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Swiss Rail Pass

Hello. I'm new to this forum and am sure that someone has asked this already, is there a search option on this forum? I am planning a 22 day trip to Switzerland and am not sure the best rail pass to buy. Swiss Half card, Swiss Travel Flex, or Swiss Travel Flex Combi, or just get NO pass and pay as I go. There are two adults on my trip.

We plan to fly into either Geneva or Zurich. Then travel by train to the Bernese Oberland area ( base in Lauterbrunnen)- take day trips from there into the mountatins to hike. I'm sure we will be taking buses or furniculars /ski lift to access the small mountain towns. Then we will take the train to Chaminox (does my rail pass let me go to this town in France?)...and then hike the Tour du Mont Blanc. Then from Chaminox we will take the train to Geneva to fly home. We will not be renting a car at all, so we will need the train a lot.

Can anyone please advice if it's best to buy a pass, which pass? Or no pass?

I really appreciate any tips! Thanks!!

Posted by
1450 posts

Check out the Rick Steves Swiss Rail Pass page for all the details. I always get the Swiss Travel Pass because it covers all the public transportation in the country: train, cable car, funiculars, city buses & trams, and ferries. Plus it gets you a significant discount on private lines such as the cable car from Murren to the Schiltorn. You also get free admission to lots of museums.

I have found it difficult to determine which type of pass is most economical unless I know exactly what my itinerary is, how many times I take a particular cable car, and so forth. It's hard to put a vacation in a straight-jacket long enough to make such a calculation.

Posted by
8972 posts

belinda, its not very obvious, but the Search button is at the top left of this page, right next to the Rick Steves' EUROPE logo. Click on it and you'll see it open up.