nrr

To use the one day travel card, you must also have a 1/2 fare card.
Add that into the total cost. (A one month 1/2 fare card costs 120SF.)
[The one day travel card is valid for some, but not all mountain trips. For example: Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen [but NOT all the way to Jungfrau.]
For one day ONLY, one must price the complete trip. The 1/2 fare card ALONE might be the best option
Every now and then at www.sbb.ch/en, they do sell "special" one day travel "cards" NOT requiring the 1/2 fare card. [It is an internet only purchase. 3 months ago was the last time they had such an offer.]

greg5

The half-fare card IS valid for the trip from Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch. (~44chf instead of ~89chf) I just priced it up on the SBB website. I've also done the trip twice myself and we received the discount when going up.

nrr

Yes, the 1/2 fare card, but NOT the day card. 1/2 fare cards are even valid on local busses and trams in the cities in Switz.
[It is even valid with some of sbb's on line "super saver fares" (but you sometimes don't get a full 1/2 price discount with some of them.]

Analise

As an FYI, we didn't need a separate 1/2 fare card and we were in Switzerland 11 days ago with a one-day Swiss rail travel card.

The train up to Lauterbrunnen (from Interlaken Ost) as well as the cable car and the train up to Mürren were free with the one day pass. We also could have taken a lake cruise from Thun to Interlaken or from Lausanne to Montreux for example at no extra cost. We considered taking another cable car (it may have been a funicular) further up the mountain from Mürren. If we had done so, we would have had to pay only 1/2 price fare according to the gentleman at the ticket window because of our one day pass. We chose not to do so because of time commitments unfortunately. We will return to Mürren one of these days to spend more time! What a phenomenal trip.

nrr

Sometimes they have special promos allowing one to purchase one day passes without the 1/2 fare card. But the "normal" one day cards DO require the 1/2 fare card. [I'm looking at one of these now and the 1/2-ABO is listed on the card.] The day CARD is about 2" wide x 4" long (the same size as a Zurich Card). On the day you choose to use it, you put it in a validation machine, that date is now stamped on the card. Was yours like that?

dnwaldmann

I have been to Switzerland 7 times. The first time I was there we went to the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and so far (and plans for this September) every time we're in Switzerland we have returned to the LV for at least part of our trip.

Why? (in no particular order)

• Mind bogglingly spectacular scenery
• Traditional Alpine experience (Gimmelwald, Isenfluh)
• Almost endless hiking opportunities
• Easy to get to from either Zurich or Geneva
• Wonderful people

We have always stayed in Gimmelwald or Murren, never even visited Wengen until last time on the train to Jungfrau. Based on what I saw I wouldn't go back, but that's because we like quiet, out of the way places. My Swiss relatives are always amazed when we tell them where we're going or where we've been - they often have never heard of it. This year we intend to stay a night or two at Obersteinberg in the far southern reaches of the LV, and which makes the cable-car-accessible-only Gimmelwald look like a burgeoning metropolis.

FWIW, we never plan to do scenic excursions, i.e. Schilthorn, Jungfraujoch, etc. We just go if the weather and time coincide. Otherwise you just set yourself up for an expensive disappointment.

While I understand that you have limited time and want to do/see as much as you can, my personal favorite is finding a quiet place and just enjoying it. You just can't soak it all up unless you're born and live there. Just my opinion...

Analise

If there were a special promotion, I was not made aware of it.

Yup, it's a 2" x 4" 2nd class day card with stamps from every conductor (on both the front and back of the ticket) that came by on the many legs of our trip. The card is whitish with very light orange triangles in the background.

Translation from Google: "Day ticket only valid on the day of validity printed on the GA-range routes. No exchange, No refund, No middleman!" On the top are tiny picture icons of a train, a bus and a boat.

nrr

The day card that goes with the half fare card is only validated once in the orange colored validation machines. The conductor looks at it to check the date, but does not stamp it. (As I noted above, when you buy one of these, it is valid on the day YOU choose to validate it. Your pass is a different thing!. If you don't mind my asking, what did your 2nd class pass cost?

Analise

My pass was a day pass only good on the day I used it. Like the last time I got a day pass a few years ago, the conductors when they passed by stamped the front or back of the ticket. Nothing changed.

JClasstraveller

If you have less time than expected by flying into CDG, cut the Glacier Express, it's too hard to get to from Zurich, unless you end up taking the train from Paris to Geneva/Lausanne.

Then you're better off getting a Paris to Geneva TGV and then staying a night there and from there going to Luzern for a day or so, doing a cruise then taking the train to Zurich.

coolmuke

Thank you everyone for your help.
I decided to stay in Zurich and take day trips to Lucerne, Interlaken and ferry to thun, Berne and Jungfraujoch. Some of you suggested that Jungfraujoch is expensive but will it not be covered by the rail pass?
I read in some threads that people use https://www.airbnb.com to book rooms. I will probably use that.

