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Switzerland Itinerary check

July 12 - Arrive in Zurich 9 am - head to Lucerne - Lucerne overnight - Mt Pilatus

July 13 - late afternoon - take the GoldenPass Train to Interlaken Ost ( 2 hours) - head to Gimmelwald (55 min)

July 13, 14, 15, 16 - HIKE and explore the area - 1/2 day trip to Jungfrau (additional expense)

July 17 - Train to Brig (2 hours) - Take the Glacier Express to Chur (4 hours) - Overnight in Chur

July 18 - Bernina Express to Tirano, Italy (4 hours) Head to Lake Como (1 hour)

July 18 - July 26 - Travel in Italy

I think we have settled on buying the Swiss 8 day travel Pass, but I notice there are cable cars and buses involved in the Gimmelwald, Wengen, Murren) area. I know going to Junfraujoch and Schilthorn are an added expense but I'm not sure about travel in between the villages...

  1. Logistically - please confirm the itinerary is doable and my approximate train travel times are correct

  2. Traveling from Interlaken to Gimmelwald - are all "legs" of the transport to Gimmelwald covered with the Swiss Travel Pass?

  3. Traveling to the different villages - Murren - Wengen - Lauterbrunnen Valley - is all transport covered with the Swiss travel Pass?

Thank you in advance for your help!!

Posted by
20103 posts

Yes, the travel pass covers all transport to inhabited villages. This year, it also includes the Schilthornbahn all the way to the top at Piz Gloria. Some things it only gives a 25% discount , like to the Jungfraujoch from Wengen (but free to that point). Also, the trip to Rigi is included, but the trip to Pilatus is a 50% discount for sections beyond inhabited villages. Does not include the reservation fees for the Glacier and Bernina Express trains. You could take regular trains from Brig to Chur, changing trains a time or two without reservation fees.

You might look at getting the Half Fare Card for 120 CHF. It usually saves more money than the Travel Pass, but you still have to buy tickets for each trip.

Posted by
8889 posts

kauffhammer, you can look up train times on the SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) website: https://www.sbb.ch/en

The official Swiss railways map (which shows which lines are and are not covered by the Swiss Pass and the Half Price Card) is here: https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/infrastruktur/trafimage/karten/karte-sts-pass-gueltigkeit.pdf

All rail lines and all stations in Switzerland (that is all the red lines on the map) have at least one train per hour (often more). Usually at the same minutes past each, just like Swiss clockwork. So if you miss the 08:17 you just get the 09:17, or the 10:17, or 11:17, . . . .

Q1 - Yes, but I can't remember the travel times, double-check on the SBB website.
Q2 - Yes, see map
Q3 - Yes, see map, but note that above Wengen it is dotted, discount only.

Posted by
768 posts

Since you are going to be hiking in the Gimmelwald-Murren areas for 4-5 days, you might be interested in our dozen favorites hikes in the area (pics and maps). Just click on my name and I'll send via private mail which you can read by clicking on your name in the upper right.