We love Switzerland and have been many times! We have always driven, but want to use the trains this time when we take the twin granddaughters. Flying in and out of Zurich. We plan on 9 nights with possible stays in Lausanne, Murren, and Luzern. What would be the best travel pass? Discounts for children or seniors? Hope to do the Schilthorn. Any suggestions for lodging for 4? Has anyone done "The Chocolate Train" from Montreux? We appreciate any ideas.
Posted by
Houston, TX
219 posts
For the grandchildren, you could buy a Children's Co-travel card, which includes the Grandchild Travel card. It costs 30 Swiss Francs (about $30.) Here's the link to it from the Swiss transportation system's (SBB) web site:
https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/railpasses/junior-travelcard-children-co-travelcard.html
The adult Swiss Travel Pass comes in 8 days and 15 days, but not 9 days. It covers trains, buses, ships (on lakes), most museums and castles, cable cars (some are only discounted). You could buy the children's card and pay for individual adult tickets your first day there, from Zurich to Luzern, which is a short distance. Then you could activate an 8-day consecutive Swiss Travel Pass starting on your day 2, so you'd have it for the remainder of your 9-day trip. You can buy the passes and children's card at the train station at the Zurich airport (or at the Luzern train station, or at most stations.) Here's the link that describes it:
https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/travel-in-switzerland/international-guests/swiss-travel-pass.html
Or you can buy it in US$ from the Rail Europe web site.
https://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/swiss-pass/index.html
Here's a link to Rick Steves' description of Swiss Travel Passes:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/switzerland-rail-passes#swiss-travel
You'll get good use of the Swiss transportation app for navigating your transportation throughout Switzerland. It tells you the times, the stops, the platforms to change trains, and how crowded the train is. all you do is enter your start and destination points.
www.sbb.ch/en
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Traveling with kids < 16 years old in Switzerland is a bargain on the train. They go absolutely free with you wherever you go as long as you have a ticket and they have the Junior Card. It's not just trains that are free - gondolas, buses, boats, funiculars are all free. Even to the top of the super expensive Jungfraujoch - it's absolutely free for them as long as they're with you.