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Hi, my first trip to Switzerland. My rough itinerary as below:
Day 1-2: Luzern as base, travel to Mt Pilatus/Mt Rigi/Mt Titlis.
Day 3-10 (8 days in total): Grindelwald and Murren as bases, travel the whole Jungfrau region including Top of Europe Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn. I wanted to spend 1 day at Interlaken taking the boat rides which aren’t included in
Day 11-15: Zermatt as base
Day 16-18: Zurich as base
I intend to get the Top of Europe Pass which includes the journey up to Jungfraujoch, and discounted to Schilthorn. My question is can I buy a Swiss Travel Pass Flex and use it for Day 1-2, 11-18 of my trip? But if that is the case, my Top of Europe Pass will not be reduced right? Or should I just complement that with a Half Fare Card?
I wanted to spend 1 day at Interlaken taking the boat rides which aren’t included in the Top of Europe Pass but it will be included if I buy the Jungfrau travel pass. Should I consider that instead?
Thanks in advance!!
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Hi ying8484,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
Based on your rough plans, I think the Swiss Travel Pass Flex in combination with the Jungfrau Travel Pass makes more sense. You will get some reduction on the Jungfrau Travel Pass if your Swiss Travel Pass Flex is validated with similar travel dates on the JTP.
To determine which railpass combination gives you the best value, I suggest you plan out your itinerary in detail and calculate the cost of each trip. This quick guide has useful tips to help you choose the best rail pass: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass (download the spreadsheet to help you make quick comparison).
Regards,
Anna
Hello ying8484,
In order to profit from a discount the Jungfrau Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrautravelpass), you’ll need to use a travel day of your Swiss Travel Pass Flex (https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpassflex) for each day you travel with the Jungfrau Travel Pass. So this is not an ideal combination, as you’ll actually be using 2 passes simultaneously and therefore ‘lose’ free travel days of your Swiss Travel Pass Flex.
As far as I know, there are no discounts on the Top of Europe Pass for Swiss Travel Pass (Flex) or Swiss Half Fare Card holders.
Looking at your overall itinerary, a 15-day Swiss Travel Pass might be better. You could supplement this with a ZurichCard for your last days in Zurich, or Saver Day Passes if you plan longer trips. The Swiss Travel Pass includes all train, bus and boat rides and gets you discounted mountain trips. Some mountains, such as Rigi (https://www.myswissalps.com/rigi) and Stanserhorn (https://www.myswissalps.com/stanserhorn) near Lucerne, are even for free. Please find details at
- https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass
- https://www.myswissalps.com/zurich/travel
- https://www.myswissalps.com/saverdaypass
The Swiss Half Fare Card is also worth considering: https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard.
This page Anna linked to will help you find out which option suits your plans best.
Thank you both. Yes I am considering Swiss Travel Pass for the 15 days of my trip and then top up for the mountain excursions instead, seems like that might be more straightforward. I hear that some regions offer travellers free pass if we are staying there for some days. Is that accurate?
Yes, some towns and a few regions (such as Ticino and the Montreux area) provide free discount cards to their guests. But most town guest cards offer limited discounts on very local attractions only, and that’s usually nowhere near the coverage of paid tourist passes such as the Swiss Travel Pass.
Your current itinerary doesn’t include places in which you’d profit a lot from such passes. You can have a look at the visitor/guest cards offered by Lucerne (https://www.myswissalps.com/lucerne/travel) and Mürren/Grindelwald (https://www.myswissalps.com/murren/hotels and https://www.myswissalps.com/grindelwald/hotels), but I don’t think they’ll make much of a difference.
Thank you for the info! I will continue reading the forum and your website for more info! 🙂
Hi Ying,
I have an almost similar itinerary as yours and also the same question regarding combination of passes. Here’s something that might help.
I directly messaged someone from the Jungfrau.ch, basically they don’t recommend combining Top of Europe pass with a Swiss Travel Flex Pass, you have to use the days from your Swiss Travel Flex on the same days as your Top of Europe pass. Better to save those on other parts of your Swiss trips.
THERE IS a discount for the Top of Europe Pass and Jungfrau Pass if you hold a Half Fare Card or a Swiss Travel Pass. This is clearly stated in their website under “adults reduced” price. ie: Top of Europe pass for 3 days standard price is 249CHF and reduced price is 159CHF.
I personally will be getting a Half Fare Card plus combining that with a 4-day Top of Europe Pass. Top of Europe Pass won for me because of the free return ride to Jungfraujoch. If you opt to get the Jungfrau Pass you still need to pay 63-75CHF (depending on travel dates) to go up Jungfraujoch. Which is still alot of money for me. I think the question here for you is, how much are the boat rides you want to take in Interlaken? If they are cheaper than the additional payment to Jungfraujoch, then the Top of Europe pass will definitely be more worth it.
