Which ticket or pass should I purchase (for a family) if I wish to go from Montreaux to Murren?

I don’t know where or why you’re picking up the car, but consider dropping it in Montreux and taking the scenic Golden Pass line train to Interlaken. I believe the scenery is better than from the car. The choice between 4 or 8 days of coverage for trains and other public transport like mountain lifts becomes easier once you have fleshed out the plan.

See also http://www.goldenpassline.ch/en/ and https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/switzerland-rail-passes.

Importantly, what is the family makeup, where are you going after Muerren and what excursions are you doing while in Muerren?

Get yourself a Half Fare card and drop the car at the nearest border station. Install the SBB app on your phone and never have to buy Swiss train tickets at the counter again.

Half Fare Card will get you 50% discount on all Swiss public transport. It even gives you 50% discount to the super expensive Jungfraujoch. Even the primo Swiss Pass doesn’t offer that.

Good morning! I'll start over. :) (ps, thank you to those already responding... Tim, I was specifically hoping you'd chime in!).

We are a family of 5 that includes two going off to college in August, and a rising junior. We were to go to Switzerland last summer, but then...! This trip was to be our last European trip as part of our 12-year family vaca plan before the oldest 2 go to college. We are fully vaxxed. We will each travel with light luggage.

Having said that, we have tentative but plans already for mid-July of this year before school, and I am watching very closely if Switzerland will open to US residents who do not currently own or have residency there. We know full well we may need to pivot come June 9th-ish if they do not open to us. If the Swiss do not open up to us we will extend that portion of this itinerary elsewhere.

I have open-jaw flights into Geneva for a 14 day trip in July, of this year, returning from Naples, Italy. I am currently holding hotels with free cancellation in all these locations with the exception of Bern, so far. I have a car pick up in Geneva Airport. I have not yet separated out the travel days in this itinerary below.

Day 1-4: Geneva for 3 nights. Upon arrival into Geneva have a Hertz rental minivan to travel around to things such as the jazz festival, visit to Marché Gruérien | La Maison du Gruyère, Lavaux Patrmoine mondial / 1091 Grandvaux, Montreaux jazz festival, Freddie Mercury, etc.

Day 4: Drop off car at a Hertz and pick up train to Murren (looks like Golden pass and has many connections, 4.5 hr trip?)
OR
Day 3: Drive to Bern, stay one night and drop off at Hertz, then Day 4 take train to Murren

EITHER WAY, TRAIN BEGINNING ON DAY 4.

Day 4-8: Murren. Various hiking trails and Schilthorn via trains, cable cars, etc.

Day 8-11: 3 nights in Zermatt. What suggestions do you have to quickly get to Positano? Best to fly from Milan to Naples? Should we eliminate Zermatt altogether? if so, would add day to Geneva/Bern and Murren since travel from Murren to Positano is extensive.

Day 11-15: 5 nights in Positano/Sorrento, depart back to US from Naples

Zermatt looks amazing but the travel to and from is quite a haul and it would be easier to eliminate, Also, travel to Naples is a haul and if there's a better location to depart Switzerland for Naples (Positano).

I look forward to any of your input and it is much appreciated... even if I have to pivot with these plans. :)

Thank you!

Great background information - thanks.

But you know me - a couple of thoughts...

question - why Bern? It looks optional in your plan. Is it just for the Hertz office? Or do you want to see some of Bern? If so, what?

Bern is one of my favourite places in Switzerland but I didn't really find the keys until I'd been there several places. I'm happy to share if it is more than a drop-off.

If you still have the car in Bern (you don't want it in the centre - too many trams and pedestrians to run over) with 5 adults (well nearly) I'd suggest the Holiday Inn Westside. I like it a lot. Right in a shopping centre with a Migros restaurant and cinema and other food, a water park included in the room price, and trams and trains across the forecourt, fully airconditioned and (in the before times but don't know now) an excellent breakfast. Parking (I think it used to be CHF 25 per day) is under the hotel and centre with a second barrier into the hotel section. Large spaces in the carpark, rare in Europe.

When you look at the validity map of the BO Pass https://www.regionalpass-berneroberland.ch/assets/Uploads/Gueltigkeitsbereich-Regional-Pass-2021.pdf you'll see that the route between Montreux and Interlaken is only half covered as far as Gstaad and fully covered beyond. In my opinion the best bit of that section is coming over the ridge toward Montreux and the descent into Montreux. Going towards Interlaken you don't see any of that, and then through Zweisimmen towards Spiez you are mostly in the woods. Scenic enough but mostly woods.

I don't want to suggest paying for double transportation but I wonder if, with 5 adults, I might personally hold onto the car for the trip to Bern (see above) or Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen.

I suppose it depends on your family. Do you and the lads like being bunched up in a car but doing things all together, or would you prefer to spread out in the train?

5 BO passes will add up. So will the car, but with 5 you might find it very useful and in many circumstances it may pay off in the wallet. Have you priced out using the van for most transport and then individual tickets for the transportation in and around the Lauterbrunnen Valley and Mürren? It might be worth doing the math. Maybe one of the boys is good with figures?

I think that Zermatt after all that may be gilding the lily. I've been to Zermatt (didn't see the mountain as it was playing peek-a-boo) and after the spectacular beauty of the Berner Oberland around the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Zermatt and its hiding Matterhorn left me a bit flat. I was on my rail staff pass at the time and glad I hadn't had to pay to get there....

I've been back to the BO loads of times and just that one trip to Zermatt.

The route from Interlaken to Luzern via the very scenic Brünig Pass is included in your pass as is the slow route to Luzern from Bern via the very rural Emmen Valley (Emmental, as in cheese).

