Hello, What is the best way to get to Wengen, Switzerland by train? How should I book? Two separate tickets, one through France and the other through Switzerland? We also want the least amount of stops possible. We have traveled to Wengen before and know about Interlaken Ost, Lauterbrunnen station then the final stop to Wengen.
Also, we will be in Switzerland for a week and will be on several boats, cogwheel trains, etc... Is it worth a half fare card?
Buy a ticket in Strasbourg train station for one of the frequent, unreserved regional trains to Basel.
From Basel, a Half Fare Card or Swiss Travel Pass will kick in and yes, at least a Half-Fare Card is worthwhile. The closest match for a pass is 8 consecutive days for about $425 per adult; count days carefully to know whether or not that will also get you to your departure airport or border.
Looking Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the Deutsche Bahn train schedule link and tips for using it. SBB will also have the info, but the display is not quite a simple.
Since the Half Fare Card costs 120 CHF, the break even point is 240 CHF of full fare tickets per person. It is 75.20 CHF from Basel to Wengen.
Also going from Strasbourg but to Meurren. I have elaborately laid out our itinerary in Switzerland and found although not great savings with Swiss Travel Pass (based on our itinerary) the 8 day pass is best for us because of the non hassle factor buying tickets every trip. I checked the DB site from Paris to Strasbourg on June 29 (our trip) and the cheapest ticket it offers is over 200 for 2, and it wont give me anything at all from Strasbourg to Basel ("we cannot sell your requested journey online"). I tries Basel SBB and Basel Badischer Bahnhof. Thetrainline site has multiple tickets Paris -Strasbourg 75 or less for 2 and also has a clean hit Strasbourg - Basel with multiple times. (Note both sites about the same Basel to Paris. Do you know why the discrepancies? I cant get anything back Paris - Strasbourg on sbb site either which is frustrating. There seems to be a great deal of variability between sites. Have you found this to be the case?
First of all, DB can't sell tickets that don't begin or end in Germany, which it looks like you are not.
Strasbourg to Basel is by frequent French TER trains. They are unreserved and always the same price. Cost is 25.20 EUR unless you are a senior or young adult, where they have discounts at off-peak times. Trains are every 30 minutes during morning and evening rush hours, every 2 or 3 hours between 8:21 and and 15:18.
If you want to travel from Paris to Strasbourg, you need to buy from SNCF. They own and operate the trains. Or from one of the reputable resellers like www.thetrainline.com or www.loco2.com. Thetrainline is charging a 2 1/2% fee, probably to cover American's reward card addiction. Loco2 still sells at the same price as SNCF.
I have trouble following the rest of your question.
Question about how to book this. If I have a half fare care in Switzerland, I probably need to book one ticket through one of the apps for the TER train and then all others through SBB? Correct?
If I have a half fare care in Switzerland, I probably need to book one ticket through one of the apps for the TER train and then all others through SBB? Correct?
No, you don't need to "book" either ticket. No discount for advance purchase, and tickets are valid on any train.
We are traveling also from Strasbourg to Mürren. For better or worst this is what we decided to do (but please point out the errors of my ways, if there is a better way):
We already bought Strasbourg to Basel.
Because we already have been to the Bernese Oberland area, we are not looking to go up the Jungfrau top of Europe. 60 days in advance, we would like to purchase the super saver tickets (only good for that specific train):
https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/supersaver-tickets.html
Basel to Mürren is 52.80 CHF (26.40 with the half fare card).
Children would be free with the half fare card but if we decide not to buy it, I can buy for my 6 years old a children's co-travel card for 30 CHF, that would give her free access to all transport as long as she is with a paying adult.
A previous poster mentioned if we were to spend at least 240 CHF on transport, then it would be worth it to get the half fare travel card. In the past I got it because I did not want to deal with the headache of adding everything and we took some of the most expensive funiculars.
But I think this year we will go without. Round trip Basel to Mürren with the children's co-travel card if we can get the supersaver is 135.60 CHF.
