My wife and I will visit Switzerland this Sept-Oct, and spend 12 nights there: 4 nights in Luzern; 5 nights in Lauterbrunnen for the Berner Oberland; and 3 nights in Zermatt. We will travel between cities via car (except of course from Tasch to Zermatt and back).
We did a similar trip in 2014, and purchased two Swiss Half Fare cards when we first got to Lauterbrunnen, so we did not have them in Luzern. My notes from that trip show that we used the card a lot in the Berner Oberland and in Zermatt. But, I did not keep as good a record as I should have on that trip, and never did a cost-benefit analysis to see if we saved much by paying half-fare for those rides we did take ... I think we did but I never compared the two. Then the cards were 120 CHF each. We are thinking about buying those cards again once we arrive in Luzern - now $137 each if we buy them here.
So my questions are: (1) Are most gondola/lift/cog train/ and boat rides covered under that half fare card in Luzern? All around the Berner Oberland? In Zermatt? AND (2) Should we buy the cards on-line here in the US? Or wait until we reach Luzern? I appreciate any advice!
Posted by
Wengen
2494 posts
The Half Fare Card is good for pretty much all mountain transports. And once you have that you are probably better of not getting a car at all, and doing your normal base changes using public transit as well.
Lauterbrunnen is slowly being destroyed by cars and at the next town hall meeting I am going to table a motion to ban non locals from bringing their cars in to the valley.
Posted by
182 posts
I agree that a car is UNNECESSARY, and the HFC is your best bet!
Posted by
OP
Dallas, Texas, USA
17 posts
Thank you for the replies. Just as a followup to the comments about car travel ... our Swiss visit will be after roughly 3 weeks driving through Bavaria and Austria. Having a car will allow us to drive through Bavaria and Austria and see the sights, plus be able to carry more luggage than being solely on the trains ... we have done both. Once we are at a destination, we generally park the car and take only local transportation. So, as mentioned, we will use our car to get to the cities in Switzerland where we are staying, but will use local transportation while in each city.
Posted by
Green Bay
21145 posts
Where are you renting the car and where are you turning it in?
The Half Fare Card will pay off if you have more than 240 CHF worth of tickets, Yes, most lifts give the 50% discount with the HFC. This map shows where they are and are not. https://www.swiss-pass.ch/wp-content/uploads/pdf/swiss-travel-system-map.pdf