Swiss Pass, Swiss Saver Pass, or Swiss Card?

kkm8706

3 posts
new member

Jun 15, 2011 - 3:34 PM

Hello,

I am traveling to Switzerland for the first time next week. I have been spending time researching the various passes/cards available to figure out which is the most economical. I would appreciate any help in the calculations and decision!

I am a youth (23 yr.) and will be traveling with my mother.

Here is our itinerary:

Day 1: Zurich airport--Lucerne

Day 2: Mt. Pilatus golden tour (boat, cog train, cable car, bus)

Day 3: Possible lake cruise (do you think we'll want another after the one included on the Mt. Pilatus trip?)

Day 4: Lucerne--Lauterbrunnen (would like to take the golden pass railway via Interlaken), use of gondolas/transport in the region (i.e. Murren, Grindelwald)

Day 5: Possible trip from Lauterbrunnen to Spriez, otherwise hiking

Day 6: Trip up to Schilthorn from Lauterbrunnen

Day 7: Use of gondolas/transport in the region (Murren, Gimmelwald, etc), Train Lauterbrunnen to Zurich airport

If it is rainy in the Bernese Oberland region we will likely take a side trip via train to Bern or Spriez instead of hiking.

Based on this information, any advice on whether we should purchase the Swiss Pass (1 adult, 1 youth), the Swiss Saver Pass, or the Swiss Card (which from my understanding would cover Zurich airport-Lucerne and then Lauterbrunnen-Zurich airport, plus 50% discount on all other transport)?

And I know it's outside the realm of this particular forum, but between the Schilthorn and the Jungfrau how does one decide?

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

kkm8706

3 posts
new member

Jun 16, 2011 - 8:01 AM

Can anyone provide advice on which pass or card to purchase? We leave next Wednesday so I believe we need to buy it ASAP. Thank you!

Annika

7184 posts
expert &
moderator

Jun 16, 2011 - 12:57 PM

Hi kkm8706, and welcome! There are several options. An 8 day Swiss Saver Pass will offer the most comfortable way of travelling, as it allows you to travel without having to buy discounted train, bus or boat tickets. But it's not the cheapest solution.

I think that either the (3 or 4 day) Swiss Saver Flexi Pass or the Swiss Half Fare Card suits your needs better. The Swiss Saver Flexi Pass offers a number of free travel days, to be used on your first and last day and on one or two days in between, on which you plan the longest and most expensive journeys. A 50% discount is granted on the remaining days.
The Swiss Half Fare Card offers a 50% reduction on nearly all trips throughout the country during your stay. For your itinerary, it's better than the Swiss Card, since your inbound and outbound trip (which are for free with the Swiss Card) aren't that long and expensive. Only exact calculations, including a plan for day 3, would be able to prove which pass is best. I hope this helps you out though.

Deciding between Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch is difficult indeed. Both are very different, the Schilthorn offering a 360 degree view over the Alps, the Jungfraujoch offering the experience of actually being in the Alps and overlooking a huge glacier. There have been some ideas about this issue in this topic.

MySwissAlps.com recommends to read this:
All Swiss rail passes How to choose a pass?

Last modified on Jan 27, 2020 - 11:19 AM by Arno

kkm8706

3 posts
new member

Jun 21, 2011 - 2:01 PM

Thank you so much for your helpful reply. I think we will go with the half fare card. Where can we purchase it after arriving at the Zurich airport? Also, any advice on booking the Mt. Pilatus and Schilthorn tickets? Are reservations necessary?

Lastly, if traveling from Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen, is it worth the golden panoramic trains or will the normal train travel the same route? I am trying to decide whether I ought to make specific reservations or just take the 'regular' train.

Thank you again for your assistance in planning. We cannot wait to be in Switzerland on Thursday!!

aprillim

5 posts
new member

Jun 21, 2011 - 2:34 PM

Hi,
My family and I will be arriving at Zurich airport at around 9pm which we will then head straight to Lucerne. Will we still be able to get the Swiss Saver Pass at that time in the airport? How does the Swiss pass work? Since we will be reaching on the 7th of July night and leaving on the morning of the 10th of July to Venice. Should we get a 4 days pass or a 3 days pass? Or rather do we even need to get the pass since we will only be travelling on the train through the cities and that's it.

Another question is how do i get from Interlaken to Venice.

Thanks for your help.

April.

Annika

7184 posts
expert &
moderator

Jun 22, 2011 - 5:53 AM

kkm8706 said: Thank you so much for your helpful reply. I think we will go with the half fare card. Where can we purchase it after arriving at the Zurich airport? Also, any advice on booking the Mt. Pilatus and Schilthorn tickets? Are reservations necessary?
Lastly, if traveling from Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen, is it worth the golden panoramic trains or will the normal train travel the same route? I am trying to decide whether I ought to make specific reservations or just take the 'regular' train.
Thank you again for your assistance in planning. We cannot wait to be in Switzerland on Thursday!!

Hi kkm8706. All purchase options for the Swiss Half Fare Card are listed at the Swiss Half Fare Card page. You should get to one of the railway counters at the Zurich Airport railway station. You don't have to book tickets for Pilatus and Schilthorn in advance.

The ride from Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen via the Golden Pass route (that is, crossing the Brünig Pass and Meiringen) is beautiful, both in regular trains and in Golden Pass panoramic trains. The panoramic trains have larger windows, but they do require you to make seat reservations, which would be quite shortly in advance in your case.

Have a great trip!

Last modified on Jan 27, 2020 - 11:14 AM by Arno

Annika

7184 posts
expert &
moderator

Jun 22, 2011 - 6:01 AM

aprillim said: Hi,
My family and I will be arriving at Zurich airport at around 9pm which we will then head straight to Lucerne. Will we still be able to get the Swiss Saver Pass at that time in the airport? How does the Swiss pass work? Since we will be reaching on the 7th of July night and leaving on the morning of the 10th of July to Venice. Should we get a 4 days pass or a 3 days pass? Or rather do we even need to get the pass since we will only be travelling on the train through the cities and that's it.
Another question is how do i get from Interlaken to Venice.
Thanks for your help.
April.

Hello April, and welcome to the forum. Which pass is best, depends on your exact itinerary. I don't know what trips you'll be making, but if longer train journeys from city to city are involved, you may consider a 3 day Swiss Saver Flexi Pass for July 8, 9 and 10. You'll find detailed explanation and purchase options at the Swiss Pass and Swiss Flexi Pass pages.

The timetable will help you plan your trip. Just fill out Interlaken as your departure station and Venice as your arrival station to check all possible train connections.

By the way, would you mind creating a new topic for questions that aren't closely related to this current topic, started by kkm8706? A new topic for each specific situation, itinerary or question helps our forum visitors to keep a clear overview. Just log in, get to the forum and click 'Start new topic' in the upper right corner right above the topic overview. Thank you :-)!

Best regards,

Last modified on Nov 1, 2018 - 4:17 PM by Arno

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