Rail pass for Wengen area?

I am planning five days in the summer with Wengen as our base. We are two travelers 60 and over. Having read a lot online, I am still not sure whether the Berneroberland 4-day regional rail pass makes sense, or whetehr we should buy tickets for whatever trains, etc. that we use. We will want to travel around the region for hikes and hopefully up to the Jungfraujoch (for which the pass would get us a 50% discount - is that correct?). Thank you for advice on this.

Hello ruthe,

In the majority of cases, buying regular tickets is more expensive than buying a pass, especially when mountain trips with cable cars, cogwheel trains are included in the plans. Just a trip from Wengen to the Jungfraujoch and back costs CHF 163 per person if you don't have a pass. With a Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland, it costs CHF 60, so savings add up quickly. With a Swiss Card, it costs CHF 81.50. A Swiss Card would be another option to consider in case you need transfers to and from Wengen as well. Just click the links for all details including coverage maps, prices and resellers of the passes.

In the end, the best choice depends on your exact plans. Once your plans are set, you can pick a pass as explained here.

Hiking trails can be found here.

Thank you, Arno. So maybe I should provide more details. We will be traveling by overnight train from Salzburg to Zürich and then immediately transferring to the set of trains that will take us to Wengen. We will stay in Wengen five nights, using the local trains, cable cars, etc. to get around, hike, sightsee, etc., then take the trains back to Zürich for a couple of days before leaving from the Zürich airport. As I write this, I am thinking that the Swiss pass would be a better deal for us than the 4-day Bernese Overland regional pass. Thoughts?

Hi Ruthe,

If you purchase a 6-day Regional Pass Bernese Oberland, you will get free traveling from Bern or Lucerne onwards, so you would only need a regular ticket up until that point. With a Swiss Pass, the entire trip to Wengen would be free, but you will only get a 25% discount on the Jungfraujoch (50% with the Regional Pass), and several cable cars are 50% off whereas the Regional Pass Bernese Oberland offers free traveling.

I feel that the Regional Pass Bernese Oberland would be the better choice in your case. But again, if you want to calculate this in detail, you need a detailed itinerary and follow the instructions here. If you make longer trips from Zurich, a Swiss Pass may indeed turn out to be best. If you stay in and around town, you can look into the Zurich Card.

Be sure to travel from Zurich to Wengen via Lucerne and Meiringen at least one time (inbound or outbound), as this is the more scenic route (Golden Pass). Check the timetable for details.

Thanks, Arno. This makes sense. So when I can do so, I will buy the ticket from Zurich to Bern (as we will be arriving in Zurich by overnight train from Salzburg, and the connection is tight) and then use the regional pass for the rest of the trip. I will plan to return via Meiringen and Lucerne, so I assume that I buy a Lucerne-Zurich ticket separately. Is that something that we can do in real time in Wengen before we leave, or should I book that last leg in advance?

You're welcome Ruthe! You indeed need tickets from Zurich to Bern and Lucerne to Zurich. They can be purchased locally at any rail station or online, so that you will make your connection for sure. You do not need to book seats.

Have a wonderful vacation in the Swiss Alps! If you like you can share your experiences here in the Trip Reports section. I'm sure that other travelers would love to read it.