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Swiss Pass and Point To Point Plus Itineraries

Hi There, 7 of us will be travelling next week 19June to Spiez from Milan arriving at 10:57am. We are still deciding whether to purchase the Swiss Pass or point to point ticket as we are unsure whether we can cover all our itineraries in 2 days. 1. Spiez to Station Interlaken Ost 2.Zweilütschine station 3.Lauterbrunnen(stop and do some sight seing) 4. Wengen (stop and sight seing) 5. Schilthorn (stop and sight seing) 6. Murren (stop and sight seing) 7. KL Scheidegg (stop and sight seing) 8. Grindelwald (stop and sight seing) 9. Back to Interlaken Ost 10. Take Lake Brienz boat cruise, stop and Brienz and visit museum 11. Take train to Lucerne 12. Next day in Lucerne, goto to Engelberg 13. Engelberg to Mt Titlis 14. Back to Lucerne and if got time head to Zurich Question. a) Will the Swiss Pass cover all item1-14 for free? b) Or just purchase point to point 74.2chf round ticket Kleine Scheidegg via Lauterbrunnen o. Grindelwald? c) Does item 1-10 possible to be done within 11am-6pm
d) Does the Swiss Pass 2 in 1 still available?

Posted by
3057 posts

Wow. No, you can't do all that (1-10) in one day. And a Swiss pass won't cover up to the Schilthorn. It will cover the rest. But I think what you want is a Half-Fare Card for 110 CHF, which makes averything half-price. Each person must have one. And you've got Wengen in the wrong place. It is not on the say to the Schilthorn. Starting at the beginning, I do not see any train arriving at Spiez from MIlan at 10:57 on either Trenitalia or SBB (Swiss rail site). Are you sure about that time? The websites show arrival at 9:53 or 13:53, or 11:24 if you change at Brig. So assuming you actually arrive Spiez at 9:53, the earliest you could be on top of the Schilthorn is 11:57. That is without spending any time at all in Lauterbrunnen or Murren on the way, just moving from transport to transport. Then say you spend 30 minutes on top (that's really not enough, but you have to keep moving). You head down to Lauterbrunnen and up th eother side to Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg, arriving there 14:20. spend half an hour there and depart at 15:03 for Grindelwald and on to Interlaken Ost---no time to stop and see Grindelwald. You arrive Interlaken Ost at 16:24 and according to the SBB website you have missed the last boat, which departed Interlaken for Brienz at 16:07. So instead you take the train that goes via Brienz. The next one leaves at 17:04 and you arrive in Luzern at 10:04, an hour later than you wanted. That is way too much for one day. You need to cut some things. Use the Swiss rail site SBB.ch to see the schedules.

Posted by
25 posts

Hi Sasha, Thanks! You're right my train arrive at 9:53am Since it takes so much of time goin up to Schilthorn, i better skip that. Is Murren worth to have a go? Else i better just do the round trip Kleine Scheidegg via Lauterbrunnen o. Grindelwald with a stop at Wengen. Can i make that in time? I saw the last boat to Brienz at 20.20 which means i would not be able to see the Ballenburg museum. How about if we do boat tour and museum and then only the mountain? Would it be better? More question. Can i buy Half-Fare Card at the station? New Iti 1. Spiez to Station Interlaken Ost 2.Zweilütschine station 3.Lauterbrunnen(stop and do some sight seing) 4. Murren (stop and sight seing) 5. Wengen (stop and sight seing) 7. KL Scheidegg (stop and sight seing) 8. Grindelwald (stop and sight seing) 9. Back to Interlaken Ost 10. Boat to Brienz Thanks rgds
nasha

Posted by
32523 posts

Nasha, The magic in the Alps is to be on foot and able to connect personally with magnificent mountains and valleys. It seems from your lists that you want to stay seated on transport, or hop off, look around (picture?), and hop back on and zip to the next view. Can I suggest that you pick the best place, just go there and really look around. Walk (I don't see any of that in your lists) and really get down with the views. Going back and forth across the valleys will pretty much IMHO be less productive. It is true that you will see the various mountains from different sides but will that be better than properly connecting with one? All that transport will add up too.

Posted by
3057 posts

Hi again Nasha! That is better. Here is a suggestion to do that and incorporate some walking and sightseeing. Train Spiez to Interlaken Ost. Change there for train to Lauterbrunnen (don't get off at Zweilutschiene, just keep going to Lauterbrunnen). At Lautergrunnen, take cable car and train up to Murren. Wlak from Murren train station through town and on down to Gimmelwald on the paved path, 20 minutes. Ride the cable car down to Stechelberg. Take the bus ( or walk) back to Lauterbrunnen. Now you can visit Trummelbach Falls if you want. Walk thru Lauterbrunnen, maybe have lunch. Then train up to Wengen. Walk thru town to the cable car up to Mannlichen. Walk from there to Kleine Scheidegg ( beautiful walk on a good path but not paved). At Kleine Scheidegg, catch train down to Grindelwald. Check the clock a nd see how much time you have to see Grindelwald, remember you want to be back at Interlaken to catch the last boat to Brienz. You can buy the Half cFare card in Spiez. With the card you can buy a one-day travel card that will cover all your travel for 48 CHF, buy only on weekdays, no Saturday or Sunday. You will have to check prices and see if the Half-Fare Card (110) plus day pass (48) is less than the total cost of you travel that day.
I did not check the times, but if you move right along I think you can do that in a day and still catch the boat.

