MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Zurich, Wengen, Interlaken – which travel pass?
-
Hello everyone. I hope all is well.
I was wondering if I can get some help figuring out whoch travel pass for my trip in switzerland.
I do want to mention I did post on TripAdvisor where so many people helped me and guided me with my plans to switzerland. Now I need help with travel pass so I thought here would be best.
I will post how my itinerary looks like and I know things can change incase of weather etc.
Day 1 – Arrive Zurich airport early
Take train or taxi to hotel in old Town for 2 nights exploring the city.
Day 2- Zurich
Day 3- After breakfast transportation to hotel in Wengen
– any specfic trains that are scenic or must do?
– Exlpire town of wengen and Panorama trail hiking (Panaoramaweg)
Mannlichen to Kleine Schediegg – 1h 30 min, 3 miles
From Wengen ride the Wengen – Mannlichen Aerial cableway
When you get to Mannlichen consider making the 2 km round trip hike up the ROYAL WAY to the peak of Mannlichen. It adds about 30 to 45 min . It is uphill walk to the peak then on way back to Mannlichen it is an easy stroll down.
After done take a train back to Wengen
Day 4- Explore Murren
The Northface trail
Wengen to Murren ?? How do we get to Murren from Wengen??
Start at Schilthorn cableway station and walk the loop clockwise ending with a ride down the Allmendhubel Funicular.
Detour to Sprutz waterfall
– Possibly Paragliding with Airtime Paragliding starting in Murren
-After all done back to Wengen
Day 5 – Day trip to Interlaken: Lake Brienz Cruise- Interlaken to Brienz
Train from Wengen to Interlaken – Any specific train
Harder Kulm – The funicular is located across the river just near the reailway station in the center of interlaken .
Boat cruise to Brienz . ? Website and cost?
disembarking at Giessbach to see the waterfall – Have a picnic on the lawn rather then the grand hotel
From the landing stage on Lake Brienz, you can choose to hike up a set of switchbacks or take a funicular to the hotel
Hike: There’s a forested path that crosses over the falls in two places, making a loop around one section of the waterfall. One of the bridges on the trail even goes behind Giessbach Falls
The final stop on the Lake Brienz cruise is the village of Brienz, at the eastern end of the lake.
Either cruise back or take the train back to Interlaken
OR
From Giessback you can do an easy hike along the water to Iseltwald . If weather permits you can swim in Iseltwald and take a boat back to Interlaken .
Train Back to Wengen
Day 6 : I will post few things
Lauterbrunnen Valley Hikes: Lauterbrunnen to Trummelbach Falls and Lauterbrunnen to behind Staubbbach Falls
How to transport from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen???
Pfingstegg Rodelbahn Toboggan run and Grindelwald to First to Bachalpsee and First Cliff walk in First and back
Transportation from Wengen to to Grindelwald??
The easeist way to get to Bachalpsee is by taking a cable car from Grindelwald to First and the hike 1 hr to Lake Bachalpsee.
The cable car ride from grindelwalk Firstbahn Goldola station to First takes 25 min. It passes mid stations of Bort and Schreckfeld, You have to remain seated till you reach First.
It starts at First; follow the signs for Bachalpsee and youll walk past First Cliff Walk – Free
Back in Grindelwald, if you continue through town and past the Grindelwald-First cable car station, you’ll see signs pointing to the Pfingstegg. This mountain area offers spectacular views and lots of amusements for families. A one-hour scenic walk leads you through a lovely alpine meadow and woodland . Go Pfingstegg Rodelbahn Toboggan run.
End of day back to Wengen
Day 7 : Take train to Lucern and go hotel in old town and then explore area all day
Day 8: Mt.Rigi: train from Lucerne to Arth-Goldau then Rigi cog wheel train is different than the Arth-Goldau train station . Then take the rigi-bahn to Mt Rigi. then descent with train over Vitznau, with the boat ride back to Lucerne
Day 9: After breakfast take train to Zurich airport
I understand that this is alot of info and maybe packed. Id appreciate help which pass to get. Thanks again
-
Hi Atwani,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
My personal opinion based on your plans: for Day 3 to Day 6 you might want to get the Jungfrau Travel Pass. For the day trip to Rigi on Day 8, a Saver Day Pass might work. Travelling from one base to another, consider getting point-to-point tickets.
