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Dear all,
It’s always fascinating to receive updated travel advice from this forum. Many thanks for that.
Coming on to my query. I am travelling with my wife to Switzerland from Prague taking overnight train on 24 Apr and reaching Zurich in the morning at 0820h on 25 Apr. We plan to stay for a night at Zurich and cover major attractions and leave next day for Interlaken.
1. We also want to visit Rhein Falls. Will it be better to do it on 25 Apr or in morning next day on 26 Apr before we take train for Interlaken at around 1300h ?
2. Is it possible to take a point to point ticket from Zurich to Interlaken and de board the train at Lucerne, visit Lucerne for 3-4 hours and take next train for Interlaken. If yes which is the best ticket to be taken for this. Also, as we will be carrying our luggage, will it be possible to drop luggage at Lucerne Station, if yes, what are the likely charges/duration and can they accommodate big trolleys. Which is the last train that leaves Lucerne for Interlaken and likely travel time.
3. We will be in Interlaken for 5 nights from 26 Apr till 01 May, focusing on Jungfrau Region.
Day 1- Day trip to Jungfraujoch. Visit Wengen, Lauterbrunnen area after Jungfraujoch.
Day 2- Day trip to Schilthorn. Visit Murren and Gimmelwald after we visit Schilthorn and go to Harder Kulm in the evening for sunset. Can we include Lake Grauseewli on this day.
Day 3- Day trip to Grindelwald First. Go for Bachalpsee Lake hike and visit Grindelwald village after we do Grindelwald first.
Day 4- Visitr areas around Interlaken to include Lake Thun, Oberhofen Castle, Lake Brienz, Iseltwald, Geissbach waterfall, bridge across Aare River, Saint Beatus caves and waterfall and if possible few areas in Lauterbrunnen valley also to include Trummelbach falls, Mannlichen, Mount Niesen. Need some suggestions on these places, if these two areas (Interlaken and Lauterbrunnn) divided among half day each which all can be covered. Is it better to cover places in one area or divide in two half’s and cover few places in both areas.
Day 5- Return to Zurich to take night train to Vienna at 2140h. On this day also we want to take point to point ticket and visit Bern in similar way we visited Lucerne.
Days are not fixed and depend on weather conditions and that is why we have catered some extra days to cater for bad weather conditions. Our focus is Jungfrau region.
Coming on to the most important question of which travel pass to take. After having gone through multiple posts here and surfing many websites and videos, I am still confused. I have decided to take Half fare card along with either 4 days Top of Europe Winter pass (valid till 30 Apr, which perfectly suits us) or 4 days Berner Oberland pass. I am still confused which one will be better or still there is a better choice I can make.
This itinerary is still not fixed but yes we want to concentrate on Jungfrau Region and that is how it has been made. Esteemed experienced members are requested to please advice and suggest that whether it is doable, can we include something extra which we missed in day wise plan, which is the better pass for us, any changes in itinerary are also welcome (given that we are used to hiking and physically quite active). Please also comment on any restrictions on travel routes due to maintenance/other reasons in Jungfrau region which may lead to change in our plans.
Also, if you can advice on likely temperature range and daylight hours in Apr last week.
I am very sorry for such a long message and so many queries.
Many many thanks in advance as always.
Best regards,
Mohan
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Hi Mohan,
Based on your plans, you might want to consider getting the Berner Oberland Pass. If you have the Berner Oberland Pass, you only need a ticket from Zurich to Lucerne on day 2, and Bern to Zurich on day 5. Lucerne to Interlaken and Interlaken to Bern is covered the Berner Oberland Pass. You can purchase the point-to-point tickets Zurich – Lucerne and Interlaken – Bern online: http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/switzerlandhalffare. These point-to-point tickets are generally valid until 5am the next day and you can make pit stops along the route in a forward direction. More details here: http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/switzerland
You can check the Berner Oberland Pass validity map here: http://www.myswissalps.com/regionalpassberneseoberland/validity. With the Berner Oberland Pass, you have greater flexibility in terms of where to travel in case of closures or bad weather.
If you have a Swiss Half Fare Card, you can purchase the Berner Oberland Pass at a reduced price: http://www.myswissalps.com/regionalpassberneseoberland/price
Regarding your itinerary, day 4 may be a little too ambitious. On day 2, the hike to Lake Grauseewli can be done from Birg (Schilthorn).
Hope this helps in your trip planning.
Regards,
Anna
Dear Anna,
Many thanks for the reply.
Can you help me with the basic query that as per my understanding the only advantage Top of the Europe pass gives you is that one trip to Jungfrauyoch is included in the this pass and not included in the Berner Oberland Pass.
Is there a way to find out how much difference will be in Top of Europe and the Berner Oberland Pass.
We will re work Day 4 accordingly.
Many thanks
Hi Unomairs1038,
That’s right. With the Top of Europe Pass, one free return trip to Jungfraujoch is included.
With the Berner Oberland Pass, you pay a fixed price of CHF99 for a return trip to Jungfraujoch.
You can compare the validity maps of each pass:
- Top of Europe Pass: http://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/top-of-europe-pass-winter/
- Berner Oberland Pass: http://www.myswissalps.com/regionalpassberneseoberland/validity
You have to consider the details of your itinerary in order to choose the best pass. If you’re only travelling in the Jungfrau region, the Top of Europe Pass will cover most of your travels. However if your plans includes Interlaken, Lake Thun and a little further, the Berner Oberland Pass might be a more sensible option. You can find useful tips on how to choose the best railpass here: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass
Hope this helps.
regards,
Anna
Dear Anna,
Many thanks for the reply.
After comparing Berner Oberland pass, Top of Europe pass and Jungfrau travel pass, I have decided to take Berner Oberland pass for 6 days from 26 Apr till 01 May which will cover most of the places and will also provide flexibility to execute alternate plans in case of bad weather.
Many thanks for all the help and support.
Best regards
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