My husband and I are flying into Milan in September and renting a car. We will be going to Courmayer for a couple of nights then driving to the Zermat region for a few nights then onto Grindelwald/Lauterbrunnen region for about five nights before heading for The Swiss National park region for a few nights before heading back to Italy (flying out of Venice) We want to do a bit of hiking and some day trips to Lucerne, Wengen and leukerbad, welcome any more recommendations. Even though we’ll have a car we want to use the train/bus system when we are in our base towns (so my husband doesn’t have to always drive). Any recommendations for the Swiss half pass? Do hotels offer passes or discounts for lifts/cable car? Or does it not make sense to even rent a car?
Posted by
Green Bay
21145 posts
Do hotels offer passes or discounts for lifts/cable car?
Generally no. You might get a local transportation pass, but not lifts. For instance, Luzern hotels give you a pass for city buses, but that is it. Zermatt will give you a pass for the local buses that run between lift stations and the train station. In Grindelwald/Lauterbrunnen, you might look at the Jungfrau Pass for multiple days. Not sure what is available in Zermatt as I have only been there in the winter and my ski pass covers everything.
The Half Fare Card costs 120 CHF, so you need 240 CHF worth of tickets to make it pay.
Remember to get a Swiss vignette for the car entering Switzerland. Cost is 40 CHF.
Parking at Taesch train station garage is 16 CHF/day, or 11 CHF at the parking garage across the street. Train to/from Zermatt is 8.60 CHF each way.
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1632 posts
In Switzerland, there are lots of car free zones. Zermatt is one. You cannot drive in this town. In Berner Oberland, you cannot drive in Murren or Wengen. So, I suggest you do not rent a car in Switzerland at all. Leukerbad is nothing special. Not worth a total detour.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
We won’t be staying in the car free zone towns, just taking public transport to visit them. We’ll be taking a lot of cable cars, funicular’s and buses for our hikes that’s why we were thinking the SHFC might help. We might also take one of the scenic train rides.
Posted by
San Diego, California
5604 posts
Please consider staying in the car-free towns, particularly in the Berner Oberland (Wengen or Murren.) Don't you want to actually sleep IN the Alps?
Forget the car in Switzerland.
Posted by
Indiana
923 posts
IMO it makes zero sense to rent a car. The Swiss Rail system is phenomenal. If you are planning 5 nights in the Grindelwald/Lauterbrunnen area, then have you considered the Berner Oberland Pass with a half fare card? Check their website and do the math to see if it makes the most economical sense. https://www.berneseoberlandpass.ch/prices-tickets/ I concur with the previous poster that you should stay in either Wengen or Murren. At this point, it would be wise to determine and book accommodations ASAP.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33820 posts
Before you make plans to take the car into Switzerland you may decide to look at how much it will cost you, and what possible benefit you may gain from it.
There is very little free parking in Switzerland, certainly not in towns and cities and tourist areas, and parking in Switzerland is expensive!
In Lauterbrunnen, where the trains and cable cars go up the cliffs on both sides of the valley, there is a large multi storey car park with direct access to the lift up to Mürren, the train to Interlaken and the train to Wengen and ultimately the Jungfraujoch, as well as the Postbuses in the valley. It gets very full in the summer and winter and reservations are available. Figure 20 CHF a day for that one.
The 40CHF Vignette you need before you enter Switzerland's highways is actually an annual vignette (unlike Austria which sell 10 day ones) is enforced by cameras and police. Don't forget it.
In my opinion, the answer to your last question is - no it doesn't.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Appreciate all the advice. We are rethinking our itinerary and might exclude our excursion to Courmayer so we can ditch the car. We’ll fly into Milan, take the train to Domodossola where the Swiss half fare card becomes valid. If we Purchase the Berner Oberland Pass and the Swiss half fare card, travel and hike all over then return to Malpensa airport to rent a car for our last leg of the trip … Belluno (to visit friends) and fly out of Venice.
Any advice on this new itinerary and should the two passes surface. With this new schedule We’ll actually be in Switzerland for 15 days-should we consider a different combination of passes?
Posted by
Green Bay
21145 posts
Depends on where you are going in Switzerland and how many days at each location.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Sam… see my original post for some of the locations. We are open to more recommendations also.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11776 posts
should the two passes surface. With this new schedule
Generally speaking, yes, a good combo. There is a different pass for the Zermatt area, another for the Aletsch Arena, and in the Engadine the hotels include a pass for the cable ways there, so you may find another add-on applies depending on what you will do and final itinerary.