train transportation Switzerland

You won't have to specify a routing between Zermatt and Murren. Without instructions to the contrary, you'll be sold a ticket for the standard route: Zermatt - Visp - Spiez - Interlaken Ost - Lauterbrunnen (3-minute walk to a different station, Lauterbrunnen BLM) - Grutschalp - Murren. (Forgive all the missing umlauts). You would change trains at each of those stations.

You can check schedules on the SBB (Swiss railroad) website. You'll see a lot of stations listed for Zermatt; I do not know which one you would be starting at.

For each departure there will be a tiny "+" sign near the left edge of the screen. Click on it and all the connections will show up. Trains run hourly and take about 3-1/2 hours.

If you want to take a different route, you can use the "Via" box when you enter your origin and destination on the first screen.

Important: The fares shown on that initial screen assume that you hold the half-fare card. If you do not (and do not have some other pass that applies), you will pay double--in this case, about CHF 100.

I'm sorry, I can't comment on the relative merits of those two areas.

There is no Eurorail System in Switzerland nor anywhere in Europe. You're referring to trains and trains run on tracks owned by different companies and countries (not Eurorail).

Switzerland's complete integrated public transport system (trains, buses, boats, gondolas, funiculars) will get you anywhere you need to go. You'll have to look at www.sbb.ch/en to see the route for your destinations. From: Zermatt To: Murren BLM

Zermatt and Murren are very diff indeed. Weather can be iffy espec in zermatt ck ahead before u finalize your time in Zermatt. It lies in a narrow valley and req some transfers of trains to reach. I enjoyed both areas very much. Zermatt is particularly pricey imo.

Ebenezer, there is no such thing as a Eurorail system, and no such thing as a eurorail train.
Trains are run by a lots of different companies. In Switzerland, the main one is SBB (Swiss Federal Railways). Their website (English version: http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html ) covers all trains (and buses) for all companies in, to and from Switzerland.

For any train website, if you want to get from A to B (Zermatt to Mürren), just enter Zermatt to Mürren and it will always find the quickest route. For many places you will see multiple options for your start and end locations, this is because it is also showing bus stops. If you pick a bus stop, it will show you as changing to a train at the station, and you can correct your search.

In Switzerland, there is a standard fare, valid on any train. In most cases there is no discount for advance purchase and no reservations, so there is no advantage to buying on the internet. Just buy tickets at the station on the day.

If you ask because you may be traveling with a Eurail-brand rail pass for 2 or more countries, then it fully covers the trains from Visp to Interlaken Ost and gives you a 25% discount on the two ends of your trip plan. (There may be greater coverage to/from Zermatt in 2017.) With a Swiss Travel Pass, the whole travel route is covered that day. Either pass comes with a map defining the coverage area.

It is fun to see the Matterhorn, but Murren is spectacular. Do not skip it because you are going to Zermatt. Murren is smaller and much less touristy, and the views are to die for. Seriously, don't miss it.

Taking six forms of transportation to get from Zermatt to Murren sounds daunting but is not. They are all well coordinated and the stations are very small. It is all covered by the Swiss Pass, should you choose to get it.

Thank you for your replies. So from what you all said, it takes about 3 and 1/2 hours from Zermatt to Murren with several changes? If I have purchased a eurorail select 4 country pass, does this then cover the cost of the train ride? Also is it worth buying the Swiss Half Fare Pass?

ebenezer,

The travel time from Zermatt to Mürren via the BLM route is 3H:21M, with five changes. You can check the schedules using the bahn.de website or schedules and prices using the www.sbb.ch (Swiss Rail) website. Are you clear on the route you'll be following from Interlaken Ost to Mürren (there are two options).

I'd have to do some research on which rides would be covered by the four country pass. You may find this website helpful.....

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/switzerland-rail-passes

Hopefully Laura or one of the others will be able to provide more information on the pass.

