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Rail pass: Stechelberg-Gimmelwald-Murren?

Posted by (Bend, Oregon) on

We’ll be staying in Wengen for 5 nights (with a car parked in Lauterbrunnen as part of a longer road trip). I’m looking at either the Jungfrau Travel Pass or the Top of Europe Pass for our time touring the Jungfrau area.

On one of our days, we will take the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp, then walk to Murren. I was hoping to take the cable car down to Gimmelwald, then down to Stechelberg, then take the bus back to Lauterbrunnen.

But it does not appear that either of these passes cover the cable car down from Murren. Is this lift only covered by the Swiss Rail pass or Half Off card?

The Jungfrau Travel Pass and Top of Europe Pass both seem to cover the same trail/lift routes in the mountain areas (including the high lifts, which we are interested in), with the following differences:

  1. Jungfrau Travel pass covers the train and boats on/around Lake Brienz, but does not cover a trip to Jungfraujoch. https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/jungfrau-travel-pass/

  2. Top of Europe covers one trip to Jungfraujoch, but does not cover the busses, or trains/boats at Lake Brienz. https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/top-of-europe-pass/

Can anyone confirm this?

My understanding is that the Swiss Rail Pass only covers lifts/trains 100% up to Wengen/Murren, so if we want to go higher (Mannlichen, Schinyge Platte, First), we would get a 50% discount.

Ugh. I wish these passes weren’t so confusing!

Posted by
273 posts

Since you have a car just get the Half Fare Card/Pass. With that you pay half price for everything; the locals here on the forum all use the Half Fare Card. Walk down to Gimmelwald it is 15 minutes down hill from Murren. When is this trip? You have to take weather into account.

Posted by
2494 posts

Or just do not get a pass, and buy tickets. Contrary to what may be believed by some a pass is not a necessity. Tickets for all means of transportation are always available. A Pass is a way to save some money, but that only in case you undertake a lot of trips.

Note that if you intend to do a circuit from Wengen to Mürren via Grütschalp, and back via Stechelberg you can do this on one single ticket. Just buy it at the station in Wengen, explaining the ticket clerk what you want to do.

Posted by
2545 posts

I finally plotted out the plans. This trip will be next June. 4 adults adults and 2 teens (over 16). We will have a rental car parked in Lauterbrunnen, and can use it to tour around Lake Brienz. Here is the plan, along with prices based on the SBB website, which assumes we have the Half Price card:

Half price card: 120

Arrival day:
3.40 Lauterbrunnen to Wengen

Day 1:
14.00 Wengen to Mannlichen
13.00 Kleinne Scheidig to Wengen
17.80 Wengen to Murren return

Day 2:
50.80 Wengen to First return (via Lauterbrunnen)

Day 3:
32 Wilderswil to Shinyge Platt return
25 Lake Brienz boat ride
Drive around Lake Brienz

Day 4:
91.00 Wengen to Jungfraujoch

Departure day:
3.40 Wengen to Lauterbrunnen

Total individual trains: 231
Plus half price card= 351

Based on these plans and the info I’m finding on the passes, it seems like the Jungfrau Pass is the cheapest and gives us the most flexibility

4 day passes:
Berner Oberland pass: 270/each. Covers all trains, cable cars and boats, except Jungfraujoch is 50% off. Add 91 for Jungfraujoch, and 8 RTto Wengen/Lauterbrunnen on arrival and departure days. total 369

Top of Europe Pass: 269/each. Covers trains and lifts, including Jungfraujoch. No boats or buses. No lift down from Gimmelwald. Add 25 for boat and 10 for Gimmelwald to Wengen, and 8 RT to Wengen/Lauterbrunnen on arrival and departure days. Total 312

Jungfrau Travel pass: 215/each. Covers all trains, boats, busses. No Jungfraujoch. Add 63 for Jungfraujoch, total 278. No lift down from Gimmelwald. Add 10 for Gimmelwald to Wengen, and 8 RT to Wengen/Lauterbrunnen on arrival and departure days. Total 296

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