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Help on which pass to buy

Posted by (Valrico, Fl) on

Hi,

Below is my itinerary for my time in Switzerland. I am trying to decide if Swiss half-fare card or Berner Oberland pass would be best to buy. We will be using the train, lifts, and funiculars. Any advice is appreciated!

Thursday April 27 - Take train to Lauterbrunnen from Zurich airport. From the Lauterbrunnen train station, ride the cable car across the street up to Grutschalp, where we immediately transfer to the little train which we ride to Murren.

Friday April 28 - Take train down to Lauterbrunnen and do the Cloudy- Day Lauterbrunnen Valley walk. 3 mile walk from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg. Make stop at Staubbach Falls. After crossing the river do a side trip to Trummelbach Falls. From the falls walk uphill on the main road about 5 minutes, then cross through the Breithorn Campsite and over the river to return to the trail. About 1/2 hour walk more to come to a great picnic spot at the base of Murrenbach Falls. Just beyond is the Schilthorn-bahn cable-car station. Decide here if we want to catch lift or walk 1/2 hour more to top of the valley. Option after this is take train to Interlaken and then to Ballenbreg and visit the Swiss Open Air Museum at Ballenberg or walk around Lauterbrunnen .

Saturday April 29 - From Murren ride the Allmendhubel funicular to do hike the North Face Trail. We will end up back in Murren from hike. Depending how we feel we can take the train down to Gimmelwald and do walk.

Sunday April 30 we will be leaving Murren to travel to Luxembourg.

Thanks, Kathy

Posted by
11888 posts

I would recommend a 4 day Berner Oberland Regional Pass and a Half Fare Card. From Zurich, but a ticket to Luzern or Bern (dampening on how you choose to route) using the HFC, and from that point your BO Reg Pass kicks in. Leaving Mürren, the BO Pass covers you until you leave the region (again via Bern or Luzern). Note the almost entire 120 CHF cost of the HFC of offset by a discount on the 4 day BO pass. With the BO Pass, even if you change your plans day to day or add in something new, your transportation is covered including the bus in the valley.

I think you plan for the 28th is very ambitious. The Ballenberg Museum is a significant train trip and the museum can easily take 3 hours or more. Might suggest you add in another hike, energy permitting, like Grütschalp to Mürren or Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg if it is open. You could also just joy ride up to Kleine Scheidegg on the train.

Posted by
264 posts

To add on to this question-
We are a group of ten. I propose that we all purchase the 30-day half-fare card, and I will be the point person to obtain the 30% group discount where applicable. Train and lift tentative plans are:
Basel-Lucerne rail
Mt. Pilatus
Lucerne-Wengen via Meiringen rail
Schynigge Platte via Wilderswill cograil
Schilthorn
Mannlichen lift
One or two other hikes e.g., Lauterbrunnen waterfalls
Wengen-ZRH rail
We are 2 nights in Lucerne and 4 nights in Wengen with our final night at the Hilton Zurich Airport. I am having difficulty seeing the cost benefit of purchasing either the Berner Oberland or Jungfrau passes in addition to the Half-Fare cards. What am I missing?

Posted by
11888 posts

Beejaybee, You might benefit from posting a separate question so that the answers come right to YOUR inbox instead of to the OP on this question.

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