Train pass options

Forgive me, but I feel I must mention this one car-related fact: You need a "motorway sticker" to drive a car on major Swiss highways. I believe it's difficult to find a border-crossing road that doesn't require the sticker, even if you managed to stick to backroads within Switzerland. Here's an explanation, with useful links: https://www.ch.ch/en/swiss-motorway-sticker/ . Apparently you can buy the sticker at "manned customs offices" at the border, as well as at some locations outside Switzerland. I imagine driving past the border without that sticker would be very costly in terms of fines.

I don't have any recent experience with Swiss rail passes, but I suspect that they might not pay off for you since you'll be moving from base to base by car. Check carefully as to whether the mountain railroads and special touristy trains like the Glacier Express and Bernina Express are covered by a pass, only give discounts with a pass, or are not covered at all. I usually find that I don't have time to do everything I want, which reduces my transportation cost and tends to make a rail pass less valuable.

See http://www.seat61.com/Switzerland.htm for much useful info on Swiss trains, and especially check out the Bernina Express link for a potentially money-saving tip.

Have you allowed for the extra cost of dropping of an Austrian hire car in Switzerland?

For the few short rail trips you describe, a pass will not be worth the money. I suggest you go to the Swiss Railways site ( www.sbb.ch ), and you can price up each of the rail trips you are planning.
It may be worth getting junior travelcards for the 3 children. Details here: http://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/railpasses/travelling-with-children-and-grandchildren.html
Otherwise they pay half fare.

If you are in Switzerland in summer and have a car, you must set aside one day to do a circular drive over or more of the high passes. You have seen these passes on TV, but they are many times more spectacular in real life, The passengers will love the views, the driver will be too busy trying to keep his (or her) eyes on the winding road. For an example, go to youttube and search for "Grimsel pass".

Thank-you for the motorway pass advice. I checked out your link and the cost is 40 CHF. I presume that we will be able to buy this when we enter the country from Austria.

One option that I have been considering is buying Junior passes for the kids and a 1/2 price pass for the adults. When we get to the Berner Oberland region we will buy a Berner Overland regional pass. Do you need passport photos for any of the passes?

We did not need passport photos for a swiss rail pass 7 years ago. I traveled with each of my kids when they were 11 years old and bought a 4 day swiss rail pass and got a free Family Card each time so that my child traveled free on every train with me. These are still available and good for kids up to 16, so would cover your kids, but I think you can't get it with just the Bernese Oberland pass. With the rail pass, I got a 50% discount on the high mountain passes like Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn, but I was also taking the train into Switzerland on day one and out of Switzerland on my last day, so I had a couple of longer rides in the mix. This may not pay off for you, but the only way to tell is to price the train trips you do want to take and compare that to the cost of the passes. Depending on the train trips you will do in the St. Moritz area, maybe a pass that gives you 4 or 8 days of travel in 1 month for you and your spouse and then a family card would work out well. Probably no great savings, but convenient. If not, the Bernese Oberland Pass and 30 CHF child pass for each of your 3 kids might be good, but it still only gives you half price up to Schilthorn.

On a separate note, my daughter and I also enjoyed the boat ride from Interlaken to Brienz and then a visit to the Ballenberg Open Air Museum. There are lots of animals to visit and your kids might be just the right age to have fun there.

One option that I have been considering is buying Junior passes for the kids and a 1/2 price pass for the adults. When we get to the Berner Oberland region we will buy a Berner Overland regional pass. Do you need passport photos for any of the passes?

The Berner Oberland pass is well worth the cost and you will really enjoy a week in the region! So many places to go and cable cars and trains to ride! A Swiss Half-price Card will probably serve you well. It doesn't take much to amortize that $125 per adult. The BO Pass is reduced with a Half-fare Card as well.

jr,

Are you renting the car in Austria or Germany? Note that you will also require a Highway Tax Vignette for driving on motorways in Austria (hefty fines if you're caught without it). I assume you've already checked into the cost of renting in one country and dropping off in another? The can be significant extra charges for that.

Regarding your question about which is the best Rail Pass, that's always a difficult question for Switzerland. I find that I often have to do a lot of number crunching based on the places I'll be visiting on each trip. The Half Fare card is usually a good one to consider. I've never had to calculate passes for travelling with children so can't offer any suggestions on that. You may find it helpful to have a look at this website......

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/switzerland-rail-passes

Whatever Pass your buy - you don't need two different kinds. The Half Fare Card (HFC) is the best choice all around because it gives you 50% off of every kind of transportation mode and trip you could possibly take in Switzerland. It also gives you 50% discount on the super expensive Jungfrau trip. Your savings on that trip alone almost pays for the price of the HFC - so it's really a no-brainer type decision.

The Berner Oberland pass confines you to just that particular region in Switzerland.

@Tim -

The BO pass is discounted further when one has any kind os Swiss Travel Pass. The reason they may want the BO Pass is that there is unlimited use of the cable cars and trains, instead of shelling out-of-pocket even half the fare each time. We save a ton of money when we are there for a week and have a BO Pass.

Laurel, the Swiss Travel Pass along gives you unlimited rides on funiculars and gondolas and trains (and everything there). But just looking at the prices of Lauterbrunnen -> Murren at 11chf (full fare) and Lauterbrunnen -> Wengen 7chf (full fare), you would have to constantly be on the trains up and down and up and down...which you won't do. Buying 2 passes to get a bigger discount with prices like that is just not feasibly realistic.

Check carefully as to whether the mountain railroads and special touristy trains like the Glacier Express and Bernina Express are covered by a pass, only give discounts with a pass, or are not covered at all.

Swiss Travel Passes do cover these and other scenic trains like the Golden Pass. No pass product fully covers the Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn destinations.

Junior Card recommendations

If you are buying a Swiss Travel Pass or One-Month Half-Fare Card, the Swiss Family Card comes free; you don't have to pay 30 CHF per child, as you would with the Junior Card.

You do not need photos with any rail pass product, just names and passport numbers.

Please note that rail Europe sent me an email today offering 30% off on selected swiss rail passes. Must purchase by 3/29 and begin travel by 6/30. It is only good on the ePass version and you use the code eSwissSpring. Never used an ePass before, but it might help those who are looking for swiss passes.

Laurel, the Swiss Travel Pass along gives you unlimited rides on funiculars and gondolas and trains (and everything there).

Tim - It is unlimited but only at a 50% discount no matter what card, and if you are on a Swiss Travel Pass you use up one of your travel days for lifts or trains. Some are inexpensive but some are not. Grindelwald to First, for example, was 26.00CHF per person (full fare )last fall. It was coverED 100% by the BO pass. I tracked all of our train and lift expenses over 7 nights in the BO and used 229% of the value of the BO 8 day pass, which I bought in combination with a 1/2 fare card.