Help with passes and what is open

Good day everyone,

I’m new here and would like your precious help please. Yes I have a swiss pass question. I have tried, believe me, before asking, but I am still confused.

Will be in Switzerland from May 20 departing any time on May 24 to Paris. Here is what I have so far:

Friday May 20, 2016 hubby and I will be arriving from Germany. I’m planning on buying in advanced a $29 train ticket that covers from Freigburg to Tirano on the Bernina Express. (I know BEX is from Chur to Tirano) So the $29 should cover from Basel to Zurich (we are spending that night in Zurich)

Next day – Saturday May 21 - Zurich to Chur to take Bernina Express. So on this leg of the trip would be per person 29 plus reservation 14 = $43. On the way back, we wont take the BEX. will take regional trains. Tirano to Zurich Flughafen. $47 per person

Night of Saturday May 21 spend night in Zurich.

Sunday May 22 train from Zurich to Murren. $45.80

From here on…. I am lost because I am confused about what is open what is not, so I don’t know what passes I have to buy to enjoy cable cars and entrances, etc. Also, I am not sure if the cable car from the station getsme to the hotel in Murren. If I’m doing this math correct, as from May 20 to the 22 we would be spending approximately $135.80 per person. And that doesn’t include any activities on the 22 or 23 or 24.

The half fare card is $120. So it would be $120 + everything else half price with the exception of the $29 coming from Germany and the reservation on the Bernina. So: 120 + 23.5 +22.9 + whatever else. Am I doing this correct? Sorry I am the worst when it comes to numbers.

We are interested on looking at beautiful nature, prestinewater, biking, hikes, cable cars,suspension bridges (would love to do the Murren Via Ferrata but according to what I have seen online it will be close on our dates). Not interested on cities or museums. Don’t want to spend time on a cruise either.

Thank you!

Kat

Hi Kat -Welcome to he forum.

<<"Sunday May 22 train from Zurich to Murren. $45.80">>

Do you plan to leave for Paris from Mürren on the 24th? 22nd through 24th in the Bernese Oberland?

It influences the choice of train passes, etc.

Slowpoke

Hi slowpoke,

Yes I will be leaving on May 24 from Murren to Paris. I think it would be Murren to Interlaken to Basel and TGV to Paris. May 22-23-24 in the Murren area. I fly out of Paris on May 26.

Thank you!

Kat

Thanks Kat.

I was in the region in June 2015. Specifically, in Wengen, on June 14th (late afternoon), June 15th, and the morning of June 16th.

At that time, we were able to take the cable car from Wengen up to Männlichen, and the trail from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg was passable, with lots of snow around, and had only been open a week or so.

www.myswissalps.com/hi king/maennlichen-kleinescheidegg

This trail takes less than two hours and is one of the most spectacular (and easy) trails in Switzerland. My grandson was with me and we wanted to walk the trail. The clouds were so thick for all except a few short hours just as we arrived on the 14th that we could see nothing to make the trail walk worthwhile all the while we were there.

Since the clouds often come in layers, the Jungfrau or Schilthorn may well have had wonderful visibility ( or may not) and the cloud deck was high enough to make a walk and bus ride on the floor of the Lauterbrunnen Valley pleasant. Mürren was in thick fog (clouds).

The lift (Wengen stop named Wengiboden) to Männlichen LWM up top) started running for the Summer season on approximately May 30. The date for the lift is set in the published schedule at approx. that time each year. The trail opening varies with Spring temperatures (snow melt) and can be as early as perhaps the 15th, or as late as some days into June.

The schedule for Spring will be available after December 15th; however, transit times for various journeys can be estimated from current dates in the timetable.

The reason for the long story is to point out that you may not find many or any of the "ski" lifts open when you are there. You will find the cograil train that runs from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg (branch up to Jungfraujoch) to Wengen and Lauterbrunnen to be running. Runs all year.

So, your effort to make sense of the many possibilities for transport/rides/trips, may, unfortunately, be simplified by absence of many services.

Here are some things that I believe will be open. I ask Arno and Annika to comment. They know the details much better than I do.

Cograil as noted. Rather scenic ride.

Stechelberg to Schilthorn 4 stage cable car lift, via Gimmelwald and Mürren

Cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp, and "train" to Mürren.

Bus on Valley floor - Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg.

