[Removed user]

29 January 2018 at 15:57:34 #814191

Hello,

I posted on this forum a while ago (http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/zurich-lucerne-and-interlaken-in-3-days) but the thread is now closed and I’ve still got some questions…

Basically we are going to Zurich on February 23rd to 25th (2 adults and one child) and we looked into many rail passes but they seem a bit expensive for our budget and time. So, we are planning on doing a train excursion from Zurich and visit Luzern, Engelberg and Mont Titlis.

Does the Saver Day Pass cover that circuit? I mean can we hop on and off the train and come back to Zurich and it’s all included in the pass?

Also, we found this trip (https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/AttractionProductDetail-g188113-d11450102-Mount_Titlis_Day_Tour_from_Zurich-Zurich.html), which seems to be a nice option instead of buying the pass and it includes the cable car journey to Mont Titlis…

Thank you for your time,

Carolina

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[Arno]

29 January 2018 at 16:28:26 #875364

Hi Carolina,

The Saver Day Pass is mostly suitable for trips that do not include mountain excursions (because it does not include much mountain transport, and because it has to be purchased in advance, when the weather is unknown yet). It does not cover the Mount Titlis cable car, so that would be another CHF 92 per person, excluding the Icy Flyer chairlift.

Did you consider the Swiss Half Fare Card? It will save you CHF 82 p.p. on this trip alone. It costs CHF 120 p.p., so depending on your other plans you may save that way. Please see http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isshalffarecard.

The tour you found is this Viator offer: http://www.viator.com/tours/Z urich/Mount-Titlis-Day-Tour-from-Zurich/d577-3885SW303BS. It includes the Icy Flyer. It’s a (partly) guided tour by bus, so different from a train trip on your own. It’s a matter of personal preference which option suits you best. You’ll find more packages like that here: http://www.myswissalps.com/ti tlis/packages

[Removed user]

29 January 2018 at 22:22:05 #875365

Hi,

1. Using the Swiss Half Fare Card, me and my mom would both pay 120CHF + 120CHF + 0CHF (sister under 16). Are ALL tickets (trains and cable car to Mont Titlis) 50%off for me and my mom and free for my sister? I find the information a bit confusing…

2. I made a simmulation on the SBB website using the Half Fare Card and the final price didn’t suffer any alteration. For example, the journey Zurich – Luzern (return included) would normally cost 26CHF(adults) and 13CHF(children), and I guess with this card it would coust 13CHF for adults and children for free. However, I couldn’t do that on the website…

3. Is the Half Fare Card suitable for Super Saver Tickets as well?

Thank you very very much!

Carolina

[rockoyster]

30 January 2018 at 3:44:01 #875366

Hello Carolina,

You can use the Swiss Train Timetable (http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable) to work out the fares for any trip but when you go to buy a ticket the fare you see on the right hand side of the page will normally be the half-fare price. Double it to get full fare. So adult fare return Zurich to Luzern is CHF52.

For Swiss Half-fare Card you need to spend CHF240 in full-fare ticket terms before you break even.

If you don’t use a pass you can get a Junior Travelcard (http://www.myswissalps.com/ju niortravelcard) for your child for CHF30 for all trips.

Half-fare Card reduces supersaver fares as well but you have to take the exact train you buy ticket for. No change of plan at last minute.

Maybe a 2 or 3-day Tell Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/te llpasswinter) could work for you. Especially if you stayed in Lucerne instead of Zurich. 😎

In any case you only need a ticket Zurich to Zug to get into Tell Pass validity area where everything is then free.

[Removed user]

30 January 2018 at 12:18:56 #875367

Hi Rockoyster, thank you for your reply.

I didn’t realize that adult fare return Zurich to Lucerne was 52 CHF, thank you.

Although, using the swiss train timetable I’ve noticed some prices are different. For example, Zurich Aiport to Zurich HB shows 31.27CHF for the 3 of us (I chose 1 adult and 2 under 25years old). On the SBB website, it shows 17 CHF for the 3 of us (no discounts considered here)…

We’ve already considered the Tell Pass, thanks, but already booked a hotel in Zurich so it doesn’t really suit our plans.

“For Swiss Half-fare Card you need to spend CHF240 in full-fare ticket terms before you break even.” – So, using the Swiss Half Fare Card, we would pay in total 120CHF + 120CHF + 0CHF (sister under 16) = 240CHF right? Then this is what we really need to confirm: are ALL tickets (trains and cable car to Mont Titlis) 50%off for me and my mom and free for my sister?

Also, considering we buy the Half Fare Card, would you recommend we buy tickets before each journey at the train station or download the app (not sure if we will have Wi-Fi connection, that’s why I’m asking…)

Again, thank you a lot,

Carolina

[Removed user]

30 January 2018 at 18:00:59 #875368

Hi Carolina,

Are you using the advanced timetable on this page? This one links to the SBB website. So you should see the same prices. The first price listed is the half fare price. Double this price to get the regular fare. The price I just checked is CHF 6.80 pp.

Correct, CHF 240,- but you’ll have to order (free of charge) the Swiss Family Card. No need to buy a ticket for Mt. Titlis for your sister.

You will have to purchase the tickets before you board the train. I guess you’ll have a wifi connection in your hotel so I would purchase the tickets from there. I normally take a screenshot of the ticket. Even with my Swiss phone, I don’t have always access to the network. And make sure your phone is charged 🙂

[rockoyster]

30 January 2018 at 20:21:51 #875369

“ So, using the Swiss Half Fare Card, we would pay in total 120CHF + 120CHF + 0CHF (sister under 16) = 240CHF right? Then this is what we really need to confirm: are ALL tickets (trains and cable car to Mont Titlis) 50%off for me and my mom and free for my sister?”

Yes.

Single adult round trip Zurich to Engelberg is CHF76. Engelberg to Titlis is CHF92. So total for round trip is CHF168.

So for 2 adults plus 1 child that’s CHF420. Child travels half-fare.

With SHFC including cost of cards equals CHF408.

With no SHFC plus CHF30 Junior Travel total is CHF366.

With 2-day Tell Pass for 2 adult plus 1 child total is CHF337 (including Zurich to Zug return tickets).

The question is would any other travel you undertake make the SHFC cost effective.

CHF17 is correct price for your party Airport to City. Full far for ZVV tickets is 6.80 x 2 + 3.40 (for child).

[rockoyster]

31 January 2018 at 5:11:12 #875370

Hi Carolina,

I said in an earlier post “For Swiss Half-fare Card you need to spend CHF240 in full-fare ticket terms before you break even.“

That is only true for an adult travelling alone. But when you add in an accompanied child the equation gets a little better. In that case you only need to spend CHF120 in adult full-fare tickets in order to break even (ie fully recover the cost of the Swiss Half-fare Card).

So for the two adults and one child you need to make trips that would cost CHF360 full fare for 2 adults you start making any actual savings.

Once you break even the discount for the single adult is 50% and the saving for the adult with accompanying child is 2/3rds the cost of the adult full fare.

If that makes sense.

[rockoyster]

31 January 2018 at 9:44:51 #875371

If you aren’t confused enough already here’s a clarification on my last post which said “Once you break even the discount for the single adult is 50% and the saving for the adult with accompanying child is 2/3rds the cost of the adult full fare.”.

Once you break even, for an adult with a Swiss-Half Fare Card you save 50% of a single full-fare ticket. But for an adult accompanied by a child travelling for free with a Swiss Family card the saving increases because the child’s 50% fare disappears. So for a CHF100 trip which would cost CHF150 for adult plus child you only pay CHF50. A 2/3rds saving.