Alternatively getting an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass might also be practical. If you want to be really sure which railpass gives you the best value, I recommend calculating the cost based on your detailed itinerary, as explained here: How to choose the best railpass.
Now for feedback on your itinerary:
Day 4 – Travelling to Mürren from Wengen. First take the train to Lauterbrunnen, then switch to the cableway/funicular in Grutschalp and cogwheel train at Winteregg. You can find more information on how to reach Mürren here: http://www.myswissalps.com/murren/travel
Day 5 – Travelling from Wengen to Interlaken Ost. Take any local train. Use the SBB timetable to find train schedules. You can find information about boat trips on Lake Brienz here: http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakebrienz. The boat trip is free if you have a Jungfrau Travel Pass or a Swiss Travel Pass.
Day 6 – I think the trip to Lauterbrunnen can be combined with a trip to Murren on Day 4. This way you’ll have more time to spend in Grindelwald, Grindelwlad First and Pfingstegg. You can reach Grindelwald from Wengen by train. Alternatively you can travel via Mannlichen by first taking the cable car from Wengen to Mannlichen, then the gondola from Mannlichen to Grindelwald Terminal.
The rest of your itinerary looks fine and reasonable.
Let us know if you need more information.
Regards,
Anna
Hello Anna and thanks for your feedback.
Regarding which pass to get. Does the 8 day swiss pass cover everything that I may do in my itinerary or will I need to purchase extra passes.
So from your expertise I should go through my itinerary and list down every type of possible transportation I will take with the price to see if a Half fare card works or 8 day pass and alternatively the other passes you mentioned.
If I do get 8 day pass will i be able use it on my last day to take train to Zurich airport?
Hi Atwani!
Yes, making an exact list of your travel plans and running calculations as explained at https://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass is the only way to know for sure which railpass option is most economical. But that can be a difficult task, especially if your plans aren’t set in stone set. In that case you should just pick the pass that seems to be the best match for your plans and your preferences. The downloadable railpass overview at http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass may get you started.
Anna’s option of a Jungfrau Travel Pass combined with other tickets can certainly work for you. And I agree with Anna that the Swiss Travel Pass is worth looking into as well. It’s usually the easiest and most flexible option for a trip that includes several Swiss towns/regions. It covers all regular trains, buses, trams and boats, and you can hop on and off without tickets or reservations. Rigi is fully included too: https://www.myswissalps.com/rigi/tickets. You’d only need additional discounted tickets for the other mountain trips, such as
- Harder Kulm (https://www.myswissalps.com/harderkulm/tickets)
- Männlichen (https://www.myswissalps.com/mannlichen/tickets)
- Schilthorn (https://www.myswissalps.com/schilthorn)
- Pfingstegg (https://www.myswissalps.com/pfingstegg).
You can study the Swiss Travel Pass validity in detail here: https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/validity.
If you opt for an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass, you can best use it from day 2 to 9. You can buy a normal ticket for the short and cheap ride from Zurich Airport to Zurich on day 1: https://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/switzerland. A 6-day Swiss Travel Pass for day 3-8 might work too. You could then get regular tickets for Lucerne-Zurich on day 9 and a Zurich Card for day 2 (https://www.myswissalps.com/zurich/travel). If you explore the town on foot (https://www.myswissalps.com/hiking/zurich) you may not even need tickets or a card at all for day 2.
The Swiss Half Fare Card can be considered too, but it does require you to get discounted tickets for each of your trips: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard..
Hello
Thank you again for your response. I went ahead and did my best to use the excel sheet that you have provided with full fare ticket prices. Can you please look at them and let me know from the information posted which pass would be best for me . I attached my Excel sheet on there. I did not change anything with % etc. I only input the full fare for the possible trips. Also there is a part you will see Kleine Schediegg to Wengen I put ???? because am not sure what the price was and how to get to wengen from Kleine Schediegg.
Again, Thank you for your time.
Hi Atwani!
