Munich - Switzerland - Italy

I see Munich-Interlaken for as low as 39 euros if you're booking a couple of months ahead, or just to Zurich is 19. So if you're ready to book early, then 20 euros is the price difference that would be covered by a Swiss Pass. However, regular fare from Zurich to Interlaken via Luzern is 50 Swiss francs, or all the way to Wengen is 65. From Wengen to the Italian border is another 70 francs. How many days is "a few"? Excursions during your stay will certainly make the Half-Fare Card worthwhile, or perhaps even a Swiss Travel Pass for 3 or 4 consecutive days. The more detailed your plan, the more data points you can compare.

If you are going up to the Jungfraujoch, that trip is discounted 50% with a Half Fare Card; this single trip is so expensive, your Half Fare Card is almost paid for just from taking it. A Half Fare Card gets you 50% off anything that moves in the whole country, including local buses and lifts.

A Swiss Pass gets you 25% off the Jungfraujoch (and all travel above Wengen) and 50% off travel above Mürren on the other side of the valley. It completely covers travel in or below Wengen and Mürren, as well as your trains from the Swiss border to Wengen and from Wengen to the Italian border.

I don't know what a Berner Oberland pass covers.

You have to do the math yourself to see which is the best deal. Yes, it's a bit of work (many here speak of doing spreadsheets - I just made a list of my definite and possible trips and added them up). If you're not sure, remember that it's hard to lose with a Half Fare Card; it costs CHF 120, so as long as you're taking CHF 240 worth of trips (again, any kind - buses, trains, boats, lifts), you get your money's worth.

Careful about that Munich-Interlaken rail ticket. If you wait too long to buy it you'll pay about €150!

The Swiss specialists here will urge you not to stay in Interlaken, but in one of the mountain villages like Murren.

The rail line from Interlaken to Milan skirts Lake Maggiore. You could stop in Stresa and see the Borromean Isles. This would be especially nice if your Bernese Oberland time is all spent up in the mountains rather than down at the lakes.

When I'm traveling south of Munich to Italy, we go the shortest route through Innsbruck, the Brenner Pass and down into Italy. The incredible Tirolean Alps are essentially the same mountains as in Switzerland.
We find travel through Austria to be easier, more efficient and far less expensive than going out of our way thru Switzerland.

The OP is very smart...he said he's traveling to Interlaken Ost but staying in Wengen. Wengen, Murren, Lauterbrunnen - THOSE are the places to actually stay. Interlaken Ost is just a gateway train station you must change so that you can get up into the alps.

When is your trip, Chris?

I am a big fan of the Berner Oberland Regional Pass as we like to take the mountain lifts and trains for hiking. It always pays off for us. Even if the weather is not great, we might take a mountain ride for fun. This pass covers you extensively in the canton, from Bern south, roughly.

We have combined a BO Reg Pass with a Half Fare Card when we had a number of other rail trips in Switzerland, but it doesn't seem to me you are doing a lot outside of the Bernese Oberland. I am one of the spreadsheet people and highly recommend that form of analysis if you want to be certain of the value.

On the way to Milan....we don't mind the trip ourselves. It is far less than 6 hours! More like 2.5 hours. We get all the way to Rome in 6 hours from Spiez.

Thank you for all the replies! We will be traveling from Munich to our stay in Wengen on Oct 30th, and staying until November 1st. We definitely are planning to head up the rail to the Jungfrau and that area above Wengen. It looks like the Regional Pass is only valid until the 31st of October, so it might be smarter to just go with the half fare card? Other than our trips above or below Wengen, I think our plan is to just make our way into Italy on the 1st or 2nd, possibly with a stop around Kandersteg or Brig area? It looks like Zermatt is a bit out of the way, and expensive if Im not mistaken?

As of now Implanning on point to point tickets from Munich to Lucerne, Lucerne to Interlaken Ost. Obviously Ill have to get myself up to Wengen and above for the Jungfrau, hiking, etc. Does the half fare card seem reasonable for this instance. Assuming travel from Interlaken to at least the Swiss-Italian Border is covered as well?

chris,

In addition to the Berner Oberland Pass mentioned above, there's also the Jungfrau Pass. Unfortunately I'm not sure if you'll be able to use either of those as they're normally discontinued sometime in October. You'll have to check the websites.

One other tip regarding the trip to the Jungfraujoch is to check the weather before you go. If there's a fierce storm at the top, it won't be as pleasant an experience (although you can still have a look at the indoor attractions there such as the ice caves).