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Swiss Rail Pass and Jungfrau Reservations for Family of Four

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We are travelling to Switzerland for about six days. Our family consists of two adults and two children (11 and 8). We will be coming into Basel via TGV from Pais, and then going by train to Lauterbrunnen. While in Lauterbrunnen, we will take the train to the Jungfrau. We also plan to use some of the lifts in the area. On the way back, we will go from Lauterbrunnen to Zurich. We have some questions (numbered).

1) We think our best bet is the Swiss Half Fare, do you agree?
We're arriving on the TGV from Paris. We will need to get the Swiss Family Card in the Basel train station. (The Family Card is the one that will allow our children to travel for free with us.)

2) Is half an hour enough time to get the Family Card at the Basel train station or do we need a longer layover?

3) For the Jungfrau, we would like to buy reserved seats, as we definitely want seats on the train. We do want to be able to use the Swiss Family Card and the Swiss Half Fare Card to get the discounted rate up to the Jungfrau, so that is why we are leaning towards not buying the seats outright. One, does this make sense? Two, how far in advance do most trains in July sell out (we've been before when it was cloudy and it was still spectacular, so we just want to make sure we don't miss out)?

Can you let us know your opinion on these things? Once we're set, we'll proceed with your handy Rail Europe link.

Thank you!

Posted by
16893 posts

Both Rail Europe and SBB.ch are not providing a seat reservation with the Jungfraujoch ticket. The train doesn't require it, and I believe also doesn't offer it. These trains cannot sell out but the earliest departures are likely to be less crowded.

For a stay of 6 days, the Half-Fare Card is a good value. Since Rail Europe is saying that you'd have to pick up the Swiss Family Card in Basel train station any way, you might as well buy the Half-Fare Cards for the adults there at the same time.

Posted by
1443 posts

1 - Yes, the Half-Fare Card is usually the most economical choice, although the Swiss Pass comes with perks.

2 - I don't know. Regardless, there are frequent trains to Lauterbrunnen so you can take your time and catch the next departure.

3 - Do not buy reserved seats for the Jungfraujoch. If the weather is poor on your assigned day then you will be out of luck. You can buy your tickets the same day and still get the discount from the HFC. But if you plan on going regardless of the weather, then it would make sense to buy in advance. The official Swiss rail site allows you to buy tickets and specify any discount options you have.

Posted by
7209 posts

When you arrive into Basel just go buy your Swiss Travel Pass or your Half Fare Card there and get your free Swiss Family Card. You don't need to worry about "how long of a layover you'll need" because you'll just jump on the next available train when it arrives.

On the clear morning when you want to travel to Jungfrau just go to ticket counter and buy the tickets. Show them your Half Fare Card or your Swiss Travel Pass along with your Swiss Family Card and they'll give you all the correct discounts and tickets. Your kids will travel absolutely free to Jungfrau - that's a great bonus.

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