Which Rail Pass

Greetings.
My wife and I are traveling to Switzerland from 8 Sept thru 19 October, flying through Zurich.

Through a connection from our Swiss friends in Arlesheim we have rented a family house in Gais for the entire time of the trip.
We will also be leasing a small car for some of our travels.
We have several side trips planned including 4 days in paris and several days in normandy. The rest of the time will be spent in 1-2 day trips through the countryside.

Having experienced the efficiency of the Swiss rail system many of our trips will be by rail including the one to Paris.

My question is... Which would be the best pass for us to purchase? and should we buy in advance or on our arrival?

Thanks for your help.

Hi Toolking,

Welcome to our website! It's great that you have the chance to spend such a long time in and around Switzerland. From your description it seems that you'll be doing quite a lot of traveling, even though you won't be traveling (in Switzerland) every day. The most convenient and economical choice would be a 1-month Swiss Saver Pass for the two of you. That would not cover your whole stay though. If you can fit your (longer) trips in Switzerland in one month, then a Swiss Half Fare Card could be a good add on for the remaining days during the begin or end of your stay. An additional 8-day Swiss Pass is another option. There are no passes valid for more than a month, except for Eurail passes, which would not be the best choice, even though you'll be traveling to France as well. They don't include many discounts on mountain transportation, boat trips, etc.

It's up to you where you would like to purchase. The Swiss Pass page shows local and online purchase options on the right, including prices, shipping options and everything else you might want to know. Let us know if any information is missing there!