SO.MUCH.INFORMATION (Help!)

1. Take the most direct route from Basel to Muerren by going through Bern. You'll be taking that scenic narrow gauge route when you go to Luzern.

2. Route to Luzern, you'll take the only practical route over the Brunig Pass. It is often marketed as the "Golden Pass" when combined with the MOB railway between Montreux and Zweisimmen and the BLS railway to Interlaken Ost. It is really operated by Zentralbahn, and is direct from Interlaken Ost and Luzern. It is indeed scenic and narrow gauge (meter gauge), as is the railway line between Interlaken Ost and Lauterbrunnen.

3. Yes, those are Super Saver Tickets and are nonrefundable and good only for that specific train, day, and time.

4. To take the scenic route between Luzern and Lugano, in the box that says "via" put Goeschenen. That will take you on the old Gotthard route with the shorter tunnel. Otherwise, the journey planner defaults to the fastest way, which is the new Gotthard Base Tunnel which goes completely under the mountains.

5. If you were staying longer in the Berner Oberland, you might look at the Berner Oberland Pass. The discount for this for 6 days or more equals the cost of the Half Fare Card, so it is like getting a free Half Fare Card for use in the rest of Switzerland. In your case, it is borderline if it is worth it. From Muerren, it only gives half fare on the Schilthornbahn above Muerren, and you already have a Half Fare Card so you get it anyway.

The Treno Gottardo goes from Luzern to Locarno, not Lugano. If you want to take this train, look for the ones with 0 changes between Luzern and Locarno. They depart Luzern at 9:18, 11:18, and so on later in the day. At least that is the current schedule.

It is a regional train, and different from the Gotthard Panonama Express which connects Luzern with Lugano, by boat and train, running once a day.

Sam, thanks so much for this info, it’s very helpful.

Re #4, would you recommend Lugano, Locarno or Tirano as a stopping point prior to traveling to Venice (taking into account the town, travel time, and scenery along the way)?

Again, thank you!

Go to Tirano only if you want to do the Bernina Railway (which is a very nice route, but maybe you've had enough scenery already).

Traint travel wise both Locarno and Lugano are good choices. In Ticino you will get a "Ticino Ticket" which gives you unlimited travel on all public transit in that Canton. So you will only need a ticket from Chiasso to Venice for your onward travel.

The problem with Tirano is it is you travel well to the east to get there via the Bernina route, and then have to come back west to Lugano or Milan before you can head to Venice. There are no train routes continuing east fro Tirano. See the train lines on this map of the Swiss rail system:

https://cdn-doc.myswissalps.com/docs/default-source/rail-network-maps/swisstravelpass.pdf?sfvrsn=7788603a_56

The usual train route to Venice from Switzerland passes through Milan, then head east via direct train to Venice or via Verona. So dropping south from Luzern to either Lugano or Locarno, is you want to avoid the deep Basistunnel under the Alps, or taking the fast train via the tunnel from Luzern to Milan, are shorter faster ways to reach Venice than going via Tirano.

I might suggest, it sounds like you are over-travelling. Perhaps cut your list by a third or a half and slow down?

As Rick says, always assume you'll be back.