Thank you for the information regarding Ascension Day...
My next question involves train ticket pricing. I am wondering what my very best option would be as far as getting the least expensive ticket.
I will be in Zurich for one week, with one day trip to Lucerne, and possibly another to someplace nearby. I will then be traveling (via train) to Montreux, and hope to spend the next 3 days exploring the towns around Lake Geneva.
With this said, I am sure buying single train tickets is not the most economically friendly way to go. Any suggestions? Does a week long pass exist? I have checked the website, and did not see such a thing. Ideas?
Tara, when you get to the Zurich airport (and it's train station) or the main downtown train office, go to the ticket office. I remember in the Zurich airport train station it was a big place, almost looked like a travel agency. There are people there, who speak good English, who can help you determine if you will benefit by buying one of the train passes based on what your plans are.
We spent 2-1/2 weeks in Switzerland a few years ago, and we bought the half price fare cards. These are good for a month, I believe, but we paid for at least half of the pass when we took the Rigi trip I mentioned in your other post. (That card worked on the ferry too.) It even worked on the local bus in Lucerne.
I was impressed how helpful the ticket agent was in finding the type of pass that was the best value for us overall.
Maybe you'll find something on http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/. I seem to remember that there are train offers aimed at foreign visitors. Otherwise, the half price offer Kathy mentioned can be quite favourable and worth looking at.
EmDee
Posts: 9 | Location: Switzerland | Registered: 27 November 2008
Many thanks. I have found 2 good options, the Swiss Pass which would not only allow us to travel free on trains, buses and boats, but also admits us free to 450 museums, which is quite a savings. There is also a Flexi Pass, which does the exact same thing, except you can choose your 4 or 5 days you want to use in the time you are there. My only question is if the museums remain to be free during the days you are not traveling..... Perhaps I should take the good advice of just waiting until my arrival and asking at the station...... Thanks!
Are you traveling with somebody else? If so consider getting the "saver" version of either pass.
Travel 2nd class. Generally 2nd class in Switzerland is a good a 1st class and you dont need to pay the 50% for 1st class
In Switzerland we have found the average cost in 2nd class works out to be .50 cents per kilometer. Since each "day" costs generally $50 for the pass, consider paying and buying a single tickets where the combined trips are short and less than 100km in total for that day.
A day in Euro train travel pass terms, normally starts at 19.00 hours the day before and lasts through to midnight of that day.
There is a discout on the swiss rail site, it is not easy to find, however u must travel those exact dates and times. So unless u can make exact times it might be better to seek other options.
The german rail DB has an all day pass that allows the use of some local rail in Swiss but only some trains near the german border, esp Bale-Basel. It is about 27euro a day for up to 5 people.
We found that that the Swiss Pass was good value for our travels in Switzerland in 2007. We purchased the one month saver pass for our June 2007 travel and then the 22-day pass when we returned in late November.
Posts: 843 | Location: San Francisco | Registered: 22 April 2005
if u are staying long in CH there are half priced passes for 100-150CHF that give u discount on eveything inc trams, trains, etc.. they are good for 1 year.