Good that you’re running calculations. Here are some tips:
- I think you haven’t found the regular full price for all trips yet. For example: Zurich-Wengen in 2nd class is CHF 84,80 and not CHF 50. You may have found cheap Supersaver fares, but these are not always available, and the price displayed only counts if you buy that ticket right away: a few hours or a day later such discount fares may be less cheap, or not available at all. So you can’t assume discounted prices will actually be available for your specific travel dates and times. If you use the information and follow the exact 4 steps under the header “How to find ticket prices (advanced timetable)” at http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable, you’ll find the normal non-discounted fares, and those are the ones you need for a fair comparison. Here’s more information about Supersaver tickets: https://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/switzerland.
- Next you’ll have to adjust the amount of discount each pass provides for each trip segment. The calculation sheet provides a sample itinerary with pre-filled out discount percentages, but you’ll have to enter the right discount amount for your specific trips. E.g.: Wengen-Männlichen is 50% off with the Swiss Travel Pass and not 100%. Wengen to Interlaken is for free with a Swiss Travel Pass, so that’s 100% discount and not 0%. You can use the detailed validity information at https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/validity, https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard/validity and https://www.myswissalps.com/saverdaypass/validity to find the right percentages.
- You can find the route and price for Wengen-Kleine Scheidegg via the timetable, using the steps I referred to above. Or consult the price list we link to from https://www.myswissalps.com/jungfraujoch/tickets, and the route descriptions at https://www.myswissalps.com/jungfraujoch/gettingthere.
The Excel itself also contains such tips. If you hover your mouse over the red triangles you’ll get lots of additional advice on how to use the spreadsheet.
Does this help you out?
Hello
Thank you so much for your response and for guiding me further. I went ahead and changed what was needed on the excel sheet. When you look at it you will see I only went ahead and changed numbers for the 8 day pass column and the half fare card column . I did not do anything further on. Would you mind please to look at it again and see if it looks correct so far. From my understanding when looking at the numbers, a 6 day swiss pass at 359 CHF and buy regular ticket from Zurich airport to hotel in old town would be a good option. Our 2 days in Zurich we will do lots and lots of walking unless there is a must do attraction that will need a pass. If I get the 6 day pass will it be valid on my last day to take train from Luzern to the airport? What is your opinion? Would you do that route? or half fare card better or anything else that I may not see?
I attached excel sheet
Thanks again for your help.
Hi Atwani,
Sorry I can’t see the spreadsheet data clearly so I am unable to provide any feedback on it. However it does make sense to get a 6-day Swiss Travel Pass as you might not really need it if you plan to spend your time only in Zurich the first two days. Assuming you start using the 6-day Swiss Travel Pass on Day 3, the pass will be valid until Day 8. It won’t cover any trip on Day 9. You might have to get a point-to-point ticket from Lucerne to Zurich.
Regards,
Anna
Hello
I am sorry you were unable to view the excel sheet. I just took a screenshot of it and I will attach it
As I looked over it again I believe I made a mistake on which pass would be financial better. It seems like the half fare card would be “cheaper” . If I do everything I stated it would save me about 100CHF but I might be wrong.
Thanks
Attachments:
Hi Atwani,
Thanks for the screenshot. I can see the spreadsheet clearly now.
Based on your calculation it seems the Swiss Half Fare Card indeed provides the best value. However I noticed some errors. The Swiss Travel Pass is valid for free travelling on Mt Rigi including on the cog trains from Vitznau and Arth-Goldau so you won’t need additional tickets for that. Taking this into account, the cost difference between the STP and the Swiss Half Fare Card should be less than CHF100 (roughly CHF50). I think this is a very minimal difference. If you’re looking for flexibility and want to avoid buying tickets for each trip, I would personally choose the STP over the SHFC.
I hope this gives you more information on how and which railpass to get.
Regards,
Anna
Hello
Thanks for responding. I appreciate your help through this process. We will be flying next month at end of June and I will be buying the 8 day swiss pass.
Should I buy it from here (USA) or wait till I get to Zurich?
From looking at my itinerary do i need to book all my train now with my swiss pass?
Do you recommend any specfic scenic train routes with my itinerary.
Thanks
Hi Atwani,
If you purchase the Swiss Travel Pass in advance, then you can use it immediately when you arrive in Switzerland. Purchase options are available here: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/price
There is no need to book seats on Swiss trains. With the Swiss Travel Pass, travelling is made even more convenient as you don’t need tickets. You simply get on board and enjoy the journey.
