Conflicting Info With Eurail Pass in Switzerland

I don't know why you are booking all these reservations. The EC trains from Munich to Zurich do not require reservations, and trains from Zurich to Interlaken Ost do not require reservations. Swiss trains go so frequently, nobody bothers buying seat reservations, there are usually plenty of seats. The exception is the tourist trains like the Glacier Express, but since there is an hourly train from Zermatt to Brig, don't ride the 3 that are Glacier Express, where you have to buy a separate seat reservations direct from the MGB.

At Interlaken Ost station there is a big sign on the platform in English "Eurail Pass not valid on trains direction Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald." Just take a break, go in the station and show your Eurail Passes and they will sell you tickets at the 25% discount you are entitled to.

Look at schedules at www.sbb.ch/en. The Glacier Express trains are noted as GEX. avoid those and take the other regular trains.

Sam, thanks for your response. On the Eurail portal it told me reservations were required from Munich to Zurich. That's frustrating if I didn't really have to pay extra!! Funny you mention that leg, because there were a few snags in the process. On top of the "mandatory" reservation fee they had me pay an extra 16 euro as the train makes a stop in Austria, which is not covered by my pass. According to the itinerary it says we are leaving Munich from the Hackerbrucke station on train that says "BUS422227". Is that a bus and not a train? Or am I just confused again?

Thank you for the tip regarding the route between Zermatt and Brig. If we took a different train, would we go a different route that might not be covered still with our pass?

And this is exactly the reason most well-seasoned travelers around here say over and over again: Avoid Eurail Passes. They're a pain in the a** and they usually end up costing more than just buying point to point tickets.

Ah yes, the EC train cuts through Austria for a bit along the shore of the Bodensee, so you would have to pay extra for that if you don't have Austria included on your pass.

But I see that you are actually on the DB bus. That is OK, it cuts about an hour off the train trip, and yes, reservations are required for the bus. It will drop you at Sihlquai bus depot and you can cross the street and enter the Zurich Hbf on the side door mid-platform. In Munich you go from Hackerbruecke ZOB (Central Bus Station)

There is only one train route from Zermatt to Brig. It is a narrow gauge railroad that actually stops in the street outside of Brig station. All trains are covered. Even the GEX is covered, but there is a mandatory seat reservation fee.

Zurich to Bern, Bern to Interlaken, and finally Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen. The reservation fees have been paid for all legs of this trip except for the final stretch from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen.

Reserving these seats was totally unnecessary. Reservations are not needed on Swiss trains, and usually not even possible.

Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen is not covered by a Eurail Pass. The Eurail Pass is valid on "most" Swiss trains, but "most" does not include the Railway company that runs the Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen line.

I understand that the section of the train from Zermatt to Brig is part of the Glacier Express.

Not quite. It is the route the Glacier Express takes, but most of the trains on that route are not the Glacier Express. Again, no reservations needed if you are on a normal train (not the Glacier Express).

Will I need to purchase additional rail tickets for the Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen and Zermatt to Brig legs of our trip?

Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen - YES. Zermatt to Brig - NO.

Was it good value to get a Eurail pass or would it have been cheaper to buy advance tickets for Germany and Italy, and a Swiss Pass for Switzerland - probably.