Swiss Pass worth it for a 8 day, 7 night trip?

Note that if you show the Pass for a discount , it counts as a use day. That may change your thoughts on the Flexible Pass.
Safe travels !

I love convenience of the Swiss Travel Pass. So, to me, it’s well worth the cost.

When you are checking prices of train tickets, make sure you are getting the full price. I believe the SBB app and website still assume one has a half fare card and so doesn’t automatically displace the full price.

Hi Mike,

My first inclination was to recommend the Swiss Flexi Pass which would cost US$ 700-850 for either four or six days.
But a look at Trainline.com for tickets shows the three of you can get from Paris to Interlaaken for as little as $165.
I would buy that discounted ticket as soon as you nail down your Paris to Interlaaken date of travel. The Interlaaken to Zurich train ride is about $95. So, my suggestion is to do that rather than mess with the Train passes. The funiculars and gondolas and private train fares are going to add up getting to Murren and around the area— but in no way should they add up to $500 for the three of you. There’s plenty of hikes around Murren and Lauterbrunnen with the little one, and, even if you take a trip to Grindelwald during your time there, I cannot see the Swiss Train Pass penciling out as an advantage for you unless there are a number of other destinations in your itinerary.

Switzerland is so eye-wateringly expensive that sometimes I am numb to the sticker shock!

Tip: Murren has a Co-op Grocery Store for picnic supplies.

Normally when you buy a pass reservations are still compulsory and come with a fee when traveling on the fast trains. This means you would have to book in advance to avoid the line. It’s the regional trains that don’t require a reservation.

The reservation requirement is true for France-Switzerland trains, but that's not covered by the Swiss Travel Pass anyway.
If you have a smartphone with data, you can buy tickets on the SBB app without any line. The half fare card becomes very convenient in such a case.

Seat reservations are not compulsory for trains in Switzerland, apart from some of the named scenic special trains, so no need to be concerned about that aspect of a Swiss Pass. I believe MaryPat is thinking of the fast Frecce trains in Italy, TGV trains in France, and others that require seat reservations when using a rail pass.

To answer the question about Half Fare Cards and children, yes, you can request a Family Card for free when one or both parents purchase a Half Fare Card. The child then travels for free with the parents, even on the pricy Jungfraujoch trip.

As to whether the Swiss Travel Pass or the HFC is the better choice, if you have calculated the respective costs accurately and they are nearly the same, then I would want a Swiss Pass for the convenience of just hopping on the train without first stopping at the ticket booth. But you will still go to the ticket booth to buy tickets for the high mountain lifts like Schilthorn, Jungfraubanh, etc. with the pass discount.

And if you are sure you want to do the Jungfraujoch trip, remember that the Half Fare Card provides a greater discount on that—-50% for the whole ride, instead of 25% for the Swiss Pass discount above Wengen.