Rail passes

waleed

3 posts
new member

May 30, 2010 - 4:05 PM

i would like to travel from Paris to Switzerland what is the best rail passes could i purchase ???

dick1

88 posts
active member

May 31, 2010 - 10:27 AM

There is a France-Switzerland Pass. Depending on what other travelling you may want to do it may or not save your money.
In busy times there are often no passholer seats available on direct trains from Paris to Switzerland.
The France-Switzerland pass is more restrictive than a Swiss Pass. The Swiss Pass covers more mountain railways. It also covers postal buses and city buses and trams, and gives you discounts on mountain railways and cableways as well as free entry to 400+ museums.
Dick

MySwissAlps.com recommends to read this:
All Swiss rail passes How to choose a pass?

Arno

15899 posts
expert &
moderator

May 31, 2010 - 1:43 PM

Hi waleed. What exact trip do you have in mind? Paris - Basel, Paris - Geneva, something else? Have you planned more traveling within Switzerland?

The Eurail France-Switzerland Pass might indeed be an option for you. This pass is available for 1st class only, so it's not always the most economical solution. If the transfer from Paris from Switzerland is the only trip you have planned, a point-to-point ticket is the best option.

I'll be happy to provide more advice if you post more details about your plans (please include your country of residence, as the Eurail Passes are not available for all travelers).

Last modified on Dec 24, 2021 - 10:42 AM by Arno

waleed

3 posts
new member

Jun 1, 2010 - 3:15 AM

Thanks Arno for the reply; I will like to elaborate more in my journey as to get better advice in choosing the right train passes. My journey will be as follows:
I am deciding to travel from Paris to Geneva. Then I will like to visit Interlaken,Jungfrajoch,Lucerne and Zurich .
My country of residents is UAE (Abu Dhabi) .we are 5 adults and 6 children’s.
The children’s ages are 2,5,4, 6,8,11.i seek your advice for the journey :-)

Arno

15899 posts
expert &
moderator

Jun 1, 2010 - 12:39 PM

In order to find the right rail pass, you need to know which routes are included for free or discounted with a specific rail pass: you can best review the detailed map linked from the page of the Swiss Pass, Swiss Half Fare Card, or any other pass. The second step to select the best pass would be to find the exact regular prices of your travel plans versus the prices when using a pass. In your case, these are the prices per adult:

Regular fares:

Paris - Geneva: not covered by Swiss rail passes. You can best purchase a point-to-point ticket. The price varies with the chosen train/time.
Geneva - Interlaken: CHF 65
Interlaken - Jungfrau - Interlaken: CHF 181.80
Interlaken - Lucerne: CHF 30
Lucerne - Zurich: CHF 23

This adds up to CHF 299.80
These are the fares with a Swiss Half Fare Card:

Swiss Half Fare Card: CHF 99
Geneva - Interlaken: CHF 32.50
Interlaken - Jungfrau - Interlaken: CHF 90.90
Interlaken - Lucerne: CHF 15
Lucerne - Zurich: CHF 11.50

This adds up to CHF 248.90. A Swiss Half Fare Card for each adult is the cheapest option. The other passes would be more expensive as you've only planned a limited number of trips.

You would need 5 Swiss Half Fare Cards for the adults. The children travel along for free. Further details can be found on the Swiss Half Fare Card page.

Enjoy your stay!

Last modified on Jan 27, 2020 - 11:19 AM by Arno

waleed

3 posts
new member

Jun 1, 2010 - 1:49 PM

Many thanks Arno for your cooperation and assistance I really appreciate your help and dedication in answering my doubts:-)

Rail passes

SWISS TRAVEL MUST KNOWS

NEED SOME TIPS ON WHERE TO SLEEP?