Cost comparison

Hi,

I am calculating whether the 4-day Swiss Flexi Pass (with the 2-for-1 promotion) or the Half Fare card is a better option for us. We have the following train trips planned:

Without Swiss FlexiHalf fare cardPass cost 0262110Zurich-Lucerne-Interlaken-Wengen66033Roundtrip Murren/Gimmelwald443322Roundtrip Kl.Scheidegg/Grindelwald6649.533Wengen-Zermatt45022.5Zermatt - Gornergrat402020Gornergrat - Zermatt402020Zermatt-Wengen45022.5Wengen-Gstaad-Montreux-Geneva airport43021.5Total389384.5304.5
*the above assumes 2nd class travel

Can you check and let me know if I have done the calculations right? I am not sure if I had interpreted the overview maps of the passes correctly.

If this is correct, would you recommend that I buy the Half Fare Card in Switzerland? I had read that it is cheaper to get the card outside Switzerland, but the cost comparison table on your website seems to indicate it is cheaper to get the Half Fare Card after arrival in Switzerland.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Regards,
Jamie

Sorry, I am reposting the calculations due to the formatting error, making the calculations unreadable.

Without any passes
Zurich-Lucerne-Interlaken-Wengen 66
Roundtrip Murren/Gimmelwald 44
Roundtrip Kl.Scheidegg/Grindelwald 66
Wengen-Zermatt 45
Zermatt - Gornergrat 40
Gornergrat - Zermatt 40
Zermatt-Wengen 45
Wengen-Gstaad-Montreux-Geneva airport 43
Total : 389

Swiss Flexi
Pass cost 262
Zurich-Lucerne-Interlaken-Wengen 0
Roundtrip Murren/Gimmelwald 33
Roundtrip Kl.Scheidegg/Grindelwald 49.5
Wengen-Zermatt 0
Zermatt - Gornergrat 20
Gornergrat - Zermatt 20
Zermatt-Wengen 0
Wengen-Gstaad-Montreux-Geneva airport 0
Total : 384.5

Half fare card
Pass cost 110
Zurich-Lucerne-Interlaken-Wengen 33
Roundtrip Murren/Gimmelwald 22
Roundtrip Kl.Scheidegg/Grindelwald 33
Wengen-Zermatt 22.5
Zermatt - Gornergrat 20
Gornergrat - Zermatt 20
Zermatt-Wengen 22.5
Wengen-Gstaad-Montreux-Geneva airport 21.5
Total : 304.5

Thanks!

Hi jamie! Compliments on your calculations! That's the best way to find out which rail pass is best.

As for your price list: as far as I can see, you listed prices per person. However, the 2 for 1 offer on the Swiss Saver Flexi Pass costs CHF 262 for 2 persons. So you should take 262/2 = CHF 131 per person for a fair comparison. In all, the 2 for 1 offer on the Swiss Saver Flexi Pass turns out to be cheaper. Just fill out your country of residence in the upper right corner of the Swiss Flexi Pass page for an overview of purchase options.

Does that help you out?

Hi Annika,

Thanks for pointing out the error! Yes after correcting for that the flexi is cheaper. I have a question on the 4-day saver pass. Are the days counted on a 24-hr cycle? The reason I ask is because my stay in Switzerland starts from 9am on Tuesday and my last train ride is at 1pm Saturday.

So technically I am merely over 4 days by only a few hours. If the Swiss Saver pass validity goes by 24 hour basis, I can plan my use of the pass to start at 1pm on Tuesday. That way I can buy the Saver Pass which is cheaper.

What do you think?

Thanks!

Jamie

Hi Jamie! Actually, I already checked the itinerary you listed in one of your previous posts, to see whether a 4 day Swiss Saver Pass would be an option too. It's not though, as validity days are measured by dates and not by 24 hour periods. So if you start using a 4 day Swiss Pass on Tuesday, it will be valid up to and including Friday. That's why the 4 day Swiss Saver Flexi Pass would be better. Does that anser your question?

Hi Annika,

You are such a great help! Thanks so so much by going the extra mile to check for me.

Can I bother you with just one more short question? I was thinking of taking one day out of our 3-day stay to see the glacier at Gornegrat. Do you think it will be worth the 4-hr journey or are we better off staying in BO?

Thank you so much again!

Best regards,

Jamie

Hello jamie! I agree with Wandermann in your other topic: yes, that's worth your time, especially as it allows you to see a the region south of the Alps, which is really different from the Bernese Oberland. If you take the regional Lötschberg Express, the trip to Brig will be very scenic as well.

Thanks, Annika! That is really helpful information. Do we need to buy the train tickets in advance or can these be purchased on the day of travel?

Hi jamie! The Swiss Flexi Pass itself can be bought online; you can check the overview of resellers on the page I mentioned before. Additional discounted tickets (such as those up from Wengen and your trip to the Gornergrat) can best be purchased at the railway station before boarding the train.

We are planning for a 9-day trip. In fact, it will be an eight day trip in train. We will leave Zurich on 7/22 and return back on 7/29.

We are planning to visit Lucerne, Wengen, Zermatt, Montreux and return back to Zurich. I understand Swiss Pass will give me 50% discount on Jungfrau and Interlaken areas. When I did the calculation for the basic route,

Here is my estaimate w/o pass

Zruich to Lucerne - 12

Lucerne to Wengen - 22.5

Wengen to Zermatt - 46.5

Zermatt to Montreux - 35

Montreux to Zurich -38

Total -- 154 CHF. The Swiss pass is selling for 320 CHF per person including my daughter (who in in youth fare). I understand that I might save 50% in Interlaken area. Would that add up to 150 CHF in savings? What should I do ? Am I making any wrong assumptions here? Please advise. Thanks