[Removed user]

2 August 2011 at 5:03:06 #804554

Hi from Australia,

We are thinking of getting a family Swiss Flexi 3 day pass for the following journeys:

Montreux – Geneva – Montreux (1st day)

Montreux – Interlaken (2nd day) and stay in Interlaken 3 nights
Possibly go to Jungfraujoch (not sure until we get there), but we know the pass gives discounts
Interlaken – Basel

1) Do we need reservations (excluding Jungfrau) on any of these trains with a Swiss pass?

2) Is this the best option for us? (we have priced point to point, and the pass seems cheaper, depending on whether you need reservations and if so, reservation cost).

3) For the trip Montreux – Interlaken on the ordinary train – is this the Golden Pass route?

Thanks, Rosemary

Effortlessly learn from the questions and answers in the forum. Receive a daily e-mail with new discussions. Sign up

[Annika]

2 August 2011 at 14:58:44 #833695

Hi Rosemary, and welcome! The 3 day Swiss Flexi Pass sounds like a good plan to me. It’s certainly cheaper than buying regular train tickets, and even more so if you plan to make some other trips. Seat reservation shouldn’t be included in your calculations, as they’re independent of whether you hold a rail pass or use regular train tickets. Specifics and purchase options can be found at the Swiss Flexi Pass page. Just enter your country Australia, the right pass variant and the number of travelers to have all relevant options displayed. Please note that a ‘family Swiss Flexi Pass’ doesn’t exist. You can buy a Swiss Saver Flexi Pass for the adults, and obtain a free STS Family Card for children under 16 to travel along for free wherever you go.

Seat reservations aren’t required for regular train rides. You don’t have to book seats for the Jungfraujoch train either. Only panoramic trains require seat reservation. So if you’d be making the trip from Montreux to Interlaken in a Golden Pass train, you’d have to arrange for seat reservations. There actually three routes between Montreux and Interlaken (they can be checked through the timetable): one via Visp and Spiez, one via Lausanne and Bern, and one via Gstaad and Zweisimmen. The one through Gstaad and Zweisimmen is the Golden Pass route. It’s a beautiful trip and highly recommended.

Kind regards,

[Removed user]

3 August 2011 at 7:09:08 #833696

Annika,
Thank you very much!!! And yes, we are travelling with our 2 children, so the information on the Family card was great too.
You mentioned in a previous post that there might be some discounts on Swiss Passes coming up – do you have any more information on this yet?
Thanks, Rosemary

[Annika]

3 August 2011 at 10:35:58 #833697

Hi Rosemary. Currently there are two offers: general discounts offered by RailEurope and Trainticket, and discounts for the 3 day Swiss (Saver) Flexi Pass offered by STC. You can check all details through the forum posts I linked to. Prices can be compared using the purchase options overview at the Swiss Pass and Swiss Flexi Pass page. If you enter your country and the right pass variant, you’ll see all prices. The STC discount on the 3 day Swiss (Saver) Flexi Pass is already included. As you can see, purchasing a 3 day Swiss Saver Flexi Pass from Australia would be cheaper through TrainTicket than through STC, in spite of the current STC offer.

[Removed user]

5 August 2011 at 7:18:46 #833698

Thanks Annika, we have just purchased our pass. Great advice.
Rosemary

[Annika]

6 August 2011 at 6:05:23 #833699

You’re welcome Rosemary. Enjoy your stay in Switzerland!