Rail purchase 8 days Munich to Lauterbrunnen

we are trying to decide if using the train system in Switzerland is cheaper than a rental car. I will have a rental car that I pick up in Munich. I will be spending a week in Germany before going to Switzerland. I will be leaving from Garmisch and either return the car back to Munich or drive to leuterbrannen Switzerland where I will be spending 4 nights then moving to Lucerne for 2 nights and finally Zurich for one night. The Gps says it will take over 5 hours but I know I will have to add time for the mountains.If I return the car and take the train it will take much longer.

my question is it worth taking the train and return the car, if so which pass would I get

if I keep the car how bad is the drive to Lauterbrannen. Any insight would be helpful. I am traveling to Switzerland the week of Sept 11.

Hello Vacationlady, and thank you for joining MySwissAlps!

Generally, train traveling in Switzerland is recommended over driving by car. You'll have to study driving rules and include parking costs in your calculations. Once you're in Switzerland, you won't be able to use the car for some of your trips, as many mountain destinations can't be reached by car. The drive itself to Lauterbrunnen would be doable, but you will cross the Brünig Pass. Public transportation is mostly very comfortable in Switzerland and allows you to reach all destinations. Our information on car driving and train traveling may help you to compare the options.

As for a pass: if you intend to do all traveling by train, an 8 day Swiss Travel Pass may suit your needs. This is especially the case if you plan to use the train network intensively and appreciate the freedom of hopping on and off trains, without buying tickets for each trip. If you plan to travel by car, you'll probably still need a rail pass to cut down the costs of mountain trains and cable cars. In that case I'd recommend the Swiss Half Fare Card.

In the end, all depends on the details of your itinerary. This guide explains how to find out which pass matches your requirements.

Does this help you decide?

If I leave Garmisch Germany what is my point of entry into Switzerland before my Swiss Pass would go into affect. Do I get a discount for the ticket from Germany to Switzerland.

Thanks

Hi Vacationlady,

Your entry point depends on the route you pick. Your entry point could be Schaffhausen, or Buchs SG if you travel via Innsbruck. These are the most obvious routes, but you can best check the timetable yourself to see the options.

What's covered in the pass can be found on the Swiss Travel Pass page Annika linked to. Click "Where it's valid".

Thanks, you have been a great help, now I have homework to do.

<<"I will be leaving from Garmisch and either return the car back to Munichor drive to leuterbrannen Switzerland where I will be spending 4 nightsthen moving to Lucerne for 2 nights and finally Zurich for one night.">>

If you park at the main train station in Luzern, count on about 40-50 CHF per 24 hours.

Lauterbrunnen is a lot cheaper, since the region around there is car-free, and you have to park somewhere. I recalling something like 10 CHF per 24 hours, but, don't quote me.

Once you are at Lauterbrunnen, you wil only travel further by public transport. No option for cars.

You probably know that gasoline is about 1.6 CHF per liter for regular (95 octane lead free)

If you bring a car into Switzerland, and plan to drive on the expressways, you will need to buy a "carnet" ) a sticker for the windshiled) in order to use the the expressways. About 30 CHF....comes automatically with the rental car in Switzerland.

Unless you plan to be well off of the normal tourist circuit, public transport, with some form of reduced fare card or pass, will be the low hassle high comfort, convenient service medium. May be cheaper, may not. A significant part of the cost will come from what you do with the car when you are in the big cities.

How many in the party....makes a difference when you rent vs. train tickets(S).