We are planning on staying 7 days. Is it worth it to get a swiss rail pass if we are not particularly museum goers? We want to go from Lausanne to lauterbrunnen to zurich. What about eurorail passes? Or is advance purchase of point to point better for a shorter trip?
Posted by
NYC
14 posts
I think the standard response is "you need to add up the price of the tickets to see if it's worth it." My family (also not museum-goers) is planning a trip for just a little longer than that: starting in Zurich, heading west to Gruyeres, back to the Berner Oberland, and then back to Zurich. Once I added it up, it was a no-brainer to get the Swiss Pass. Keep in mind that the prices listed for train tickets on the SBB site are for the half-price tickets, so with no pass you'll be paying twice that for each ticket.
There's also the half-fare card, which might be a better deal. But with that you need to purchase tickets for each train trip instead of just hopping on and off with the Swiss Pass.
Good luck and enjoy your trip!
Mike
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you that really helps!
Posted by
Paris
7300 posts
A Swiss Travel Pass is very convenient to cover your transportation needs. 6-day and 8-day versions are available; if day 7 is just going from Zürich to the airport, you can just buy a ticket for that and use a 6-day pass.
Point-to-point tickets are likely to be more expensive once you consider mountain excursions around Lauterbrunnen, which are discounted (50%, excl Jungfrau which is only 25%) with the Travel Pass.
A third option, which you did not mention, is the Half Fare Card. Buy it for 120 francs, and get 50% off all train tickets, including mountain excursions. It is often a bit cheaper overall than the Swiss Travel Pass, but less convenient because you still need to buy tickets.
Last but not least, note that when checking ticket prices on SBB - Swiss Railways - website, the default price that shows is the one with a Half-Fare Card, so you can double what you see.
Posted by
Chicago
3125 posts
I’m a huge fan of the Swiss Travel Pass as it means not having to buy tickets, except for a few mountain trips that are discounted with the Pass.
Do you plan to see the Chillon Castle while in Lausanne? Entrance is free with the Pass.
In Lauterbrunnen, you can ride up to Murren and Wengen with the Pass.