Posted by
25 posts

Hi Nigel, Sadly but true, i'm trying to grasp all i can in one go. Perhaps this could be my 1st and last in Switz. The place is just too far from Malaysia and the cost to come is expensive as well :-). If i could have an extra day, surely would love to do all. Anyway as advised, i'll try to add some walks to our trips.
Thanks for the insight.

Posted by
25 posts

Hi There Sasha.. You just perfected my itineraries!! Now i'm more clear about the whole picture. One thing though, is the cable car in the same route as the train route? How can i get the schedule and prices for the cable car? Does the one day pass cover cable car as well? Appreciate your help Sasha. I'll do the maths on time and prices now. Thank you :-)

Posted by
3057 posts

Hi Nasha-Ok, maybe forget the one-day pass. Here is the info: http://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/1-day-travelpass/9-oclock-day-card.html You can click on the "GA area of validity" and it says it covers boats and trains, but the list and map show that the Mannlichen cablecar and the train from Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald are only 50%, which you will have with the Half-Fare card anyway. The day pass will cover Spiez to Interlaken to lauterbrunnen to Murren (more about that below) and gimmelwald to Lauterbrunnen to Wengen. Not Wengen to Grindelwald. The it will also cover Grindelwald to Interlaken, the boat to Brienz, and the train from Brienz to Luzern. So that's still a lot of travel and probably costs much more than the 48 CHF for the card. Also note that you can buy a 6-pack for the price of 5, so as long as everyone has their own Half Fare Card that might work for 6 of you (be sure and ask the station agent if that's OK but I'll bet it is). Cablecars: The one from Lauterbrunnen up to Grutschalp, on the way to Murren, is part of the regular transport system so that is just how you get to Murren and it would be covered on the Day Pass. Same with the one from Gimmelwald down to the valley floor. They are timed to work with the trains (and Postbus from Stechelburg to Lauterbrunnen). The one from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp does not even show up on the SBB schedule; it is just part of the transport. You transfer to a little train that is waiting at Grutschalp to take you to Murren. The one from Wengen up to Mannlichen is a tourist ride so it it NOT covered on the day pass but it is still 50% with the Half Fare card.

Posted by
25 posts

Hi Sasha, Thanks for all the great tips. I'm almost 70% to complete my itinerary plus the maths :-) I'll look for the 1 day pass that you told me about. But somehow i feel restricted as i need to rush for the boat trip. Should we take boat ride first? Would that be better? Only i would waste the trip coming back to Interlaken since i'll be going to Lucerne thereafter. Any idea about Lake Lucerne? Should i opt for Lake Lucerne instead of Lake Brienz? rgds
nasha

Posted by
25 posts

Hi Ya All, I'm trying to make sense from this web "We used the cable car from Wengen to Mannlichen to access one trail in particular, called the "Panoramaweg" that takes you from the cable car station on Mannlichen to the train station at Kleine Scheidegg. The Panoramaweg is an easy hike that is mostly flat and in some places takes you downhill , you'll pass beside some INCREDIBLE scenery with some really beautiful vistas of snow capped mountains and green pastures. The Mannlichen station is at an elevation of 2222 meters and the elevation of Kleine Scheidegg is in fact at 2061 meters. " Read more: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Switzerland/Kanton_Bern/Wengen-689820/Things_To_Do-Wengen-TG-C-1.html#tip=2102877#ixzz1xC7yAHDl Please correct me if i'm wrong: Take cable car from Wengen to Mannlichen.
Then only hike up to Kleine Scheidegg. This is called the Panoramaweg trail.

Posted by
3057 posts

Hi Nasha, That is the same walk I suggested, from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg. I did not know it has a name like Panoramaweg. But it is a beautiful walk and you should do it.

Posted by
25 posts

Hi Again Sasha, When i do the maths especially on the timing. Its quite overwhelming to complete all. Would it be a big miss if i took out Manilichen and just go from Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg and off to Grindelwald?

Posted by
32523 posts

What is it you expect to find in Grindelwald? Its a nice enough place but it is a tourist town. Do you want to see mountains or towns? If you walk it will take time - time which will have to come from somewhere.

Posted by
25 posts

Hi Again Nigel, Actually i wanna see both town and mountain. The town is definitely 100% totally an opposite of our Asian town. I imagine bringing myself in the Sound of Music movie! Is it almost the same town as Launterbrunnen/Wengen? Honestly i never been to mountains. I just gather from all the review i managed to get ...tripadvisors, fodors, ricksteves...so most people said visit Grindelwald, so that's why i pick that as well. What say you? Drop Grindelwald? For now my list is almost the same as what Sasha had advised earlier. But like i said, i don't think we can make it for the boat if we complete all. If you have better proposal, i would like to hear them. I have till this Thursday to make up my mind. I'll be in Switz on the 19th. And yeah..Will there still be snow covering top of the mountains June? rgds
Nasha