Help - I'm stuck trying to figure out the SBB app and train fares

The app and website always default to half fare. But even 115 CHF 1st class sounds low to me for all that. And yes, the Swiss Travel Pass covers you to Muerren.

A full fare 1st class ticket from Zurich Airport to Luzern is 53 CHF. Luzern to Interlaken Ost is 58 CHF, Interlaken Ost to Muerren is 25.2 CHF. So 136.20 CHF is the total 1st class per person each way.

Thanks, Sam.

So if I were to just buy my 1st class tickets without a half fare card it would cost roughly 272 CHF plus the cost of reserving a seat. We will be arriving in Switzerland from Austria on 9/16 and will be flying out on 9/22 which means a 6 day 1st class pass would be 634 CHF plus the cost of reserving a seat. That's quite a difference for the convenience. Maybe I'll look into purchasing a Half-Fare Card.

Another question. What if I miss a train connection and I've already purchased the ticket? I know the connections are tight. Should I make sure and allow extra time between trains just in case? Is there any flexibility in the tickets if I don't get the pass?

Thanks again!
Laurie

The only train connection that has seat reservations available is the PE from Luzern to Interlaken Ost. You have to buy these directly from Zentralbahn, the train operator. They cost more than the standard SBB seat reservations, which are only available on IC trains, Trains between Zurich and Luzern are IR trains, and trains between Interlaken Ost and Lauterbrunnen, Gruetchalp, and Muerren are regional trains. So no reservations available, just find seats.

A ticket is good on any train on that route that day, so no worries about missing a connection. You just wait for the next train. Trains in Switzerland are mass public transportation.

Now, if you had a seat reservation on the Luzern-Interlaken Express (PE), and you missed the connection, you would lose the seat reservation, but you can certainly ride the next train an hour later.

Seat reservation site for the Luzern Interlaken Express.
https://www.zentralbahn.ch/en/experience/leisure/luzern-interlaken-express#Sitzplatz

Oh, this is all good to know. I appreciate it.

Note that if you are coming by train from Austria that you should book your train all the way to your destination in Switzerland. You only need one ticket per trip. Tickets are for a route, not a train...

Usually the half fare card is the best buy. It also gives 50% discount on mountain railways, and that thus adds up quickly.

Thanks, I think the half fare card wins. Now I've just found out that the train from Salzburg to Zurich will be out of commission while I'm there. Back to the drawing board.

What is your travel date?

September 16. But I'm confused because I still see direct tickets on the OBB website for Salzburg to Zurich for that date. What is the best way to stay up to date on work being done on the tracks?

September is aaaaaaaaaages away. Nobody buys train tickets that far in advance. I buy train tickets usually a few days to a couple of weeks in advance for long trips, and on the day itself for short trips.

Note that if you are traveling Salzburg - Luzern you should book Salzburg - Luzern, and not Salzburg - Zurich. Tickets are for a route, not a train, which also means that if the schedule changes, your ticket automatically becomes valid for the alternative schedule. If there is a replacement bus, then the ticket is valid on that too. Railways are common carriers. They have an obligation to transport you.

This summer the line from Buchs to Feldkirch is indeed closed for engineering works. But most Salzburg - Zurich trains will operate, as you can see on www.oebb.at. They are going to be routed via st. Margrethen. This means trip time will be about an hour longer, but that is all.

Thanks for the advice as far as booking Salzburg to Luzern. So much to learn. I wasn't going to get tickets yet - I'm just doing my homework during the cold and snow here in Chicago.

This shows that the work starts June 14 and is scheduled to be complete by the end of day October 14, so it is obviously a major project.
https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/rail-traffic-information/operations-disruptions.html?d=20260615&poiid=1017497

Looks like only one direct train to Zurich at 6:56 am on Sept 16, and as Wengen K pointed out, it diverts at Feldkirch down to St Margarethen and on to Zurich via St Gallen, taking an extra hour to get to Zurich.

Here is an idea. Rather than continue on to Zurich, you can get off at St Gallen and take the Voralpen Express to Luzern. This is a more scenic route, bypassing Zurich, but it does take more time, mainly because of a 45 minute train change time in St Gallen. Enough time to grab a take-away lunch for the rest of the journey. You can see the route at www.sbb.ch/en by putting in Salzburg to Luzern and Uznach in the via box. That is an intermediate station on the Voralpen Express.
https://unterwegs.sob.ch/en/stories/voralpen-express

There are more trains, but the timetable looks for the fastest connection first.
However there are also direct trains to Zurich at 12:56 and 16:56.

