[SwissMiss72]

22 June 2021 at 18:23:49 #825873

Hello all,

we are a family of Swiss citizens (Covid vaccinated) living in the US, and we are planning a trip to Switzerland in August (for 3 weeks) to visit family and friends.

Our plan is to stay in Geneva for 2 weeks, then to go to Wengen for a week. I was planning to get the Berner Oberland Pass for our Wengen visit, and now I’m wondering if it would make sense to get the Half Fare Card as well. We are planning on using public transportation while in Geneva, and we need to get from Geneva to Bern (after that, Berner Oberland Pass is valid). Would my 14-year old travel for free? We would be able to get a discounted Berner Oberland Pass, is that correct? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for everything, this website is proving to be a precious ressource, particularly in planning our Wengen stay!

Swissmiss

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[Anna]

22 June 2021 at 18:40:26 #935347

Hi Swissmiss,

I agree, it would make sense to get the Swiss Half Fare Card too if you have plans to travel places outside of Berner Oberland. When you buy the Swiss Half Fare Card, you’ll get a complimentary Swiss Family Card, which allows children between 6 and 16 to travel along for free.

You can find more details about the Swiss Half Fare Card here: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard

As for the Regional Pass Berner Oberland, children between 6 and 15 pay a flat rate of CHF30 and this allows them to travel along for free with you. More details here: http://www.myswissalps.com/regionalpassberneseoberland

Regards,

Anna

[SwissMiss72]

22 June 2021 at 19:05:22 #935348

Thanks Anna!

I keep going back and forth, please bear with me as I am figuring this out 🙂 The other option would be to buy a “supersaver ticket” from Geneva to Bern (and back) on our travel days. That would still leave us with public transportation in Geneva… I couldn’t really find anything on their website about monthly/weekly passes for visitors, do you know anything about it (unireso)? Also, if we get the half fare card, would my boys be able to use it on their own if they want to be out and about without parents (they are 16 and 14) in Geneva?

Thanks! Kind regards.

Swissmiss

[Arno]

23 June 2021 at 11:00:47 #935349

Hi Swissmiss,

Sure, if a Supersaver tickets fit your needs then that’s perfectly fine. Please see http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/switzerland.

Public transport in Geneva is free, assuming you’ll be staying in the city. Did you find our Geneva travel page? It explains all you need I think. If not, feel free to let us know: http://www.myswissalps.com/geneva/travel.

[Removed user]

23 June 2021 at 12:52:11 #935350

Hi Swissmiss,

just a short extension to the other answers, you’ll find info about the Swiss Family Card at http://www.myswissalps.com/swissfamilycard.

Ildiko

[SwissMiss72]

23 June 2021 at 14:14:58 #935351

Arno,

thanks for the reply. We won’t be staying in a hotel, as we are visiting relatives, so no free public transportation for us 😉 I did find a monthly pass that I’ll look into.

[Removed user]

23 June 2021 at 14:33:48 #935352

I am not sure, how much you want to travel from Geneva, but if you want to do day trips, Swiss Travel Pass can be also good for you: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass. With Swiss Travel Pass you can travel for free also within the cities. Although the maximum length is 15 days for a pass.

(It also give you free entry into more than 500 museums.)

Here you’ll find the prices of the monthly Unireso (only in French): http://www.unireso.com/titres-de-transport/#tarifs. I believe you were looking for that.

Ildiko

[SwissMiss72]

23 June 2021 at 21:14:24 #935353

Thanks Ildiko,

yes, the 15-day limit with the Swiss Travel Pass makes it not a good option for us.

Thank you for the unireso link!

Swissmiss

[Annika]

24 June 2021 at 4:49:59 #935354

Hi Swissmiss! Maybe the tips under “Alternatives if you stay longer than 15 days” at http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/details are relevant for you, as you’re trying to cover a 3-week stay.

Still, the combination of a Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland for your weeks in Wengen and a Swiss Half Fare Card for your stay in Geneva makes sense to me. Note that the Regional-Pass is cheaper for Swiss Half Fare Card holders, so make sure to select the discounted price if you decide to purchase this pass: http://www.myswissalps.com/regionalpassberneseoberland/price!

[SwissMiss72]

24 June 2021 at 23:06:22 #935355

Annika,

thanks for pointing me to that section, I hadn’t seen it. Yes, I saw that the Berner Oberland Pass would be cheaper with the Half Fare Card, which makes that combo really attractive to me.

Thank you all again for putting this information together and making it accessible, it is super helpful!

Swissmiss