MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Best rail pass for my 5 night trip to Switzerland
-
I just did my bookings 2 nights at lucerne and 3 nights at Lauterbrunnen. So now please suggest based on the below itinerary what passes should I be buying. I have detailed it as much as possible.
Day 1 : Check in at 11
Then go for Rigi Excursion
After coming back visit Chapel Bridge and lucerne locally
Day 2:
Mt Titlis excursion (Can be replaced with Pilatus based on advises)
After coming back may be a boat ride in Lucerne
Day 3:
Reach Lauterbrunnen and check in around 12
Then go to Grindelwald and Wengen
Day 4: From Lauterbrunnen cable car to Murren, walk through the beautiful village and visit Schilthorn
(for the wonderful views optional) then return down to Stechelberg ,
visit to the Trummelbach falls and walk along the lovely Lauterbrunnen valley back to Lauterbrunnen or catch the bus.
Day 5: Open to suggestions may be Lake Thun , Hasli valley or something more exotic
Day 6: Lauterbrunnen to Bern: Reach Bern around 11 check -in luggage in station and go out for a city tour
come back around 4 and take train to Geneva to catch the flight back to Amsterdam at 9pm.
So based on the above itinerary how should I buy my passes? A 4 day swiss travel pass or a 3 day Swiss travel pass and for the remaining half price card. Please suggest what will be the best option?
Tx
-
Hi avirupg15 and welcome to MySwissAlps!
You are flying out of Geneva, are you also flying into Geneva?
I might look at the 6 day Regional Pass Bernese Oberland. It covers Luzern, Lauterbrunnen, Bern and most of the trip back to Geneva (but not all). There is a map showing what routes are covered here.
It is a little more expensive than the 4 day Swiss Travel Pass but covers your area quite well and of course is valid for all your days (you will have to buy tickets from Geneva to Montreux at regular price and Montreux to Saarnen at 50% off). After that, trips between towns are covered and you get good discounts on trips into the mountains as well (listed on the “routes covered” link above).
The pass gets you 50% off Mt. Titlis but no discounts on Mt. Rigi or Mt. Pilatus. If you plan on going to those mountains for sure you may want to look at getting the Swiss Half Fare Card as well (which will give you 25% off the cost of the Regional Pass – Bernese Oberland nicely enough!)
The only way to know for sure is to plan all your trips in Switzerland with the Excel sheet we have here to compare prices more exactly.
Lucas
Thanks Lucas for your quick response. Apologies I forgot to mention that my entry point is Basel. From Basel i will be travelling to Lucerne that same morning. I will try to use the excel surely. So pretty much confused now to go for Swiss day p[ass or bernese oberland pass?
It will depend on what mountain attractions you decide to visit. Once you decide on those use the Excel sheet and compare the two passes.
The cost of a train to Bern or Luzern from Basel is around 20CHF (same roughly from Montreux to Geneva) so no too much.
I think your mountain choices (the 3 around Luzern) will make your decision for you. If you decide on just Mt. Titlis I would go with the 6 day Regional Pass – Bernese Oberland. If you want one or both of the other 2 it gets trickier.
What about getting the 8 day Swiss Travel Pass and not worry about the mountains so much. Mt. Titlis is still 50% off but Pilatus and Rigi are free, it covers your 6 days and most of your train travel in and around Lauterbrunnen (not all cable cars). This is definitely the simplest/easiest option. 🙂
Lucas
That was really a helpful suggestion.
About the mountains I have thought of Rigi and Titlis previously but I am flexible with it.
And please also consider the train journey from lucerne to interlaken and from interlaken to lauterbrunnen while considering the right pass.
Tx
Yes, you should consider those routes as well but they are covered with both rail passes I have suggested.
Choosing is the hardest part – I’m sure your holiday will be great either way!
Lucas
Hey Lucas,
Finally I have done my homework with the itinerary. Just want your seal on that to confirm the buy.
Day1 : reach Lucerne from Basel
Go for Rigi
Day 2: Titlis excursion
Lucerne locally may be a boat ride in Lake Lucerne
Day 3: Start early from Lucerne for Interlaken Oost and from there to Lauterbrunnen
From Lauterbrunnen go to Wengen and Grindelwald
Day 4:From Lauterbrunnen cable car to Murren, walk through the beautiful village and visit Schilthorn
(for the wonderful views optional) then return down to Stechelberg ,
visit to the Trummelbach falls and walk along the lovely Lauterbrunnen valley back to Lauterbrunnen or catch the bus.
Day 5: May be trip to Lake Thun and visit Spiez if time permits Brienz or Hasli Valley
Day 6: Lauterbrunnen to Bern: Reach Bern around 11 check -in luggage in station and go out for a city tour
come back around 4 and take train to Geneva to catch the flight back to Amsterdam at 9pm.
So Lucas this is my itinerary. Firstly be honest does it look good to you or you advise any changes.
And based on our previous discussion what you suggested I feel that 8 day swiss pass seems to be the most economical option
1.So if I am buying the 8 day Swiss pass except from engelberg to titlis and Schilthorn cable car 50 % do i have to buy or pay for tickets anywhere else or everything is covered in my swiss pass?
