Half price Swiss card or 8 day Swiss card

Some more information will help us help you better.

How many total days will you be in Switzerland?

Several years ago I bought a 4 day Swiss Pass. For what I had planned it worked perfectly. I was coming from Rome and used my Swiss pass for my transportation from the boarder to Lauterbrunnen. Which was where I was based. It worked on the Berner Oberland Bahn trains (to and from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen). Then one day I spent the day riding Swiss Rail trains and buses. I just would hop on the next train going to the next town I wanted to visit. (I made no reservations and was sure not to sit in a seat that had a reservation tag above the seat.) I had a Swiss train route map and toured Switzerland all day via train. My goal was so ride the trains and view the scenery.

Then I took a train to Zurich the day before my flight home. I still had a day left on my pass and rode the tram from in front of my hotel to the Zurich Airport.

If you still have days on your Pass you could take the train to Chamonix (or almost to Chamonix) as I think almost all of the trip is in Switzerland. The worst case go to the ticket counter show your pass and pay for the very small part that is in France. It is hard to see the scenery if you are driving.

It sounds like you are traveling each day. In my opinion the Pass is a very good option. You will have to do the math to see if the half price card would save you enough money to override the ease of just hopping on the next train out when you are ready to go. What is best for you will be how you want and like to travel.

You don't need reservations except for a select few trains like the Glacier Express or Bernina Express. And you don't need to rent a car to get to Chamonix, you can get there on Swiss trains with just a small amount for the last little bit in France.

If money is the question, just research the cost of everything at www/sbb.ch/en. Then divide by 2 and add 120 for the cost of the Half fare card. If that number is less than 376 (cost of an 8-day Swiss Travel pass), then a Half Fare Card is the way to go. Even mountain lifts often only give a 50% discount with a Swiss Pass, and some only 25%, but the Half Fare Card gives 50% all the time. A slight edge to the Swiss Travel Pass for not having to stop and buy tickets for regular trains, but to go up above civilization, you still have to buy a ticket.

We will be in Switzerland 7 days. We hope to get to Wengen on our second day once we leave Zurich at around 2. I know that is a few trains. Does it make sense to go to Lucerne from Geneva? What would we do with our luggage for the day? We may not have time to stop on our way down and maybe we just pass stopping there on this trip. I like the suggestion of the train to Chamonix so we can see the scenery better. How do we board in Chamonix with a Swiss pass? I appreciate all your help.
Thanks so much

The ability to just hop on most trains, buses, and boats is part of the convenience of the pass. At Chamonix-Mont-Blanc station, you'd simply board the train toward the Chatelard border station. When/if a conductor comes around to check tickets and passes, he or she will know that the Swiss Travel Pass covers the route (but it's not discounted with a Half-Fare Card).

If you have a travel day with a lot of stops, consider paying to check luggage through to your final destination in Switzerland. See SBB Express Luggage. Or, Swiss train stations have storage lockers for you to use while you visit the town.

Thank you so much. There is real value on hopping on and off the trains. Great suggestion on checking the luggage too.
Does anyone know how long once you get to Interlaken that it take s to get up to Wengen? How many trains etc and time does it take. What can one do in one full day in Wengen..which paths would you suggest?

Does it make sense to go to Lucerne from Geneva?

No. What you should be doing is skipping Zurich (unless there is something special you want to see there) and go directly from Zurich airport to Luzern. It only 1 hour on the train. Then go to Wengen. From Wengen, take the scenic Golden Pass route to Montreux or Vevey. Stay there rather than Geneva, at least for a while. That is also a short way to get the trains to Chamonix. If you get a Swiss Pass, it will be valid as far as the station Chamonix Mont Blanc. If there is something special you want to see in Geneva, stop there at the end. If not, you can get a train from Montreux/Vevey to Geneva airport in just over 1 hour.

All the train schedules are at www.sbb.ch/en

Hi---I grew up in Newport Beach---it has changed a lot, but I still love to visit there!

Train from Interlaken Öst to Wengen takes 46 minutes, including the transfer time ( 12 minutes) at Lauterbrunnen.

Here is map of the Swiss rail system so you can visualize your journeys:
https://www.swissrailways.com/sites/default/files/sts-gb-m-15-web_vorlage_0.pdf

Note that Luzern is right on the way between Zurich and Interlaken Öst, which is one reason Sam suggested you go straight to Luzern from the airport instead of spending your first night in Zurich. The other reason is that it is a lovely town within easy reach of the Zurich airport ( about an hour away) and has more charm than Zurich. There are direct trains to Luzern from the airport once per hour, and many more with a single change in the main Zurich station ( Hauptbahnhof).

With an early afternoon arrival at the airport, you could still get to Luzern in time to take a nice cruise on the lake ( covered with your Swiss Pass). You could have dinner at one of the outdoor restaurants along the river. And the next morning you would have time to walk around a bit before catching the train to Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen/Wengen.

The most-recommended walk at Wengen would be to ride the cablecar that goes straight up from the town to Männlichen (50% discount with your Swiss Pass). There is an easy but spectacular walk along the ridgetop to Kleine Scheidegg, with the main peaks right in front of you. You can also ascend the little Gipfel to the left off the cablecar first, if you want more views in the other direction.

There is a nice spot for lunch ( outdoor seating) on the left just before you get to Kleine Scheidegg, which is a junction of train tracks and has more restaurants. From here you can walk downhill via Wengernalp and farms back to Wengen, or ride the train down for f you want time to explore the Lauterbrunnen Valley and maybe visit Trummelbach Falls.

From the rail map you will see that your journey to Chamonix ( daytrip from Geneva?) is fully covered with your Swiss Pass. A Half Fare Card gives no discount on the French portion of the trip.

I will also endorse Sam's suggestion to spend a couple of nights in Vevey or Montreux before going to Geneva. These are smaller towns with lakefront lodging, and much closer to Chamonix for your daytrip there.

Thanks for all the tips. We are flying into Zurich and then going immediately to Schaffhausen so we will not spend anytime in Zurich! We are only in Schaffhausen Sun afternoon and Monday. We will leave Monday by 1 to get to Wengen for that night and for one more. Then Wed we leave to get to Geneva and thought we could stop in Lucerne then for a few hours. If not, maybe somewhere else enroute to Geneva. We have an appointment in Geneva on Thurs and then see the city that day. The next day thought we would go to Gruyeres and Montreux or Lausanne. Saturday head to Chamonix and home on Sunday. That is the temporary schedule and if one can offer ideas for any of these towns listed, I am all ears! It will be busy and the Swiss pass is a good one I think. Do you recommend first class or is second class fine?

2nd class is perfectly fine.

We travel first class on Italian trains and second class in Switzerland.

A first class pass for Switzerland would be a waste, as some of the trains don't even have a first class. And if younwant it for a boat trip, you can pay to upgrade just for that one trip.