Ways to learn more -

A map -

I use this one.

map.search.ch/

There are more detailed ones at:

map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=swisstopo&lang=e n&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo .pixelkarte-farbe&layers=ch.swisst opo.zeitreihen,ch.bfs. gebaeude_wohnungs_regi ster,ch.bafu.wrz-wildruhezonen_portal,c h.swisstopo.swisstlm3d -wanderwege,ch.swisstop o.swissalti3d-reliefschattierung&lay ers_visibility=false,f alse,false,true,false& layers_timestamp=18641 231,,,,&X=117695.00&Y= 499625.00&zoom=7

A useful panoramic map for the lay of the land with main destinations:

www.google.com/search?q=Jungfrau+region+pano ramic+map&tbm=isch&img il=F-dB3vv18O1cIM%253A%253B Qz-Bn9Am3H3P-M%253Bhttp%25253A%2525 2F%25252Fwww.mappery.c om%25252FJungfrau-Grindelwald-region-summer-map&source=iu&pf=m&fir =F-dB3vv18O1cIM%253A%252C Qz-Bn9Am3H3P-M%252C_&biw=930&bih=55 6&dpr=1.33&usg=__UO8Io QK0NXJprI7TyTHW3Eelqzg %3D&ved=0CCcQyjdqFQoTC LaNxbCft8gCFQoVPgodcyU Mnw&ei=-KsYVraxIYqq-AHzyrD4CQ#imgrc=F-dB3vv18O1cIM%3A&usg=__ UO8IoQK0NXJprI7TyTHW3E elqzg%3D

And - the timetable. Check your dates for particular services (cable cars, boats, etc.) to see if they are running.

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

Note - The schedule for Spring will be available after December 15th; however,transit times for various journeys can be estimated from current dates in the timetable.

Arno and Annika (the forum moderators) are the experts on rail passes. With your itinerary, and the time of year, they can likely guide you with more specifics than I can. I personally have a multiyear Half Fare Card, which requires that I have mailing address in Switzerland. I do, although I live in the USA. That works for me. So, I really am not familiar with the many options.

Slowpoke

Hi Kat,

May I offer a few suggestions to improve your itinerary? It seems like you want to travel from Zurich (would be a very early departure) to Tirano, and back the same way on the same day. I think the trip would be more interesting if you take the Bernina Express bus from Tirano to Lugano, then the train back to Zurich. Please see myswissalps.com/ berninaexpress for all details.

Do you need to stay in Zurich that night? If you go to Mürren the next day, a detour via Zurich is not the most scenic way to get there. You could consider to spend the night in St. Moritz, and take the Glacier Express to Brig the next day. From there you can take a train to Mürren via Interlaken via Spiez. This would be a very varied trip and better (in my opinion) than going back to Zurich for one night.

You can look into rail passes once your itinerary is final. Either a Swiss Half Fare Card or a Swiss Travel Pass seems to make sense. Please see the links for how the passes work. Indeed the Swiss Half Fare Card gives you a 50% discount on all tickets.

I don't understand what kind of ticket you found that allows to travel from Freiburg to Tirano for only CHF 29, and spread over two days. Can you share a link about that ticket?

The Via Ferrata in Mürren won't be open in May. It's open from mid June to late October.

I hope this was useful for you!

Thank you slowpoke for the detail information. It helps a lot. Im a bit down about the weather, but I will try to make the best out of our trip. Thank you again. Kat

Hi Annika, thank you for your reply. The information about the 29 fare is. On the seat61 website. onwww.seat61.com/Bernina Express.htm#.VhvCXBso5 Ag

Regarding zurich, we cant change it because we already booked all hotels for the trip, including zurich.

Thank you!

Kat

<<"Thank you slowpoke for the detail information. It helps a lot. Im a bit down about the weather, but I will try to make the best out of our trip.Thank you again. Kat">

The weather changes quickly, and, particularly in the Alps, can become clear very suddenly. Or cloudy.

The train stations and tourist offices usually have up to the minute data which can guide you.

And, there are plenty of lower altitude sights and activities.

Slowpoke

<<"Regarding zurich, we cant change it because we already booked all hotels for the trip, including zurich.">>

I agree with Annika...your itinerary is puzzling to me. Look at a map, as I noted above.

May is not high season....you could probably find other hotels to match the itinerary suggested in Annika's comments without difficulty, even though many places in the alpine villages may be closed until June..

Slowpoke

Ok, I see, it's an offer by the German railways at www.bahn.com. Thanks for sharing that Kat! It indeed seems to work in your case.