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Tickets for the Jungfraujoch on July 16th with Swiss Travel Pass

I have been reviewing their website and am trying to detemine what my cost would be for a ticket with te 25% reduction with the Swiss Travel Pass. https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/
I contacted them directly and have had two different rates given to me.

We are staying in Lauterbrunnen and will purchase our tickets at the Lauterbrunnen station the morning of but want to have a more concrete idea on cost for a ticket up and back.

I understand I would make a seat reservation seperately and can do that in advance even if I don'thave the admission ticket/train ticket yet.

Two questions: what is my cost for the travel from Lauterbrunnen to the Jungfraujoch using the Swiss Travel Pass and a return?
Would you advise seat reservations for a July 16th date of travel - early morning reservation or is this not neccessary?

Posted by
17 posts

Tim, when I use your connection to get my cost to go up from Wengen to the Jungfraujoch for one adult I get 155.40 chf Wengen to Jungfrujoch and return. Is that correct and how I calculate as the leg from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen is covered with STP?

Laura, when I look at your attachment would it be correct to use Jungfrujoch via Kleine Schnedegg and return same way is 213.60 chf less 25% STP reduction of 53.00 for a final total of 160.20. High season 2.
Or if I went up and returned the same way what would be the cost using your attachments; perhaps I am not reading this correctly.

I am still confused what is the right amount.

Posted by
21198 posts

You contacted them directly, what were the 2 different answers? I'll admit, that when you drill down, Berner Oberlandbahn is not very forthcoming as to precise pricing with a Swiss Travel Pass. Their website gives prices for "No Discount", "Half Fare Card", "Eurail/Interail", but nothing for Swiss Travel Pass. There is the validity map that says 25% discount above Wengen and Grindelwald. But also brochures that seem to indicate you can get half price fares with a Swiss Travel Pass.

Posted by
17 posts

Sam,
I used the two links from Laura and Tim posted above my reply and got two different answers and when I emailed Jungfraujoch contact email....on three different occasions and explained my desired trip from Wengen to Jungfraujoch via Kleine Schnedigg(round trip same departure and return) and over last several weeks have gotten three different prices from 3 different customer service representatives; anywhere from 114 chf round trip to l60 chf round trip. Confusing...

Posted by
23 posts

My husband and I went to Jungfrau today (a Sunday in May). We both have Swiss Travel Passes and the cost was zero! It was a clear day and not many people. Our brochure said that we should have saved 25%. Not sure why we didn’t have to pay anything,but we didn’t question.

Posted by
21198 posts

That is interesting. I take it you went to the ticket office (which one?), showed your travel passes, and got paper tickets. Did a ticket inspector come by?

Posted by
17 posts

You need not return the way you came (could go up via Wengen and down via Grindelwald) but you would decide that before buying a roundtrip ticket. July is High Season (Season 2). Thanks Laura.

I am interested in going up via Wengen and down via Grindelwald. Can you share more how that return route from KS to Grindewald is accommoplished(train, cable car, etc). What is the mode of transportation? How do I determine this cost for July

Secondly once in Grindewald how do I get back to Lauterbrunnen where I am staying?

Posted by
21198 posts

The train, the Wengneralpbahn, starts in Lauterbrunnen, goes up Wengen, then up to Kleine Scheidegg, then continues down the other side to Grindelwald Grund station, finally up a short stretch to the Grindelwald main station. From there you get the train to Zweiluetchinen (destination is interlaken Ost), get off and take the connecting train back to Lauterbrunnen.

If you have a Swiss Travel Pass, the train from Grindelwald to Zweiluetchinen to Lauterbrunnen is free. The train from Wengen to KS to Jungfraujoch to KS to Grindelwald is what it is. Worst case, 75% of the full fare price, which is 182 CHF. But as we have heard, there may be a better deal. Just have to wait and see.

Posted by
17 posts

Thank you for your reply.
So to compute the cost of this ticket I use Wengen to Jungfrau as one route and calculate
and then
Jungfrau to Grindewald Main Station as the second route?

Would you suggest this option versus going up and back the same way?

The train from Grindewald to Zweiluetchinen (destination is interlaken Ost), get off and take the connecting train back to Lauterbrunnen would be covered with the Swiss Travel Pass correct?

Posted by
21198 posts

Correct. You can see, I got the full fare price from www.sbb.ch/en entering Wengen to Grindelwald with a stopover at Jungfraujoch.

Up and back the same way would cost you with a SWP, as it is supposedly not covered, you only get the discount.

