Eurail Swiss/Austria - Swiss Pass

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Jan 3, 2011 - 4:01 PM

I've been reading this forum and it has been of great help but I have a pretty specific question with a lot of detail. I would appreciate any help I can get. My wife and I are planning a vacation to Switzerland and Austria this April and we are from the US. Here is our Itinerary as it stands now:

We fly into Zurich Saturday morning.

Saturday morning we take the train to Interlaken and then onto Jungfraujoch and the back to Interlaken where we spend the night.
Sunday we take the train/bus from Interlaken to Leukerbad where we we will spend the night.
Monday morning we wil take the bus/train/Glacier Express from Leukerbad to Bad Ragaz, spending the night in Bad Ragaz.
Tuesday morning we take the train from Bad Ragaz to Salzburg where we will stay for the night.
Wednesday afternoon we take the train from Salzburg to Vienna where we will stay until we fly home Sunday morning from Vienna.

Ok to summarize we will be on the Swiss trains for 3 days and Austria for 2 utilizing both the Glacier Express and the Jungfraujoch private railways.

So here is the big question; Is it better for us to:
A. Buy a Eurail Saver Swiss-Austria pass for 5 days and pay for the Glacier Express
B. Buy a Swiss pass Saver for 3 days and tickets to Salzburg & Vienna
C. Buy two Swiss Half Price Cards and tickets to Salzburg & Vienna
D. Any better suggestion

I would really appreciate any help that could be provided.

Thanks,

AugustW

Annika

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Jan 4, 2011 - 11:28 AM

Hi AugustW, and welcome to this forum! According to my calculations, you're best off with two Swiss Half Fare Cards for your Swiss trips and regular tickets for the Austrian train journeys, the total amount (including the purchase costs for a Swiss Half Fare Card) being about CHF 453.00 (per person, in 2nd class). The 5 day Eurail Austria Switzerland Saver Pass would be the most expensive option with a total of about CHF 545.00, as quite some additional payment for both the Jungfraujoch and the Glacier Express section between Disentis and Zermatt is required. The solution with a 4 day Swiss Saver Pass (3 day variants don't exist) would cost about CHF 550.00.

Please make sure to arrange for your Glacier Express seat reservations in advance. This can be done online, regardless of which type of pass you'll be using. If you have a Swiss Half Fare Card, you can purchase 50% discounted tickets for this journey shortly in advance, even right before boarding the train at the railway station.

I hope this provides an answer to your question! Best regards,

MySwissAlps.com recommends to read this:
All Swiss rail passes How to choose a pass?

Last modified on Dec 24, 2021 - 10:42 AM by Arno

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Jan 4, 2011 - 2:15 PM

Thank you Annika for your swift and informative response. The Swiss half price card is for 2nd class and the other options are for 1st class. What would the cost be with the Swiss half price card for 1st class travel?

Thanks again,

August

Annika

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Jan 5, 2011 - 12:53 AM

Hi August,

There is just one version of the Swiss Half Fare Card: it costs CHF 99 and can be used to purchase discounted 2nd or 1st class tickets. The tickets itself are about 65% more expensive for 1st class. Exact prices can be found by looking up the trips in the timetable.

Last modified on Nov 1, 2018 - 4:17 PM by Arno

Annika

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Jan 6, 2011 - 6:16 AM

Sorry August: the price of the Swiss Half Fare Card is actually CHF 110 as of January 1.

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Jan 6, 2011 - 10:24 AM

Thank you Annika for your help.

Regards,

August

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