The reasons I opted for the Half Fare Card (HFC) instead of Swiss Travel Flex Pass (STFP) are: HFC is valid for 1 month, which gives me more flexibility of when to use it, on the other hand STFP becomes so much more expensive just to accommodate all the days I’ll be in Switzerland. Another reason, is you still actually have to pay for a number of rides since STFP doesn’t cover some of the mountain transportation, you only get 50% off which is basically the same as getting a Half Fare Card.
Based on your itinerary, you’ll be spending alot of days in Jungfrau region so why not get the Top of Europe pass for 8 days to cover all rides in Jungfrau region + Jungfraujoch, then use the half fare card on other Swiss cities you’ll be going to. It is easier to recover the 120CHF cost from a HFC than the high priced STFP.
Though again, this will all be based on how frequent you plan to travel everyday, if you like to go into museums A LOT and if convenience of the STFP matters more than money saving. It’s best to research the cost of train rides from one city to the next via SBB website, to get an idea of how much you’ll be saving eventually from the 2 passes. I also did this by taking into account the half fare price on trains versus the full fare price and thought I would still save more with the Half Fare Card than the Swiss Travel Pass.
Note that if you plan way ahead of time there are even super saver tickets you can buy,it is indicated with a % sign on the SBB website. Read up on it here: http://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/supersaver-tickets.html
Just to give you an idea as well, here is my itinerary:
2 nights in Zurich
2 nights in St Moritz (travel via Glacier Express to Zermatt)
3 nights in Zermatt
4 nights in Wengen (Jungfrau region)
2 nights in Luzern
I also plan to go up to most of the famous mountains, do all the activities I could in the Jungfrau area and the other cities, and maybe go to a few museums (3-4 tops).
I hope these could help you! As it took a lot of research to look for these specific answers too 🙂 have fun!
Hi Renduy,
Thanks for sharing your insights. Indeed, after a re-check with the people at Jungfraubahn, you do get a reduction on the Top of Europe Pass if you have a Swiss Travel Pass and a Swiss Half Fare Card. This wasn’t clear before. Thanks for bringing it up.
Regards,
Anna
Hi all!
I’ve just been in touch with the Jungfrau railways, and they confirmed the following:
- Holders of a Swiss Half Fare Card are entitled to buy a discounted Top of Europe Pass.
- Holders of a Swiss Travel Pass / Swiss Travel Pass Flex are NOT entitled to buy a discounted Top of Europe Pass.
(This shouldn’t be confused with the Jungfrau Travel Pass: both Swiss Half Fare Card and Swiss Travel Pass (Flex) holders can get a discount for that one: https://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrautravelpass/price.)
@Renduy: thanks for sharing your extensive research! The information about discounted Top of Europe prices provided by the Jungfrau Railways can be confusing. The GA is mentioned there, and the Half Fare Card. The GA offers benefits similar to the Swiss Travel Pass, but it’s primarily for Swiss residents and it’s not the same (see http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/details). The term Half Fare Card is a bit ambiguous, as it could refer to the Half-Fare Travelcard for Swiss residents, or the 1-month Swiss Half Fare Card for tourists (see http://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard/details). It’s now confirmed that it refers to both these options. Anyway, it doesn’t matter for your calculations, as you can indeed buy a discounted Top of Europe Pass with your Swiss Half Fare Card just as you planned.
@Ying8484: as you’ll see, which pass is best comes down to the details of your itinerary. The Jungfrau Travel Pass and the Top of Europe Pass offer lots of benefits for the Jungfrau region, but then again they provide little or no discount on the Schilthorn (25% off with the Jungfrau Travel Pass, no discounts with the Top of Europe Pass).
Since you’ll be covering more areas than just the Jungfrau region, a Swiss Travel Pass would be an easy and flexible solution. But of course you can also choose a Swiss Half Fare Card, maybe combined with (discounted) additional passes and tickets.
You’ll only know for sure if you’ve been running calculations as explained at http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass. Sometimes that’s hardly doable, if your plans aren’t completely fixed for example. In that case you can pick whatever seems to fit your overall plans. You’ll save money compared to buying full-fare tickets anyway!
Thank you all! These suggestions have been extremely helpful!
Their information is very confusing indeed.
I attached a photo here of the email that was sent to me, I did not confuse the Top of Europe pass to the Jungfrau Pass since I was really more inclined to buy the Top of Europe pass, and partly considered buying the Swiss Travel Flex Pass. Hence making sure I still get the reduced price if I would’ve went with that.
Thank you for reconfirming! Sometimes it’s very hard to look for those information directly on their site.
Good thing you also mentioned Schilthorn, I’ve been looking for this specific answer, regarding the tariff if I hold a Top of Europe Pass. Luckily, I can use my Swiss Half fare card here and would give me half off to visit!
Attachments:
Hi Renduy,
Thanks for adding the e-mail screenshot. The Top of Europe Pass used to be discounted with the Swiss Travel Pass, but this has recently changed. I don’t know when you received the e-mail from the Jungfrau railways employee. If that’s a (short) while ago, the information concerning the discount with a Swiss Travel Pass might have been correct at that time.
