Which Swiss rail pass to buy for 17 days

Hello,

I'll be visiting Switzerland in August from 14th - 31- Aug with my partner. We'll be arriving at Zurich before heading to Lucerne followed by Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen then to Bern>Basel then to Paris for a few days before head back to Geneva for Zermatt before taking the Glacier Express for Chur and heading back to Zurich.

We would like to visit Mt Titulis/Pilatus whilst in the Lucerne region, and definitely Jungfrau whilst in Interlaken. We've been looking at the different type of passes and can safely say that we're very confused on the type of passes to buy to maximize our savings.

Base on our itinerary, can any Switzerland experts provide some inputs and suggestions on what type of passes to buy?

Many thanks in advance!

Hi Kicson and welcome to MySwissAlps.com!

As you are going to travel a lot, you absolutely need a rail pass. As you are going to travel in the whole of Switzerland, I recommend you the Swiss Travel Pass (15 days): www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass. Make sure to check all the tabs on that page.

If the 15 days pass is not enough, you can also buy Saver Day Passes for the other days as an extra to the 15 days long Swiss Travel Pass. Make sure to check the validity of the Saver Day Passes, as it is a bit different from the Swiss Travel Pass.

With the Swiss Travel Pass you travel free by busses, trains, boats and city transport. Cable cars, cogwheel trains and funiculars are discounted by 50% (exceptions apply.) Glacier Express ticket is also free with it, but you need to reserve your seats in advance: www.myswissalps.com/glacierexpress/tickets.

As you are also going to France, have a look at this one too: www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/france. It helps you to get t best price for your trip.

I hope this helps,

Ildiko

Learn more about:

• Zermatt: www.myswissalps.com/zermatt
• Jungfrau region: www.myswissalps.com/jungfrauregion
• Geneva: www.myswissalps.com/geneva
• Lake Lucerne area: www.myswissalps.com/lakelucerne

Hi Ildiko!

Thank you for the very informative links! We now have a clearer understanding the passes.

However, as we're visting the JungFrau region, I understand that the STP doesnt cover that region. Assuming we'll be visting various parts of JungFrau, is the JungFrau Travel Pass a no brainer option?

Thanks!

Hi Kicson,

The Swiss Travel Pass is valid nationwide including in the Jungfrau region. You'll get free travelling on public transport such as trains, bus and boats. However the STP only allows discounted travelling on mountain transportation (most of which are run by private operators) such as cable cars, gondolas and cogwheel trains. So for mountain excursions for example to Grindelwald First, Männlichen, Schynige Platte and Harder Kulm, you would need to arrange for discounted tickets before your trip. On the other hand if you have a Jungfrau Travel Pass, these excursions are fully covered and you won't need additional tickets. If your itinerary includes a lot of mountain trips during your stay in Lauterbrunnen/Interlaken, perhaps it's worth investing in the JTP.

You can compare the 2 passes by looking at the validity map of each pass:

• Swiss Travel Pass: www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/validity
• Jungfrau Travel Pass: www.myswissalps.com/jungfrautravelpass/validity

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Anna

Hi Anna,

Thanks for the inputs.

I wouldnt say I'll be travelling extensively during my stay at Lauterbrunne. Most likely, I'll be visiting all the main areas at Jungfrau including the top of europe. My concern is that, if i were to buy individual tickets to each stops, it will cost more than the JTP and vice versa.

As you've mentioned, Harder Kulm and Grindlwad First is covered under the JTP, both of which i will most definitely be visiting.

Hi Kicson,

Based on your plans, combining the Swiss Travel Pass (STP) and the Jungfrau Travel Pass (JTP) is a sensible choice. If you have the STP, you can purchase the JTP at a reduced price e.g. CHF145 instead of CHF190 for a 3-day pass, and not worry about buying additional tickets for your mountain excursion to Harder Kulm and Grnidelwald First.

Purchase options for the JTP are available here: www.myswissalps.com/jungfrautravelpass/price

Regards,

Anna

Hi Anna,

Thank you for your answers! We'll go ahead with the purchasing of the STP and JTP then.

Thank You!!