Question on travel to Murren and which rail pass to purchase

Lucerne to Murren is a pretty journey via Meiringen onthe only narrow gauge line run by Swiss Rederal Railways. Trians go from platforms 12/13 in Lucerne station, sit on the left hand side facing the direction of travel and you get good views across Lake lucerne and then change if you can to the opposite side for the rest of the journey to Meiringen, here the train reverses so again if you can just sit so you are facing the front. If you get in the rear of the train at Lucerne you will be at the front in Interlaken Ost. if you have time and the boats connect you can take the stramer from and Brienz to Interlaken Ost and then connec t to the mountain train to Lauterbrunnen, change here for the cable car to Grutschalp and the little train along to Murren, if you can sit on the left hand side here you get the best views of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau as you get closer to Murren.

As for passes I am afraid the only way to find out is to do the maths. You could visit Wengen, which you can see from Murren, across the Lauterbrunneb valley, Grindelwald and the village on both Lake Brienz and Lake Thun.

I don't have any suggestions to offer on the best Swiss Pass to use, as that will require a fair amount of number crunching, and will be based on the specific sights you want to see while there. Were you planning to just buy P-P tickets for the Italy portion of your trip?

As mentioned in the previous reply, this is the route to Mürren....

• Train from Luzern to Interlaken Ost (1H:50M direct)
• Transfer to small Berner Oberland Regionale train for the short 20 minute trip to Lauterbrunnen (be sure to check the digital display on the side of the car to make sure it's going to Lauterbrunnen, as some of the trains "split" at Zweilütschinen).
• Upon arrival in Lauterbrunnen, walk across the street to the Cable Car station, walk up the stairs and board the next Car to Grütschalp. Trip will be about 15 minutes or so.
• Upon arrival at Grütschalp, exit the Cable Car and board the small BLM mountain railway, which will be waiting.
• Sit back and enjoy the scenery! The train will likely make a short stop at Winteregg and then continue, and you'll arrive in about 20 minutes or so.
• Upon arrival in Mürren, walk up the stairs to street level and carry on to your hotel.

The entire trip may or may not be covered by a Rail pass. You might sent a note to the Rail department at RS tours for more information on the various passes.

You can easily visit some other villages, especially Gimmelwald which is a short downhill hike. If you want to visit Wengen, Grindelwald or other places on the other side of the valley, you'll have to return to Lauterbrunnen and travel by train.

Your question sounds familiar, but I don't see any repeat questions under your user name, so here goes. Several sources can help you to compare ticket prices for the trips you are considering. The most complete (www.sbb.ch) also requires the most steps to use, so I wouldn't bother. You can get a fair sample of costs from the map and text at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/switzerland-rail-passes, the map on p. 151 of Rick's Switzerland book (Berner Oberland area) or the source for that info is here. Since your trip fits into 4 consecutive days, I lean toward that pass; US price about $280 per person at the moment. No rush to buy it, if you want to keep an eye out for sales.

Thank you for your reply. So you are suggesting the Swiss Rail Pass for 4 days for approximately $280.00 each and not the half fare pass, correct? I do have the RS Switzerland book and was beginning to do the math and I appreciate you giving me the links as well. I will compare, but with the discounts given on the Swiss Rail Pass for the cable cars etc., I think that option might be best too.

We can travel on the Swiss Rail Pass as far as Brig, is what I am discerning. If I understand correctly, the Swiss Rail Pass cannot get us to Milan. From Brig, we would need to purchase our fares to Milan and then from Milan to Lake Como, correct?

"We can travel on the Swiss Rail Pass as far as Brig, is what I am discerning. If I understand correctly, the Swiss Rail Pass cannot get us to Milan. From Brig, we would need to purchase our fares to Milan and then from Milan to Lake Como, correct? "

Correct. But Italian train fares are lower than Swiss ones, so this is not a problem.

Yes, but if you check the Swiss Pass validity map (click here) you will see that the Swiss pass is valid up to Domodossola, which is where the two railway companies, Swiss and Italian, hand over the train. This is some distance past Brig.

If you have a Swiss pass, you need to go to www.trenitalia.com and buy a ticket from Domodossola, via Milan, to wherever you want to get to on Lake Como.

In Lauterbrunnen, you can also take the bus through the valley to another cable car station and reach Murren that way.