Car Rental In Switzerland

You don't need a car in Switzerland. Trains will take you everywhere, in fact some mountain villages don't even allow cars. You and your bother can purchase a four day 2nd class Swiss saver pass $192 pp. It will cover all forms of public transport, free entry into most all museums, and get you a 50% discount on the tourist train/cable car trip to Jungrau/Schiltorn. The best region to explore would be the Berner Oberland: Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen. Murren, Wengen, Gimmelwald. To Paris it will just as fast and probably cheaper to take the High-Speed TGV train. You can purchase advance discount non-refundale/non-changable fares at the Swiss Rail site:

www.rail.ch

From Amsterdam you can also take a nigh train to Basel, and then an intercity train direct to Geneva Airport. You can book advance fares at:

www.citynightline.ch

The main tourist destinations that are usually discussed here are very well serviced by public transportation. And trains to Interlaken or Berner Oberland aren't that expensive.

If you're heading into less touristy rural areas it may be different. We spent a week in Emmental and explored the German speaking Switzerland from there. That would have been very difficult without a car.

Would I really need to get a pass if I just wanted to head up into the alps and back? Couldnt I get a roundtrip ticket or something?

A pass isn't mandatory, but you won't get any kind of discount to the top of Jungfrau or Schiltorn. These are pricey excursions and the discount alone usually makes the Swiss Pass worthwhile. You could easily spend several days in the Berner Oblerand (pick up a copy of Rick's Switzerland Guidebook for a complete description of the BO)area so a pass will usually save money. There are a few different versions, click the "Railpasses" tab at the top of this page for all of your options.

If you are intending to travel from Interlaken into the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the upper alpine villages or the two mountain tops there, a rental car is useless. Once you park your car in Lauterbrunnen, that's it. No tourist cars any higher up. If you go to the top of the Jungfrau, the round trip cost is about $180. A Swiss pass or cards will get you a 50% discount. It's about $90 round trip to the Schilthorn. Again, a 50% discount with a Swiss pass or cards.