[Removed user]

3 August 2010 at 8:17:12 #803961

Hi Everyone,

My husband and I are planning a last minute trip to Bernese Oberland and I’ve been struggling with the train tickets.

We’re landing at Zurich Airport on Friday, August 6th and taking the train to Grindelwald. On Wednesday, August 11th we’ll take the train back to Zurich Airport for our flight back to Ireland.

There’s not enough time to order the Swiss Transfer ticket and it can’t be purchased in Switzerland so we’ll buy return train tickets Zurich – Grindelwald for ~ 112 Euros per person.

At first the Swiss Saver pass sounded perfect but I don’t think it will work on most of the trains/cable cars around Grindelwald, right? So I’ve decided against this pass.

I considered the 15 day regional Bernese Oberland Pass but it seems to be overkill for such a short trip.

Swiss Half Fare Card – Not knowing how much train/cable car we’ll be doing vs hiking, I thought we’d be taking too much of a chance by buying this card.

Conclusion —> we’ll buy Jungfrau Rail Pass for ~ 145 Euros per person and that should get us on most of the trains/cable cars. If we decide to go to Schilthorn and/or Jungfrau, we’ll have to pay 50% of the cost of those tickets.

Does that sound about right?

Thanks for your help!

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[Annika]

4 August 2010 at 13:05:38 #831699

Hello Ijane! Most of your suppositions are right. I would indeed advice you not to use a Swiss (Saver) Pass, as it will be too expensive for the plans you have and a 25% instead of 50% discount applies to the trains running between Grindelwald, Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch. A 15 day Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland would be too expensive as well, but have you noticed that there’s a 7 day variant, including 3 days of free travel, as well? Details can be found on the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland page. This 7 day-pass may be a good option for you. Your 3 free travel days could be used for the days on which you want to make the longest and most expensive journeys. A 50% discount would apply on the remaining days, on which you could make shorter trips.

I’m not sure if a Jungfrau Railways Pass is best for you. Most trains and cable cars in the Jungfrau area are included, but the cable car to Schilthorn is not. So full fare would apply here, instead of a 50% discount. Especially if you definitely want to go up to Schilthorn, this may turn out to be too expensive. Whether a Regional-Pass is better for you than a Jungfrau Railways Pass, depends on your travel plans. If you want to stay within the immediate area of Grindelwald only, a Jungfrau Railways Pass might suffice. But for exploring a larger area, the Regioanl Pass would be better.

In my opinion, a Swiss Half Fare Card is worth considering. It will cut 50% off your trip from Zurich Airport to Grindelwald and back again. And in many occasions in which a rather short stay and a few local trips are involved, the Swiss Half Fare Card turns out to be the most economical way of travelling. Another advantage is that the area of validity is much larger than with the regional passes. If weather conditions aren’t that fine, it allows you to travel to another part of the country where conditions may be better. This may also be a reason not to pick the Jungfrau Railways Pass, as it doesn’t leave room for getting out of the Jungfrau area if weather there isn’t that good. But if you decide on exploring the cable cars and trains around Grindelwald only, regardless of the weather, you could settle for such a regional pass.

I hope these considerations will help you out a bit. If you have an exact overview of your travel plans, you can try to make calculations to find out which pass is most economical. In the end only calculations will give you a definitive answer. Tips on this can be found in our rail FAQ.

[Removed user]

15 August 2010 at 15:16:45 #831700

Hi
I have a short plan of 4 days around Interlaken. one full day I am planning to visit Jungfrau, one day to Titlis/Pilatus, one day Golden Pass/Chocolate train.

1 day at Interlaken.

I am confused now to buy a rail pass. i will reach interlaken by car and and will make use of public transport these 4 days.
For my itenary,should i buy a 3/4 day valid Swiss pass or 50% pass.

Also i donot have enough time to buy a swiss pass,can i buy it in interlaken,if not in frankfurt/Bern/Basel?

Also is a full day enough to go by golden pass line and take the chocolate train from Montraux and come back to interlaken on the same day?
how long does it take to reach Pilatus from Interlaken and come back?
how long does it take to reach Titlis from Interlaken and come back?
how long does it take to reach Titlis & Pilatus from Interlaken and come back?

If these questions are answered i have peace of mind.

Regards
🙂

[Annika]

16 August 2010 at 12:39:33 #831701

Hello Swissvisitor! You can plan your trips using the Swiss timetable, which includes trains, buses and boats. Please refer to the specific timetables for the Golden Pass train, the Chocolate train, the cable car to Titlis (which leaves from Engelberg) and the cog train from Alpnachstad and/or cable car from Kriens to Pilatus as well. As you see, most trips can be done within one day from Interlaken, although it may be wise to start traveling early in the morning.

As for the combination of the Golden Pass line and the Chocolate train: this can’t be combined from Interlaken on one day. The Chocolate train is a true excursion, which starts at 9.12 am from Montreux and ends about 18 pm. Although it’s possible to get from Interlaken to Montreux before 9.12 by regular train via Bern and Lausanne, you won’t make it in time in a panoramic Golden Pass train which leaves only a few times a day.

As for a rail pass: your stay is relatively short and includes only a few longer train trips. This means that you’ll be best off with a Swiss Half Fare Card. This can be purchased online in advance or at larger local railway stations (such as Bern, Basel or Interlaken) during opening hours.

[Removed user]

17 August 2010 at 9:04:32 #831702

Hi madonnika
Thank you for your time, I am clear now, 1 day towards Jungfrau and the other day to Titlis. still i have few questions.
1. when i take a 50% pass, will i get actual 50% discount on Jungfrau/Titlis trains or it is only the 25% as shown on internet as this is also counted as a siwss pass.
2. Will it be wise to drive till Laterbraunnen/Engelberg for Jungfrau/Titlis instead of spending money for a 50% saver pass and then buy tickets again?
3. How much does a boat trip cost in Interlaken on lake Thun. Also how much does it cost to reach Engelberg by train.
4. Can I go to alpanchad, reach pilatus, get down towards Lucern and go to Titlis on a full day (say from 7AM to 7PM) and come back to Interlaken?

I am unable to decide as i have very short time. Also if the climate is not so good this weekend, what r the other alternatives around Interlaken?

Thanks in advance
Regards
🙂

[Annika]

17 August 2010 at 12:43:28 #831703

Hello SwissVisitor!

1. The Swiss Half Fare Card will offer a 50% discount on trips to the Jungfraujoch and Titlis. The Swiss Pass is another type of pass. This indeed offers a 25% discount on the last leg to the Jungfraujoch. You can study the synoptic map linked to at the Swiss Half Fare Card page: it will give an exact overview of the area of validity of the pass;
2. If I were you, I’d travel by public transportation in Switzerland as much as possible, as this is a great way of travelling and enjoying the wonderful views at the same time. The Swiss public transport system works very well and trains are comfortable. It can hardly be calculated whether trips by car would be more economical;
3. A price list for boat trips on lake Thun can be found on the BLS website. Prices for regular train journeys can be found through the Swiss timetable. Fill out your journey, choose one of the connections the system lists and then click ‘Fare/Buy’. A trip from Interlaken to Engelberg costs CHF 41.00;
4. Yes, it’s possible to visit Pilatus and Titlis on the same day and get back to Interlaken again, although you won’t have that much time to spend on both viewing points. Please check the timetables I linked to in my previous post to find out if a relatively short stay on Pilatus and Titlis suffices for you.

Day trips around Interlaken, including some bad weather tips, can be found in the Bernese Oberland section. Some examples for poor weather conditions are the Trümmelbachfälle, the St. Beatushöhlen and the Aareschlucht.