[sanjeev]

4 April 2023 at 0:26:19 #829488

Though I am a keen follower of this forums – still had doubts.

I will be reaching Geneva airport and I made the following plan. We will buy Swill Travel Pass (8+2 days promotion). Can I buy STP at Geneva airport? Also wanted to buy a Data Sim , as I need to run the SBB app. Will get at Airport?

Day 1. Stay booked @ Montreux

Chillon Castle , Maison Cailler, La Maison du Gruyère , HR Ginger Museum , Château de Gruyères

Day 2 Stay booked @ Grindenwald

I will take Golden Pass Train at 9.35am (direct train) reach Interlaken by 1pm. Which side should I sit? Plan to have Lunch here, I will keep luggage at restaurant here. . I am planning for Giessbach , Istelwald, Harder Kulm before I go to Grindenwald (I will go by 8 pm) . Here I have feeling that I booked my stay in mountains – but I am going only in the night.

Shell I go to Grindenwald straight after lunch and use my time there? If I go direct after lunch and reach Grindenwald by say 3pm – do I have any options to visit there?

Day 3 stay booked @ Grindenwald

I plan to do the Grindelwald FIRST . I suppose if I start by 9am, it should be over by 3pm. Can someone suggest anything If I can add with this? Also It seems trottibike is not available on my date of visit , April 21. . I am thinking of doing one mountain here – Schilthorn or Grindelwald FIRST .

Day 4 Stay not booked I can stay it either Grindenwald , Interlakend or Zermatt

I am not sure if I should visit Schilthorn (not visiting Jungfraujoch, as expensive with STP). Any other suggestions ? quite confused.

Day 5 stay booked @ Zermatt

If I start early I will have full day here. I am thinking either Matterhorn Glacier Paradise or taking Gornergrat Bahn to see Matterhorn. Please suggest. Evening I plan to see Zermatt city.

Day 6 stay booked @ Lucerne

I have booked Glacier Express at 8.52 am upto Andermatt I did seat reservation after I got an suggestion in this forums “Yes, you can travel from Zermatt to Andermatt by Glacier Express, then switch to regional trains to Göschenen-Arth Goldau-Lucerne. This will be a very scenic journey, on which you cover part of the Gotthard Panorama Express mountain route too: Fill out Zermatt as your departure station, Lucerne as your arrival station, and Andermatt as a via-station.”

Evening at Lucerne. Any suggestions?

Day 7 stay booked @ Lucerne

I Plan to to Titlis and Mt. Stanserhorn – evening at Lucerne

Day 8 stay booked @ Lucerne

Not planed yet. Any suggestions? Rigi with something else? Stoos? or Pilatus? Rigi is free with STP.

I have a flight from Zurich Airport at 10am next day.

Thanks a lot for your time and suggestions.

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[Anna]

4 April 2023 at 8:20:46 #952939

Hi Sanjeev,

There is a SBB train station at the Geneva Airport. You can purchase the Swiss Travel Pass directly from the ticket counter. I’m not sure there are shops selling SIM cards for travellers at the airport but you will find mobile shops at the main train station in Geneva (Cornavin). Alternatively, you can plan ahead and order a SIM card or a pocket wifi in advance. You can find useful tips about staying connected during your trip here: http://www.myswissalps.com/simcard. Geneva Airport provides free Wifi so you should be able to access the internet if you need to check the SBB train schedules. You can find more information and links about facilities at Geneva Airport here: http://www.myswissalps.com/airports/geneva

Regarding your itinerary, everything looks in good order.

Day 1 – you might be able to do everything in one day unless your flight arrives very early in the morning.

Day 2 – I think your plan to spend the afternoon in Interlaken + Harder Kulm visit + boat trips on Lake Brienz is doable. You can store your luggage at the train station and pick them up before taking the train to Grindelwald in the evening. You can find sightseeing options in Grindelwald here: http://www.myswissalps.com/grindelwald/activities

For information about the Golden Pass route and which side to sit: http://www.myswissalps.com/goldenpass/gettingthere

Day 3 – You can find information about activities on Grindelwald First here: http://www.myswissalps.com/grindelwaldfirst.

Day 4 – I suggest plan an excursion to Wengen and Männlichen. http://www.myswissalps.com/mannlichen. Or take the train to Lauterbrunnen and visit Schilthorn + Murren. Take the late afternoon train to Zermatt.

Day 5 – Combining excursions to Gornergrat and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is possible in one day. You can find more information about Zermatt here: http://www.myswissalps.com/zermatt

Day 6 – If you arrive in Lucerne in the evening, you can still go for a stroll in the old town and perhaps join a short evening cruise on the lake.

