[Removed user]

28 August 2016 at 13:55:15 #809991

Hi all, I need some last minute advice as I have yet to sort out my train tickets fully for an upcoming trip.

The itinerary:

We are a party of 5 adults. 4 of us will be coming in from Basel (en route from Paris) and another from Zurich Airport to meet in Lucerne on the same day, where we will spend a night (Sept 8). We will then be going to Wengen the next day, where we will spend 4 nights and leave for Milan on Sept 13. We don’t really have a fix plan for the entire trip and the only real items on our list are Jungfraujoch and Kandersteg (toboggan!). We may or may not visit Pilatus/Rigi.

My rail pass plan:

We intend to buy the Half Fare Card and also a 6-day Bernese-Oberland Pass. I know it may cost more but think it might save us the hassle of trying to get tickets for each trip and in view of the uncertainty of our plans. The justification for the Half Fare Card was more for the initial trip in to Lucerne and the ride up to Jungfraujoch although I understand that the latter is weather-dependent. On exit, we intend to use the Bernese-Oberland Pass all the way to Brig and then a separate ticket from Brig to Milan.

Would this be an ok plan or can anyone suggest a more practical one?

Also, if i do get the Bernese-Oberland pass, how do I book my train tickets, namely the Golden Pass Line from Luzern – Interlaken Ost?

Thank you very much to all who weigh in.

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[Arno]

28 August 2016 at 14:30:02 #855535

Hi rylisme,

Welcome to MySwissAlps! One night in Lucerne is not that much, but it does allow you to visit the town or one mountain top. Other than that, your plan looks fine to me.

The Swiss Half Fare Card gets you a discount of about 25% on the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland. If you don’t make any trips from Lucerne it’s most probably not worth it to buy Swiss Half Fare Cards. You won’t need it for Jungfraujoch as the Regional-Pass offers a discount too, of about the same amount.

Let’s assume you buy both, then this is what you need:

• Tickets from Paris to Basel: myswissalps.com/ traintickets/france/ price.
• Tickets from Brig to Milan: myswissalps.com/ traintickets/italy/ price.
• Swiss Half Fare Card: to be printed at home through http://www.swissrailways.com/ en. Be sure to select “Online Ticket” from the list of delivery options. It shows up after filling out your address. You’ll reecive the cards in 1-3 business days.
• The Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland is available through the same website, and can be delivered to your hotel in Lucerne for a small amount. You may want to order this separately from the Swiss Half Fare Card as that one will be e-mailed (no shipping fee).
• You do not need to book tickets in Switzerland in advance, and certainly not if you have a Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland: it gets you free traveling so you don’t need tickets. The (discounted) tickets from Basel to Lucerne, for example, can be purchased on the spot from the machines. You don’t need to queue for a ticket office if you have already printed your Swiss Half Fare Cards.

[Removed user]

31 August 2016 at 9:04:03 #855536

Thank you very much for the informative and warm reply, Arno.

Feeling more prepared for my trip now. Thanks again!