[Removed user]

6 August 2017 at 18:10:46 #812869

Hello,

I am traveling to Switzerland next month with my wife, though we are arriving at different times. I will be traveling from Paris and meeting her in Bern, we will take the return trip Geneva to Paris together on the train. From Bern we will visit, Lucerne, Murren, Montreux, and then back to Geneva, staying roughly 2 days in each place. I’ve read on various forums and am convinced it will be a better trip to take the train, rather than drive a rental car. The question then, which is the most economical way for the trip? Buy a Eurail Pass, just buy return tickets from Paris, and then buy a Swiss Rail pass? Some of the lines are private lines so I believe, even with the Swiss Rail Pass you just get a discount. Is the discount the same for Eurail Pass and SwissRail pass on the private lines? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Jeff

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[Slowpoke]

6 August 2017 at 21:21:24 #867976

Hi HuskerJeff-

A “Cornhusker” ? I have relatives near Omaha. Hope to see the eclipse with them later this month.

Welcome to My Swiss Alps.

<<“From Bern we will visit, Lucerne, Murren, Montreux, and then back to Geneva, staying roughly 2 days in each place. “>>

On the intercity routes for the trip you describe, there will be no private lines of the type that require an extra charge if you have Swiss Travel Pass, which is the kind that covers almost all costs.

If you make mountain excursions, such as to the Rocher de Naye in Montreux, you may find a surcharge. If you go beyond Mürren, Wengen, or Grindelwald, you will find surcharges. For example, to the Jungfrau – that journey is covered as far as Wengen , since it is an “intercity” journey, even though the same train continues on up to Kleine Scheidegg, because it then become an excursion train after it leaves Wengen. Often, such trains are not covered at all by Eurail passes.

http://www.myswissalps.com/tr avel/toswitzerland

http://www.myswissalps.com/tr avel/inswitzerland

http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses

For more details about travel passes, I defer to the experts on that subject- the moderators of the Forum, Arno, Annika, Lucas.

Have you discovered the timetable?

http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

Slowpoke

[rockoyster]

6 August 2017 at 22:05:27 #867977

Hi Jeff,

Have you had a look at http://www.myswissalps.com/eu railselectpass/validit y ?

Especially page 3 of the validity map linked to from that page. Several trips round Mürren and Luzern are free with Swiss Travel Pass but only discounted 25% or 50% with Eurail. Eg Pilatus, Rigi, trains, cable cars south of Interlaken OST.

[Removed user]

7 August 2017 at 7:54:45 #867978

Hi Jeff and welcome to MySwissAlps!

You would, I think be better off with the Swiss Travel Pass unless you are planning on multiple train trips in France as well.

You can compare maps of validity on both passes here: Swiss Travel Pass and Eurail Select Pass.

If you want to get specific and compare costs for both (as discounts on some routes vary) you can use our Excel sheet on our page: how to choose the best rail pass.

If you go with the Swiss Travel Pass you will need to buy tickets from Paris to Basel and from Geneva back to Paris – you can buy them here.

Lucas