Planning trip for Germany, France and Switzerland

Yes, dropping the car at Freiburg or elsewhere on the German side of the border will be cheaper for the car and a shorter train ride into Switzerland than if you came from Colmar. Either train route is via Basel and you could start using a Swiss Travel Pass or one-month Swiss Half-Fare Card from there.

I personally question whether Annecy is worth the extra train connections and might substitute another stop in Switzerland, such as at Zermatt (after Chamonix). And then train to Lucerne can be partly on the route of the Glacier Express. While not particularly expensive in this region, the only French train connections that would be covered by a Swiss Travel Pass are between the border crossing at Le Chatelard and Chamonix (which you could do roundtrip, if not circling all of Lake Geneva).

Hi Laura
"While not particularly expensive in this region, the only French train connections that would be covered by a Swiss Travel Pass are between the border crossing at Le Chatelard and Chamonix (which you could do roundtrip, if not circling all of Lake Geneva)."
Could you explain this more thoroughly?

I too was wondering if Annecy would be worth the hassle, so might consider Zermatt.
also, since we would be going in and out of Switzerland (Germany-Switz., Switz. to France, France to Switz., Switz city to Switz city, and Switz to Germany) would the half fare pass be of any help at all? The Swiss train passes are so confusing!
Thanks to anyone that can give input here.
Karen

Another thought: to substitute Annecy with Lausanne?

The Swiss Travel Pass covers a lot of extras that you'll see listed on my page link. Once extra is that it covers the short train ride between Chamonix and the closest Swiss border (but no discount with Half-Fare Card). You can also see it on this map of pass coverage. Otherwise, the Swiss Travel Pass or Half-Fare Card work for the portion of your trip within the borders of Switzerland. Coming from Colmar or Freiburg, you normally change trains at Basel, which is also a border station.

On your travel day from Lucerne to Munich, there are several possible routes you could take, depending on departure time or whether you're looking for the fewest connections, so the border could again be at a connecting point like Basel or a pass-through point like St. Margarethen. Probably the simplest plan is to buy a separate ticket from wherever is your last connection point before the border, although we could fine-tune that advice when you have a better idea of which departure or route you want and how many days you need the pass to cover. Pass options jump from 4 to 8 to 15 days. So the way that your trip plan falls on a calendar can make a difference.

There is a pass that would cover both trains in both Germany and Switzerland, but it has fewer extras within Switzerland (again, see my original link). You have plenty of time to make think this over, so focus first on planning the destinations. I just think Annecy is kind of a hassle when you already have the area around Colmar and the Black Forest as good examples of half-timbered architecture and charm.