[Uallin]

29 June 2017 at 7:19:22 #812453

Hi all. I seemed to have read conflicting info regarding getting from Germany to Interlaken. I had read the advice that we should input in DB bahn website the final destination when booking the train tickets- in this case- Interlaken, for the best price. However, I’ve read in this thread that we should book from DB Bahn, Stuttgart, Germany to border city, probably Basel, and travel the rest to Interlaken with the Swiss Travel Pass, which we intend to buy. Does it mean we book Stuttgart to Basel via DB Bahn and Basel to Interlaken no booking needed with the Swiss Travel Pass. Is it just hop onto the train if we have the Pass?

Perhaps someone may shed some light on where and how we should go about booking this ticket. There are 5 of us and we will travel next February. Thank you.

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[Removed user]

29 June 2017 at 9:27:59 #865969

Hi Uallin,

You can do it either way: book a ticket from Stuttgart to Basel, then use your Swiss Travel Pass for the remainder of your travel to Interlaken (no booking required). Or book a ticket that will take you all the way to Interlaken from Stuttgart, and start to use your Swiss Travel Pass the following day.

One of these options will probably work out cheaper than the other, but you won’t know for sure unless you calculate the cost for both options. You should also take into account whether or not you plan to use your Swiss Travel Pass on the day of your arrival in Switzerland for other trips after your arrival in Interlaken.

Alpenrose

[Uallin]

29 June 2017 at 10:17:14 #865970

Hi Alpenrose. Thanks for your response. We will use the Travel Pass as we will actually be only in Switzerland for 7 days but there isn’t a 7 day pass, hence will have to buy the 8 day Pass. When you said no booking required, can I understand that for all intercity train travels, (for example for our trips: Interlaken to Zermatt; Zermat to Lucerne; Lucerne to Zurich; Zurich to Rhine Falls), there is no need to book but just hop onto the trains? How would I know which leg requires a seat reservation? Will this be indicated on the SBB app? Thanks again.

[Arno]

29 June 2017 at 14:33:05 #865971

Hi Uallin,

In that case you only need a ticket to Basel Bad Bf (the border), or Basel SBB is ok as well. All websites listed here sell such tickets, not just http://www.bahn.com, so you can check if one is cheaper than the other. Since you will only be traveling in February you can best do this 3 to 4 months before you travel, so in October or so. Websites selling the Swiss Travel Pass are listed here. It might make sense to buy the pass and tickets from the same website.

For all details about reservations, please read the page myswissalps.com/train/ reservations (and all tabs, particularly “How to use”). In short: you can just hop on any train with your Swiss Travel Pass.