Swiss flexi pass and my itinerary

hello,

travelling to switzerland & paris with my wife and 9yr daughter - have bought a swiss flexi pass (4days in 1month) & the family card, here is my itinerary:

*day1 - land in zurich, take train to interlaken *validate and use swiss flexi pass + family card*

day2 - interlaken to grindelwald (take 50% discount) and then to jungfrau (i think swiss pass holders get 25% discount) -- only take discount, dont use swiss pass

*day3 - interlaken to zermatt & glacier express (will make seat reservations) *use swiss pass*

*day4 - interlaken to luzern. luzern - pilatus (50% discount on golden ticket) *use swiss pass*

day5 - luzern to engelberg (take 50% discount), buy titlis tickets at 50% -- only take discount, dont use swiss pass

*day6 - luzern to basel; basel to paris (tgv lyria) *use swiss pass* for travel to basel and to avail of 'passholder 3 fare' discount on tgv-lyria

a couple of queries:

1. on the days i dont wish to use my swiss pass day (day2: interlaken-jungfrau & day5: luzern-titlis), what should i say at the station when i'm buying tickets?

2. do i need to validate my 'passholder 3 fare' tgv-lyria tickets at the basel station?

thanks,
vinit

Hi vinit,

If you just say you have a Swiss Flexi Pass and show it to the officer, you'll get the discount you're entitled to. Basel is located at the Swiss - French border. You will only get discounts in Switzerland with your Swiss Pass. So that's up to Basel in your case. From there on, you pay the normal fare.

Enjoy your stay!

i think you get a 25% discount (passholder 3 fare) on the tgv-lyria (adult tickets only) - the ticket reads "lyriapremiere pass 3" with confirmed & reserved seat nos on the tgv-lyria from basel to paris. it only contains 1 additional note in french "pass couvrant la suisse a presenter", which roughly translates to "Swiss passes covering the present".

these websites mention that the flexi pass offers a discount on the lyria:
http://www.railplus.com.au/europe-by-rail/trains-in-europe/tgv/tgv-lyria.htm
http://www.tgv-lyria.com/main/FCK/File/site_en/fares_special_offers/tarifs_france_suisse.asp#pass

this is a raileurope document (valid from jan 2012) - it also has Pass 3 fare details stating ANY SWISS PASS is valid for discount on the tgv-lyria:
http://traintickets.britishrail.com/factsheets/1216777324701.pdf

best,
vinit

Hi vinit,

There are indeed passholder fares for the TGV's as the train is crossing two countries. So there are indeed fares for people holding a pass for both, one or none of the countries. I just wouldn't think a Swiss Pass passholders fare would make a difference if you board a train bound for France at the Swiss border (Basel or Geneva). Anyway, it's great if that actually does make a difference! As for your question whether or not to validate the TGV tickets: validation mostly applies to passes only, not to tickets, but it depends on the reseller. Most resellers issue a ticket for a specific date and time and it does not require validation. Some resellers issue tickets for a time frame that should be validated (usually there's a blank space on the ticket that needs to be stamped by a railway official). If you're in doubt you can best ask the reseller you purchased from, or ask railway personnel at any large station (e.g. Luzern or Basel). The note "pass couvrant la suisse a presenter" means that you own a ticket that requires you to have a valid pass for Switzerland.

Enjoy the ride!

Hi Vinit,
The first link is for Australia/New Zealand residents only and the 2nd doesn't work. I can't find a Rail USA link.

thanks,

Cheryl

The savings are significant so I will continue the search.

these websites mention that the flexi pass offers a discount on the lyria:
http://www.railplus.com.au/europe-by-rail/trains-in-europe/tgv/tgv-lyria.htm
http://www.tgv-lyria.com/main/FCK/File/site_en/fares_special_offers/tarifs_france_suisse.asp#pass

this is a raileurope document (valid from jan 2012) - it also has Pass 3 fare details stating ANY SWISS PASS is valid for discount on the tgv-lyria:
http://traintickets.britishrail.com/factsheets/1216777324701.pdf