Travel cost estimation to Murren

If you buy a ticket from Luzern to Murren on SBB, it includes all transportation need to get from Luzern to Murren -- including the trains/cable cars required to get there. SBB defaults to half fare card pricing, so you have to double what you see to get full fare. Don't pre-buy tickets, just get them right before you board the train and if you're going to be in Switzerland for 4+ days, you'll probably benefit from getting the half fare card, which gives you 50% off everything you do.

Thank you..we will be staying only four nights..2 nights in Lucerne and 2 nights in Murren..My tentative travel is as follows ..

Day 1. Arrive at Zurich from San Diego. Reach Lucerne around 7 pm from Zurich airport. Staying in Lucerne

Day 2: we will go to Mt Rigi via boat tour and return and wander in Lucerne. Staying in lucerne
Day 3: Travel to Murren from Lucerne..Planning North face hike and gimmelwald hikes. Staying in Murren
Day 4: Grindelwald first activities and wander in Lauterbrunnen (hikes to falls). Staying in Murren.
Day 5: Leave early morning from Murren to Geneva by train to catch a flight around 3 pm..

Based on my travel plan, it appears that no discounted passes or half price card will be available or cost effective; ma be day saver passes for Day 2, if I buy much early..We are family of 4 ages from 21 to 55.

Thanks

You will benefit from Half Fare Cards with that itinerary. Perhaps you don't understand how it works or didn't understand the pricing correctly, but I did some quick rudimentary math on your plan and come out to around 425 chf of travel per person. This number is a rough range, but it's close enough. If you get half fare cards for everyone at 120 chf each, then your cost for those fares goes down to 212 chf, which puts you at 332 chf per person, a savings of around 100 chf per person. I'd take a savings of 400 chf if I were you.

And just a side note in regards to your plan. If you're staying in Murren you really should prioritize the Schilthorn and Birg over Grindelwald First. It's sort of like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower :) The activities at Grindelwald First have 3-5 hour long lines in the summer for each activity and the train to Grindelwald is usually standing only it's so packed. If your group is adventurous and you're staying in Murren for only 2 nights, I'd recommend this:

Arrival day - Funicular to Allmendhubel, North Face hike counterclockwise from Allmendhubel + exploration of Murren and dinner

Full day - Schilthorn + Birg Thrill Walk in the morning, adventurers of the group do paragliding from Murren (AirTime) and/or the Via Feratta from Murren to Gimmelwald. If anyone doesn't want to do the Via Feratta they can do the walk down to Gimmelwald to meet the rest of the group and you can all have beers and dinner in Gimmelwald -- you could also mix in some time in the Lauterbrunnen Valley here if that's important to you by doing this:
Murren > Grutschalp > Lauterbrunnen > walk the Lauterbrunnen Valley to Stechelberg > cable car up to Schilthorn > Birg Thrill Walk > Murren > paraglide and/or via ferrata > walk down to Gimmelwald, dinner

The paragliding and Via Ferrata require reservations, so that's a consideration, but hands down I think they are both way better adventure activities than First and you'll get to do a lot more on your only full day in the area by not going all the way over to Grindelwald.

Wanderwag,
Thank you much for the details. Much appreciated. After reading your post, reading lot of materials and you tube videos, now I understand more about the multiple fare options. We have visited 8 years ago and had simply bought 6 days swiss travel pass. That time my kids were less than 14.
It looks like half fare card for each of us may be economical. I am also calculating if buying BO 3 days pass make sense combination with half fare card or simple 3 days swiss pass.

Is Shilthron cable car and all activities in the summit covered by BO pass?

We are traveling in third week of September. I am also thinking buying saver day pass. It appears that if we purchase in advance we can buy for 52chf per day per person which will give unlimited travel by all mode of transportation. However I think it is not flexible or use it or loose it...

Thank you again for suggested itinerary and hiking and activities. Though paragliding will be thrilling and lifetime opportunity, I am not sure my family will be ready fot this activitiy. I assume some pilots with us..

I will consider skipping Grindelwald first and consider other one. What do think about staying in Murren in September? I have bookings in both Murren and Lauterbrunnen for two nights. I need to cancel one..
Thank you