Have not heard back from Wilma. I wonder if she just got on the train and never got caught by a ticket inspector. I don't think there any free rides from KS to the Jungfraujoch, no matter what kind of pass you have.

Posted by
17 posts

Would you suggest this option versus going up and back the same way?

I'm sure because they are different routes you are of course seeing different things.
Is Wengen or Grindewald or any areas note worthy to visit based on your experiences.

Posted by
21198 posts

I spent a week in Wengen a few years back. Great place to stay for skiing, but nothing jumped out at me about the town. Grindelwald, since it gets tour bus traffic, even less so. But Muerren knocked my socks off. Everybody's postcard Swiss village.

Posted by
219 posts

Would you advise seat reservations for a July 16th date of travel

Yes, make seat reservations for that Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch train ride, which you are planning to take -- It's very popular, and you're going during peak tourist season. You only get a 25% discount off that ride with the Swiss Travel Pass. I suspect, as Sam does, that Wilma got on the train without purchasing tickets, and was lucky not to get checked by the ticket inspector on the train.

Would you suggest this option versus going up and back the same way?
I'm sure because they are different routes you are of course seeing
different things. Is Wengen or Grindewald or any areas note worthy to
visit based on your experiences.

How much time do you have?
If only one full day, don't waste time going to Grindelwald, which is in a different valley. Stay in the same area. Wengen is above the same valley as Lauterbrunnen, where you're staying, and is in-between Kleine Scheidegg and Lauterbrunnen, on your route. July is a perfect time to take the cable car ride from Wengen up to Männlichen to enjoy the gorgeous alpine scenery, and take an easy 2 1/2 mile hike to Kleine Scheidegg, towards the Jungfrau mountain with it in your view, in front of you, the whole way, and with a view down on your left, of Grindelwald and its valley. Or, if you don't hike at all, then simply take the cable car back down from Männlichen to Wengen, and catch the cog rail train back down to Lauterbrunnen. Or, an easy alternative, is to take a different easy hike from Kleine Scheidegg (after your Jungfraujoch outing) on the easy path down to Wengernalp. It follows the railroad track, just below it, and has a view of the Jungfrau on your left, all along the way. You can catch the cog rail train at Wengernalp to take you down to Wengen. I happen to like the town of Wengen very much. But that's in the summer when the gardens are blooming profusely, and the woods going up the mountain, are lovely.

If you have more days in that area, enjoy going up the other side of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, to the very charming Mürren and surrounding area, with its own set of knock-out views.

Grindelwald has a cable car that takes you up to First, which has a great mountain view from the cafe outdoor terrace, a cliff walk, and an uphill hike to a pretty little mountain lake (Bachalpsee).

Posted by
17 posts

What are the modes of transporation from KS down to Grindewald?
Cable car, cog wheel train, gondola or??? Can you explain the route for me and the means by which get to Grindewald from KS
thank you

Posted by
21198 posts

As I described in my post yesterday, it is cog-wheel train. The gondola requires a hike along the ridge of a mile or so. Then you are still at Grindelwald Grund, a short ways out of town. Need a bus or the cog-wheel train to get into Grindelwald.

That cog-wheel train goes from Lauterbrunnen over the mountain to Grindelwald. The station at the top of the mountain is Kleine Scheidegg where you connect to the Jungfraujoch train.

Posted by
16895 posts

The discount should only be 25% as indicated on the map for Wengen-KS-Jungfraujoch and Jungfraujoch-KS-Grindelwald. Sam's estimate of 182 maximum sounds like the correct upper limit.

I did this circle with a Swiss Travel Pass in March and paid 137.40 CHF, but that was Season 1 and without a seat reservation. I just walked up to the Lauterbrunnen ticket window with my pass and the agent (or computer) did all the figuring, including asking me whether or not I wanted to come back the same way.

I enjoyed making the loop as a chance to see even more views, without actually walking the towns.

P.S. Making this loop was kind of a train-nerdy decision, in March, on a repeat trip to the area, and without having the walking options that you'd have in July.

Posted by
17 posts

Ok....thank you I think I understand you do not have to take a cable car, gondola or anything else for transportation. It is a cog wheel train up from Wengen or a cog wheel train down to Grindewald or vice versa.

The cable cars, etc.,that I have seen in pictures must be for other exercursion.

Posted by
11294 posts

"The cable cars, etc.,that I have seen in pictures must be for other exercursion."

