ivygals

I am trying to find the best value for a train pass to use while in Switzerland and need some suggestions. I'm not sure which pass we should get (there are 2 adults traveling): the Swiss pass, Swiss half-fare card, Swiss flexi-card...

Here is our general itinery:
June 8 - Arrive at Geneve airport - go to Montreux
June 8 - 10 - Stay in Montreux (not sure of the travel needed to get around for day trips)
June 10 - 14 - travel to Lauterbrunnen & stay at the Hotel Oberland for 4 nights (will be doing day trips from here)
June 14 - 16 - travel to Lucerne and stay for 2 nights (not sure where yet, but will do day trips)
June 16 - travel to Venice and stay the rest of the trip in Venice, we will be flying out of Venice.

Questions:
1. For what i have read, it is usually a better value to buy one one of the passes, but since I am not sure how much train/bus/boat use is needed for the day trips at each location, I don't know how to estimate the cost differences - looking for suggestions.
2. Do any of the passes include the train from Lucerne to Venice? if so, which passes include that. Or would I just buy a seperate ticket for that journey.
3. 8 day vs 15 day pass depending on if Venice is included. Or if the flexi pass, how many days?
4. Do I purchase it before I leave the US or when I get to Switzerland? how far in advance do I need to purchase.
5. Are there additional charges for reservations after I buy a pass?
6. Is there any thing else I should be aware of when purchasing the pass or tickets? or other suggestions?
7. Which website do I purchase the pass from?

Thank you!
Karen

Dukey

Call THIS number 800-441-2387..ask for Byron at Budget European Travel Service..he has ALL the answers, believe me.

enzian

If you want to do some homework before you call Byron (and be more knowledgeable in your questions), first read the information on passes on the Rick Steves website:

http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/ausswitz.htm

Also, check the prices on the longer legs of the journey (Montreux to Lauterbrunnen, LB to Luzern, and Luzern to the Swiss border) on the Swiss rail site: www.rail.ch

One purpose of a pass is to get 50% off on the high mountain lifts, like Schilthorn. If your journey legs aren't very expensive (30 CHF or less), your best bet may be the 99 CHF Half-Fare card, which you buy in Switzlerland. However, if your journey legs add up to more than 100 CHF, you should look at the 3-day Flex Pass for 212 CHF; this will give you 3 days of fully-covered travel (for the 3 longer journeys) and one-half off everything else (except the Jungfraujoch, which is 25%). It also gives you free admission to some 400 museums and attractions.

ivygals

thank you for the replies. I am looking at the options to determine best value. It looks like the flexi pass may be the best option right now.

glsebs

Enzian,

Thank you for the recommendation of Byron. He was incredibly helpful and answered all of my questions. I was so confused as to the kind of train ticket to purchase for our 8 days in Switzerland and 4 days in France. But Byron explained all the options and helped me choose the best one for our itinerary.

I was not the OP but found your post about Byron. So I wanted to say thank you!

freberta

We too are trying to decide which Swiss rail pass, if any, we should purchase. Because we are 4 adults and 2 children, I think we're going to go with the 8-day Saver Pass. We're going to do an anlysis and compare point-to-point fares to the cost of the pass. We just don't know how much of the fare to Appenzell is coverd 100 percent and how much is covered only 50 percent with the pass. Also, does anyone know how children traveling free with parents who have the Saver Pass are treated by the mountain railroads (in BO, for example)? Are there children's fares on the mountain railroads, and if so, are they subject to the 50 percent discount? Or do the kids travel completely free?

enzian

glsebs---actually it was Dukey who recommended calling Byron at BETS. I suggested reading up on passes on the RS website before calling, so the answers would make more sense.

freberta---why would your route in the Appenzell not be covered? You can check the coverage of the pass (100% or 50%) on the synoptic map:

https://www.swisstravelsystem.com/do...tskarte_en.pdf

Our kids traveled free on the Jungfraubahn with us, using the Family Card.

enzian

Ooops---hit post too soon. Our teens traveled free on the Gornergrat train as well, and other high mountain lifts.

glsebs

OK
Dukey,
Thank you so much for your great recommendation of Byron. He was a life saver!

Palenque

Swiss Passes are sold at stations in Switzerland but at, for some reason higher prices than for the same pass sold in the U.S. check prices in CHF (Swiss francs) at www.sbb.ch and then U.S. prices and see the difference, which will vary as to currency fluctuations - and figure in your foreign exchange transaction fees - 3% for many c cards for foreign purchases - figure about .90 cents to 1 CHF currently - always take official rate in paper and add a bit to it. Last time i check it seemed about 15% cheaper in states for same pass. some U.S. agents however charge a $18 or so mailing fee (but others do not) - RailEurope, part owned by the Swiss Railways markets the passes and sells thru various agents - RE themselves adds on $18 mailing fee if your order is under $450 as the typical Swiss Pass order for two or less is.

For lots of objective info on Swiss trains and railpasses: www.swisstravelsystem.com (as mentioned by others); www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html

besozem

Be sure you sign your passes when you get them - after several days of traveling with our unsigned passes, a ticket agent told us our passes weren't valid because we hadn't signed them. He did let us use them but was distressed that no other ticket agent had caught this ...