Ebenezer, AFAIK Eurail (NOT Eurorail) passes ARE NOT valid past Interlaken Ost, only Swiss passes and other Swiss tickets. So you are covered for the first part of your trip (Zermatt - Visp - Spiez - Interlaken), but thereafter (Interlaken - Lauterbrunnen - Mürren) you only get a 25% discount. It is a matter of which railway companies do and do not accept the pass.
It is not obvious from their website. They do give a list of railways covered ( http://www.eurail.com/europe-by-train/switzerland/swiss-railway-companies-included ), but that is only of use if you know which lines are run by which companies.

Ebenzer, I just noticed that in the list of non-covered Swiss rail companies ( http://www.eurail.com/europe-by-train/switzerland/swiss-railway-companies ) it lists the MGB (Matterhorn - Gotthard Bahn), which runs the route up to Zermatt. So it is:
Zermatt - Visp (MGB) 25% discount)
Visp - Spiez - Interlaken (BLS and SBB) covered by Eurail pass
Interlaken - Lauterbrunnen - Mürren (BOB Berner Oberland - Bahn and BLM Lauterbrunnen – Mürren) 25% discount.

I would not get a separate Swiss Half-Fare Card since your Eurail pass already gives you 25% discounts on trains and lifts around Muerren and the Berner Oberland. And since I see now that you're not traveling until next July, you may find that Zermatt-Visp becomes covered next year (along with the portion of the Glacier Express to Disentis that has been only discounted for as long as I can remember). Pass features generally change with the annual calendar - on Jan. 1 - even if communication of all the details may lag behind.

Hello everyone, Thank you for your help. From what I'm understanding then, our eurorail pass will work to Zermatt and then from Zermatt to Interlaken, but then we would need to get the swiss pass at a 25% discount to continue onto Murren? Is this correct? We are then continuing onto Zurich which should be covered? This is so confusing!! Let me back up and say our whole itinerary....We begin in London, onto Amsterdam, then through Germany and then Switzerland. This is over a course of 16 days. So what pass is best to get? Family of 4, children being 22 and 17. Thanks!

From what I'm understanding then, our eurorail pass will work to Zermatt and then from Zermatt to Interlaken, but then we would need to get the swiss pass at a 25% discount to continue onto Murren? Is this correct?

Ebenezer, No, as a said in my previous post, the rail route from Visp to Zermatt (and vice-versa) IS NOT covered by a Eurail pass (not a "eurorail pass"), but you get a discount.

Zermatt - Visp (MGB) 25% discount)
Visp - Spiez - Interlaken (BLS and SBB) covered by Eurail pass
Interlaken - Lauterbrunnen - Mürren (BOB Berner Oberland - Bahn and BLM Lauterbrunnen – Mürren) 25% discount.

And when you go from Mürren to Zürich, you get the 25% discount as far as Interlaken, and your pass covers you from there to Zürich.
For the sections where your pass does not 100% cover you, DO NOT get a pass, just buy normal tickets at the station on the day, and show your pass to get the 25% discount. Over 16 counts as an adult, so you have 4 adults, no children.

As many on this site say, a Eurail pass is not always good value, it is often cheaper to buy normal advance purchase tickets for separately each leg. And in Switzerland it has limited coverage.

When you get to Interlaken station, there's a BIG sign over the train to Lauterbrunnen saying Eurail pass NOT valid past here. Has the EU logo on it and everything. Because clearly this comes up a lot.

But having the pass should help get you a discount on the tickets you need for Lauterbrunnen, Murren and beyond at the train station ticket office.

Chris, I have now confirmed that Eurail-brand passes will cover the Glacier Express and trains to/from Zermatt in 2017. So it's only up the valley from Interlaken that ebenezer133 will need to show his pass and buy tickets at a 25% discount.

"Limited coverage" is a misleading statement. All rail pass have some limits but both Eurail and Swiss Travel Passes have extensive coverage and benefits in Switzerland. Both have changes applicable from January 1, so value judgments will have to be recalculated.