You can read more about how to use the Swiss Travel Pass here: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/howtouse
Be sure to read this for practical tips about how train travel works: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/howtotravel
Regards,
Anna
Hello
Thank you for your response. This forum has helped me so much .
I did read the above links and would like some clarification please.
I will be buying the 8 day Swiss Travel Pass from the SBB website. I arrive Zurich June 24 and depart July 2nd. The above links mentioned that the validity of the pass is valid till next day 5 AM so with an 8 day pass I can technically start using it on June 25 . Correct? I am sure many people ask this but is there any sales, discounts or anything going on this time of year for these passes?
It says in the links that for some trains I may need to get a ticket even though I will have the pass. Do you know which routes these are or will I just figure that out when am there. Is it really just as easy as looking online which is the next train to my destination and get on board? Are there any scenic routes you can recommend I should choose from my itinerary ? Also I understand some of the mountain cable cars are 50% off with the pass. Should I reserve these in advance or buy ticket in person the day off?
I listed at the bottom from the excel sheet the transportation that I will be taking .
Day 1 – Zurich Airport – Zurich old town HB
Day 3 – Zurich HB to Wengen
Day 3 – Wengen to Männlichen cable car one way
Day 3 – Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen
Day 4 – Wengen to Lauterbrunnen
Day 4 – Grutchalp to Murren
Day 4 – Murren Winteregg to Schilthorn cableway station
Day 4 – Allmendhubel Funicular to Murren
Day 4 – Murren to Grutchalp and then to Lauterbrunnen to Wengen
Day 5 – Wengen to Interlaken
Day 5 – Lake Breinz boat trip
Day 5 – Harder Kulum
Day 5- Interlaken to Wengen
Day 6 – Wengen to Grindewald train
Day 6 – Grindewald frist + 2 activities package
Day 6: Grindewald to Wengen
Day 7: Wengen to Luzern
Day 8: Luzern to Arth-Goldau
Day 8: Arth Goldau to Rigi Cogwheel
Day 8: Rigi Cogwheel to Vitznau
Day 8: Vitznau to Lucern boat
Day 9: Lucern to Zurich airport
Hi Atwani,
‘I arrive Zurich June 24 and depart July 2nd. The above links mentioned that the validity of the pass is valid till next day 5 AM so with an 8 day pass I can technically start using it on June 25 . Correct? ‘
If you need the pass already on June 24, then buy it from June 24. The 5 AM part means that your 8 days pass (validity starting June 24) will be valid until July 2, 5:00 in the morning. (In case you want to travel during the night, that can be useful, otherweise not that much).
‘I am sure many people ask this but is there any sales, discounts or anything going on this time of year for these passes?’
I am not aware of any kind of promotions for the Swiss Travel Pass at the moment. If we have any promotions you can find them here: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/promotions
‘It says in the links that for some trains I may need to get a ticket even though I will have the pass. Do you know which routes these are or will I just figure that out when am there.’
Yes, in same cases you still need an additional ticket or seat reservation. If you travel by a panoramic train (like Glacier Express, Bernina Express etc), you have to reserve your seats for an extra price.
Mountain transports (like cable cars) are also not free with the Swiss Travel Pass, but you get a 50% discount, meaning, you still need to get an additional ticket.
You can find all the details here: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/validity.
‘Is it really just as easy as looking online which is the next train to my destination and get on board?’
In case no additional ticket is required – yes, it is just that easy. 🙂 Find all the details here: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/howtouse
‘Also I understand some of the mountain cable cars are 50% off with the pass. Should I reserve these in advance or buy ticket in person the day off?’
I do not recommend reserving it too early. In case of rain or bad weather, you might want to change your itinerary. Only book them max 1 day in advance or simply buy them on the spot.
You’ll see many beautiful places. 🙂
Ildiko
Hello
Thank you for your response.
I was trying to find the link to possibly purchase tickets rom Murren Winteregg to Schilthorn cableway station to start the Northface train . I see return tickets but not one way. I am not sure if I am on the wrong website(schilthorn.ch/en/tickets) I was thinking after the hike we go down using the Allmendhubel Funicular to Murren. Is the Allmendhubel Funicular covered by the swiss pass? Online i read mixed reviews that it is and its not so covered 50 %?