Day 8 – I recommend the Majestic Roundtrip to Rigi. You will travel to Rigi by boat + cogwheel train and return via cogwheel train+ regular train. You can find more details here: http://www.myswissalps.com/rigi

Your itinerary is looking good and you’re almost ready to go.

regards,

Anna

[sanjeev]

4 April 2023 at 8:39:32 #952940

Thanks a lot for your detailed reply Anna

Sorry for not informing here

Day 1. Stay booked @ Montreux

My flight arrives at 7am (from Nice, France) at Geneva airport and I will buy STP / Sim and reach my hotel at Montreux by train, free with STP. I think I will reach hotel by 9.30am and drop my luggage and start at 10.30adm for Chillon Castle , Maison Cailler, La Maison du Gruyère , HR Ginger Museum , Château de Gruyères. – in this order.

I hope this is doable.

Day 3 stay booked @ Grindenwald

I plan to do the Grindelwald FIRST . I suppose if I start by 9am, it should be over by 3pm.

Can you suggest anything If I can add with this?

You suggestion for Majestic Roundtrip to Rigi is a good idea .

Thanks again.

[Anna]

4 April 2023 at 9:10:14 #952941

Hi again,

Thanks for the update.

Day 1 should be doable.

Day 2 – After spending your day in Grindelwald First, perhaps you can take a train to Kleine Scheidegg and Wengen and explore these places at your own pace. http://www.myswissalps.com/wengen

regards,

Anna

[sanjeev]

4 April 2023 at 15:07:32 #952942

thanka again

I think the Cableway is not showing my dates- April 20-22, 2023

http://www.maennlichen.ch/en/summer/information/timetable.html

Is Kleine Scheidegg and Wengen cable car closed?

[Anna]

4 April 2023 at 15:15:02 #952943

Hi Sanjeev,

Unfortunately Männlichen is open only until 10 April during the winter season. It will be closed until mid May for maintenance. You can find the details here: http://www.myswissalps.com/mannlichen/gettingthere.

But Kleine Scheidegg and Wengen are accessible all year round.

[sanjeev]

5 April 2023 at 9:25:07 #952944

Had a question about currency

Normally other countries have Money Exchange shops and we can look for the best for us. But do not know about Switzerland or Europe.

Can we exchange currency notes , USD and Euro to CHF at Geneva airport? Will the exchange rates be good? Or If we can do at Montreux or Interlaken?

thanks

[Yolanda]

5 April 2023 at 11:00:23 #952945

Hello sanjeev,

Global Exchange is located in Geneva airport. https://www.myswissalps.com/airports/geneva If you scroll down to the bottom “Information on other websites” you will be able to click on the airport website and search for Global Exchange.

I can not say yes or no, if the exchange rate will be more advantageous at the airport. As you can appreciate, there can be a lot of fluctuations outside everyone’s control. For sure there will be banks in Interlaken and Montreux too where you will be able to exchange currency.

Kind regards,

Yolanda

• https://www.myswissalps.com/swissfranc

[sanjeev]

15 April 2023 at 11:04:08 #952946

Hello again,

My this Question is about, above Day 2 , this is my plan

Day 2 Stay booked @ Grindenwald

This is my plan

I will take Golden Pass Train to reach Interlaken. Plan to have Lunch here, I will keep luggage at restaurant here. . I am planning for Giessbach , Iseltwald, Harder Kulm before I go to Grindenwald at about 8pm .

I was thinking that storing luggage was a bit painful. Shell I go to Grindenwald straight after lunch and use my time there? If I reach Grindenwald by say 2pm – do I have any options to visit there? Just to inform here that Day 3 , I have planned Schilthorn with Murren and Day 4, Grindelwald first.

Day 2 , 3 pm onwards : Shell I take Eiger Express to Eigergletscher then take the train down to Kleine Scheidegg (Price with Swiss Travel Pass?) I am not planning Jungfraujoch, as expensive. My date of visit is April 20 and I am not sure if Kleine Scheidegg open. I read in other thread that Männlichen is open until 10 April.

Can someone suggest me what would be the best plan for Day 2 or I stick to my original plan of Lake Brienz with Harder Kulm ( I can also visit lake Brienz on Day 4, after Grindelwald First , before I go to Zermatt. I was looking something which I can do with STP or with minimum expenses..

Thanks again.

[Anna]

15 April 2023 at 15:32:41 #952947

Hi sanjeev,

Personally I think you should stick with your original plan – boat trip on Lake Brienz and excursion to Harder Kulm.

If you have luggage, you can store them at the Interlaken Ost train station. There is a left baggage facility as well as luggage lockers at the station. There are also various shops and restaurants near the station if you want to have lunch first.

http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/at-the-station/railway-stations/station.7492.interlaken-ost.html

Regards,

Anna

[sanjeev]

16 April 2023 at 2:34:21 #952948

Thanks a lot for your reply .