Anyway, all this may still change... I would actually take the 6:56. Early but you can get breakfast on the train. There is a restaurant car on the train, but I would normally just buy something from a bakery at the station in such cases.

Thanks so much. My head is truly spinning trying to get a handle on the train schedules, alternate routes and passes. I appreciate the advice. I traveled all through Japan by train, and it was so easy. This just seems crazy complicated to me.
Laurie

I suspect in Japan you were going major city to major city. If you were just going from Salzburg to Zurich, that would be easy. But you are traveling on to Luzern, then a train over a mountain pass to Interlaken. Then a narrow gauge line to Lauterbrunnen. Then a cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Gruetschalp, then another narrow gauge line to Muerren.

Since you head is already spinning, I will throw one more curve. You must take care to board the correct carriages at Interlaken Ost for the train to Lauterbrunnen. The train splits half way, with the other half of the train going to Grindelwald. The carriages are well marked and there are attendants on the platform to help direct you. Its an adventure.

It is a bit of bad luck that there is a construction project scheduled for a section of the line between Salzburg to Zurich during your visit, but they have planned detours set up.

Hahaha! Thanks for that heads-up, Sam. I don't know where I would end up without all the kind guidance by people on this forum. I understand why some just join tours, so they don't have to figure all of this out. I'd much rather do it on my own so I'm determined to figure this all out. I have all my anticipated routes and costs written out. Now to do the math. It's a challenge. Thanks again, Sam and Wegen. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.
Laurie

One of the things to remember is this: Tickets are for a route, not a train. So if you buy a ticket Salzburg - Mürren (Yes, you can have all that on one ticket) the railways have to get you there. And if not on the originally planned trains, then on others. So relax, you will get there. Were I in your place I would go for the first train. It is an early start, but all you need to do is get up, refreshed and dressed, then head to the station. Pick up something for breakfast and then get on the train. Then relax.

Trains in Japan are great. They are more like a intercity metro system. But once you get in remote rural areas it gets a tad more complicated as well. In Central Europe you should think of the trains as a giant patchwork of overlapping commuter rail systems. It is mass transit. Most of the people that will board the train to Zurich in Salzburg with you will not be going to Zurich, but just to the next town to go to work or shopping or whatever.

When I was a teenager I travelled to high school by train. One hour each way. On Wednesday my train back was one that had come all the way from Moscow. Train travel is a bit peculiar at times...

I haven’t watched this video yet, but they always have great info. on the trains and passes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB-g2-OtTkI

This one explains how to use the SBB app:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtVY7L4qlBQ

Other than trying to figure out the best train pass (and don’t stress over that), I have found Switzerland to be one of the easier countries for train travel. Second to the Netherlands where you can tap and pay on all public transportation with no need for passes or tickets.

Excellent videos! Thank you! I think it's very helpful playing around with the app ahead of time to get used to it and learn all it is able to do.

Thanks, Wengen. I think an early start is the way to go. I'm sure it's a fantastic transit system. What I find so confusing is trying to figure out all the different options for passes. It really does necessitate a spread sheet to figure out the best option. It took me a couple of days to get to that, but I think I have it sorted out now. I'm going to go with the 4-day BOP and HFC. The HFC would make the most sense economically, without the BO pass. But I'm going to add the BO pass for the convenience and also for the probably unanticipated times I might use it that I already haven't accounted for. The second class 6-day Swiss Train Pass might be better, but I would want several upgrades to first class when we have luggage (Zurich to Murren and back again) and I'm not sure how to figure that out.

Thanks again for all your help!
Laurie

Info. on upgrades here:

https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/tickets/point-to-point-tickets-switzerland/class-upgrades-supersaver-class-upgrades/class-upgrade.html

One more tip, on the Luzern Interlaken Express, you want to be seated on the right hand side of the train leaving Luzern. After you go over the Bruenig Pass, you will have a great view of the mountain side across the valley with many waterfalls. One of these is the famous Reichenbach Falls. This is where Sherlock Holmes and Dr Moriarty fought to the death in "The Final Problem". Of course, it turns out that Sherlock Holmes faked his own death, so Conan Doyle could bring him back later, due to popular demand.

The train actually changes direction at the bottom of the hill in Meiringen, BTW, there is a Sherlock Holmes Museum in Meiringen. Anyway, you will now be on the left hand side of the train with views of the Brienzersee lake as you ride into Interlaken.

The Zentralbahn seat reservation site will show the direction of the train on the seat maps.