15471 posts
Hi Joe,
Welcome to MySwissAlps, I’m glad you like our website!
1. You can book it on DB (bahn.com) but there are other option too, all listed here. There’s a good chance DB will be the cheapest but you will have to compare for your travel date and time to be sure. Note that if you decide to buy a 4-day Swiss Travel Pass, you only need a ticket to the Swiss border. The rest is covered by the pass. The border is mostly Basel or Schaffhausen, depending on your route.
2. The ferry is discounted (50%) in both cases. Please find coverage maps at:
3. Splitting tickets is not needed. Jungfraujoch basically is a train station like all others, so you can simply buy a ticket from Bern straight to Jungfraujoch. If you have a Swiss Travel Pass most of the ride is free, but even then you can buy the additional ticket in Bern. Just show your pass and they’ll get you the discounted ticket.
4. I think you either need a Swiss Half Fare Card or a 4-day Swiss Travel Pass. In both cases you can use it for your incoming and outgoing trips too. Doing the math is the only way to tell which option is cheaper. I think the Swiss Half Fare Card might be cheaper here, but the Swiss Travel Pass is more convenient as it does not require you to buy tickets, except on routes that are only discounted.
I hope there’s no more need to pull your hair out?
72625 posts
Thanks Arno. A few quick follow-ups if I may?
- My 16 year old does not ride for free I believe. I need a jr/youth ticket for him correct?
- Is the idea of a ferry to Romanshorn not a good idea as opposed to a train all the way to Schaffhausen?
- If I do take a ferry from Freidrichschafen, can I buy the rail passes there? I guess the real question here is whether the pass allows for a discount going from Germany to Ch?
Thanks again. Great to have your advice.
Joe
15471 posts
Hi Joe, sure, no problem!
1. Yes, you either need the cheaper Swiss Travel Pass Youth (see here for purchase options) or the Swiss Half Fare Card like the adults (see here to purchase).
2. Yes, that certainly makes for a more varied trip!
3. You will get the discount regardless of the direction of travel. Whether you can buy the pass right there I don’t know. In either case it is easier to simply print your passes at home so you’re ready to travel, and one thing less to arrange for en route. See my first link for the options please.
72625 posts
Thanks Arno. One last question. My son turns 16 4 days before we head to Switzerland. If we were to claim him as 15, how would anyone find out otherwise? Do they ask for passports/ID for children traveling with parents?
Thanks again!
15471 posts
Hi Joe,
Yes, passport numbers need to be filled out while ordering, and they’re printed on the passes. Passports will be checked on board occasionally as well. There is only one way around this: if he’s still 15 on the start date of your passes he can travel for free for as long as the passes last. So that would require you to buy at least one adult pass for 4 extra days. I’m not sure if that makes sense, money wise.
72625 posts
Thanks Arno. Actually an 8 day pass is less – 376 CH vs. a total of 480 for an adult 4 day pass plus a youth 4 day pass . But that raises two further questions for me (sorry about all of this). First, how would I activate the 8 day pass on time? Second, can I do the same thing with a 4 day flexipass?
72625 posts
One more thing Arno… I found info on activation and have concluded that so long as I buy a flexipass 4 day that is valid on the 11th (day before my son turns 16) then I am OK. Do you agree?
15471 posts
Hi Joe,
While ordering a pass you’ll be asked a start date. It does not matter whether it’s a Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Travel Pass Flex, as long as your son is 15 on the start date you can order along the free Swiss Family Card and that gets him free traveling wherever you go. Various websites sell those passes. The Swiss Travel Pass can be printed at home, the Flex pass needs to be shipped (which is free to any address in the US, Switzerland, Germany and various other countries via http://www.happyrail.com/en/p ass/europe/switzerland /swiss-travel-pass-flex). You’ll find further options here:
72625 posts
Thanks Arno… very last question… does the same hold true for the half fare card? If I go that route and start it on the 11th does he travel free for the month also?
15471 posts
72625 posts
Hi Arno. I just tried to purchase two half price passes online and it looks like the age limitation for children is based on the year of birth. When I tried to enter a 2001 birth date the calendar limited me to Jan 1 2002 or later. Perhaps I’m in the wrong spot but I did this at swissrailways.com. Oh well… looks like I’ll have to pay half price for him everywhere!
Thanks again for your help.
15471 posts
Hi Joe,
No, that’s a glitch in their website, but you can get around that. The website http://www.swissrailways.com/ en is correct. You need to select the Online Ticket shipping option. After that they’ll ask for passenger names and birth dates. The birthday calendar indeed does not show years prior to 2002, but if you just click the date box you can manually change 2002 to 2001.