Swiss Family Card all my family needs?
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Removed userParticipant72625 posts12 November 2017 at 4:26:46 #813654
Hello
I am Kalpana from Mumbai and I wish to travel to Swiss in May 2018 with my spouse and me aged 42 and kids aged 9 and 13. I am confused on how to plan my itinerary. I plan to stay for 5 nights . Would you please advise when I should buy the travel pass ? Is it the Swiss family pass of 4 days that I should buy ? Where should I buy it from ? How many days in advance should I buy ? I see on your website that you have mentioned Amigo travels in India as your official travel partner can I buy from them ?
My base would be Alpanach where i would stay in an air B n B accommodation , this would be my base to travel to various places, on the 6 the day I wish to book euro rail tickets to Paris- can you please advise how to buy these tickets ?
Thanks
Kalpana
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Removed userParticipant72625 posts12 November 2017 at 13:06:37 #871820
Hi Kalpana and welcome to MySwissAlps!
You would need to buy the Swiss Travel Pass for you and for your spouse and then add-on (free) the Swiss Family Card to cover both children (all their travel is 100%) on that card.
We link several partners that you can buy both rail passes from here. Just enter India as your country and hit search to update the list. I wouldn’t buy the passes until you are firm on your travel dates (fees are charged if you change the start date). The passes can be emailed to you for printing at home – so just be sure to buy at least a week before travel to be safe).
You may want to stay at two towns in Switzerland during your stay. But this depends on your plans. Use the Swiss railways timetable to plan out your trips from your base to see travel times.
You can buy tickets to Paris through our links here.
Removed userParticipant72625 posts13 November 2017 at 7:47:05 #871821Thanks so much for the reply . I am told by an agent in Mumbai India that other than the Swiss family pass to visit the following places I have to pay additional charges, can you please clarify this for me
SWISS PEAKS*
Jungfrau CHF 135** per person
Titlis CHF 57** per person
Shilthorn CHF 40** per person
Glacier 3000 CHF 49** per person
Chocolate Train EUR 80** per person
* Subject to change for May, 2018
4 Days Swiss Rail Pass he is quoting a charge of CHF 262 PER PERSON .
Are the above true ? Or am I being given incorrect information ? I thought with the pass I can visit Titlis and Jungfrau also .
Thanks
Kalpana
Removed userParticipant72625 posts13 November 2017 at 10:37:09 #871822Yes some mountain trip aren’t totally covered by the Swiss Travel Pass so you must buy a discounted ticket.
For details on what mountains are covered and which mountains are partially covered click here.
All of the mountains you list above are not fully covered by the Swiss Travel Pass so you would need to buy a discounted ticket. For example, you get a 25% discounts on Jungfraujoch and a 50% discount
on Mt. Titlis. So extra payment, similar to what you list above is correct.The children, using the Swiss Family Card are free everywhere when traveling with you (and you have the Swiss Travel Pass). So only the adults need to pay for any tickets.
Removed userParticipant72625 posts13 November 2017 at 13:52:53 #871823Hi Kalpana,
>> to visit the following places I have to pay additional charges, can you please clarify this for me … Shilthorn CHF 40** per person … 4 Days Swiss Rail Pass he is quoting a charge of CHF 262 PER PERSON
The cable car to the Schilthorn is free with the Swiss Travel Pass in 2018.
http://www.myswissalps.com/sc hilthorn/gettingthere
If bought from the SBB (Swiss Railways), the 4-day Swiss Travel Pass (2nd class) is CHF 259 in 2017 and CHF 270 in 2018.
http://www.swissrailways.com/ en
>> Jungfrau CHF 135** per person … Titlis CHF 57** per person … Glacier 3000 CHF 49** per person …Chocolate Train EUR 80** per person
Each of these destinations has a website with prices. You can use this information, together with information about the level of the discount you get with the Swiss Travel Pass, to calculate your additional costs.
Jungfraujoch
http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch/gettingther e
Travel as far as Grindelwald or Wengen is free with the Swiss Travel Pass. From Grindelwald or Wengen by train to the Jungfraujoch, you get 25% discount.
Titlis
http://www.myswissalps.com/ti tlis/gettingthere
Free travel by train to Engelberg; 50% discount on the Titlis gondola
http://www.titlis.ch/en/ticke ts/cable-car-ride
Glacier 3000
Free travel by train and bus to Col-du-Pillon; 50% discount on cable car to Glacier-des-Diablerets
http://www.glacier3000.ch/en/ information/tickets-and-prices#pedestrians
Chocolate Train
With 2nd class Swiss Travel Pass, this currently costs CHF 69.
http://www.goldenpass.ch/en/g oldenpass/offer/view?id=15
Alpenrose
Removed userParticipant72625 posts13 November 2017 at 17:51:54 #871824Ah thanks for the reminder about the change to Schilthorn in 2018 Alpenrose!
