regular fares can be found on the Jungfraubahnen website. Passes that may apply are the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland and Jungfrau Railways Pass. If you decide to purchase a separate pass, you can best combine it with a Swiss Transfer Ticket for the transfers Zurich - Wengen and Geneva - Zurich, and pay the regular fare for Wengen - Bern and Bern - Geneva.

Option 3, Swiss Saver Pass
A Swiss Saver Pass is not the cheapest option, but it is the most convenient option, as you do not need to buy separate tickets for many of your trips. It costs CHF 387 per person for 15 days. The 4 transfers are fully included, as well as regular trains around Wengen, boat trips from Interlaken and urban transportation in many towns (Bern, Geneva, Zurich). Mountain trains and lifts are discounted by 50% (Jungfrau 25%).

I would recommend to consider a Zurich Card for the first two days.

Seat reservations are not necessary in most cases.

Enjoy your stay!