[Removed user]

3 March 2018 at 18:17:11 #814600

I walked the APR about 20 years ago and fell in love with Grindelwald. Now I am taking my (adult) daughter there for 5 days – but everything has changed! We fly in to Zurich on 30 April and need to travel to Grindelwald where I have booked a hotel. We want to do the whole ‘tourist’ thing and visit Bachsee, Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn etc. Then return to Zurich on 4 May, before flying home next day. Research tells me that Half Price tickets are better than Swiss Rail Pass (which is 4 or 8 days). Am I right? And can I buy the pass and the bookable tickets in advance online or, preferably, from an agent in London? Should I buy the touristy tickets on the day depending on weather?

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[rockoyster]

4 March 2018 at 0:27:46 #877641

Hello KaelUU and Welcome to MySwissAlps,

Well that’s one of the loveliest subject headings I’ve seen on this forum. 🤓

A clearly mapped out itinerary is the basis for deciding which pass (if any) suits. Based on your itinerary you need to do the sums based on the cost of all your planned trips on trains, boats, cable cars etc. You can use the Swiss Train Timetable (http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable) to work out the fares for any trip. When you go to buy a ticket the fare you see on the right hand side of the page will normally be the half-fare price. Double it to get full fare. With A Swiss Travel Pass it is free provided it is shown as free on the Area of Validity map ( PDF downloadable from http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/validity).

You should read “How to choose the best travel pass” (http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass).

I’d have a look at the Bernese Oberland Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/re gionalpassberneseoberl and). Unfortunately you are just too late for the Jungfrau Hiking and Sledging Pass and too early for the Jungfrau Travel Pass.

You can’t buy the BO Pass for on-line delivery but you can the Swiss Travel Pass and Swiss Half-fare Card. With a BO Pass you would need train tickets from Zurich to Bern or Lucerne. You can buy regular train tickets via the Swiss Train Timetable (http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable) but there is no great need to do so and reservations aren’t needed.

Don’t buy tickets to Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn until you are there and see what the weather is doing.

Also have a look at possible closures of cable cars etc outlined by Alpenrose666 on this thread http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/gondolarail-access-to-mountains-in-aprilmay-2018.

Enjoy.

[Mark]

4 March 2018 at 15:49:26 #877642

Hi Kaeluu

when you get to Grindelwald you may want to check with the local tourist office to see which trails are open. Schilthorn should be no problem if the cable cars are open. Bachalpsee is maintained in the winter and summer but may not be passable in the spring but the tourist office should have a list of what is open. Mark

[Removed user]

4 March 2018 at 16:33:12 #877643

Thank you. Much appreciated. I didn’t mention that my daughter will be 25 when we visit, and i will be 60. Possibility of some discounts for age and youth? A shame that the Mannlichen lift will be closed. I remember doing a lovely walk along the ridge from there to Schydige Platte.

[Removed user]

4 March 2018 at 17:08:27 #877644

Hi KaelUU,

Not too many discounts for either age group I’m afraid. The Swiss Travel Pass does have a youth version for under 26 though.

[Removed user]

4 March 2018 at 17:19:38 #877645

Yup. I kinda gathered. Ah well. As long as there’s mountains to look at. We will enjoy anything as long as we don’t have a week of unrelenting low grey cloud !!