Is a Swiss Rail Pass best option for our trip? Our family will travel over 5-6 days next summer: We are 2 adults, and 2 youth (16 and 20 both students). I have read about half ticket option also, but don't know how it applies.
Zurich airport to Lauterbrunnen/Murren day 1
Murren to Schiltorn, Lauterbrunnen visits over 2 days and 3rd day to Lucerne) days 1, 2, 3
Lucerne day trip to Mt. Pilatus day 4
Lucerne to Lugano day 5
Lugano into Italy day 6
Any insight is appreciated.
Thank you
6 days isn't an ideal travel duration for the Pass. The best Swiss Travel Pass for you would be a 4 day pass (which you would use on days 1-4), you would then need to buy a cheaper Saver ticket for Lucerne to Lugano (or use the expensive 1st cl. Gotthard Panorama Express) on day 5. Lugano into Italy is cheap. 4-day pass costs 281 CHF adult, 240 CHF youth <26.
But you only get 50% off Schilthorn (new 2020 rule) and Pilatus so after some quick math (slow morning at work!) I think the Half Fare Card works out quite cheaper for adults / slightly cheaper for youth.
The Swiss Half Fare Card is a 120 CHF card that gives you 50% off basically every trip in a month, including urban transport, and excluding some mountain railways (notably Jungfraujoch, only 25% off if I remember correctly) - but Schilthorn & Pilatus get that discount. Unfortunately, if you use Half Fare Card no discounts apply for youth after their 16th birthday. Still, including the cost of the card and the Schilthorn and Pilatus excursions, total travel costs would be approx 315 CHF so it works out quite well!
Downside of the Half Fare Card is that you still need to buy tickets, whereas with the Pass, except for cable cars you just hop on. And any impromptu excursion will cost extra.
Bottom line: if you value flexibility during the days of vaildity, go for the pass. If you aim for lowest cost, go for the Half Fare Card.
You might have to price it out for yourself comparing the SRP and the 1/2 fare card, if you are most concerned about the cost. I was in Switzerland for two weeks in May and enjoyed the convenience of the SRP. My daughter joined me for a week and found the 1/2 fare card more economical for her. She was worried about slowing me down to buy tickets, but she used the SBB app on her phone and had no problems with buying tickets as we went along.
balso and Kathy - thank you this is very useful. I've priced out super saver tickets for all legs of the trip but didn't know Schilthorn was 50% still to be paid. Sounds like half fare card is better choice.
