Swiss Flexi Pass really worth the money???

Hi billcoke. Great you made such detailed calculations. It's hard for me to tell whether they're correct, as I get different prices - even if converted into SGD - from the SBB timetable, which is the most trustworthy source for your Swiss rail calculations. I'd say a Swiss Saver Flexi Pass is better for several reasons. First of all, it allows you to be more flexible and adapt your plans, profiting from discounts or free traveling even if you travle more than you planned. Moreover, you didn't include the discounted trip to Mt. Pilatus on Sept. 11 in your list plus all the discounts on urban transportation in Interlaken, Lucerne and Zurich.

Furthermore, I don't think you should take a 5 day Swiss Saver Flexi Pass. A free travel day on Sept. 8 isn't really worth your money, as the pass grants free traveling up to Grindelwald only. From there, a 25% applies anyway, both on non-free and free travel days. I think you should look into the very economical 2 for 1 offer on the 4 day Swiss Saver Flexi Pass instead, valid for traveling in Fall 2012. You can order it through our partner STC/Swissrailways. (Other partners offer this too, but most of them only for April and May yet.) This will drastically lower the expenses of your pass (about SGD 200 per person) and thus change your calculations.

Hotels and other information can be found at our Geneva Airport, Geneva, Interlaken, Lucerne, Zurich and Lugano pages.

Hi Annika,
1. Many thanks for pointing out that the free travel day on Sept 8 to Grindelwald, isn't worth the money. After included the 50% discount for Mt. Pilatus on Sept. 11, the best pass would be Swiss Flexi Pass Saver for 2 passengers (see attachment).
Note: all pricing extracted from : www.raileurope.com.sg/ rail-products/rail-passes/article/swiss-pass

2. As for the 2 for1 promotion, this website allows me to fill in Singapore address, does it mean that it can mail the Swiss Flexi Pass tickets to Singapore?
http://www.swissrailwa ys.com/userdata.php?passid=2&affiliateid=2 3&system=CH&lang=en

3. The website, after I filled in the number of adults, it ask for start date, is that referring to our first free travel date?

Hi Annika,
3 Sep - Arrive Geneva
4 Sep - City Tour by Keytours.ch
5 Sep - Mont Blanc tour by Viator.com
6 Sep - Depart Geneva for Interlaken ( ** Swiss Flexi Pass?? **)
7 Sep - City tour at Interlaken
8 Sep - Interlaken to Grindelwald
8 Sep - Grindelwald to Junfrajoch (** 25% discount for Swiss Flexi Pass **)
9 Sep - Depart Interlaken for Lucerne ( ** Swiss Flexi Pass?? **)
10 Sep - City tour at Lucerne
11 Sep - Mt Pilatus - Golden Round Trip (** 50% discount for Swiss Flexi Pass **)
12 Sep - Depart Lucerne for Zurich ( ** Swiss Flexi Pass??? **)
13 Sep - Zurich City Tour by Viator.com
14 Sep - Visit Bahnhofstrasse and Altstadt
15 Sep - Depart Zurich @6:37 for Bernina Express Train at Chur @ 9:31 ( ** Swiss Flexi Pass??? **)
15 Sep - Arrive Tirano at 13:27, change to the Bernina Express bus to Lugano
16 Sep - Depart Lugano for Zermatt (** Swiss Flexi Pass??? **)
17 Sep - Gornergrat Bahn (** 50% discount for Swiss Flexi Pass **)
18 Sep - Zermatt to Milan

I'm planning to add Zermatt to the itinerary on 16 Sep 2012, but have the following questions:

1. The train ride from Lugano to Zermatt is around 6hr 45min, to shorten the travelling time, would it be better, instead of Geneva-Interlaken, that I stop over at Zermatt before continuing to Interlaken (ie. Geneva-Zermatt-Interlaken)?

Notice that both SBB and RailEurope.com.sg gave inconsistent information.

2. Given a fictitious travelling date on 18/05/2012 (the timetable for Sept/2012 is not available yet for RailEurope.com.sg website), both the SBB and RailEurope.com.sg gave different departure time and duration, 5:10 vs 5:30 and 6hr 42min vs 5hr 43min (see attached). Why the difference in timing?

3. In SBB website, under the Online timetable, what does the "Walk" icon mean? I got a "error code F1" when click at the "Walk" icon (see attached)?

4. When traveling from Lugano to Zermatt, both SBB and Raileurope.com.sg shows different transit stations??
RailEurope.com.sg shows Lugano-Zurich HB-VISP-Zermatt
SBB shows Lugano-Giubiasco-Gallarate-Brig-Brig Bahnhofplatz-Zermatt

5. For Raileurope.com.sg, how to make a separate seat reservation for Train 650 and 812?

6: Read one of your forum that there is a 50% discount for Gornergrat Bahn for Swiss Flexi Pass holder, but if I get a 5days Swiss Flexi Pass which the last free travel date is on 16 Sep, could I still get 50% discount for Gornergrat Bahn on 17 Sep??

Hi Bill,

Please only use the official Swiss timetable. Other ones may not show you all the available trains. The Walk icon means that you need to walk that leg. Usually it's just a couple of minutes, e.g. from the train platforms to the bus station.

I'm not sure which trains are numbered 650 and 812. You normally don't need to book seats, except for panoramic and international trains. The timetable will mark those trains as "reservation obligatory". You can read about it here, and book from that page as well.

The Swiss Flexi Pass is not valid after the last day of free traveling. Please read about all the details here.

I hope this helps!

Hi Bill,

You can order your tickets through the Swiss Timetable. Just make sure you select GA 1. cl. 1 year/GA subscription or GA 2. cl 1 year/GA subscription (depending on the class you have your Swiss Flexi Pass for), in step 2 Passengers, and Reduction for Switzerland.
This way the discount for the Swiss leg of your journey will be active.
Indeed, seat reservations are not required for the Swiss leg.