Aug 19, 2010 - 2:45 AM
Hello aklbudati! In your case, a Swiss Half Fare Card is the cheapest solution. A Swiss Pass is less cost effective, but will still save you over CHF 120.00 per person compared with buying regular tickets for the trips you mention. (Just a little note: a Swiss Card doesn't come in handy here, as it offers a free trip from the border or airport to your destination and back. Both sections in your case, between the border and Bern, and then again between Lucerne and Zurich Airport, are too short and inexpensive to make the Swiss Card a cost effective option.)
The Swiss Pass offers a more convenient way of travelling than the Swiss Half Fare Card, as you don't have to purchase tickets for each train and boat journey. The Swiss Half Fare Card does require you to purchase discounted tickets for each trip. These discounted tickets don't have to be purchased online. You can buy them at the spot before boarding, from ticketing machines or desks at the railway and cable car stations. Only the ticket from Paris to Bern should be booked online in advance, as it's an international journey which requires seat reservation.
You can order your Swiss Half Fare Cards on the Swiss Half Fare Card page, by selecting your country under the header 'Order your Swiss Half Fare Card here' (be sure to click 'Show more countries').
Swiss passes can be ordered through the Swiss Pass page, following the same procedure as with the Swiss Half Fare Card. In fact, it would be best to purchase a Swiss Saver Pass for both the adult and the youth (as a combination of 1 regular Swiss Pass and 1 Swiss Youth Pass turns out to be more expensive than a Swiss Saver Pass for 2 people).
Last modified on Dec 24, 2021 - 11:15 AM by Arno