What do the the various family members (and you) like to do? Walk, hike, extreme, Trotti-bikes, Sommerrodelbahn, artisan dairy and crafts, perhaps musical instrument manufacture... (shame you have such a short time)... ?

Thanks for posing your question. Even though we in England can't return for our annual Swiss/German/Austrian visit it has made me feel much better just writing about it - with YouTube cranking out Oesch's die Dritten and Hansi Hinterseer in the background.

Let us know more - we can really show you the choices....

I have a car pick up in Geneva Airport. I have not yet separated out
the travel days in this itinerary below. Day 1-4: Geneva for 3 nights.
Upon arrival into Geneva have a Hertz rental minivan to travel around
to things such as the jazz festival, visit to Marché Gruérien | La
Maison du Gruyère, Lavaux Patrmoine mondial / 1091 Grandvaux,
Montreaux jazz festival, Freddie Mercury, etc.

I'm a little curious about the first three nights. Are you planning to visit Geneva or other places? The ones you mention are all around Montreux, so if that is the plan, why not stay in Montreux or maybe Lausanne, that would reduce the amount of travel needed. They are also very easy to reach by public transport, so no need for a car. And if your plan is to visit Geneva, you really do not want a car in the city.

Day 8-11: 3 nights in Zermatt. What suggestions do you have to quickly
get to Positano? Best to fly from Milan to Naples?

This is one of those trips that really can't be done quick at a reasonable cost. If you are in a hurry you can book a helicopter transfer from Zermatt to a nearby airport with direct flights to Naples, but that will cost around 5000 CHF or more. At a more affordable cost you can take the train from Zermatt to Milan in around 3:30, and from Milan there are direct Frecciarossas to Naples. The train to Milan doesn't stop that close to Malpensa, apart from Milano Centrale, but some stop in Stresa from where you can take the coach to Malpensa. So I'm not sure flying will save you any time if going via Milan. Another option is train to Zürich airport (3:40) and a flight from there. But no matter what way you choose you are looking at an 8-9 hour trip.

you should check out the videos of Nicki Positano for backgrounders. Basically, there is no fast or easy way to get to Positano it's either crowded twisty roads or a ferry.

Hi Nigel!
Yes, I do have an interest in Bern! My youngest wants to float the Aare. :) But knowing it was once the "capital city," I know it's rich in history but I haven't not reviewed it yet. I'm happy to stay there for my daughter's ride (!) but also if it is a good place to drop off a Hertz AND a good connection to Murren, where we will be staying. While I don't mind forests, I do prefer a better view. With traveling longer, and likely curvy distances, I'm worried about my kids (youngest again) getting car sick, which happens easily for her. (Will be checking into a child-friendly Dramamine!) Secondly, when in Europe, we will have an automatic, which is awesome but my husband does all the driving there, and he's been working a ton this year and I'd like to give him a bit of a break from extensive driving. 2 hours of not worrying if you will slip off the edge of a cliff is certainly within reason however, especially if it saves money.
I told hubby yesterday Matterhorn is not looking good for this trip. :(
After Montreaux, should we include Bern? Is there a better place to then connect to Murren?
Thanks!

Hi Badger!
I was able to use Marriott points to book the Autograph in Montreaux, hence the reason for staying there. With needing 2 rooms, those points help with costs!! I do wish to see Geneva a bit as well. Given we will arrive in the morning, I thought we could see a bit of it once we picked up the rental from the airport. Since we need to stow the luggage, a car would be preferred and I guess I'll shop around for parking. Any recommendations for a day in Geneva? We will likely take a boat ride another day. I do wish to see Lusanne as well.
As mentioned to Nigel, I think we will skip Matterhorn this trip - thanks also for chiming in on that helping to convince me.

Wow Phred, there's a lot of them! I didn't know they existed - thank you!!!
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=nicki+positano+2021&qpvt=nicki+positano+2021&FORM=VDRE

I was able to use Marriott points to book the Autograph in Montreaux,
hence the reason for staying there. With needing 2 rooms, those points
help with costs!!

That is a good choice! So are you planning to go to Montreux first or stay the first nights in Geneva? (Note, there is no "a" in Montreux.) And if you plan to visit La Maison du Gruyère, it is much closer to Montreux than to Geneva.

I do wish to see Geneva a bit as well. Given we will arrive in the
morning, I thought we could see a bit of it once we picked up the
rental from the airport. Since we need to stow the luggage, a car
would be preferred and I guess I'll shop around for parking.

If you need to store luggage, a locker or two at the railway station will cost a fraction of a rental car.

Any recommendations for a day in Geneva? We will likely take a boat
ride another day. I do wish to see Lausanne as well.

Unfortunately not, I had a trip to the area planned but I had to cancel because of the pandemic…

Referring to the original question, I think you should get 8-day Swiss Travel Passes. For adults, they are 418 CHF per adults and 357 CHF for the 3 kids, assuming the "junior" is 16 or older. That will cover you from Bern to Muerren to Zermatt to a Swiss airport for the flight to Naples. Total outlay is 1907 CHF. It will also include the same discount on the Schilthornbahn as a Berner Oberland Pass.

A 6-day Berner Oberland Pass is 330 CHF per person with no youth discount, so the outlay is 1650 CHF. It only gets you as far as Brig where you have to buy separate tickets to Zermatt at 38 CHF per person, and have to buy full fare tickets from Zermatt to a Swiss airport plus no discounts to ride the lifts in Zermatt as the STP's give 50% discounts.

As far as flights to Naples, there are early morning nonstops out of Geneva (except Wednesdays) or flights on Swiss out of Zurich. Check exact dates and times on the airline websites, noting luggage fees.