[Removed user]

5 July 2012 at 20:17:40 #805486

Hi, Here are my travel plans in brief and my goals. Please help me plan the best trip I could manage in the time i have.

Reach Zurich 9AM on Aug 30
Leave for Interlaken by noon on Aug 30
I have a flight from Zurich to Verona on Sept 1. afternoon

So I have two options, stay 2 nights in Interlaken and explore parts of it on Aug 30 and the alps – junfraujoch etc on 31, return 31st night or rather leave early morning on Sept 1 from Interlaken (2 hour train). Can someone help me plan the 2 days ? The daytrips section under bernese oberland somehow doesnt cover Jungfraujoch (unless I am misunderstanding the 2 options). I would also like to do some fun activities like hiking, snow tubing (is this possible this time of year?)

I am also unable to decide if it makes sense to buy a swiss flexi pass for 3 days. I am solo traveller, so none of the discounts make sense. When I check the point to point tickets, I think I will spend 170CHF from zurich to Jungfraujoch roundtrip but I am not sure what other tickets I would need to buy (cable cars, gondola etc) will they be more than 100CHF, the flexi pass is about 270 CHF.

I have spend hours reading but still unable to plan anything. Please help!!!

Effortlessly learn from the questions and answers in the forum. Receive a daily e-mail with new discussions. Sign up

[Arno]

7 July 2012 at 11:02:34 #836769

Hi adkris82,

Since you have planned a short stay, I would personally choose to spend as much time as possible in the Bernese Oberland: two nights in Interlaken. The Jungfraujoch is certainly worth to pay a visit, provided that the weather is clear. There are lots of hiking options; August is perfect for that. Snow activities depend on what they happen to organize at the Jungfraujoch.

A return ticket Zurich – Jungfraujoch is much more expensive: about CHF 320. Please note that the timetable shows discounted prices (that require a pass) by default. I would recommend to look into the Swiss Card: it includes Zurich to the Bernese Oberland and back for free, and a 50% discount on the Jungfraujoch and other local trips.

Hotels can be found here.

Enjoy your stay!

[Removed user]

7 July 2012 at 13:49:50 #836770

Hi, Thanks for your prompt response. I have few more questions. I am still puzzled that the SBB website would show discounted prices without mentioning that. But it looks like the quoted prices were assuming I have a half fare card. Anyway, if I want to buy a swisspass like you suggested, I have a question, there is a difference in price between the individual pass vs. 2 for 1 promotional pass, although I am travellong alone can I buy the 2 for 1 pass to save money? Or do I have to provide a second passenger details for that? Also the pass for individual costs about $271 and you mentioned that my entire trip from Zurich to Jungfraujoch is free, but are the cable rides and gondolas free? I was thinking those would be at an extra fees.

I agree with you that I should spend two nights in Interlaken both Aug 30 and 31. On your website I found this hostel in Lauterbrunnen, do you anticipate any issues with staying there vs interlaken? It seems interlaken is too toursity based on what I read, would you agree?

Thanks

[quote]Arno said: Hi adkris82,

Since you have planned a short stay, I would personally choose to spend as much time as possible in the Bernese Oberland: two nights in Interlaken. The Jungfraujoch is certainly worth to pay a visit, provided that the weather is clear. There are lots of hiking options; August is perfect for that. Snow activities depend on what they happen to organize at the Jungfraujoch.

A return ticket Zurich – Jungfraujoch is much more expensive: about CHF 320. Please note that the timetable shows discounted prices (that require a pass) by default. I would recommend to look into the Swiss Card: it includes Zurich to the Bernese Oberland and back for free, and a 50% discount on the Jungfraujoch and other local trips.

Hotels can be found here.

Enjoy your stay![/quote]

[Arno]

8 July 2012 at 5:22:22 #836771

Hi adkris82,

The SBB indeed assumes you have a Half Fare Card. You can uncheck the box to see regular prices. I’m sorry but you cannot purchase a 2-for-1 pass for one person. You need to fill out the names and passport numbers of two people on such a pass.

Lauterbrunnen would be perfect for a short stay. It’s smaller than Interlaken and amidst the mountains. A Swiss Card allows free traveling from Zurich to either Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen, or any other town you pick to be your destination. Mountain transport such as the Jungfraujoch is not free but discounted. Please download the network map from the Swiss Card page for all details. A similar network map is available for the Swiss Flexi Pass. I would pick the Swiss Card though. It provides a better discount on the Jungfraujoch trip.

