Swiss Card

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    9 September 2010 at 23:54:58 #804006

    I am from South Africa, arriving 16 September 2010 at Zurich airport. Can I buy a swiss card on the airport, or must I buy it on the internet? If I have to buy it on the internet, must I have it delivered or collect it in Johannesburg, or can I also collect it on Zurich airport?
    Many thanks.

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    Annika
    Moderator
    7103 posts
    10 September 2010 at 13:53:50 #831830

    Hi santie. You can purchase your Swiss Card online by selecting your country under the header ‘Order your Swiss Card here’ at the Swiss Card page (click ‘Show more countries first’ in order to get to South Africa). It can then be either delivered to your home address, or picked up in Johannesburg: both options are available. An advantage of this online purchase before departure is that you can start using your Swiss Card immediately after your arrival in Switzerland. Apart from this, the Swiss Card can also be bought at airports (such as Zurich Airport) and border railway stations during opening hours. Please note that the Swiss Card isn’t for sale at other Swiss railway stations. You’ll find more information, including purchase options, at the Swiss Card page.

    I hope this answers your question!

    Kind regards,

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    13 September 2010 at 17:40:35 #831831

    This is the only way I could figure out how to get onto the forum to ask my questions. My husband, adult daughter and I will be arriving from the Garmish area of Germany via the north shore of Lake Konstance. We would like to park our car at the Germany Switzerland border around Waldshut, Germany.
    1. Does the Swiss Card cover transport from Waldshut, Germany to Murren, Switzerland and back out to Waldshut again? We would be arriving in the afternoon to Waldshut.
    2. Is there parking for the vehicle in the Waldshut area close to the train station?
    3. We plan on taking the lift system to the top of Schilthorn on Oct 1 for breakfast – my birthday : ) – then renting bikes in the afternoon in Murren riding down to Lauterbrunnen and using the funnicular with the bikes to get back to Murren in the early evening. – is there a 50 discount on these lift trips?
    4. On Oct 2 we would like to take my son’s “Best Hike Ever” – I only know at this point it is in the Grindewald area – so the other side of Lauterbrunnen from Murren – again is there a 5o% discount to get to the Grindewald area for the hike and the return to Murren?
    5. On Oct 3 we would be checking out of the murren hotel and taking the train for our return trip to the border town of Waldshut, Germany. Then continuing our journey nothe to Heidelberg area through the Black Forest region. Is Waldshut our best option for parking the car for our 2.5 day venture into the Murren area of Switzerland. 6. Will the transfer ticket in work all the way to Murren and back out to Waldshut?
    7. Is there a better /easier parking train station border area considering we want to travel north from Waldshut toward Heidelberg?
    8. Is the Swiss Card a better/cheaper option than the Swiss Pass – since we are staying in one area and only taking mtn. lifts in that area?
    9. I saw saver discounts on some passes – does the Swiss Card have a multiple people traveling together discount? Are there any other specials?
    10. Would it be less exp toensive just to take the trains in and out and pay 100% price on the lifts than buyer either the Swiss Card or Swiss Pass?
    11. Is the price the same whether purchased on line or at Waldshut, Germany – Waldshut is not mentioned on your Swiss Card info page of other country border towns where your Swiss Card works – however, it shows up with a solid red line on your map with stations that one can travel from.
    12. How often does the train depart from Waldshut? How long is the journey to Murren?
    I am sorry for so many questions – but I am confused, have spent way too many hours hunting the info, and getting nervous as we are departing next week for Europe from the USA.I would so appreciate your responses as soon as possible.
    Many Many Thanks!
    Mitzi

    Annika
    Moderator
    7103 posts
    14 September 2010 at 14:36:36 #831832

    Hello Mitzi! The map mentioned under the link ‘Overview of the network on which the Swiss Card is valid’ (on the Swiss Card page) shows all routes for which the Swiss Card offers either free travel (during your inbound and outbound trip) or a 50% reduction (on the remaining days of your stay in Switzerland). So yes, your Swiss Card would provide free travel between Waldshut (the border station) and Mürren and back again (question 1 and 6). A 50% discount appplies to the Schilthorn cable car, the funicular between Lauterbrunnen and Grütschalp, the mountain train between Grütschalp and Mürren (question 3) and the trains to and from Grindelwald (question 4). Nearly all regular train, bus and boat routes, and many mountain routes are included.

    Which pass is best for you, depends on a number of factors. The Swiss Card, however, is not the cheapest solution. The return trip from Waldshut to Mürren costs CHF 154.20 (regular 2nd class fares per person). A Swiss Card, which would allow you to make this trip for free, costs CHF 182.00. A Swiss Half Fare Card would be cheaper: it costs only CHF 99.00 and allows a 50% discount on all trips, including your inbound and outbound trip. So the total fare for your inbound and outbound trip, including the purchase costs of a Swiss Half Fare Card, would be CHF 99.00 + (CHF 154.20 / 2) = CHF 176.10. Apart from this, there’s no difference between a Swiss Card and a Swiss Half Fare Card: both offer a 50% discount on the other trips during your stay in Switzerland. This means that a Swiss Half Fare Card is in any case cheaper than the Swiss Card. If you plan to take only a few other mountain trains and lifts, and if long and intensive train journeys (apart from the inbound and outbound trip) aren’t part of your itinerary, my advice would be to purchase a Swiss Half Fare Card. It’s definitely more cost effective than purchasing regular tickets and cheaper than a Swiss Pass. The Swiss Pass is suitable if you plan to make quite some long, and therefore expensive, trips. (Question 8 and 10.)

    Both the Swiss Card and the Swiss Half Fare Card can be purchased online, by selecting your country (USA) under the header ‘Order your… here’ at either the Swiss Card or the Swiss Half Fare Card page. Local purchase on larger railway stations during opening hours is an option too. The Swiss Card can only be bought at border stations and I’m not sure if Waldshut is included. It would be best to contact the SBB to find out. The Swiss Half Fare Card price is CHF 99.00, both for an online and a local purchase. The Swiss Card price for a local purchase is CHF 182.00. You can check prices for online purchase of the Swiss Card by getting into the order process as described above; prices in USD are listed there. Whether an online or a local purchase is cheaper, depends on current exchange rates (question 11). Both the Swiss Card and the Swiss Half Fare Card don’t offer discounts for two or more people travelling together (question 9).

    I’m not sure about parking facilities at the Waldshut railway station. Most railway stations offer parking places, and in many cases you can arrange for an economical ticket if you want to park you car for several days. Please contact the SBB for more details.

    You can plan your trips using the online timetable (question 12). Trains leave from Waldshut two to three times per hour, and the trip lasts about 4 hours.

    I hope this answers your questions. Good luck on preparing your trip. Have a nice stay in Switzerland and a happy birthday!

    Kind regards,

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    15 September 2010 at 0:52:45 #831833

    Thanks a million for all of your great help!

    Wandermann
    Participant
    265 posts
    18 September 2010 at 8:50:57 #831834

    Hello Mitzi,
    I’m a bit late, sorry for that. May be all your questions have been answered by now. I just want to let you know that my navigation device (TomTom) indicates there is a parking building very near to the railway station of Waldshut. If you want to know more about terms and conditions of this parking building maybe you the Tourist-Info of Waldshut (by telephone or e-mail) can be of help.
    Have a wonderful time!

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 September 2010 at 14:21:40 #831835

    Thank you so much for your help on parking at Waldhut!

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