Removed userParticipant72625 posts14 November 2017 at 1:18:38 #871825>> Ah thanks for the reminder about the change to Schilthorn in 2018 Alpenrose!
No worries!
Alpenrose
Removed userParticipant72625 posts29 November 2017 at 12:13:50 #871826Hello,
If I land at Geneva, and spend about 6 nights is that good enough ?
Secondly from Geneva what should be my itinerary ?
Which would be a good home stay option or a budget hotel option as I do not wish to spend exorbitantly on stay.
Which are the places of must see sight seeing I should do from Geneva?
Please advise me and I shall be thankful as I am feeling a little lost
Thanks
Kalpana
Removed userParticipant72625 posts29 November 2017 at 16:29:01 #871827Hi Kalpana,
Are you still wanting to go to the mountains you mentioned in an earlier post? Geneva isn’t a good place to stay for the whole trip if your primary reason for going is to visit Swiss mountains.
You could stay in Geneva for a day or two if you like (or Montreux would be better I think). You can take the chocolate train from there as well as the Golden Pass train route to Interlaken. From Interlaken you could visit Jungfraujoch and the other mountains you mention for a few days before flying home.
Each town we list here has a page of hotel recommendations (for all budgets) for you to look through as well so be sure to read that for more help.
For help on how to save money in Switzerland check out our web page here as well.
Removed userParticipant72625 posts5 December 2017 at 5:19:01 #871828Thanks so much for your patience each time in answering the queries. I would be thankful if you could help me with the last few before I finalise this trip.
I would land at Zurich airport and from there I see that Lucern is closer to the airport than a stay at Interlaken. Please correct me if I am wrong .
Hence I plan to stay in Lucern for 3 nights at Ibis Style or Holiday Inn- and travel to attractions .( Should stay at these places be the right one to move around ?) You would know logistics better than what I can make out by merely reading , hence the query
I wish to see titlis, pilatus and skip Jungfrau.
After that I wish to move to Interlaken for 3 nights .Here i wish to stay in Hotel Blume or Hotel Derby since I read the location is great .
Please advise me if the thought I have written above is the correct way .
I will get the 4 days pass, and for the remaining 2 days should I take a ticket or some thing for travel ?
Thanks
Kalpana
Removed userParticipant72625 posts5 December 2017 at 21:31:55 #871829Hi Kalpana,
Correct, Lucerne is closer and a good location to visit Mt. Titlis and Mt. Pilatus. When you then continue your trip to Interlaken you may want to consider to visit The Jungfraujoch.
I don’t know how much traveling you are planning to do when you’re in Interlaken, but it might be worth having a look at the 8 days Swiss Travel Pass. You can look for prices here.
To compare costs and find out which option is the cheapest for your itinerary use our Excel spreadsheet here: How to choose the best rail pass. If you don’t travel much during your first or last one or two days (e.g. just Zurich to Lucerne), you will find that buying regular tickets on those days is better.
Removed userParticipant72625 posts12 December 2017 at 12:08:23 #871830Hello,
I have identified a place of stay in Wolhusen Luzern. Please suggest which are the mountains I should cover from here in my 7 nights 8 days stay .
How should the itinerary go for 7 nights ?
I wish to do scenic train trip and return via cable car and boat ride, will this cost me additional other than the Swiss Family Pass ? ( We have 2 kids who are lesser than age 16)
transport museum and chocolate museum , will this cost me additional ?
Thanks
Kalpana
Removed userParticipant72625 posts12 December 2017 at 15:33:22 #871831Hello Kalpanavinod,
Does this mean you’re staying 7 nights in Wolhusen? I’m not sure what kind of help you need for your itinerary.
I don’t know how many mountains you would like to visit , but from Wolhusen you can visit Mt. Titlis, Mt. Pilatus and Mt. Rigi as per my earlier response. If you click here you will land on an overview page from which you can read in more detail about the mountains and how to get there. Every mountain is different and unique in its own way. Whichever mountains you choose, you will have a great experience (if the weather is good).
Regarding the scenic train ride, did you have already one in mind? If you click here and scroll down on the page you can read which cable cars and scenic train rides are free, or discounted. The Swiss Family Card is free by the way. You only pay for the Swiss Travel Pass.
You get a 50% discount on your entrance fee for the Swiss Museum of Transport and the Swiss Chocolate Adventure.
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