[Removed user]

8 July 2012 at 14:14:52 #836772

Thanks again for quick response. So on your website it says the cheapest place to get the Swiss pass is actually in Switzerland at Zurich Airport. Is this a safe option to not buy the pass until the last minute or do you recommend buying it from raileurope? Also, I tried to find promotional codes for raileurope for US residents but on your page all the links were for other countries, aren’t there any promotions for US residents?

[Arno]

9 July 2012 at 1:37:29 #836773

Hi adkris82,

Passes do not get “sold out”, so it’s safe to buy anywhere at any time from that respect. It’s usually cheaper and more convenient to buy in advance, pay in your local currency, and just have one thing less to arrange for once you’ve arrived. Due to current exchange rates, it’s indeed cheaper to buy locally in many cases, apart from the promotions. Do keep in mind that you have to pay in CHF, so the actual costs of purchasing locally depend on the exchange rate when you buy. There are promo codes for the US, but they’re not issued by raileurope.com. The bottom link in this topic, for example, points to promo codes on raileurope-world.com, which delivers to many non-European countries, including the US. I expect a new promotion to be available this week, so please keep an eye on our website for details.

[Removed user]

13 July 2012 at 7:03:47 #836774

I have been keeping an eye on the bottom link in that page, so far I have not seen any promo codes. Since I am buying only 1 pass, do you know if I will be eligible for the promocode?

Thanks

[Arno]

13 July 2012 at 8:01:57 #836775

Hi adkris82,

Our posts crossed I think. I just posted the new Rail Europe Last Minute Deals. Discounts start at order values of € 400. That may include a pass, seat reservations (if necessary) and any other product they sell.

[Removed user]

13 July 2012 at 19:11:05 #836776

Hi Arno – The discount wont apply for me as the 4 day card would cost less than 400 euros. So I have this question. On your swiss card page, the cheapest price is when I buy from the airport. I am not sure how accurate this price is since if it is not accurate then I would spend more money by waiting. Is there a website which can provide the current swiss card price in CHF when bought at Zurich airport? Thank you so much again for replying to all my queries.

[Arno]

14 July 2012 at 4:02:50 #836777

Hi adkris82,

Sure the prices on our website are accurate. We monitor them all the time. Did you click “Show more information”? It shows the exact price in CHF and the exchange rate (which is updated daily) that has been used to show prices in your preferred currency.

[Removed user]

14 July 2012 at 9:34:50 #836778

Hi Arno,
Thanks for having accurate prices on your website. I have one last question, do you anticipate me to make any reservations on the Zurich – Jungrfraujoch route or will the travel expenses be covered with a Swiss Card? I would travel from Zurich to Lauterbrunnen (obviously the cable car rides gondolas will not be covered but I should get a 50% discount) and I am hoping that the swiss card covers all the minor train rides within the interlaken region. Thanks.

[Arno]

14 July 2012 at 16:29:00 #836779

Hi adkris82,

You don’t need seat reservations for that route. The downloadable network map shows where you get the 50% discount.

[Removed user]

28 July 2012 at 23:28:15 #836780

I have one more question, I was doing more research and found that I could visit the following three places while I am at Jungfraujoch – Alpine Senstation, Sphinx and the ice palace. I was unable to find the details of ticket prices anywhere. I doubt the swiss card would give me any discount can you tell me approximate prices for visiting these places? Thanks

[Annika]

29 July 2012 at 2:16:53 #836781

These are all included in the ticket price for the Jungfraujoch, without additional costs. This ticket itself is discounted by 50% with your Swiss Card.

[Removed user]

29 July 2012 at 20:10:25 #836782

That is awesome. Thank you again for your quick response. I have one more question which probably does not belong in this thread but I was hoping that you may have an answer. I would appreciate an answer if you have one. So, I will be traveling to Italy, Spain, and France after Switzerland. I was hoping to get an unlocked GSM cell phone, buy a sim card in Switzerland and use it throughout the trip. Do you know of any service providers (for which I can buy a sim card in Zurich) that have presence in all 4 countries so that their pricing is consistent and low in all places? Thanks

[Annika]

31 July 2012 at 7:57:18 #836783

Hi adkris. You could check Lebara or Callineurope. If you need expert advice, you can best get to a Swisscom store after arrival in Switzerland.