MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Rail Passes in the Berner Oberland
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My wife and I will be visiting the Berner Oberland in mid June 2011. We will be arriving by car and parking in Stechelberg. Our hotel is in Murren. We plan on visiting Schilthorn and would also like to make a day trip to Jungfraujoch. What is the most economical train pass or package with these destinations in mind? Is this something that we should purchase before our arrival, or best taken care of at the time the trips are taken? Thanks for your help!
raymc
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Hi raymc,
I think you want to look into the Swiss Half Fare Card and the Jungfrau Railways Pass. The Swiss Half Fare Card can either be purchased in advance or locally (not at all regional stations, probably only in Interlaken). The Jungfrau Railways Pass can only be purchased locally.
Thanks for the prompt reply! I have looked at the Swiss Half Fare and Jungfrau Railway sites. I can’t seem to determine with any certainty if the trip from Stechelberg to Murren would be covered by those options. Any thoughts? Thanks again for your help and guidance.
Hi raymc. The synoptic maps belonging to both passes will help you find out which routes are covered. The Swiss Half Fare Card offers a 50% discount on the leg Stechelberg-Mürren. This can be reviewed by clicking the link ‘Overview of the network on which the Swiss Half Fare Card is valid’ at our Swiss Half Fare Card page.
The route Stechelberg-Mürren is not listed on the map that goes with the Jungfrau Railways Pass (please click ‘Area covered’ on this page). So full fare applies to this leg with the Jungfrau Railways Pass. However, you can get to Mürren for free with this pass by using the alternative route via Lauterbrunnen, Grütschalp and Winteregg.
I hope it’s clear now!
Thanks!
Hello
I am from Costa Rica and i am leaving to Italy on August 19th, I am interestedin buying a Berner Oberland pass because will be in Switzerland between 2-5September(I would like to take the promotion of 2×1 on the price of the ticket)…willcome from Venice on September 2, and will stay in Lauterbrunnen Valley the 3rd,4 th and 5th doing trips to Grindelwald, Murren, Wengen, etc.
Here are my questions:
· In yourwebsite asks for travel date? This means the exact dayswill be in Berner Oberland? Or the dates of the beginning of my trip, as I toldyou before will start my trip on august 20th. I would like to take the promotion of 2×1 on September…soI don’t want to make a mistake and write the wrong dates and lose this offer.
· Is it possible to receivethe pass before my departure to Europe? How much time will take to DHL todeliver the package?
· Is the first date of thejourney printed on the pass? Or is it like Eurail pass that I write it with apencil?
· On September 2 will take atrain from Venice to Lauterbrunnen…the train will pass by Brig, could I use the50% discount of the pass from Brig To Lauterbrunnen?
· I guess I can buy theticket from Venice to lauterbrunnen in Venice, the first part of the journey fromVenice to Domodossola will be covered by a eurail pass. According to the validitymap of the Berner Oberland Pass it includes 50% discount from Brig, so how can Iapply this discount if I buy the ticket in Venice? Should I have to pay the fullamount from Domodossola to Brig and 50% from Brig to Lauterbrunnen?
· My trip starts in Rome, isit safe and possible to ask you to send the pass to my hotel in Rome? What happensif the people from the hotel loses the pass and don’t deliver it to me?Thanks for your answers, will appreciate if you answer me soon….
Hi castroroy, and welcome! As for ordering the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland: just fill out your country Costa Rica in the upper right corner under ‘Where to buy your Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland’, enter the right number of travelers and select the offer for the 7 day regional pass. You’ll then get to see prices and further details if you click ‘Show more information’. Specifics on shipping will be displayed too. DHL Express to Costa Rica would have your passes delivered by August 17, so that would still be possible. Shipping to your hotel in Rome is an option too. The passes will be shipped by registered mail. That means that you have to take in the passes yourself and sign for it. Further details on this can best be checked directly with the pass reseller STC.
