We are flying into Paris and staying 4 nights then taking a train (this is the only train ticket that has already been purchased) to Geneva for 2 days, Interlaken for 3 nights, Lucerne 3 nights and ending in Zurich for 1 night where our return flight home is located. Should we buy a Swiss Pass or EuRail pass or should we buy a pass at all? Will a Pass discount tickets for the trip to Jungraujoch (I read there is a Golden Pass trip and Silver Pass trip). I feel so uncertain of what the passes actually cover. It was also recommended to me to buy a hop on hop off bus pass for Paris...is that recommended?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17225 posts
HI Debbie-a Swiss pass or Swiss Card works much better than a Eurail pass in Switzerland. If you are going up the Jungfraujoch, the best discount is with a Half-Fare Card. You purchase this for 110 CHF at your first stop in Switzerland (Geneva) and all your travel in Switzerland, whether by boat, train, funicular, or cablecar will be 50% off. The various Swiss Passes will give you some fully-covered days, but the discount on the Jungfraujoch is only 25% above Wengen, so for you the Half-Fare Card is probably the best option. The Golden Round Trip and Silver Round Trip are loop tours up Mt. Pilatus from Luzern. The Golden trip starts with a boat leg while the Silver covers that section by train. Then you go up the Pilatus cogwheel railway to the top and down the other side by cablecar. It is a nice daytrip either way, and the Half-Fare Card will give you 50% off. Golden PASS, on the other hand, is a scenic train route from Montreux to Interlaken to Luzern. There are special trains with panoramic windows on this route, or you can ride a regular regional train over the same route.
Posted by
OP
Brentwood, USA
17 posts
Thank you Lola for your answer to my confusion. It is very helpful!!