2. While travelling from Lucerne to Interlaken Oost in goldenpass line do i need to make resrvations or just hop into the train? And also say while travelling from Lauterbrunnen to Bern and Bern to Geneva(covered with my swiss pass??)
3.And lastly as I travel from Lauterbrunnen to all the places multiple times like thun, grindelwald etc as per my itinerary.. all are covered in my pass right no hidden costs?
I know it is a long post and i hope you have the patience to read and answer them so that I can complete my purchase. Hope to hear from you soon.
Hi avirupg15,
That looks like a great itinerary! You’ll see some of Switzerland’s prettiest spots without rushing too much. This is perfectly fine; just make some back-up plans in case weather isn’t good enough to get up to viewing point such as Titlis and Schilthorn.
As for your Swiss Travel Pass questions (note that the Swiss Pass is something different):
1. Correct, everything on your list is covered except Engelberg-Titlis and Mürren-Schilthorn (both 50% off).
2. No, reservations aren’t necessary for the routes you mentioned. Just hop on and show your Swiss Travel pass when asked for.
3. You can travel as much and as often as you like with the Swiss Travel Pass throughout the entire coverage area. There are no hidden costs.
Please find purchase options at myswissalps.com/swisst ravelpass/price.
Thanks a lot for all your help in planning the trip. If I come across any other doubts I might knock you guys again. Thanks once again.
Hi,
I am back with some doubts I am planning to buy the Swiss travel pass and would like to visit Mt. Titlis so will buy the tickets for cablecar round trip from Engelberg to Titlis. Just wanted to know if I want to get down at Trüebsee and explore the region then again catch a cablecar back to Engelberg. So will my round trip ticket be valid if I make a stop at Trüebsee.
Tx
Yes, you can break your journey at Trübsee. The ticket is valid all day.
Alpenrose
Thanks for the quick response and Does Swiss travel pass cover a boat ride on Lake Thun?
Yes, it does cover Lake Thun.
You can find a map of what is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass on our web page here: http://www.myswissalps .com/swisstravelpass/v alidity
Lucas
You people are super.
So one more time just confirming I will be travelling with Swiss pass.
Journeys by train
1. Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen ?
2.Lauterbrunnen to Bern
3. Bern to Geneva
for the above journeys which one requires a prior reservation?
Hi again!
Yes, those routes are covered – be sure to use the link from my last post as it has a map that shows what routes are covered by the Swiss Travel Pass (not Swiss Pass).
None of those trains require reservations. Only panoramic trains require reservations. 🙂
Cheers
Okay panoramic trains. I was planning to take the goldenpass line train from Lucerne to Interlaken Oost?
So as per my understanding this does not require a prior reservation?
No, that section is fine without reservations – trains run very frequently on this route.
We often recommend reservations on the Zweisimmen to Montreux section as it can get quite busy in the summer and they are the “true” panoramic trains on the Golden Pass route. Although you will see that the trains on the Lucerne to Interlaken Ost section will have larger that normal windows.
Lucas
hi,
I was about to buy the 8 day Swiss pass and I wanted to be sure of few things before completing the purchase
1. There i saw 3 options of collection if I collect it via mail which is free will I be missing out on something?
2.My trip is planned for the last week of September when is the best time to buy it?
3. Shall I wait a bit for any promotional offers or anything which can be round the corner?
Tx
You get the same product no matter how you get it. Having the Swiss Travel Pass emailed to you (you can buy it here) is by far the most convenient. It should arrive to you by email within 3 business days (but usually within 1 day). You also have an electronic back-up in case you lose it and you won’t have to wait in line at a rail office after arriving in Switzerland to buy it.
As long as you buy it more than 3 business days in advance you can wait if you want to. However I don’t think there will be any more promotions at this time of the year – but you never know.
Lucas
I did not know if it would have been wise to create a new thread so I am posting it here only. I was planning to go ahead with the 8 day swiss pass but the below doubts are still lingering in my mind
Hiking from First to the Bachsee above Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland
To reach First from Grindelwald do I have to pay for the cable car?
Wengen – Männlichen cable car?
cost to go to Kleine Scheidegg?
Panoramic walk from the Männlichen to the Kleine Scheidegg – this delightful, short and simple hike offers unique views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. – Difficulty level?
Hike to Bachalpsee Lake (difficulty: easy)
Hike to Grosse Scheidegg (difficulty: easy)
I know I have bombarded you guys with a lot of questions. I wanted to know are there any cable cars covered with swiss pass (or Bernese Oberland pass makes it free) in Grindelwald and Wengen region to the above mentioned places. And also please advise some easy but scenic trails between Lauterbrunnen , Wengen and Grindelwald region.
Hi avirupg15,
You can see which routes are covered by the Swiss Travel Pass here and the Regional Pass – Bernese Oberland here. The PDF maps will show the coverage of the pass, be sure to check the legend. The Regional Pass – Bernese Oberland covers all the routes you mention.
You can read about the walk from Männlichen to the Kleine Scheidegg here, the rating is easy.
You can read about many hiking trails in the Jungfrau region here.
Lucas
- The thread ‘Best rail pass for my 5 night trip to Switzerland’ is closed to new replies.
