Need train suggestions for Germany/Switzerland

I don't think a rail pass for the time in Germany would be price effective. With a little pre-planning and advance purchase, Munich to Tübingen should be no more than 49€ for both of you from the Bahn website. I don't know where you are going to first in Switzerland, but Tübingen to Zürich could be as low as 38€ for both of you from the Bahn website. Tübingen to Interlaken could be as low as 58€ for two.

I don't know Switzerland, so I'll leave it to others to tell you if a Swiss Rail Pass would be cost effective, but you should probably tell us a little bit about you planned travel in Switzerland.

dickinsonhaul,

As Lee mentioned, some additional information would be helpful. For example....

• Where do you want to visit in Switzerland?
• When is this trip taking place?
• Have you allowed for your two flight days? You'll generally arrive in Europe the day after you depart.
• Your profile doesn't indicate where you're from, but I assume you're travelling from North America?

Cheers!

What time of year? That's important if you're planning a trip to the Alps.

Our trip will be in February (next month). Our pending itinerary is:

Day 1 - Munich (arriving early am)
Day 2 - Munich
Day 3 - Munich to Tubingen
Day 4 - 7 - Tubingen
Day 8 - Tubingen to Lucerene
Day 9 - Lucerene to Lauterbrunnen
Day 9 - 11 - Lauterbrunnen
Day 12 - Lauterbrunnen to Zurich

Any suggestions would be wonderful! Thank you for your help and guidance!

Thanks for the additional information. A few thoughts.....

What are you planning to see in Munich? You'll have to plan touring very efficiently, especially as you'll be jet lagged for the first few days and you only appear to have one full day there.

It appears you're only stopping in Lucerne for one night. I'd suggest adding at least one night, as that won't give you much time to see anything there. It would be worthwhile to spend a bit more time there (IMO).

What are you planning to do in Lauterbrunnen? Ski season should still be in full operation, so hiking may be a bit limited (although some "Winterwandern" hiking is possible). If you haven't booked a hotel yet, it would probably be a good idea to get started on that soon.

Regarding Rail Passes, you could consider the half-fare pass as that will provide a discount on many of the trips you'll be taking. Unfortunately, you won't be able to take advantage of the regional passes such as the Jungfrau VIP Pass or the Berner Oberland Pass as they're only available between May and October. That's the only suggestion I've got at the moment, as the Passes are complicated and it could take some time to work out the best options.

Were you planning to stay one night in Zürich prior to your flight home, or travel directly from Lauterbrunnen? Have you booked a hotel yet? Will you have time to do any sightseeing in Zürich?

Good luck with your planning!

We will just be passing through some of the cities and won't get to spend much time at all in them i.e. Lucerne, Zurich. We will just try to see highlights as best as we can....no more time to stay at these.

Thank you for the information on the Swiss rails. We will have to check on what is available when we will be there.

You may not need any pass at all. At least from a cost standpoint. Many people buy passes looking for convenience rather that cost savings. For the journeys you describe above, you are not traveling enough to cost-justify the passes. For Switzerland, you need to be spending about 260CHF in transportation costs before any kind of Swiss pass or card will save you one dime. It costs about 75CHF each way to get to/from Lauterbrunnen from Zurich. It does not appear that you will be going to the tops of the Jungfrau or Schilthorn. The fares for those rides alone are about $190 and $110 respectively.

We do plan on going to Jungfrau and others in the area so that is why I was wondering if we might need to get the 1/2 pass to be able to save on those. Do you think that would be the best way to go? Lauterbrennan will be our base to go to all of those places.

There are a few things you should keep in mind about the Alps, particularly the Berner Oberland, in the winter. As Ken noted, February is still the winter sports season. The descriptions and recommendations you usually read in Mr. Steves' book and on this website are based primarily on summer travel, and there is a huge difference between the times of year, from activities, to logistics to even the views. If your only goal is to ride to the top of the Jungfrau and nothing else... then I wouldn't even bother. The weather at that time of year may only afford you a few brief glimpses at those views you paid so much and traveled so far to see. Now, if you're open to other activities, like skiing, Winterwandeling, or sledging, then it would be worth the trip. Stay a few days, and at some point the skies will clear enough to make a trip up the Jungfrau worthwhile. But if you only budget one day and just show up, don't expect the weather to cooperate.

If you decide to spend several days and take advantage of the winter sports actitivies, I would stay on the other side of Jungfrau massief, either in Wengen or Grindelwald, not the Mürren-Gimmelwald side that appears to be more popular on this website. Although this site has it's passionate advocates of Mürren, I found the skiing, Winterwandeling and sledging opportunities much more extensive and enjoyable on the other side. You would also have easier access to the Jungfraujoch.

PS- And access to Trummelbach falls is closed in winter, just so you know.

We will be staying in Lauterbrunnen as a base to go to the other areas. We plan on being there for 3 days so hopefully we can catch Jungfrau on a good day. What is the sport you are speaking of....besides skiing and sledging? is this cross country skiing? Is there any other activities you would suggest for the area during the winter months since I do not ski? would you suggest getting the 1/2 pass for going to Jungfrau, Schilthron, etc.
Thank you!

Tom is referring to winter walking on Winter Wanderwegs--- groomed walking paths, no skis or snowshoes needed.