[Removed user]

29 January 2018 at 22:55:06 #814197

Hi, I will be in Switzerland between August 15th to August 20th (5 nights and 6 days), staying in Lauterbrunnen (3 nights) and Luzern (2 nights). We are family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children below 16). We are traveling from Paris to Basel via TGV on August 15th and below is based on swiss tickets from Basel onwards. It looks like I am better off buying 8 day swiss rail pass even though I am staying only 6 days. Need advice if I am correct ? Thank you !

1. 8 day swiss train pass (2 passes as children travel free with free swiss family card) = 796 CHF
2. individual tickets for 15th (basel to lauterbrunnen) + 4 day swiss pass + individual tickets between luzern to Basel on 20th (children don’t travel free with individual tix) = 847 CHF
3. super day saver pass for 15th and 20th (children don’t travel free with super day pass) = 864 CHF
4. Combo ticket of super day saver pass + 4 days swiss rail pass + cheapest individual tix = 804 CHF

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[rockoyster]

30 January 2018 at 2:05:13 #875386

Hi vmedikon and Welcome to MySwissAlps,

If you are not using a Swiss Travel Pass you can get a Junior Travelcard (http://www.myswissalps.com/ju niortravelcard) for CHF30 which will cover all such trips for your kids.

As far as individual tickets are concerned I guess you have used the Swiss Train Timetable (http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable) to work out the fares. When you go to buy a ticket the fare you see on the right hand side of the page will normally be the half-fare price. Double it to get full fare. With A Swiss Travel Pass it is free provided it is shown as free on the Area of Validity map ( PDF downloadable from http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/validity).

Without seeing the component costs you have included in the totals above it is difficult to confirm. But, based on the numbers you have arrived at I’d say the 8 day Swiss Travel Pass looks good. It will certainly win hands down in terms of convenience. Saver day passes and supersaver fares can be a bit of a lottery.

[Removed user]

30 January 2018 at 19:56:13 #875387

You are awesome rockoyster by giving idea on junior travel card. I now have a new lower possible option if super saver day pass works out. But I agree, 8 day swiss travel pass is not that much more but with lot of flexibility. thx again. i have attached sheet I came up with as well.

5. Supersaver day pass for adults + junior travel card for kids + 4 day swiss train pass + individual return ticket for adults = 772 CHF

Attachments:

1. ef77e78c-c20b-4f8c-9e1c-3bae517f1672.xlsx

[rockoyster]

30 January 2018 at 21:58:54 #875388

8-day Swiss Travel Pass plus Swiss Family Card looks like a no brainer to me. You will be surprised what you will actually do when you have the option of hopping on any train for free.

[rockoyster]

31 January 2018 at 2:29:44 #875389

Hi vmedikon,

Further to my last post I wonder if you have looked at the Swiss-Half Fare Card plus Swiss Family Card? It is nowhere near as convenient as the Swiss Travel Pass as you need to buy tickets along the way.

For an adult with a Swiss-Half Fare Card you save 50% of a single full-fare ticket. But for an adult accompanied by a child travelling for free with a Swiss Family card the saving increases because the child’s 50% fare disappears. So for a CHF100 trip which would cost CHF150 for adult plus child you only pay CHF50. A 2/3rds saving.

Problem is to do the sums you really need to cost out ALL the trips you are likely to do to figure out the savings. There is a spreadsheet on this page http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass to help you do that if you can be bothered.

[Removed user]

31 January 2018 at 21:58:10 #875390

thx, I am willing to pay a bit more for convenience, so I haven’t looked much at half fare card as I need to map out all trips and then buy tickets for each. Like you said earlier, I will want and be doing more sightseeing once I have swiss pass.

[rockoyster]

31 January 2018 at 22:47:39 #875391

That’s the spirit! Have a great trip.