Swiss Pass Migraine, but I still love it

Let's see if I have this right. Hopefully, Lola or Tim can add on. If you purchase some type of Swiss Pass in advance from the U.S., you can request the free family card for the children. As long as they travel with a ticketed parent, its free - even to the top of the Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch. If you wait to purchase your tickets when you get to Switzerland, I think that you will have to purchase Swiss Junior Cards for about 30CHF. But, you will only have to pay for a maximum of 2 children. The 3rd Junior Card will be free. What I don't know is if the family pass will be free in Switzerland if you buy some type of Swiss Pass when you arrive. (I hope you know that this information was also provided in your previous post by Lola and I on the same question). Also, you can send an email to the Swiss train people at www.sbb.ch. I've communicated with them a few times and they do respond promptly and in English.

There is NO free Swiss Family Card to be had within Switzerland. You either get it here in the USA or purchase the Junior Cards for the kids after you arrive in Switzerland. Yes, the kids travel free with you everywhere. You sound a little overwhelmed and exasperated. If you just don't want to deal with it anymore then buy the Swiss Saver Pass (for the 2 parents) and request a free Swiss Family Card for the kids and be done with it.

Carol, I assume you're also aware that Ebenalp is in the Appenzell region, and some distance from the Berner Oberland. With only four days, that's going to be a considerable amount of travel! Good luck!

Larry, thanks for pointing out the 2-kid maximum for the Junior Card. I was not aware of that. Information on this page from the Swiss Travel System, regarding prices for pases bought in Switzerland suggests that one might be able to get a free Family Card with a Half-Fare Card bought in Switzerland: http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/index.php?id=134&L=1 I suggest that Carol e-mail SBB and ask about this. If so, then that would be the way to go: Half-Fare card for either one or both parents (you'd have to do the math to see which is more cost effective. Likely it will come out best for both to have HF cards IF you are going up the jUngfrau; otherwise maybe not.) There is no point in buying a pass like the Flex orSwiss Pass as you won't get much benefit from it. These passes only discount the lifts (First, Schilthornbahn, etc.) 50%. You don't go for free even if it is a covered day on the pass. To be continued. . .

Now about that IF on the Jungfrau: this is a long and expensive trip, 1 3/4 to 2 hours in each direction. The last 40 minutes are in a dark tunnel with no views. You arrive in a building which is generally very crowded. From there, you can go to the ice palace, which is nice, and outside for the kids to play in the snow. The views down Konkordiaplatz and the glacier are nice. But is it really worth it for kids the age of yours? They will get a mountaintop (view) experience on the Schilthorn. They will love the First Flieger. You might add the Rodelbahn on the Pfingstegg lift (also at Grindelwald). But at age 7, 9, and 11, my kids would rather be outside instead of riding a train for 4 hours.
You might consider, instead of the Jungfrau, taking them on the Mannlichen walk (cablecar up from Wengen, walk to Kleine Scheidegg, train back down to Lauterbrunne. Or even walk down from Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen, which is a nice easy downhill walk in the company of cows and stunning scenery.

Thank you everyone for your kind replies and information. I think we will drop the Jungfrau trip and hike Mannlichen to KS and then another day hike the NorthFace trail as we are staying in Murren. Wow lots of info to digest and in several days, still not sure which travel system but am doing comparative lists. Still hope to do the First Flieger. Thanks

You've got a chance to take 5 people to see the expensive Jungfrau and only pay for 2 (the kids are free). Why would you NOT go? The only valid reason are bad weather.

Only valid reason not to go is bad weather? I have to disagree. Four hours on a train, part of it in the dark, to see a view that is not all that different from what most any skier can see at a ski resort. With kids that may be too young to think it is all that cool. Four hours that they could spend outside, hiking amid the wildflowers and cows and views over both sides of the Mannlichen ridge. Personally, I think the Jungfrau trip is one of the most over-hyped things around. We've done it twice, each time because our traveling companions wanted to go. The only time it was even mildly interesting was the second time, in a blizzard, when the kids all had fun in an international melange in the snow play area. There was hardly anyone there, which made it much nicer than a nice day when it is packed with people. The time we went on a nice day was a huge disappointment. I think there are much better ways to spend one's time and money in Switzerland, so many better things to experience, especially for kids.

Well then we'll just have to disagree won't we, Lola? My kids and my two groups of school kids had a blast sledding in the snow in June. One of the kids did the zipline much to everyone's amazement. The sled dogs were out and entertaining everyone. The ice palace is not to be missed by anyone. My son saved for a whole year to buy a Tissot watch from the Observatory/Weather Station gift shop. We all really enjoyed the nice cafeteria lunch after all of the fun. Either way, Lola, we can both spin it as much as we like, can't we?

I appreciate both points of view and I will continue to assess what the best experience is for our kids and factor in the all important weather. Sitting here in Boston, it is hard to imagine being in the Bernese Oberland at all given all I have read and watched. We feel so fortunate to be able to do this trip after saving for a year. Okay a lazy question but I finally am done reading for alteast a few days... Can I purchase the swiss half fare pass from the US with the free family card or do I have to get it in Switzerland. Thank you again Carol

Of course we can agree to disagree, Tim. There is no "spin" involved, just different points of view. I was just looking at the ages of Carol's children (they are not teenagers), and the fact that snow play in June or July may not be all that much of a novelty for kids who live in Massachusetts and had a pretty tough winter. Also, with the Swiss franc now at $1.13, I think most people are going to look carefully at their expenditures. The snow play is an extra cost, which for 3 kids adds up. And I beleive the husky rides are no more, as the kennels were scheduled to close in 2010: http://www.jungfrauzeitung.ch/artikel/97806/

I just found where you can order a Half-Fare Card in advance, with a Free Family Card, and have it shipped to you at no charge: http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/produkttexte.php You have to allow 2-3 weeks for the shipping.

Dear Lola and Tim,
Thank you for your help and it was nice to get quick responses and good information. We just purchased the Swiss Hare Fare Passes and were glad to get another thing done before our trip. We are actually spending several weeks driving through Europe and have done very well with Italian road trips in the past. We are doing a trip similar to Rick Steves 22 day trip best of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. I appreciate your time and help and may be posting again as I finish the planning for a July 1st departure. Danke Carol

I hope you all have a wonderful time. Wildflowers should be at their peak bloom the Berner Oberland in early July. Gute Reise!