Rail pass choices for 4-night stay

Hi,

My wife and I (late 20s) will be visiting Europe/Switzerland this Summer (end of June/July). The portion of our itinerary that includes Switzerland is:

Sat. July 2, 2011 travel from Paris to Grindelwald by TGV train during the day (leave Paris in the morning)

Sun. July 3: Jungfrau (could go up any day that the weather is good)

Mon. July 4: Possibly Shilthorn (hiking)

Tues. July 5: hiking and exploring the surrounding area (Lauterbrunnen, maybe Interlaken)

Wed. July 6: Travel to Florence, Italy by train. Mostly likely will have a Eurail Italy Saver pass

We love to hike and love the outdoors. Does this seem like a reasonable itinerary for a short stay?

What rail pass would best suit us for our trip? (I know that the trip to Jungfrau is expensive.)
How do I need to book the TGV train from Paris to the Swiss border? (Paris to What city?)

Thanks for your time! This website is great and informative!
--David

Hi David,

Thanks for signing up for our website. I'm glad you like it! The Swiss Card would be an interesting option for you to consider. It provides the maximum discount (50%) for the Jungfrau.

The timetable allows you to check for connections from Paris to Grindelwald. Most connections will require a change in Basel, which is just across the border in Switzerland. From there, you can use the Swiss Card.

In most cases, your ticket Paris - Basel (or any other ticket) can be purchased along with the Swiss Card. Purchase options of the Swiss Card and other passes are listed on the right side of any of our pass pages.

Your itinerary sounds good to me. If you want to spend time outdoors during a short stay, it is indeed best to focus on one region and not move around to much. The Bernese Oberland is very scenic. Be sure to have a look at the hiking suggestions.

Hi David, a suggestion for a hike for you. Take the cable car from Grindelwald to First. Walk from First top station to Grosse Scheidegg (there is an opportunity for refreshments here) and return to Grindelwald by Postbus. With whatever pass you decide to buy you can get discounted round trip covering cable car and postbus. you will find details on this website under Bernese Oberland - suggested trails. There is a detour from main trail where you might see or hear marmots. There are excellent views and lovely fresh air. Maggie

Arno,

Thanks for the quick reply! The Swiss Card sounds like our best bet. I have a few more questions.

Using the timetable, I found Paris-Est > Karlsruhe, Germany > Basel (14min stop) > http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/img/icon_map_location.gifInterlaken Ost (8min stop) > Grindelwald.

Is 14 min and 8 min reasonable times at the train stations?

Will we get off the train in Basel and buy tickets to Grindelwald with the Swiss Card? Or will the card just need to be validated and used on our trips.

Will we need any seat reservations?

What will be the border stop when departing Switzerland for Florence Italy?

How is the Paris-Basel ticket purchased along with the Swiss Card? On RailEurope's website?

Hi David,

Yes, that's enough time to change. The Swiss Card includes the trip Basel - Grindelwald. It just needs to be validated. You either do that yourself in advance, or at the service desk in Basel, depending on where you purchased it. You can check this out at the right side of the Swiss Card page, where this is referred to as "Quick transfer". RailEurope is listed there as well. If you decide to buy from them, you can indeed purchase along your ticket Paris - Basel. Seat reservations will not be necessary for the Swiss leg. You can check that in the timetable. The timetable also allows you to find any stops on your way to Florence.

how do I enter a question in this forum after signing in?

Hi almrose,

You need to go to the Swiss rail forum and click "Start new topic".