MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Switzerland rail passes for 8 days with car
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Hello! 🙂
I’ve been reading and reading all the threads but felt it might be better to start this a new one as my itinerary is slightly different. We will be arriving mid-September and staying for 8 full days. We have rented a car and wanted to know which passes would be best to purchase that will work for our itinerary, as some places can only be reached by train/gondola.
Day 1: We arrive to Zurich at 6AM and planned to stay around for half/full the day and then drive to Lucerne before night time.
– Lake Zurich
– Altstadt (Old Town)
– Lindenhof
– Grossmünster
Day 1-2: Spend 1 night in Lucerne then driving to Grindelwald later in the evening
– Mount Rigi (we plan on spending the night here)
– Lake Lucerne
– Mount Pilatus
– Chapel Bridge
– Panorama Yacht Saphir (is this recommended or not needed?)
This checklist will depend on what time we get to Lucerne and what time we leave to drive to Grindelwald.
We will be staying in Grindelwald for the rest of our time but plan in driving/train/boat/gondola rides for different parts of the region nearby.
Day 3-8:
Interlaken
– Harder Kulm
– Schynige Platte
– Lake Brienz
– Lake Thun
– Panoramabrücke Sigriswil
– St Beatus Caves
Grindelwald
– First: we plan on doing different activies and hikes, so this will probably take a whole day or two
– Bachalpsee
– Eiger Trail
– Top of Europe/Jungfraujoch
– Grosse Scheidegg
– Gletscherschlucht
– Marmot Trail
Please let me know if this itinerary is do-able! I am still able to move things around change up the itinerary! Also, if we have time… I’d like to maybe go down to Zermatt and spend 1 full day!
With that being said, I don’t know if I should only be purchasing a Top of Europe pass? Or if I should purchase a half fare card and purchase the Top of Europe pass for 50% off in case some of these other areas aren’t covered by the Top of Europe pass? Or if there are any other passes that you think might be better, please let me know!
Thank you so much in advance!
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Hi Jujubeesz and welcome to MySwissAlps.com!
Your itinerary is doable. I am not sure about the Panorama Yacht Saphir. If you like audio guides then yes, you can do that. Otherwise you can have a simple boat trip on Lake Lucerne: http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakelucerne. At http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakelucerne/tickets you can find guided tours as well.
For drivers, we usually recommend the Swiss Half Fare Card: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard. Make sure to check the validity tab too.
But as you are spending most of your time in the Jungfrau region, the Regional Pass Bernese Oberland: http://www.myswissalps.com/regionalpassberneseoberland/. (Check the validity map). In this case you have no discount for Zermatt‘s mountain transports. So check the validity map for sure.
If you would like to make sure which pass is the best for you, use our calculation spreadsheet. You can download it from here: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass.
May I ask why do you would like to drive? The Swiss train system is amazing, and you really do not need a car in the Jungfrau region. Learn more: http://www.myswissalps.com/carversustrain
I hope this helps,
Ildiko
Thank you so much, Ildiko!
I booked a car with our flight because I thought it might be easier to travel from the airport to our airbnb and to some areas. We will be bringing some luggage so I thought it was a good idea at the time. Do you think it will be better to just train? If yes, which pass would you recommend us to get then?
Also, will taking the train save us time? Would luggage be a problem taking the trains? Thanks!
Best,
Julie
Hi Julie,
Travelling with luggage on the train is very common in Switzerland. You can find useful information about this here: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/luggage
It’s fairly easy to use trains and public transport in Switzerland. Services are regular and they pretty much run on time. Most mountain destinations are only accessible by mountain transportation. Be sure to read this before your trip: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/howtotravel
Also, this information may be useful if you plan to combine train and car travel together: http://www.myswissalps.com/car
If you decide to travel mostly by train, you might want to consider getting the Regional Pass Bernese Oberland, as suggested by Ildiko. This pass is ideal as you’ll be based in Grindelwald and doing mainly sightseeing activities and day trips within the Bernese Oberland region. But it is not valid outside of the Bernese Oberland region and need to arrange for additional tickets for excursions and trips that is not covered by the pass.
Alternatively, if you prefer a railpass that is valid nationwide, the Swiss Travel Pass is a good option. This railpass provides you with unlimited travel on public transport such as trains, bus, tram and boats, and discounted travel on mountain transport anywhere in Switzerland.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Anna
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