You’re right, your Swiss Half Fare Card entitles you to a 50% discounted Schilthorn ticket: https://www.myswissalps.com/schilthorn/tickets.
Hi Annika!
I just got the email last week, April 16 🙂
but thanks for clearing it up! Didn’t want to have purchased that and gotten it wrong!
ying8484, what did you end up deciding? I have a very similar itinerary, just a bit shorter time length and we are not going to Zermatt. But we will be hitting Zurich, Lucerne, and the Jungfrau region (using Lauterbrunnen as our base). I’m leaning towards the half fare card and the top of europe pass (reduced with the half fare card).
Thanks,
Sam
Annika and Anna-
Besides Schilthorn, is there any mountain travel that is not covered by the Top of Europe pass? I know the Jungfrau region pass extends further in the region, but my travels will mainly be through the mountains from Lauterbrunnen to destinations such as Grindelwald, Murren, Wengen, etc. which is why after crunching the numbers I believe the top of europe pass combined with a swiss half fare card is my best option. I’ve pasted in the routes that are covered from their website (jungfrau.ch/en-gb/top-of-europe-pass/) down below. Does this basically cover all mountain travel (trains, cable cars, cogwheels, gondolas, etc.)?
Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB)
Interlaken Ost – Lauterbrunnen
Interlaken Ost – Grindelwald
Wengernalp Railway (WAB)*
Lauterbrunnen – Kleine Scheidegg – Grindelwald
Eiger Express tricable gondola*
Grindelwald Terminal – Eiger Glacier
Jungfrau Railway (JB)
Kleine Scheidegg – Eigergletscher
Eiger Glacier – Jungfraujoch (one trip during validity of the Top of Europe Pass / unlimited trips in the Jungfrau Corona Season Pass)
Lauterbrunnen-Mürren mountain railway (BLM)*
Lauterbrunnen – Grütschalp
Grütschalp – Winteregg – Mürren
Mountain Railway Grindelwald-First (BGF)*
Grindelwald – First
Grindelwald-Männlichen aerial gondola (CGM)
Grindelwald Terminal – Männlichen (open 26/05/22 – 23/10/22)
Wengen-Männlichen aerial cableway
Wengen – Männlichen (open 26/05/22 – 23/10/22)
Harder Railway (HB)
Interlaken – Harder Kulm (open 15/04/22 – 27/11/22)
Schynige Platte Railway (SPB)
Wilderswil – Schynige Platte (open 26/05/22 – 23/10/22)
Thanks so much!
Sam
Hi Sam,
Yes, the Top of Europe Pass basically covers most of the mountain transportation in the Jungfrau region except to Schilthorn.
In other words, you won’t need additional tickets to travel to Grindelwald, Grindelwald First, Männlichen, Mürren, Wengen, Harder Kulm and Schynige Platte.
Regards,
Anna
Hi Annika and Anna,
I am a bit confused with Top of Europe Pass, Jungfrau Travel Pass, and Jungfraujoch (https://shop.switzerlandtravelcentre.com/en/product/excursionJungfraujoch).
I will be staying in Interlaken for 3 days and travel to Harder Kulm, Grindelwald FIrst, and Jungfraujoch, one day each.
I have a Swiss Half Fare Card and deciding to get Jungfrau Travel Pass. Need some clearance on those 3 passes and am I choosing the suitable pass?
Thank you!!
Regards,
Shawn
Hi Shawn,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
The main difference between the Top of Europe Pass and the Jungfrau Travel Pass is the access to Jungfraujoch. With the Top of Europe Pass you can travel for free all the way to Jungfraujoch., whereas the Jungfrau Travel Pass is only valid for free travel up to Eigergletscher and you would need to get a discounted a ticket for the last stretch to get to Jungfraujoch.
In terms of coverage the Jungfrau Travel Pass is valid in a wider area including boat rides on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. You can download and study the JTP validity map here: http://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrautravelpass/validity. You can compare this with the validity of the Top of Europe Pass here: http://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/top-of-europe-pass/
I recommend doing a detailed itinerary of your trip in the Jungfrau region so you can make an informed choice about which railpass would work best for you.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Anna
Hi,
I decided on Half fare card & 8 days Top of Europe Pass for my itinerary. 🙂 This makes the most sense in terms of cost savings, as the other parts of my trips won’t incur the ex travel expenses and half fare prices are gd enough! Zermatt is 50% regardless STP or half fare card anyway. 🙂
Hi ying8484,
That’s great. I’m sure based on your calculations, the Swiss Half Fare + Top of Europe Pass combo offers the best value.
Options to purchase the Swiss Half Fare Card are available here: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard/price
Regards,
Anna
Hi Anna,
Decided to take the 3-days Top of Europe Pass as it suites my activities and provides a bit more flexibility.
The Top of Europe pass cost is slightly lower, cost difference is in the single digit also.
Thank you for the help!
Regards,
Shawn
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