Help deciding train passes

Also consider just buying single tickets.

Rail passes still require reservations on fast trains but not regional trains. I like to price each point-to-point journey to see how much it costs without a rail pass. I then choose the cheaper option. If there is no price difference then choose the easiest option. The DE website is: https://www.bahn.com/en and the CH website is: https://www.sbb.ch/en/timetable.html.
Note: You need to take a cableway from either Lauterbrunnen or Stechelberg to Mürren: https://www.myswissalps.com/murren/travel.

We had Eurail passes last year. I would not recommend them.
1) *Edited based on more accurate information below. In many countries (read below for Germany), you may need to make a seat reservation which adds an additional fee.*
2) Not all trains have Eurail seats available on them. Think of it as trying to book a flight via a credit card or reward travel portal. There may be flights with seats available to purchase from the airline, but they are not available for purchase via a credit card or rewards travel portal. So, there may be the perfect trip available via the rail website, but it may not be available via Eurail.
As I said, we had Eurail passes last year and made it work, but I did not consider purchasing them for our trip this fall. We will purchase directly from rail sites or in the station as we go.

Rail passes still require reservations on fast trains

Not in Germany.

More important, your Eurail pass only gives you a 25% discount on tickets from Interlaken Ost to Muerren and on all the lifts in the region you will want to use. Germany has some very good deals on regional trains that beat the heck out of Eurail passes.

Tell us where you plan on going in Germany and we can give details.

We fly into Frankfurt. To Rüdesheim so I would not use Railpass.

Rudesheim to Rothenburg o d T.

Rothenburg o d T to Berchtesgaden

Berchtesgaden to Füssen. Then on to Mürren.
Fly home from Zurich.

Thank you so much.

I will assume by "we", you mean 2 people.

Ruedesheim to Rothenburg o.d.T. is a 5 hour train trip with 3 changes, whether you use an ICE train for part of the journey or all regional trains, so use all regional trains and the cost is 51 EUR for 2 people and you can buy the tickets day of travel out of a vending machine. Its called a Quer durch Lands ticket.

Rothenburg o.d.T. to Berchdesgaden is 5 1/2 to 6 hours using IC, ICE, or EC trains for part way, with multiple changes and some routes include a bus, not included ith a Eurail Pass. You can do it in 6 hours and 23 minutes using all regional trains with 3 or 4 changes costing 36 EUR for 2. It is with a Bayern Ticket.

Berchdesgaden to Fuessen is all regional trains no matter what. It is 5 1/4 hour trip with 3 changes and all regional trains costing 36 EUR for 2 with the Bayern Ticket.

Fuessen to Muerren will be a long day. suggest you buy Super Sparpreis Europa tickets now for 161.80 EUR for 2. These are nonrefundable and may vary in price by date and time. I am looking at an 8:15 am departure from Fuessen, getting to Muerren at 4 pm.

In Muerren, buy 2 Swiss Travel Pass for 281 CHF each. You get a 50% discount for the trip to the Schilthorn from Muerren. That will cover you all the way back to Zurich.

Some confusion and contradictory comments here need clearing up.

1) The big problem with rail passes in some countries (like France) is that reservations are required but often "sold out" - only a certain portion of reservations are allocated to railpass users - and if none are available for a given train, your rail pass is useless.

2) As Badger indicates, reservation policies are NOT the same from country to country. They are NOT required for high-speed trains in Germany, whether you have a Eurail Pass, a German rail pass, or point-to-point tickets.

3) The "railpass vs. point-to-point-ticket" paradigm that Rick Steves uses for ticket decisions in Europe fails to take Germany's day passes for regional train travel into account. The day-pass strategy Sam has suggested is often advantageous...

• NO advance purchase is needed for day passes. They do not sell out. You can plan or revise your travel plans at the last minute. Buy them at the station on the day of travel.

• Reservations are not required or even available on regional trains; these are considered local public transport - no matter how far they actually travel.

• Board ANY regional trains as often as you like. Use the inner-city transport too (subways, trams, etc.) in most cities/towns.

• Germany's regional trains stop more frequently and are often slower by definition, but they have significantly better on-time performance statistics than high-speed trains.

Some cautions about day passes:

• The Bayern Ticket day pass (and other state or "Länder" day passes) is not valid before 9 am on weekdays. And it is not valid outside of Bayern (Bavaria.) This means you must be careful not to stay on a train traveling outside the state's designated travel area. Bayern Ticket zone:

https://www.bayerwald-ticket.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Streckennetz_Bayern_2012.pdf

• Day passes for regional trains are not valid on high-speed (IC, ICE, EC, RJX, etc.) trains.

If you mistakenly board a high-speed train, travel outside the authorized travel area, or travel at hours that are prohibited, and you get caught - you will be hit with a stiff fine, and you will be required to purchase a normal ticket at a normal price. Conductors are prohibited from making exceptions for confused or naive foreign tourists.

The Quer durchs Land Ticket is called the "Day Pass for Germany" in English - it permits travel across all state boundaries within Germany.

FRA airport > Rüdesheim: The RMV transport association sells this ticket at FRA airport's Regionalbahnhof station. Or use the RMV app. Ticket machines at this underground airport station will have the RMV logo on them, like the one in this picture. Fare is €9.75 each. Travel time is roughly 80 minutes with one change of train.

Staying in Berchtesgaden means that you will receive a "Guest Card" from your hosts. This card provides free use of buses around the local area (to the Koenigssee, for example) so you may not need to purchase any transportation for outings. Discounts come with it as well.

Beginning this year you can use the Guest Card for the regional train trip to Salzburg also (one change of train in Freilassing.) B'gaden area map:

https://www.berchtesgaden.de/cdn/uploads/karte-bgl.jpg

This information is SO helpful! I am thrilled to know of these options. I thank you very much !!!
I had a fear of buying day tickets but certainly feel more optimistic about it now.

Blessings,
Sharon

Sam, can I ask for your advice.
As you suggested, I purchased Saver Passes (Füssen to Mürren). Day of arrival just staying in Mürren, possibly funicular to Allmendhubel, walk back. Then we have two full days. Day 1. To Schilthorn, visit Gimmelwald. Day 2. Visit Lauterbrunnen and perhaps another place.
Early morning travel to Zurich for plane departure.
I see saver pass for Mürren to Zurich Flughafen. I do not see that I really need a Swiss Pass as we are not venturing far from Mürren. Thoughts?
Many Thanks!