Train travel Murren to Cinque Terra

It's very, very easy to buy your tickets once you reach Switzerland. You can buy them at any staffed train station. The journey will take about 8.5hrs and will involve 4-5 train changes from Lauterbrunnen depending on the run. If you look at www.sbb.ch you can see the schedules. Note that you want to enter murren-BLM for Muerren. This is the combination cog train/gondola down to the Lauterbrunnen train station. There's another way down through Gimmelwald but that's the murren-LSMS-lsms.

As for buying Swiss passes, it depends on how long you will be there, how much you want to see in the Berner Oberland and how much other train travel you will be doing in Switzerland. If you are going to the top of the Jungfrau and Schilthorn, the normal round trip fare per person is $177 and $91 respectively. Train fare around the country is a bit expensive.

One pass you can get is the 1/2 fare card that's good for 30 days. This card gets you 50% off on everything. It costs CHF99. Then, there's the Swiss saver pass that provides a discount for up to five people traveling together. The cost depends on how many days you select. CLICK HERE for some info from Rick Steve's on this pass. Both passengers names will be on the pass. You are correct that the 14-yr old can travel free if one or both of the parents has a pass. And, the older daughter can get a youth rate. Then, there's the full blown Swiss Abonnenment pass that you can get from the Swiss. Unlimited travel anywhere in Switzerland. I don't have the cost for that pass.

Larry - Thank you for your reply. We will be in Switzerland for 7 days. We will arrive in Zurich and take a train to a town called Goldern. From there we will travel to Murren. We would like to see the Schilthorn but will pass on Jungfrau as the cost is so high. Other travel we might choose would be maybe from Goldern to travel to Brienz or into Interlaken. Do you think the 50% off pass or the swiss saver is best. This is our first time and it is overwhelming to figure this part out. I thank you in advance for any additional help you can give.

Linda, in my above message, I did list the retail round trip costs to the top of the Jungfrau and Schilthorn. What I didn't mention is that your Swiss passes will get you a 50% discount. So if that helps, get up there. Still, it's a lot for 4 people.

There's still a few quirks that I don't know about Swiss passes. For example, if both you and hubby have the 1/2 fare card at CHF99 each ($198), does the 14-year old travel free. If yes, the 1/2 fare card gets you 50% off all transportation in Switzerland inlcuding the mountain tops. If no, I would certainly go for the Swiss saver pass.

As a side note, if you are coming into Zurich Flughafen (airport), there is a train station under the airport terminal. Just go down there and purchase whatever you need. They generally speak English and are most helpful.

Linda, I'd suggest buying the tickets when in Switzerland. One possibility would be to buy tickets from Zurich to Murren at the airport when you arrive, and buy the tickets for your outgoing journey when you arrive in the Berner Oberland. You have to go through Interlaken Ost to reach Murren, and there's a very efficient ticket office in the station there.

I didn't check the details of the Swiss passes, but you've already got some great advice on that in previous posts.

Cheers!