Question: Should we buy the Bernese Oberland Pass versus Swiss Rail Pass?
Who: 4 adults, 2 children ages 8 and 10 years old
Plans:
- Fly in and out of Zurich (ZRH) Airport
- Train from Zurich Airport to and from Lauterbrunnen (reservations)
- Stay in Murren
- Go to
o Visit Jungfraujoch
o Visit Schilthorn, with stop at Brig Thrill Walk
o Visit Manliechan and do trail up to Kleine Scheidegg
o Visit Grindlewald and do the First Lift
o Do the Ballenburg, Swiss Open Air Museum
o Potential to do other lifts, train rides in the Bernese Oberland area
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11776 posts
Without doing a complete analysis, my gut says a Berner Oberland Reg Pass is best. FYI we go there every year and always buy the pass. The Swiss Travel Pass only gives 50% off mountain lifts. You still have to pay a premium for the Jungfrau and Schilthornbahn, but the others are included in the BO Pass. If you buy the BO Pass online in advance of travel, you can buy tickets from Zurich to Bern and then your passes kick in the rest of the way.
I would run the numbers, though, and look at a combo of the BO Reg Pass and a Half Fare Card. The HFC offers an additional discount in the BO Pass as well half fares on the travel outside of the region.
Posted by
3 posts
Excellent advice in the previous; I also have been many times and would recommend the same.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thanks for the feedback. I'll go with the Bernese Oberland Regional Pass.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA, United States
464 posts
Sounds like you have some good advice regarding passes. I highly recommend taking the funicular from Murren up to Allmendhubel. I did this when I visited with my family last summer (including kids 6 and 2). The playground is incredible and so are the views. From there we did the North Face hike, and this was one of my favorite days of our trip. Enjoy!