How should I get to Interlaken from Paris?

Hi,

i will be traveling with my brother and sister in law in 2 weeks. They will arrive in Paris on 6/24. So I am thinking about only buying a separate ticket from Paris Gare de Lyon to Basel on the following day (6/25)? When I get to Basel, I will get a Swiss travel pass so we can hop on the train from Basel (same day) to Interlaken OST, would that work? Do I just hop on the train as I arrive Basel? Also does the Swiss travel pass include the ticket to Junfrau? Do I just show up at the train station to go to Junfrau (will go the next day, 6/26)? If I am only using the Swiss travel pass to from Basel to Interlaken, Interlaken to Junfrau (round trip) and Interlaken to Lucerne, is it worthwhile to get a Swiss travel pass

Hi Cookiemonsta, welcome to MySwissAlps!

Yes, that will work. Some tips:

• Book your ticket Paris - Basel as soon as you can. Prices go up as the travel date get nearer. Please see myswissalps.com/ traintickets/ france for details.
• Either a Swiss Travel Pass or a Swiss Half Fare Card will be the cheapest option. The Swiss Travel Pass is more convenient as you don't have to buy tickets for each trip. There are no passes that include the ride to Jungfraujoch, but you will get a discount. Please see the linked pages for all pass details, including what's free and discounted. And you can check this page to compare passes. You can buy either pass in Basel but that will take some time. It makes sense to simply print the pass at home so you can proceed to your train to Interlaken immediately. To do so, visit www.swissrailways.com/ en. After filling out your address, they will show the delivery options. Pick "Online Ticket" from the bottom of the list. They will e-mail the pass (no delivery fees), so you can print it at home. Make sure to do this no later than a week before your trip as it takes a few business days (although often just one) to process and e-mail the order.
• The discounted ticket to Jungfraujoch can be purchased on the spot: myswissalps.com/ jungfraujoch/tickets.

Have fun!

Hi Arno,

Thank you for getting back to me.

1. Ultimately if I am only getting 2 train tickets from Basel to Interlaken and Interlaken to Lucern, it might be cheaper if I just purchase them separately as well?
2. Also does the pass include the train ticket from Lucern to Austria (e.g. Salsburg or Hallstatt)? I don't think so but want to confirm.
3. I also see that the discount pass will apply to the fares from Euro airport (France) to Basel? How does this work?

You're very welcome!

1. I am not sure what you mean here. Are you considering not buying any pass? That would be quite expensive. Just the ride Interlaken - Jungfraujoch will cost you more than CHF 200. With a CHF 120 Swiss Half Fare Card you would save 50% on that and on the other trips too.
2. Please download the coverage maps from the pass pages I linked to in my previous post. They're in the "Where it's valid" section.
3. If you mean the Swiss Half Fare Card: it entitles you to buy tickets with a 50% discount. That also applies for Euro airport to Basel. With a Swiss Travel Pass, you would not need any tickets in such a case. The pages I gave you explain all about how it works.

Sorry to clarify, so if I go ahead and purchase Swiss travel pass,it will entitle me to a 50% discount from the train ride at Paris Gare de Lyon to Basel? Does it mean I can't purchase the discounted ticket online now? Will the tickets be really expensive if I buy it on the day of? With the 50% discount, will I be saving?

if the weather is bad and I can't make it to Jungfraujoch, what other things I can do in Interlaken?

Really appreciate your help here.

Hi Cookiemonsta,

Paris to Basel is in France, that's not covered by a Swiss Travel Pass. Please see the maps I referred to. You need a regular ticket for that leg, and you can buy them from several websites. Just see the first link in my first post and click "Price". All options are there. You will pay the highest price if you buy on the day. Also there will be the risk of booked out trains, so you can't travel at your preferred time.

Our Interlaken page will be helpful if you are looking for more activities.