Print the Swiss Pass at home when bought online

<<"Thanks for your detailed response. We would go from Aeschau Dorf to Zurich on 2 May early morning. Even our host confirmed that the nearest bus stop is Aeschau Dorf and she would pick us up.">>

Could she return you to Langnau?">>

Langnau is about the same distance as Signau, over rather small roads, but the stop at Aeschau is much closer than either one The only reason to ask about Langnau is that there are more early AM train services than at Signau. But, if your pass is already expired, perhaps you do not have to get up so early....At 4 or 5 AM, there might be no one awake to provide the "breakfast" in your B&B, let alone, drive you to the station. I'd expect their normal hours to start at maybe 0730 +/-.

I did not understand your logic that an early AM trip on May 2 would still be covered on your Swiss Travel Pass...I thought your pass expired on the day before....meaning your journey would have to be started before midnight on the day before (on the last day of your pass validity) in order for the pass to be used until 5AM.

As Annika says -

<<"The 5 AM rule is not new. It indeed works like that to allow you to complete late night trips.">>

And,

<<"In this example, an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass can be used for traveling on

July 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22. Validity ends on 5:00 AM of the

day following the last day, so that allows you to complete late night

trips, even after midnight. In this example, validity ends on July 23,

5:00 AM.">>

I interpret that to mean that you must be on the train before midnight on the 1st.

Perhaps Annika can clarify her comments? It is quite possible that I did not interpret it correctly.

Slowpoke

Hi Slowpoke,

Thanks for sharing those SBB links on luggage storage. Appreciate your effort and help.

Hi all,

We have a confusion now. I had asked my host at Ringgis whether Swiss Pass covers the bus from Signau to Aeschaudorf. This is her reply:

"You put my Attention on an unknown and unsolved Problem. Usually, guests with Swissrail-pass and EUrail-pass just got on the bus. But after your question I made Investigation with SBB and I learn that the bus does not work with Swissrail-pass and EUrail-pass. The ticket is 4.4 Swissfranks per Person, one way. As you put my Attention to it, I decide to pick you up at Signau-Station for free, and bring you there again during the 2 days. Then it is my work to find out if in the future I should accept only Guests travelling by car or ask about 8 Swiss franks for shuttle and announce this in my advertisement. Anyway, thank you for having put my Attention to the "bus-Problem"."

I don't know whether she called up SBB or how she checked with them. But I still feel that these bus services must be covered by the Pass.

Views requested - an credible info more than welcome.

Thankful and confused

JD

<<"don't know whether she called up SBB or how she checked with them. But I still feel that these bus services must be covered by the Pass.">>

Sometimes the Swiss are nice to tourists....might try it.

On regular bus lines the driver carries a book with pictures of all the accepted passes....

Slowpoke

Hi Slowpoke,

Thanks for the prompt responses.

<<On regular bus lines the driver carries a book with pictures of all the accepted passes>>

Problem is that I can't wait to see if the driver accepts the Pass or not because if he does not, then I would be in trouble since the driver may not be selling tickets on the bus and I would need to buy the tickets either online or from a ticket window which would not be possible at that early hour.

Let me wait to hear what others have to say.

Thanks

JD

Hi JD,

The answer you received also talks about Eurail passes. These passes indeed do not include buses. The Swiss Travel Pass, however, includes nearly all buses as previously indicated. I would be very surprised if it did not cover this particular bus. But, to be 100% sure, you can contact the BLS as they operate the bus line: www.bls.ch/e/bus/bus.p hp. Make sure to be very clear about which pass you will be using: not a Swiss Pass, not a Eurail pass, but a Swiss Travel Pass.

I hope this was useful. Please share their answer if you contact them. Thanks!

Hi Arno,

Thanks for your response. I called up the customer service helpline. They said that they do not have this information. They said that maybe the travel team knows the info. They have taken down my name and number and has promised that the travel team would call me tomorrow with the answer.

I would post their answer here once I hear from them.

Thanks and regards

JD

<<"Problem is that I can't wait to see if the driver accepts the Pass or not ">>

Understood. Perhaps you could ask the bus driver at the Signau station, before/while your host picks you up...or, at Aeschau Dorf stop.

Slowpoke

Hi all,

I had written to the email ids shared by Alpenrose and I have got a reply from them (info@busland.ch).

Thank you for inquiry and your interest.

The Swiss Travel Pass is valid for the bus with the line 271 from Signau to Aeschau.

Fur further information don’t hesitate to contact us. We wish you a pleasant journey in Switzerland.

Best regards

Marina

Freundliche Grüsse

Marina Burri

Kundendienst

__________________________________________________

Busland AG - Bucherstrasse 1-3 - Postfach 1072 - CH-3401 Burgdorf

Zentrale: +41 (0) 58 327 50 30 - Direkt: +41 (0) 58 327 50 30

Fax: +41 (0) 58 327 50 31

Well this clears the air of confusion, doesn't it?? :)

Thanks to all

JD

<<"Well this clears the air of confusion, doesn't it?? :)">>

Good news.

You were wise to find someone who could write a definite reply.

Your host may choose to pick you up at Aeschau with this new information.

I wonder if that same person at the BLS could answer your question about early AM travel on the day after the last day of your Swiss Travel Pass validity. The only train that I saw before 5 AM was the train from Langnau at 0458. You would certainly have to get your host up early to get to that train, if the Swiss Travel Pass were actually valid.. It is a 13 minute drive, via Schüpbach (near Signau). The map does not suggest using the small back roads which might be shorter:

map.search.ch/Aeschau, Ringgis-872..Langnau-im-Emmental?x=-12m&y=6m&z=32

That map -if you zoom in abd use the aerial view - shows a 300 meter dirt road connection from Ringgis near 872 to near Genskerne, which would shorten the route to Langnau. It is even possible that you could get a taxi based at Langnau at that early hour to go from Rinngis 872 to Langnau, but I don't know what it would cost.

The BLS runs the local and regional trains through that area....they probably run that S6 train.

That is a commuter train based in Luzern. It starts its journey from Langnau:

fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/tr aininfo.exe/en/64644/4 30800/860650/408777/95 ?seqnr=2&ident=hd.01688 25.1460529700&date=02. 05.16&station_evaId=85 08207&station_type=dep &journeyStartIdx=0&jou rneyEndIdx=11&amp;

Slowpoke

Great to have that confirmation! Regarding the 5:00 AM rule: validity of the Swiss Travel Pass ends at 5:00 in the morning after the last day of validity. So if you board a 4:58 AM train it will be valid for 2 more minutes. The rule does not mean you can board before 5:00 AM and stay on that train as long as you wish.

Enjoy your stay!

Hi Slowpoke,

Thanks for sharing so many options to help me out :) You're trying more than we ourselves are :) However, firstly, I agree with Arno on the 5am rule (you need to get off the train/bus etc by 5am) and secondly, we wouldn't want to bother our host at that early hour solely for our benefit :P She has been nice enough to us anyway :)

But all of you have been a sweetheart with all your valuable suggestions and tips.

I would come back as and when I have more questions.

Thanks again

JD