[Removed user]

4 May 2011 at 12:50:53 #804270

Hi
So I intend to do the following, and based on that need suggestions as to what kind of pass should I be purchasing (Swiss, Swiss Flexi, Swiss Half Fare etc)…
It would be for 2 people…
24th May: Arriving in Zurich from Paris through a day train
(So that would not require anything from Swiss passes, since I would be purchasing that from Paris to Zurich)

24th May: Spending time in Zurich locally
(Visiting 1-2 places until the evening, like a lake, waterfall etc, so would need local transportation, maybe a bus)

24th May: Going from Zurich to Interlaken and to the Hotel in Interlaken
(Need a train transportation, and also maybe a bus to reach the hotel)

25th May: Going to Mount Pilatus – Intend to do the 360 tour or whatever it’s called…
(Need transportation from hotel to a spot where the tour starts, then also need transportation in the Gondola to reach the top, then the cogwheel to get down on the other side, then take the ship/boat, and then the bus to reach the morning spot back, and then the bus back to the hotel)

26th May: Going to Mount Titlis
(Similar as above, would need bus ride from hotel to the spot, then maybe the Gondola or whatever that takes us to the top, etc)

27th May: Going from Lucerne to Interlaken
(Need a train transportation, and also maybe a bus to reach the hotel)

27th May: Exploring Interlaken locally
(Need bus rides to visit touristy places in Interlaken)

28th May: Going to Jungfrau
(Need bus ride from hotel to the spot, then I guess the Gondola or whatever that takes us up to the Jungfrau mountain)
29th May: Going to Venice from Interlaken
(So maybe a bus ride from hotel to the train station)

24,25,26,27,28 = 5 days for sure
29th – i wuld need just one ride from the hotel to the train station to catch my train to Venice (so do not want to pay for the whole 6th day)

Based on this details, can you please suggest any tips/points to note, and mainly what kind of pass should suit me ?
Thanks
Sunil

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[Arno]

5 May 2011 at 13:31:32 #832746

Hi Sunil,

That’s a good itinerary! (assuming that you mean Lucerne rather than Interlaken on May 24). A Swiss Half Fare Card would be a good fit. This FAQ explains how to calculate exactly if you want to.

[Removed user]

5 May 2011 at 20:09:59 #832747

Hi Arno
Thanks, yes it was a typo.

So I would be in Lucerne for 24,25,26 nights and in Interlaken (mostly Wengen), for 27,28 nights …
Then will go to Venice on 29th morning from Interlaken …

For the past few days it seems the sbb.ch website is not functioning when I go to check the fares – Is it so?

So based on my entire travel plan, I am going to post the ideal situation of which mode of transport I would be using when, just as a guess estimate.
The idea is to get some closure on which pass covers what costs – between – Swiss Flexi and Swiss Half Fare …

1. Zurich Locally ::: Local Buses / Trains Cost ::: No charge 0$ with Swiss Flexi vs 50% of price with Swiss Half Fare – Is that right?

2. Zurich Station to Lucerne Station ::: Train Ride Cost ::: No charge 0$ with Swiss Flexi vs 50% of price with Swiss Half Fare – Is that right?

3. Lucerne Station to Lucerne Hotel ::: Bus Ride Cost ::: No charge 0$ with Swiss Flexi vs 50% of price with Swiss Half Fare – Is that right?

4. Mount Pilatus Trip (Assuming I am not purchasing the Golden Round Trip pass):::
4a. Lucerne Hotel to Kriens ::: Bus / Train Cost ::: No charge 0$ with Swiss Flexi vs 50% of price with Swiss Half Fare – Is that right?
4b. Kriens to Pilatus Klum ::: Gondola Cost ::: 50% of price with Swiss Flexi vs 50% of price with Swiss Half Fare – Is that right?
4c. Pilatus Klum to Alpnachstad ::: Mountain Train Cost ::: 50% of price with Swiss Flexi vs 50% of price with Swiss Half Fare – Is that right?
4d. Alpnachstad to Lucerne ::: Boat Cost ::: 50% of price with Swiss Flexi vs 50% of price with Swiss Half Fare – Is that right?
– Now I guess, for this, if I am purchasing the Swiss Half Fare Card, is it recommended to purchase the Golden Round Trip pass for this tour of Pilatus?

5. Mount Titlis Trip
5a. Lucerne Hotel to Engelberg ::: Bus / Train Cost ::: No charge 0$ with Swiss Flexi vs 50% of price with Swiss Half Fare – Is that right?
5b. Engelberg to Titlis ::: All Gondola Costs ::: 50% of price with Swiss Flexi vs 50% of price with Swiss Half Fare – Is that right?
– Now so is there any such round trip tour pass for Titlis too just like the Pilatus tour?
– Also, do we have to actually buy like a separate entrance pass (just like Jungfraoch which people say is expensive) to make the Titlis tour?

6. Lucerne Station to Interlaken Station to Wengen Station ::: Train Ride Cost ::: No charge 0$ with Swiss Flexi vs 50% of price with Swiss Half Fare – Is that right?

7. Jungfraoch Trip
7a. Not sure how to get to Jungfraoch from a hotel in Wengen, but assuming it’s a train + gondola I guess the same rules as above would apply in terms of the fare coverage through the passes right?
Basically, the exercise above is to figure out as to which pass should be good for me: Swiss Flexi or Swiss Half Fare …

Calculations:
Swiss Flexi Pass: 750 $ for 6 days for 2 people
Swiss Half Fare Pass: 300 $ for 30 days for 2 people
Difference: 450 $ TOTAL
– My point is, whether using the Swiss Half Fare Pass, and paying 50 % of all the prices that I incur while using the mode of transport, am I saving enough to compensate for the difference of 450 $ ?
– Although I do agree, that apart from local buses, trains and boats, I would end up paying 50% for Gondolas and Mountain Trains – no matter which pass I choose… So that would be like 750 $ of Flexi pass + these additional costs vs 300 $ of Half Fare pass + the additional costs …
Sorry for the long post …:-)

Thanks
Sunil

[Arno]

6 May 2011 at 10:47:08 #832748

Hi Sunil,

I’ve indeed also seen some technical problems on the SBB website. They’ll usually fix this quickly.

I would recommend the Swiss Half Fare Card for your trip. But please refer to my previous post. The mentioned FAQ explains how to calculate the exact amounts if you want to. As for your questions about the amount of discount: indeed for mountain transportation all passes offer (nearly) the same discounts. Please be aware that the Swiss Half Fare Card offers 50% discount on the Jungfraujoch and the Swiss Flexi Pass 25%. These and all other details can be reviewed at the map we link to from the Swiss Half Fare Card page and Swiss Flexi Pass page.

The Pilatus Golden Round Trip can be made with either of these passes. You’ll pay a reduced price in both cases.

There’s no round trip to the Titlis. You can just purchase a discounted return ticket at the valley station. For variation, you can do some hiking. There’s an easy hike around a little lake that’s right next to one of the in-between stations called Trübsee.