Some of the popular trips in the Berner Oberland that involve cable cars:

The ride from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp, which is the first part of one of the two ways of getting from Lauterbrunnen to Mürren. This ride is fully covered by a Swiss Travel Pass

The rides from Stechelberg to Gimmelwald, Gimmelwald to Mürren, and Mürren to Schilthorn. For 2018, all of these routes are fully covered with a Swiss Travel Pass. In the past (these things can change each year), the Pass gave full coverage only up to Mürren, and 50% off above Mürren.

The ride from Wengen to Männlichenn, for the start of the very popular Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg walk. This ride is 50% off with a Swiss Travel Pass.

I know the region is very confusing when you haven't been there. But once you're there, it's all much clearer. Because transit doesn't go through the mountains, but only up, down, or around them, when you can actually see the mountains, you know where you can and can't go. Plus, there are big billboard-sized maps everywhere when you get off a cogwheel train or cable car, showing you the transit.

As for the cost of your Jungfraujoch excursion; just go to the ticket office, show them your Swiss Travel Pass, and ask how much the various options cost. You now have an idea of the price range; as you can see, it's expensive enough that you want to make SURE the weather's good before investing that much money.

And yes, it's definitely not free! I agree with the others, that someone just got "lucky" that the tickets weren't checked.

Posted by
17 posts

For those of you that have done the Jungfraujoch - we would be leaving from Laterbrunnen and I know we can get an early start and it takes about 2.5 hours to go up and back.
How much time should we allow at the top to view,perhaps have lunch, etc. What is noteworthy that you've done at the top?
Would it be feasible to considerdoing the Jungfraujoch and the Schilthorn in the same day?
We also have a half day otherwise the next day to do Schilthorn. For those of you that have been there your thoughts on time at the top, things to do etc., would be appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your reply.

Posted by
11294 posts

There are various things to do at the top of both the Jungfrau and the Schilthorn, and given the cost of these, you'll want to do everything that interests you before descending.

At the Jungfraujoch, there are several observation areas, places to take your Instragram-ready photos, and my favorite, a section of the glacier you can walk out on. In addition to the views, it's fun to be there with people from all over the world, some of whom have literally never seen snow before - their elation is contagious. I probably spent a few hours total at the top.

At the top of the Schilthorn, the major thing is a large exhibit about the filming of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the James Bond film made there in 1969 or 1970 (film was released 1970). This was more interesting than I had anticipated; I'm a film buff, but hadn't seen the movie itself. If this doesn't interest you, you won't spend too long at the top, but on the way down, there's a stop at Birg. This was great, because while on the top I had clouds obstructing my views of the three peaks, while at Birg I had crystal-clear views.

Overall, the Schilthorn takes much less time than the Jungfrau; the travel up and down is faster, and you spend less time at the top.

On my Jungfrau day, I left my Mürren hotel at about 8 AM and returned about 3:30 PM, quite tired (don't underestimate the effect of the altitude). So, while you could conceivably do both in one day, I wouldn't recommend it. At those prices, you really want to enjoy the experience, not rush around just to say you did them. And don't go unless the webcams show it's clear, or it's a waste of both time and money.

If you want a shorter and cheaper excursion, go up the Allmendhubel. You get great views of the three peaks, and while it's not as spectacular as the view from Birg or Schithorn, you can walk around the area and see lots of wildflowers (at least I did in September 2014).

Posted by
17 posts

SEAT RESERVATION QUESTION:
We are staying in Lauterbrunnen and I understand the first train to Wengen leave aat 7:07 and then every 30 minutes thereafter.
If we took the train at 8:07 should I make reservations on the 8:30 Kleine Schnedegg T0 Jungrfrau or the 9:00 reservation spot to ensure my train gets me to the Kleine Schnedegg departure point on time?
Thank you.

Posted by
1530 posts

Looks to me that if you take the 7:07 am train you will arrive at Klein Scheidegg at 7:49 so could easily make the 8:00 train. The trains are timed so that everyone arriving from Lauterbrunnen has time to change to the Junfraujoch train.

Posted by
17 posts

So the train takes about 42 minutes to get from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Schnedegg?
Where did you find that as I was thinking of taking the train that might get me there for the 9 am reservation so then I would need to take the 7:37 correct or would the 8:07 work?

Posted by
740 posts

Due to weather uncertainties, I would not get reservations until I get to the region and see that the weather will be decent the day you want to go up.

Posted by
21198 posts

The schedules are at www.sbb.ch/en, among other places. Put in "from" Lauterbrunnen and "to" Jungfraujoch and the date and time you are looking at and you'll see the schedule. One train change at Kleine Scheidegg.
Click on the train you want, and you will see it is 42 minutes to Kleine Scheidegg, then 11 minutes to change trains, then 35 minutes to the top.