When ordering the pass by clicking ‘Go to website’, you’ll be asked to enter the first day of traveling. Just enter September 2. Since your pass will be valid from that day, you can use the pass discounts on your way from Venice to Lauterbrunnen. Full fare has to be paid from Domodossola to Brig and discounts apply to the section Brig-Lauterbrunnen. Full fare and half fare tickets can be purchased at Swiss railway stations or online using the timetable. I don’t know if they’re for sale in Venice. That should be checked with the Italian railways.
By the way, I noticed that you posted the same question twice, so I removed one of them. Please post your question only once, as asked for in our forum rules. Thank you :-)!
Hi Annika thanks for your answer…i made the comment twice because the first time i didnt see the topic of the forum, then i found this that was better…anyway thanks very much, i ´ve just bought the pass i hope it arrives before my departure…i didnt take the chance of the address in Rome because of what you told me that i will have to receive it in person… One more question in case it wont arrive on time…and i wont use it because i wont have it my hands…is it possible to return it after i came from my trip? What other possibilities i have in case it wont arrive on time? Thanks.
Hello castroroy. If you purchased the passes shortly after my answer, they should arrive in time. If not, you could best contact the pass reseller STC. Some of the most important rules on cancelling and returning passes can be found in this FAQ.
Hello Anika
Now i have my Oberland Pass in my hands…thanks for your help. Last time you told me that i can make a reservation online…at sbb.ch… how this reservation online works? When i pay what will i receive? an e-ticket? I guess i print it and just show it in case anyone at the train asks for it? As i told you i will travel from Venice to Lauterbrunnen so i will try to take the advantage of the 50% in the section of Brig Lauterbrunnen, From Domodossola to Brig will pay the full fare…
Thanks
Hello castroroy. I’m glad to hear that you received your Regional-Pass in time. As for seat reservation and the ticket for the international train Venice-Brig: it can be arranged through the online Swiss timetable, but in that case you should pick up your ticket at a Swiss railway station, and that isn’t convenient in your case. Alternatively, you could order through Trainticket, RailEurope or the Italian railways. The discounted ticket Brig-Lauterbrunnen can be purchased using the Swiss timetable (just fill out the trip, choose the preferred connection and click ‘Fare/Buy’), but if you pick a train connection with a change of trains in Brig, you can also arrange for it at the railway station of Brig.
Hello
Thanks for your answers…i have some more :-)… i have a Eurail regional pass valid for Italy so it covers from Venice To Domodossola (or the border with Switzerland) , after that i will have to pay the full fare from Domodossola(or the border) to Brig and from Brig to Lauterbrunnen half fare using the benefits of the Berner pass…the thing is that i guess i can buy the ticket from Domodossola to brig in the internet and also buy the ticket from Brig to Lauterbrunnen with half fare, is that right? just print the e ticket and thats all? I have used eurail before but i have never used train reservations online..so i dont know how they work, if i just pay, print it and present it to the officer inside the train.
Do i have to validate the Berner pass in any station to use the benefits from the half fare from Brig to Lauterb? Seeing the timetable, i want to take a train that leaves Venice at 7:50 and arrives at 15:25, the train stops at Brig just for 5 minutes and continues..so i think i wont have enough time to validate the ticket if its needed…
Thanks for your answers.
Hi castroroy,
You can read about the e-tickets here. Normally, you must fill out your name and passport number on the Regional-Pass. That would make it valid. The start date should already be on it. If you’re in doubt, just ask the reseller you purchased from.
Please note that the trip can either be discounted, but the majority of it can be free as well if you choose to use a free travel day of the pass. The map linked from the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland page shows exactly what the options are.
I understand that the Swiss Saver Pass offers unlimited travel by train, bus and boat just like the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland; however, the information regarding the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland indicates that travel by gondola, funicular and mountain train within that region is also unlimited, but it is not clear to me that gondolas, funiculars and mountain trains are unlimited with the Swiss Saver Pass. Could you please indicate whether they are unlimited within that region or just discounted. Thank you.
Hi tbsnc. The Swiss Pass provides free traveling in regular trains, buses and boats throughout the country on all days of its validity. Many cable cars and mountain railways in the Bernese Oberland are discounted by 50%. Please refer to the specifics and the link ‘Overview of the network on which the Swiss Pass is valid’ at the Swiss Pass page.
Thank you for your response, Annika!
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