Thanks
Hi Atwani,
here is the validity map of the Swiss Travel Pass: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/validity
Cable car from Mürren to Schilthorn: 50% off
Cable car from Stechelberg to Mürren: free
Cable car and train from Lauterbrunnen to Mürren: freeYou can book your return tickets here: http://www.myswissalps.com/schilthorn/tickets. Choose the option with the Swiss Travel Pass to get the 50% price.
If you would like to hike, you should get your tickets at the counter in Mürren, they usually have more options and I believe they can give you a 1-way ticket.
Ildiko
More about hiking: http://www.myswissalps.com/hiking
Thank you for response.
I am trying to find the link for the boarding pass for the Schilithorn cableway. I cant seem to find it on their website . Is it just an option on their site after you book a ticket?
I am looking at this site http://www.maennlichen.ch/en/summer/information/fare-prices-from-wengen.html for the Wengen to Maennlichen cable car and happen to see the following info:
PARAGLIDING-DAY-TICKET
Valid only for ascents on the aerial cableway from Wengen to Männlichen.
Adults CHF 65.-
Reduced and Kids CHF 45.-
Available at the valley station in Wengen.
But there is no link to their paragliding company etc for me to read. It says they charge 65 for adults. I was going to book via another company going to charge 180 so I was wondering if anyone knows any additional information on this.
Thanks
Hi Atwani,
The paragliding day-ticket is just the ticket for the cable car. It does not include the price of the paragliding. This is why there is a big difference between the prices. If you book a tandem paragliding with a company, you can go up with the cable car and someone willtake you for a paragliding flight (tandem). This also includes the equipment. (For the specific detail please contact the paragliding company.)
The paragliding day ticket is for paragliders, who fly alone and they can fly several times a day so they can travel to the mountain top several times. But with this ticket, they are not allowed to descent with the cable car. (They do not need it as they fly down from the mountain.) Fling alone is not allowed if you do not have an exam, a kind of flying licence.
There is not really a boarding pass to Schilthorn, it is just a ticket for the cable car. If you wish to hike down, you can get the ticket at the ticket counter. No worries, it won’t run out. There might be a queue though.
Also, in my opinion, it is always better to get the mountain transport ticket on the spot or a maximum of 1 day before you could check the weather.
If you would like to try paragliding in the Jungfrau region, we have some recommended companies at http://www.myswissalps.com/jungfrauregion/activities. Please use the filter called ‘activity type’ and select ‘sport’ and paragliding.Ildiko
Hi Atwani,
Good to hear you’ve decided on rail passes. If you want to buy them through SBB, I recommend the official SBB tourist webshop called Switzerland Travel Centre: https://shop.switzerlandtravelcentre.com/currency=CHF#/en/product/swissPass. This webshop is better geared to tourists than the ‘normal’ SBB website. The same goes for the other options listed at http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/price.
There is indeed a boarding pass for the Schilthorn cable car, but it’s hidden quite well on their website ;-). Please follow the link under “Information on other websites” at http://www.myswissalps.com/schilthorn/tickets. That will get you to their boarding pass booking options. Note that this is only useful if you want to make a trip in tourist high season (July/August) and if you departure time is 100% certain. If you’d rather be flexible, it’s better to travel without this boarding pass.
Hello
Thank you everyone for all the clarifications and for guiding me through.
When I get to Grindewald from Wengen and I will need to get to first in order to do the hike to Bashalpsee lake.
cdn.jungfrau.ch/Prospekte_und_Broschueren/Grindelwald-First_Prospekt.pdf this link mentions that there are tickets combined with lift to Grindewald first and activities at a discount. How do I go about purchasing this? When I arrive at Grindewald where do I go to buy these discounted combined tickets?
Also I was wondering what is easiest way to get to Pfingstegg Rodelbahn Toboggan to do the Toboggan ?
Thanks
Hi Atwani,
You can buy the combined tickets (cable car plus adventure activities) at the Grindelwald First valley station.
The Pfingstegg valley station is easily accessible by bus from Grindelwald town. You can also walk there from the Grindelwald First valley station (about 10 minutes). To access the toboggan, take the cable car up to Alp Pfingstegg (5 minutes ride).
Regards,
Anna
- The thread ‘Zurich, Wengen, Interlaken – which travel pass?’ is closed to new replies.
