Looking for some help on Swiss travel passes , etc. Here is our itinerary. Arrive in Zurich August 24 for 1 night. Then take the train to Murren. 4 nights in Murren. Then train to Luzern. 2 nights in Luzern. Then train to Milan (through Lugano) on the Gotthard Panorama Express. While in Murren we may do a few short trips to some other close by places.
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2485 posts
What kind of help are you looking for? The Swiss Travel Pass seems like a good choice. Just understand that it does not cover the high mountain lifts 100%.
Posted by
OP
16 posts
Should we get the full pass or the half pass?
Posted by
Big Island of Hawaii
745 posts
I found the various passes to be very confusing. We did not buy our passes in advance; we went to the SBB office in the Zurich airport and the friendly agent there helped us choose which pass depending on length of stay and what we were planning to do. The Switzerland Travel Planning Group on Facebook has lots of good information about travel passes.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17244 posts
Yes, it is complicated, and the answer depends on how much you value convenience, who is traveling (adults only, or children as well), and how many high mountain lifts you want to take from Mürren, and which ones (Jungfrau or not?). Rigi loop at Luzern or not?
Taking the Gotthard Panorama Express adds an additional complication, as the train portion is First Class only, so if you are planning to use a second class Swiss Pass you will have to pay a supplement. And if you choose a Berner Oberland Pass ( which works well for riding lots of lifts around Mürren) it will not cover any part of the trip.
I gave you some guidance and the appropriate links when I answered your earlier question.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/murren-to-milan
I am glad to see you re-arranged your order of travel. But the ultimate question of which pass is “best” involves many factors and lots of calculations. Often the short answer is Half Fare Pass, which is less convenient, but more cost -effective. And if you are planning on going up the Jungfrau, the 50% savings with a Half Fare Card will nearly cover the cost of that card. Other passes only give you 25%above Wengen or Kleine Scheidegg.