Palenque

And if the HFC and the Pass come out anywhere close go for the pass - because you may use it more than you think - esp consecutive-day passes can be extremely cost effective IMO

For example if you rail from Montreux to Wengen and once in Wengen decide you want to go back down to Interlaken-Ost station to stock up on stuff at the huge Coop Hypermarche right opposite the Ost train station it would all be covered by the pass - with a HFC you may not make the journey as the $10 or so half off fare would make it not worth it.

Or if you're in Wengen and one night get tired of the quietness you can hop the train down to Interlaken in about 40 mins and go to the various restaurants, etc. or to the casino, yes to replenish again dwindling trip funds.

Or like i have done when staying in Interlaken - if i got there from somewhere around mid-afternoon decided to hop the steamers on Lake Thun - again all covered in full by a pass but only 50% off with the HFC

HFC is best for people making a fairly short journey to one spot in the Berner oberland and then once there who will be hiking and not using trains - but for most who will be using BOBerland as a base and coming from places like Geneva and Montreux and then going on to the Swiss border the pass usually IMO makes best sense.

But point here is that it is not always a dollar and cents thing but a dollar and sense thing as well. And with HFC you still must wait in queues to buy a ticket each time you want to travel, etc.

HFCards are only sold in Switzerland, not abroad, and at most if not all train stations.

ivygals

Thanks to all for the info - great to have so many people informed as to the best way to travel! we definately have it narrowed down to either a HFC or the Swiss Pass, probably leaning more toward the Swiss Pas now as we will be in Switzerland for 12 days.

It seems to me that I read somewhere that you can get a rental car with the swiss pass too, but can't seem to find that now. I was considering renting a car for 1 or 2 days to drive around the countryside a bit.

Thanks again to all.

Palenque

I believe there is no car rental option available with a Swiss Pass, though there is with virtually every other railpass - the so-called Rail and Drive passes - like German Rail & Drive, Eurail Rail & Drive; France Rail 'n Drive; Britrail-Drive, etc.

There could be a Swiss rail and drive but i have not heard of it and i doubt it - but easy to check the sbb.ch web site's Swiss Pass coverage i guess.

to me Switzerland is one place to take the train - esp if going to places where cars are Verboten - like in most of the Berner Oberland above Grindelwald and Lauterbrunne, Zermatt and even wide swathes of cities that have been pedestrianized.

They say there is no place in Switzerland less than about 5 miles from a train station and 'postal buses' go to every little burg from train stations (Swiss passes also cover most postal buses)

AQ

I followed the advice here of calling Byron at Budget Europe Travel (http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html) when helping my nephew figure out rail travel in Switzerland recently. It's true...Byron is the "go to" person for Swiss passes...any kind of Europe rail pass or ticket! He was so helpful and knew so much, plus, their price for mailing the pass to my nephew was only $5 first class (they mailed it "insured") v. Rick Steves' website charging $12 and Rail Europe $15. It's the same pass, of course. My nephew received the pass in just a few days. I will always contact Budget Europe Travel, and likely Byron, for any future Europe rail travel!

jdc26

Yes, AQ, I too have used Byron at Budget and agree he's wonderful to work with. I'm using him again for my Switzerland trip in September.

jdc

Palenque

Rail europe has no mailing fee for orders above $399 as most passes in most countries - a saverpass would be - but the typical Swiss Pass would not add up to $400.

simonelarson

I guess it's time to post an honest comment about Byron and Linda at Budget Europe Travel. I found them to be completely incompetent and unprofessional. They had information that could have saved me from spending $332.00 and they chose not to. I would recommend working with professional travel agents and not this mom and pop shop.

clevelandbrown

I think if your itinerary is detailed and fixed in stone, one of the passes may be useful. If your itinerary is more flexible, and unlimited pass would be useful, but expensive. The half-fare card (which I favor because I don't have the time necessary to check out each pass for each trip) also gives good flexibility at a reasonable cost.

SIMONELARSEN, many people report being very pleased with the services of Byron at Budget Europe Travel. My feeling is that most professional travel agents do not have the detailed information necessary to recommend the best pass, and settle for recommending some of the more popular passes.

You report that Byron had information that could have saved you $332.00. Perhaps if you explained just what that information was, we could evaluate the accuracy of your posting.

enzian

I doubt that simonelarson will be back to respond---this is her first and only post.

And a "professional travel agent" isn't going to able to help someone pick the best pass for Switzerland unless they specialize in Swiss travel AND can your your mind.

The choice of a pass involves some very subjective elements, such as how much you value convenience, flexibility, and other factors beyond the cost. And then you have to "do the math" for various scenarios of your trip. I think this is best done with one's own research, not relying on the advice of a travel agent. Often the best/most cost effective choice is, as clevelandbrown suggests the simple half-fare card. We like the 3-day Flex-Pass, which is kind of a hybrid, offering 3 fully covered days, and the rest of the trip functions as a half-fare card. But I know I am paying a bit more to have the convenience of not stopping at the ticket window on those 3 days.

Sometimes people will choose a particular pass based on plans to take the very expensive Jungfrau trip, and then they don't go because the weather is not good that day. Does that mean they chose the wrong pass?