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Train pass/accomodations Switzerland & Germany

We are taking our four children (all teens and young 20's) to primarily Switzerland but we are flying into Frankfurt, Germany. While looking at the Germany-Switzerland Pass, I want to know if this Switzerland pass is the same as the Swiss pass we can buy from sbb? After looking at the details, it appears it might not be?

We fly into Frankfurt on Saturday, May 23 and will stay only one night in Germany on our way to Switzerland. We will spend most all our time in Switzerland and come back to Frankfurt, Germany on June 1 to fly out June 2.

My questions:
1. Is the Germany-Switzerland Pass the same Swiss pass I can get from SBB? And does the former allow us the same benefits as the later? Are there trains/buses/boats we could not use these on? We definitely want the true Swiss pass - any other options to go with it?

  1. We are unsure where to stay that one night in Germany. We are thinking about staying in Fuessen, Germany and seeing the Neuschwanstein Castle on our way but it seems it might be a little difficult to navigate to that place? Are train connections easy to get to Fuessen? Or other suggestions are welcome.

  2. Once we arrive in Switzerland, we are making Zurich our base to do day trips. We are thinking of staying in the Zurich Youth Hostel. My husband, however, has found a remarkably inexpensive hotel "Bahnhof Glattbrugg Hotel Zurich". I have read some reviews and they don't seem favorable. Does anyone know of this place?

Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated.

Thank you!

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you both for your information. It is very much appreciated. I can't seem to locate the "Europa Spezial" though. I've looked on the web site and I keep getting a large fare for the train. Any suggestions on that?

Thanks!

Posted by
6898 posts

If your Germany-Switzerland pass is a Eurail pass, it is not the same as the SBB rail pass. The Eurail pass will get you on most Swiss trains but I don't think it will get you on the buses. I do know that if you go from Interlaken Ost into the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the heart of the Berner-Oberland, your Eurail pass will only get you a 25% discount. The SBB Swiss pass will cover all of these fares except for a few specialized mountain top rides in Switzerland where the SBB pass will get you a 50% discount. The Jungfrau and Schilthorn are two of those mountain tops.

Posted by
7070 posts

You aren't using the pass much in Germany. You might want to just head straight to Switzerland on Day 1; there are Europa Spezial tickets from FRA to Basel on 5/23 at

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

for 58 Euros (12:02 departure) and 78 Euros for other departure times that would cover all 4 of you. Then just get Swiss railpasses for that country.

Posted by
7070 posts

Christy, I just tried 5/23 again and pulled up the same cheap fares - 2 adults and 2 kids (I listed both kids as 14 or younger.) You may have to click "check all" under "savings fares".

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you, Russ. I found the savings fares. That will be of great help to us. I appreciate your information.

Posted by
19274 posts

I think train connections to Fuessen are very easy. There is a regional train every hour out of Munich to Fuessen. If you are coming from Zurich, cross into Germany at Lindau, head for Munich but change trains in Buchloe for Fuessen.