[Arno]

17 April 2023 at 9:19:29 #952949

Hi sanjeev,

Yes, you can get the Swiss Travel Pass at Geneva Airport. Getting it online in advance is recommended though. You won’t have to spend time on a purchase after arrival this way. And more important: you’ll have digital back-ups of your pass. This is not the case if you buy a physical ticket in Switzerland. If you lose or damage this, there won’t be back-ups or refunds. Please see more explanation here:

• https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/price
• https://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/wheretobuy

Also note that the current promotion is only available if you buy before May 14: http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/the-swiss-travel-pass-spring-2023-promotion.

If you prefer to buy the pass via the official SBB tourist webshop (which is Switzerland Travel Centre), you can use this link: https://shop.switzerlandtravelcentre.com/en/product/swissPass.

[sanjeev]

17 April 2023 at 11:04:48 #952950

Thanks a lot Arno

Cant we buy and take a photo of the tickets in our mobile? Will it not be acceptable for the ticket checker? Just asking, before I buy online.

BTW, we reach Geneva Airport by 7am and I think the ticket counter opens at 8am. So I feel I might not be spending much time at the ticket counter. If I find rush at the counter – I will buy online at the airport itself. Will it show in my SBB app as soon as I buy? Or I need to enter any number / any code in my mobile app?

[Anna]

17 April 2023 at 20:17:13 #952951

Hi sanjeev,

You can certainly purchase the Swiss Travel Pass online. Train tickets can also be purchased online from the SBB website or SBB mobile app.

If you have a Swiss Travel Pass, there is no need to purchase train tickets or even make seat reservation. You can find information on how to use the Swiss Travel Pass here: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/howtouse

Regards,

Anna

[Annika]

18 April 2023 at 14:09:15 #952952

Hi sanjeev!

You can’t take a picture, that won’t be accepted. Nor do you have to store anything in the SBB app. Maybe this explanation helps to understand why you don’t need an SBB account, and why you don’t have to (and often even can’t) link your Swiss Travel Pass to such an account: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/swisspass.

It’s best to buy through one of the websites listed here: https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/price. If you prefer the official SBB tourist webshop, you can use the link Arno gave you: https://shop.switzerlandtravelcentre.com/en/product/swissPass.

You’ll receive a pdf with a code that can be scanned from your phone. You can store this pdf anywhere you want on your phone. You’ll find all details in the link provided by Anna.

[sanjeev]

18 April 2023 at 15:12:59 #952953

I did an chat with one of the customer care / help today, and this is the transcript

Geneva Airport timings

“The SBB counter at Geneva Airport opens at 6:15 am on weekdays and Saturdays, and at 7:15 am on Sundays and public holidays. Therefore, the counter should be open when you arrive at 7 am. However, please note that these opening hours are subject to change, so it’s always best to double-check with the airport or SBB website before your travel date. “

About keeping physical ticket – the advise on forum is absolutely right here

“You must keep the physical Swiss Travel Pass with you during your travels, as it needs to be shown to ticket inspectors upon request. Taking a photo of the pass is not sufficient, as it is not considered a valid form of identification.”

About entering my purchase, the pass, in SBB app

“Yes, you can add your Swiss Travel Pass to your SBB app by entering your pass details in the “Passenger” section of the app. This way, you can easily access your pass details and show them to the ticket checker when requested. “

I have decided to the keep the ticket and also enter the passenger / Pass details in SBB app.

I hope this will also be helpful to other travelers

Thanks a lot to all the real ambassadors of Switzerland – helping on the smallest of the things on this forum.

[Anna]

18 April 2023 at 20:37:51 #952954

Hi sanjeev,

Thanks for sharing your communication with the SBB staff.

Enjoy your trip!

Regards,

Anna

[Arno]

19 April 2023 at 9:46:38 #952955

Hi sanjeev! Thanks for getting back to us with the info you received, and thank you for your kind words.

That’s correct. You can add the Swiss Travel Pass to the app, but only if you buy it directly from the SBB domestic website. That’s not what we recommend for tourists. The SBB tourist webshop (https://shop.switzerlandtravelcentre.com/en/product/swissPass) has a very responsive helpdesk and fewer issues with foreign credit cards and other payment options than the domestic SBB site: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/wheretobuy.

Having the pass linked to your SBB app/account app doesn’t really have benefits. You won’t need tickets for all routes covered by the Swiss Travel Pass anyway. And for the discounted mountain routes, you can get your tickets through the app, without the Swiss Travel Pass being linked to your account, but also to many other online vendors or directly at the valley stations upon showing your pass.

Of course you should choose whatever you feel most comfortable with :-). Have fun with your further preparations and let us know if you have further questions!