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Grand Swiss Adventure 2022
Hello myswissalps
After a gap of 4 years since my last Swiss Adventure, I’m looking forward greatly to a month in Switzerland (September), exploring as many new byways as I can. I’m repeating the pattern of 2018, which I enjoyed so much: a one-week package tour from the UK, staying in lovely Leysin, followed by planned abandonment there so that I can start a 22-day Interrail ‘Global’ ticket, but using it almost entirely in Switzerland (rather than buzz from Finland to Portugal) before a quick return via Metz, Lille and the Eurostar.
I love the ease of moving around Switzerland with Interrail, especially into little known areas and hidden valleys, mostly away from the tourist centres. This really is an adventure, as I’m 75 and will be travelling solo, with a smattering of German, a bit more French and hardly any Italian, but it was a breeze for me 4 years ago.
My roving itinerary will take me to Leissigen (near Interlaken), Balerna (Ticino), Aigle, Koblenz, Buchs SG, Tirano and Mörigen (near Biel), with 3 or 4 nights in several places and lots of rail exploration. As I’m on a tight budget with such a long trip, I’m staying in homely AirBnBs, with one budget hotel in Tirano.
There are a few limitations, such as unavailability on buses, but this does not worry me at all – I’ll be hoovering up the train miles and branch lines, dropping off at a rural request stop and walking to the next. However, my itinerary does throw up a few queries.
Understanding bus fares.
I’ll need to use and pay for two buses on my trip:
Bus query 1: Interlaken West to Leissigen (now that Leissigen station has closed). The SBB website shows bus route 60, at ten minutes to the hour, cost from CHF 2.80. However, delving deeper, it turns out that there’s a Libero Individual ticket for zones 740 and 750, valid 60 minutes, cost CHF 4.60. What does this mean? Without a half fare tariff will the cost of my single bus ride therefore be CHF 9.20? Such a pity that the bus service doesn’t count as a rail replacement service.
Other queries – does the driver accept either cash or contactless card payments for the journey?
Thankfully, a free return journey may be possible (thanks to Interrail-valid sailings on Lake Thun – I think!) on the morning ferry from Leissigen (See) to Interlaken West, thence via East Station to Luzern. The timings seem a bit tight – Interlaken West (See) arrive 10.49, Interlaken West station depart 10.53, Interlaken East arrive 10.58, depart for Luzern 11.04, but I shouldn’t be surprised if it’s do-able. Are the Lake Thun sailings pretty reliable for timing?
Bus query 2: I plan to travel from Neuchâtel to Buttes by train, arriving 10.25. There’s a 10.28 bus, route B392, to Ste Croix, tickets priced at ‘from CHF 2.40’ single. Looking deeper, there also seems to be a Mobilis ticket, cost CHF 3.70, so perhaps I need to pay CHF 7.40 without half fare discount? I’m sure the 3 minute connection will be honoured, especially as the next bus is three hours later! The bus link will allow me to travel over two lovely branch lines.
Grateful for your advice
John
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I fear you are ‘overthinking’ modern Swiss ticketing.
Most areas are now part of a zonal fare tarifverbund of some sort. As you rightly say, Interlaken – Leissigen – Spiez buses are part of the ‘Libero’ network which covers Canton Bern.
Interlaken – Leissigen is two zones (740,750), where a single fare is CHF 4.60 full fare. However there are also day passes etc.
Most if not all Swiss buses now have small ticket machines on board where you pay by card. Also, Libero tickets will appear on the standard railway ticket machines at Interlaken stations
Bus query 2
Just as with my answer to your Query 1, the whole of Canton Vaud has a tarif are called ‘Mobilis’.
http://www.mobilis-vaud.ch/fr/plan/
Although Buttes is in Canton Neuchatel, the bus to Ste Croix is within Canton Vaud, so is part of the Mobilis zonal networ. As with your Interlaken query, Buttes – Ste Croiz is two zones so the full fare is CHF3.70
http://www.mobilis-vaud.ch/fr/tarifs/
Also as with the Libero area, it is worth looking at the all-zone day ticket
You will also find that since your last visit, passenger information systems in Swiss transport vehicles have gone to ‘sci-fi’ levels of tech! Almost all Swiss buses and local train carriages now have real time screens showing every stop coming up along the route, and every connection available at each stop regardless of mode – including times .
I had a situation in Baden in June where I could see I was going to miss a bus connection (the one I was on was delayed by road works) so was able to plan how I would spend the 20 minutes waiting for the next bus. I hasten to add this was in an urban area where the connection was a backwards move so i knew it was not a guaranteed connection.
There is no question that your short connection at Buttes will be maintained; at all rural railheads such as Buttes connections are always held.
Trivia:
Your Buttes – St Croix query brought back a fond memory
I travelled to Ste Croix in about 1976 with my late father and we set off walking to Buttes as there was no bus. It was a hot summer day and about half way along the walk a thunder storm broke. We had to shelter in a road tunnel but a passing local tradesman took pity and picked us up in his van and took us to Buttes station. On discovering there were no trains (Buttes had a very occasional train service at that time), another local offered us a lift in his VW Combi to Fleurier.
Thank you, 1960man, for your usual expert level of knowledge concerning Swiss travel and prompt and thorough replies to my queries.
The half-fare / full fare information on the SBB website is one of the few things I have found disconcertingly ambiguous – it could be presented in a much less misleading way. I wasn’t sure what you meant by ‘overthinking’, as I always plan the details of my trips.
I remember a beautiful return trip on the Ste Croix branch line, with its fabulous views, steep climb and tight curves… and a great bakery near the terminus!
I wonder if you could comment on the tight timing between the Interlaken West See and Bahnhof terminus points that I queried. Thank you.
John
Hi John,
The Interlaken West (See) boat station is located just outside the Interlaken West train station – a distance of 100m I think. So 4 minutes would be sufficient to make the switch from boat to train.
For further details on boat trips on Lake Thun: http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakethun
enjoy your trip!
Anna
Thanks Anna! Looking forward to it!
John
The Thunersee boat terminates a few metres from Interlaken West station platform and as you can see on page 4 of the Kursbuch PDF, the 10.53 departure is an official connection from the boat.
map.search.ch/?pos=631582,170236&zoom=17
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2022/3310.pdf
Buy ‘overthinking I simple meant that you seemed to be taking two fares from different sources and adding them together, rather than looking at the fare for a particular journey from a single source.
Hi John,
Yes, the Swiss timetable shows half-fare prices by default. That’s for the many Swiss residents who have a 50% discount card (the Half-Fare Travelcard). If you haven’t read them yet, the paragraphs about finding standard ticket prices at https://www.myswissalps.com/timetable might be useful for you. They explain the steps you have to take to find full-fare prices. Those are the ones you need in addition to your Interrail pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/interrailswitzerlandpass).
I hope that makes sense. Have fun planning your itinerary and feel free to ask further questions!
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