Grindelwald for 4 Days

We stayed in Grindelwald last May. It is gorgeous!
Q1: yes, I'd pre-purchase the train ticket so that you get the seats you'd like.
Q2: We only purchased the Berner Oberland Pass. If you know what you will be doing while in the area, you should be able to estimate the cost of all the gondola and train tickets. We probably spent more for the pass than we would have had we paid for each trip individually, but I preferred the convenience.
Q3: I can't say that we raved about any of our meals. If there is an upscale place you are interested in, I would make reservations. Grindelwald is small and crowded.

Have a great time!

Pre-purchase of the ticket to Paris could result in some discounts so worth exploring.

The Berner-Oberland Pass is always a value in our experience. It allows for spontaneity as well as convenience. No waiting in line for tickets, freedom to decide to take a cable way or joy-ride on a train just because you want to.

With the ticket to Paris and the BO Pass, a Half Fare Card may be worthwhile. You have to do the math, with and without it.

Regarding reserving at restaurants: We always do, if we know in advance where we will be eating. But you do not need to reserve days in advance. Reserving a table the day itself is not a problem. I have seen restaurants turn people away because they were full.

Thank you for your perspectives. Very much appreciated.

-Lou

We did the best of Switzerland in May. We stayed in Lauterbrunnen Valley for 5 nights before the tour started and then, 2 nights in Lucerne before the tour started. I bought the 1/2 fare price card and then, bought the 8 day berner oberland pass (at half price with my half fare card) that included Lucerne. It was worth it for us. The only train ride we paid out of pocket was from Zurich to Bern and then, Bern to Zurich to go to and from the airport. All other train rides were free. The 1/2 fare price card is good for 30 days so, we used it throughout the Rick Steve's tour for extra things we did during our tour during free time at 1/2 off. To go to the top of Jungfragjoch and back you are looking at $200 round trip. So, it all depends on what you plan to do. You can buy a berner oberland pass for 3 to 10 days. I would really map out what you want to do and then, check all the prices on the SBB app and see what would be cheaper.

We did this tour last year and bought both the half fare card and the BO pass. The half fare card was used for the Swiss portion of our train to Lucerne from Venice and our independent mt. Rigi excursion the day before the tour started. We went back to Murren for 3 nights after the tour and the BOpass covered the trip from Bern and later back to Lucerne along withALL buses, trains in the region (yes there is a supplement for Jungfrau). And you get to purchase the BO pass at half price with the Half fare card.

Thanks DisneyFreak67 and Simvik for the additional insights.

To be honest I hadn't taken into account the value that the half fair card might bring during the tour. Back to the abacus.

-L