We will be in Switzerland beginning on September 6 this year for maybe 12 days max. We will not have a car. Starting in the BO for a week. Haven’t hashed out next details yet, but at the end of our time in country, we’ll ride on one of the scenic trains and eventually work our way to the Dolomites (probably Ortisei) and then on to Venice to stay 4 nights and then fly home back to the US on the 27th.
What are your thoughts on the pricier Rail Pass vs the Half Fare Card for us? I’m thinking the Rail Pass is easier (my preferred default lol), and if I’m reading correctly, you only need that pass, not point to point tickets. In other words, if we decide to take a later train, or miss a train, we just get on board with only the pass??
If we opt for the HFC, would we also need to purchase the BO pass?
So many choices, but I don’t mind :)
Posted by
Nashville, TN
612 posts
You are correct in that a rail pass allows you to just get on whatever train/cable car you want, whenever you want, as long as it's covered. You don't need tickets, just have your pass available when a rail agent comes through to check tickets. Or if it's a cable car that requires scanning, you scan your pass. It makes train travel very flexible and relaxed when you don't have to think about tickets.
If you're going to be in the BO for a week, most likely you'll do enough things in that area to justify the BO pass. The only real way to know if you should do the BO pass and/or the HFC is to make a wish list for all of your time in Switzerland of the trains/cables you think you'll want to ride, price out the trips and determine what is/isn't covered by passes. It's really tedious and no real easy way to do it. Note, the prices you see listed on sbb.ch for train trips defaults to the half fare card price, so if you see something costing 50chf, it's 100chf if you don't have the HFC.
Posted by
Green Bay
21142 posts
Note that the Swiss Travel Pass only covers you to inhabited towns in Switzerland, not mountain sites that are tourist spots. Thus in the B.O., it only covers you up to Muerren or Wengen, which are towns. To go up above Muerren to Birg or the Schilthorn, you get a 50% discount. Above Wengen, to Kleine Scheidegg or the Jungfraujoch, you only get a 25% discount.
The B.O. Pass still only gives 50% to Birg and Schilthorn, but covers completely to Kleine Scheidegg and 50% to the Jungfraujoch above Eigergletscher. It also covers all the lifts above Grindelwald to First.
With the Half Fare Card, you get a discount on the B.O. Pass. For a 6-day pass, it equals the cost of the Half Fare Card (120 CHF) and more for the 8-day and 10-day passes, so its kind of a no-brainer.