Travel within Switzerland and from Switzerland to Germany

The first thing I would investigate is a Swiss half-fare card. Yes, the Swiss are going to get your money one way or the other. There are a mindnumbing number of passes and when you add them all up, you're still shelling out a lot of dough.

I did a small amount of research on the half-pass. How do I purchase one though? Can I do it online??

Looks like you can, but it has to be mailed to you. Easier to buy at any manned Swiss ticket office. 120 chf for one month.
http://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/holidays--short-breaks-in-switzerland/swisstravelsystem/swiss-halffare-card.html

Your in Madiswil!!! The only question to ask is why?? If you are staying with someone there, then it is possible they could buy 'Tageskarte Gemeinde" tickets at the community office in Madiswil for you. They cost around 40 CHF for one day unlimited travel in 2nd class for one day.

Christina, I'd have to spend some time looking at the best Pass options, but travel to Interlaken is fairly straightforward. The trip from Madiswil to Interlaken Ost is about two hours in each direction, with two or three changes and fares from CHF 21 PP. Are you only planning to see Interlaken, or do you also want to visit the scenic sights of the Lauterbrunnen Valley? The trip from Madiswil to Freiburg also appears to be about two hours each way, again with two or three changes. I didn't check the fares. Use the sbb.ch or bahn.de website for researching your rail trips. Given the travel times involved, you may want to spend at least one night in each of the locations you want to visit. As you've discovered, Switzerland IS expensive. Happy travels!

Thank you everyone for the tips! We are in Madiswil Switzerland staying with a friend. I am really shocked to see how expensive everything is here. The friend we are staying with did mention that travel pass for the day but he also said that it is only for Switzerland residents. He said that they have been checking ID's and getting more serious about it. Is that true? Or is there a pass for non-Switzerland residents. We are here for a month so we are open to seeing many places. The only problem is the money. With everything being so expensive we really have to limit what we can/want to see. Funny, I thought being here for a month would mean lots of sight-seeing.

The 30 day half fare card is specifically for visitors (tourist is such a pejorative word). Anyone can get a 1-year card for 195 chf, and there are 2 and 3 year cards. Yes, SBB like the airlines, has found added fees and fines can really boost the bottom line. But as a recent magazine article pointed out, it has generated a lot of ill will among Swiss citizens, who used to LOVE their railway and are now a bit more skeptical. The expensiveness is mainly a function of the CHF currency appreciation relative to the Euro and the dollar. Unlike the US and Euro-zone, they did not go out and borrow and spend like drunken sailors for the last 10 years. Now
they are paying the price for their prudence. So if you're staying with friends and can survive without eating out all the time, you are way ahead in the game. Just pack a lunch and get out there and see Switzerland.

The friend we are staying with did mention that travel pass for the day but he also said that it is only for Switzerland residents. The tickets are sold by local community offices and they set the rules for their purchase. However once bought, as far as they SBB are concerned they are bearer tickets and can be used by anyone. In fact, some people even sell them on ebay!

Christina, "He said that they have been checking ID's and getting more serious about it. Is that true?" The Swiss have been getting more serious about fining passengers for even the slightest irregularities with their tickets, as described in this BBC article: www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21294241 Therefore it's important to make sure you have the proper ticket or Pass when travelling by train there. The Swiss Half Fare Card is certainly something to consider, but whether it will be cost effective will depend to some extent on how much you plan on using it. This website provides some information: www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/tickets-en/swiss-half-fare-card-en.html Note the second paragraph in the information section which states "Only persons domiciled outside Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein are entitled to purchase this ticket." Being stuck in Madiswil for a month doesn't sound like a good way to see the country, so you may have to spend some money to allow a bit of touring. Good luck!

I actually like the region of Emmental and think it can be a good base for a more affordable vacation in Switzerland. And it doesn't feel quite as touristy and a bit more like "real" Swiss life. Our base was in Eggiwil and we did a lot of daytrips from there. You are quite close places like Bern, Luzern, Basel, Lake Thun ... all very worthwhile to explore. We were coming from Germany and did some grocery shopping at an Aldi before crossing the border. That allowed for some cheaper meals in our apartment. However, we did have a car to carry that box of supplies. And it made the travel quite easy. The distances aren't big so you're not spending much on gas.