Swiss Train pass question

After 3 days in Luzern, then what? are you going to Interlaken/Muerren for 2 days, or as day trips from Luzern? How are you leaving Switzerland? Total days in Switzerland?

Sorry, total days in Switzerland is 3. Home base is Lucerne for the 3 days while in Switzerland. Going to Milan next and will be in Italy for the reminder of the trip.

Does that include the travel days from and to Milan? How many nights booked in Luzern?

The plan is to travel from Lake Como, June 10th - Half day in Lucerne
June 11 - explore
June 12 - explore
June 12 - leave to Milan

Your choice is between 2 Half Fare Cards and 2 3-day Swiss Travel Passes (2nd class). With either product you can get the free Family Card so the kids travel with you for free. It is probably a wash between the two, with the Half Fare Card saving a little more, but the STP is more convenient. You still have to buy tickets for the Schilthorn from Muerren, but the STP gives you a 50% discount, same as the HFC.

You not really allowing much time. You really only have June 11 to go to the Schilthorn, and what do you do if it is a crappy day? If you leave Luzern at 8 am, you will not get to the top until 11:30 at the earliest.

Do ticket machines at all Swiss rail stations sell the Swiss Travel Pass (3 day, 4 day, etc)?

Do ticket machines at all Swiss rail stations sell the Swiss Travel Pass (3 day, 4 day, etc)?

No, you cannot get a Swiss Pass from ticket machines. Your options are:

1) From any "major" border or airport station (see here: https://help.myswitzerland.com/hc/en-us/articles/213634385-Where-can-I-buy-a-Swiss-Travel-Pass-or-a-Swiss-Family-Card- )

2) In advance, on the SBB website and print yourself. Here: https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/travel-in-switzerland/international-guests/swiss-travel-pass.html

it is the same price both ways.
If flying in, you can buy at Zürich station.
If arriving by train, it is good to buy in advance on the internet, then you don't have to get off the train at the border. You do then need to buy a ticket from wherever you are starting from to the Swiss border station from which the pass is valid.

Thank you.

I actually prefer to buy it from a ticket machine or ticket window so I can keep the pass as a souvenir. I have a folder with every train ticket I’ve ever purchased and I look at it from time to time and think back to the trips that I took.

If I can buy the Swiss Travel Pass at Zürich airport, that should be fine. The My Switzerland link you shared said that the Swiss Rail Pass can be purchased at any major Swiss rail station so I’m curious if that also means a major city rail station like Luzern?

Yes, any major train station.

The My Switzerland link you shared said that the Swiss Rail Pass can be purchased at any major Swiss rail station so I’m curious if that also means a major city rail station like Luzern?

AFAIK yes. Though how would you get to Luzern in the first place?
The "major" caveat is because smaller stations are unmanned, no ticket office just machine(s). Some posts say "airport and border stations", but I know a few border stations on local lines that are unmanned.

I have a folder with every train ticket I’ve ever purchased

That would be a big pile of paper in my case. Back to the old cardboard tickets when I travelled around local towns as a teenager (click for photo, a ticket to my home town!)

My Swiss Travel pass will not start on the day I arrive. For me, that would be a waste. I will most likely buy the travel pass at the Zürich airport rail station but in case I forget, at least I have a back up at Luzern

I am considering buying a ticket to Luzern on the SBB app that departs either 1 3/4 hours or 2 3/4 hours after my inbound flight arrives from JFK. The Supersaver fare is 15-16CHF as opposed to buying a ticket when I arrive which is 30CHF. I don’t know how long it will take to go through immigration & customs using ZRH’s wheelchair service. My only European arrival experience using airport wheelchair service has been at Charles de Gaulle and Heathrow. Both were horrible for different reasons and consequently time consuming. I would think it would be more efficient and effective in Zürich. So I’m not sure; I might decide to forgo the supersaver fare and just buy when I arrive. The 60 day window starts next week so I’ll decide by then.

Thanks for sharing that picture!