Best Train Pass Option

Hi Melanie,
I had trouble posting my answer, so if this is a repeat post please just ignore it :)

Saver Day Pass does include all travel that day, even including the gondola up to Mürren.
Areas of validity are here:
https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/railpasses/ga/ga-travelcard-area-validity.html

Prices shown on your SBB app will be full fare, unless you have already purchased and added a Half Fare Card to your app.

On the SBB website you will be shown prices for full fare and half fare for each day that a Saver Day Pass is available.

165 CHF for a Half Fare Card is the renewal price. If you have one and choose to renew it the next year it is a bit cheaper, as long as you do this before it expires. Probably not that helpful for tourists but very useful for people who live here.

Yes, you can have tickets for other people on your app. I do this for various family members.
Once you have chosen a ticket and are about to purchase it you will see “edit passengers” click on this and add the information for your Co-passanger, including if they have a half fare card.
Whenever you purchase a ticket for them make sure you check the box next to their name.
They should have ID on them when on the train as it might be requested when you show the ticket.

FYI—tourists do not have the ability to add passes to the SBB app. You will receive a QR code, either printed on paper or an electronic copy that you can add to your smart phone’s wallet.

Some info. on the half fare card can be found here:

https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard/howtouse

We have purchased a half fare card for a visitor who then added it to their app, so I looked it up and here is the difference:

If you get the Half Fare Card valid for one year (this is the one that is 185 CHF) you can add it to the app, if you get the one that is valid for one month then you can not.
https://sbbcffffs-community.sbb.ch/t5/SBB-Mobile-SBB-Preview-EasyRide/Add-Half-Fare-Card-to-SBB-Mobile-App/td-p/21987

In this case anyone using the Half Fare Card for one month or less should buy the one that is intended for short visits and costs only 120 CHF
https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/inspiration/international-guests/swiss-halffare-card.html

myswisslife, thanks for the clarification. The OP stated she will only be in Murren for 4 days before heading to Italy. So, the one-month card, as opposed to the one-year card, makes the most sense for her.

myswisslife and Carrie, thank you both so much for all the information!! So helpful! I will definitely be buying the one-month Half Fare card and stashing it in my Apple wallet. And I'm really pleased I can use the Saver Day Pass option! I am getting close to when they will be up for purchase for my dates. And just to clarify - I will be able to use a Saver Day Pass to travel as much as I want around Switzerland for one particular day? Even multiple trips, if desired? They aren't tied to a particular journey, correct? So I can buy them even if I don't know where I will be traveling on a particular day?

If that's the case, am I better off just keeping watch for the Saver Day Passes as they are released for each day I need them rather than buying the Oberland Pass? From what I can tell, if I can snag a Day Pass for CHF26 (with the Half Fare Card), isn't that cheaper than the Oberland Pass? I think for 4 days, it would be CHF 104 versus CHF 175 (plus the CHF 120 for the Half Fare Card either way). We will be going to the top of Schlithorn (weather permitting), so does that make a difference (i.e. covered or discounted by one but not the other)? I do place a value on convenience too, so maybe that should tip me towards the Oberland Pass?

Finally, despite being a huge Switzerland fan, I have never been to the Oberland region (I cannot even begin to express how excited I am!!). In my head, I actually picture very little train travel while there. I picture myself hiking, waving at the cows, etc. If this is the case, do I even need a Pass while there? Or will I be hopping on and off all types of transportation to get from one hike to the next? And if so, I assume the Pass option is cheaper than point-to-point?

Sorry for so many questions. And thanks in advance for your help.

Hi again,

I have never purchased the Berner Oberland Pass, others can tell you about that.

I have purchased many, many Saver Day Passes over the time I have lived here and I love them! They are valid from the first train of the day until the very last that same day. I often look at the weather app in the morning and then decide where to go - changing my mind mid-journey, getting off if I see something interesting, etc. I love them, so much flexibility. 


The Berner Oberland includes the Jungfrau Region (Mürren, Wengen, etc.) but also equally beautiful areas such as Kandersteg, Adelboden and Lenk where you will find mountain hikes, waterfalls, mountain lakes, etc. Gstaad and area has rolling hills surrounded by mountains, and of course you can go outside of the BO to any other part of Switzerland as well.



Down side of the day pass:
It does not cover the ride up to the Schilthorn, or many other mountain gondola/train rides.
You have to be vigilant to snatch the cheapest ones, checking at the earliest time possible, and even then, sometimes the 29 CHF ones are no longer available.

Thank you for the information myswisslife, I bought the Half Fare cards for my mom and me yesterday, and as soon as the dates open up for Day Saver Pass, I think I may try to buy them for the first day and the last day and then invest in either the Berner Oberland Pass for the 3 days in the middle OR the Top of the Mountain Pass. I just read about the Top of the Mountain Pass today, and now have another option in the mix haha.

By the way, for the Belleville Hotel in Mürren, we need to get off at Mürren BLM, correct? There are multiple Mürren stops so I don't want to mess up since we'll have luggage. The fastest route and the route with fewer stops are not the same rides, so I am thinking I should deal with a longer ride with fewer stops. So unless I learn about a better option, we'll grab the train that takes 3 hours and 20 minutes and goes through Bern, Interlaken Ost, Lauterbrunnen, and Grütschlap. Does that sound right? Also, if we miss a connection en route, we can just grab a later train going to the same destination, right? I think I read that tickets are not train-specific which should make things so much less stressful. Sorry for all the questions - my mom is not young anymore (81) so I want to make sure that I can make things as smooth and easy as possible for her.

"FYI—tourists do not have the ability to add passes to the SBB app."

This information is not correct. It is possible to display it in the app.

A couple of things to clear up your questions: There aren't a couple of TRAIN stations in Murren. Only one. There is a train station on the North end of Murren, and that train goes back and forth from Grutschalp to Murren. On the South end of town is a cable car station that connects down to Gimmelwald and then once more down to Stechelberg. Your hotel is pretty much in the middle of town, so either station would be ok.

Put another way, when you get to Lauterbrunnen, you have a choice. You get out, with your luggage. You can then either cross the street and take the cable car up to Grutschalp (then the train from there over to Murren) OR you can catch the bus (very near the cable car station) to Stechelberg, and then take the cable car up to Gimmelwald and then Murren. I prefer the former.

Earlier you said you didn't think you'd use trains much once you got there. I think you'll change your mind once you get there and see all the options available in the area. (To be fair, there is 4 days of stuff to do around Murren.)

Shoe, thanks so much for the information on Mürren. I feel like I have a visual picture now and know what to do when we are headed there. Thank you!

I think you’re right that we’ll probably end up moving around more than we expect, so I’m probably going to get the Oberland Pass just so I know we’re covered. And I can’t wait to do some of the hikes in the Wordpress document! Thanks for the recommendations!

rolandp954, thank you for the input. I actually have not been able to load my Half-Fare card, so if you have any suggestions, I’d love them! I purchased through my SBB online account, and my app is logged into the same account.

Coincidentally, I can’t get the HF Pass into my Apple wallet either. It gives me an option to save it as a pdf in my phone’s files, which I did, but no option for putting in my wallet. I printed it to have a hard copy too, but really wish I could pull it up from my wallet or at least from the app.

This sounds perfect!

Yes, if you miss a connection you can grab a later train.

At all of these stations there will be an elevator, ramp, or both. I see lots of people lugging their bags down the stairs to change platforms. In your case this might not be very much fun. Taking a moment to find the easier option will be worth it.

Sounds like you have things well thought out, I am sure you will have a wonderful time!

Thanks myswisslife! It’s nice knowing we can take our time. I’m really looking forward to the trip!