How much cash should I carry?

nrr

A rail pass does NOT cover Jungfrau. There are big discounts: using the first train up from Interlaken Ost at 6:35 OR after 15:30 the price from Kleine Sheidegg is 95SF or 145SF from Int. Ost
There is a 3 day pass (which includes only ONE Jung. trip) for 235SF.
Some passes [Eurail for example] and 1/2 fare cards, also offer Jung. discounts.

Since you have very little time, the full Jung, trip would take most of the day...do this when you have more time.

coolmuke

I am finally all set to leave in few days. We booked a place in Neuenkirch, Luzern using airbnb and for the last night we have booked a hotel near Zurich airport. I bought swiss passes as well. We are flying AA and hope to use the Admirals club when we reach there.

Some last minute questions -
- This was the direction given to me to reach Luzern from airport -
"You have to take a direkt train to Luzern ca 1 hour and 15 minutes and from Luzern bus number 72 to my place ca.20 minutes"
Since we will be heading to India for 3 weeks, we will have 3 check-in bags and 2 carryons and 1 laptop bag and a stroller. Can we take all these bags in the train with us? What about bus 72? should I just take cab from Luzern station and skip the bus or will it be very expensive?
- Currency: How much should I carry for 4 days trip? I have few credit cards with no foreign transaction fees.
- How much tipping is recommended for restaurants/cab and other places.

greg5

You can punch the address into the SBB website and you should be able to get reasonable train connections to Neuenkirch. Mind you, Neuenkirch is a bit of a trip outside of Luzern proper. There is a train that goes regularly from Luzern to Neuenkirch.

Currency: Good question. In most touristy places, and in the larger swiss cities you can use your CC. In smaller places,you might need cash. There are cash machines available in most places though.

Tipping: Waitstaff in CH get a reasonable salary. Tipping isn't like it is in the US. Basically, round up your bill. So, if you have a bill of 48 CHF, round it up to 50. Or if it's fifty, give a 2CHF coin over. That said, sometimes I get confused looks from the waitstaff when I hand over an extra coin or two, and that's in a pizza place where I'm a semi-regular.

YuropFlyer

Yes, the direction is correct. There is direct train service from ZRH airport to Lucerne, and if you've a lot of luggage, you might prefer this service over others where you've to change at Zurich Mainstation (HB), even if it means waiting a bit longer at ZRH airport.

If you can carry your luggage around (without the need of a push cart) you'll be fine transporting it in any public transport. Keep in mind that during rush hours (6.30-8.30am, 5-6.30pm) it might be a bit more full, but still doable, even in the bus. (see also next point)

Avoid taxis at all costs, unless absolutely necessary. They're CRAZY expensive, most drivers are rather unfriendly, they don't know the way etc. - avoid in general. I'm Swiss and the few times I've to take a taxi, there must be VERY good reasons I've to take it. I understand you've a small child with you, but still, I wouldn't take taxis. Apart from train stations/airports they're hard to "catch", you need to call them, wait for them etc. - better to use public transports, or while staying in cities, just walk. Swiss cities aren't extremely big to start off

You can use your credit card at most places (restaurants, supermarkets, kiosks etc.) - I would say have 100 CHF with you (but preferably in smaller bills/coins, as those business you might need to pay cash will be about smaller amounts most probably) should do. If you need to use it up, you can still change for more. Don't pay with Euros/US$ or any other currency, even if they accept it. The exchange rate will be horrendous.

No tipping in Switzerland is required, and most Swiss do only round up. Say, bill is 47 CHF, they'll give 50 CHF, or for 2 coffee's of 9.40 CHF they'll pay 10 CHF. But if service has been slow/unfriendly, feel free to not tip at all.

You can tip more generous if service is trully amazing, but it's absolutely not necessary. In fact, quite some Swiss don't tip at all.

By the way, I'm around in Switzerland/Zurich, so if you need a guide (I won't charge ) next week to show you around, let me know. I work office hours, but afterwards/weekend I have time.

PS: When you go to Lucerne, I'd visit the Bourbaki Panorama. You can get "free" tickets using the current special offer from Migros:

https://www.sweet-ticket.ch/de/activity/museum/

You basically buy one of their ice tea products (0.90 CHF), find a code, and redeem it for an entry to quite a lot of activities in Switzerland, including lots of Museums, Zoo's etc. - quite a bargain (just went to Zurich Zoo for free with it, instead of paying 26 CHF per person)