SWISS
RAIL PASS - Are They Worth It
Travel Switzerland - Train, Bus and Boat by Swiss Rail Pass
“Aren’t
these Swiss Rail Passes wonderful? All the free museums. So convenient?” Okay,
so this was an actual quote overheard from a woman somewhat past her child
rearing years to her companions in a group of two couples on a first class
rail coach while zipping the rails between Interlaken and Bern beside the
shore of Lake Thun. A group of American seniors on a Swiss Rail trip. I had
been on a rail trip myself through 6 cities and up to snow glistening mountain
tops and deep river valleys, by train, bus and at least one boat. All with
a rail pass. I had already visited a fistful of museums, all free. Even the
curious experience of showing my press pass and only being offered a discount,
but showing my Swiss Travel Pass and being waved inside gratis.
The
Swiss have built one of the most complete and comprehensive rail systems
in the world. Traveling through Switzerland by train is more reliable
than by auto, with changeable weather and Swiss trains run like Swiss
watches, departing and arriving when the schedule says. In fact this
can lead to the temptation to cutting your own schedule so close, you
can find yourself huffing to catch a train you didn’t quite leave
yourself enough extra time. Yet, another will come along in a half hour.
Kind of Swiss Rail Travel Pass Value
Swiss
Passes come in a couple of varieties. The full Swiss Rail Pass is
purchased for a set number of consecutive days 4, 8, 15, 22 days
or one month. These come also as a Saver Pass which is when two people
traveling together each buy a pass and is a per person discount price,
and a Swiss Youth Pass with a discounted price for travelers under
26 years old. The Swiss Flexi Pass is the same as the Swiss Pass
except that it is for a set number of non-consecutive days of travel
over a period of time – 3, 4, 5 or 6 days in one month. All
passes are available for first class or second class.
Are
Swiss Passes worth the price? You can certainly purchase
point to point tickets for individual trips, but for any
significant amounts of planned rail travel in Switzerland
the Swiss Rail pass has some real advantages. If you plan
on visiting museums or castles or other exhibits, the free
entry can make a significant savings. But even if you don’t
like museums, should you want to take the scenic train
to the top of the mighty Jungfrau or Gornergrat for a view
of the Matterhorn, a pass gets you a 50% discount on many
of Switzerland’s special scenic mountain trains.
In many cities and towns throughout Switzerland the rail
pass is good on municipal transportation, busses, subways,
street trams, as well as the yellow Post busses which connect
the countryside towns and villages. With a pass, you can
get off a train on a whim, get on a bus to explore that
castle you saw on top of a hill, or take a ferry boat on
a Swiss lake (see Lake
Lucerne Cruises).
Bus - Luggage Handling - Bike Rental
A
particularly convenient feature of the rail rail system is the
luggage service. Traveling around the country on day trips, but
don’t want to haul your baggage around? Send your luggage
on to your destination. Check your bags at one of 45 main tourist
destination rail stations and have them sent on to your planned
arrival town. Overnight costs 10 chf per bag, for same day arrival
its 20 chf per bag. You can also check in your luggage at any
international airport for a flight bound for Geneva or Zurich
to be sent on to your ultimate destination, to be picked up by
you or your hotel. For international airline flights leaving
Switzerland on Swiss International Airlines, Lufthansa and several
other airlines, you can check
in your bags at a rail station. Want to get of the train
and see the landscape or get around a city by bike. 80 rail stations
in Switzerland have bike rental services.
First Class or Second Class
What’s
the difference between First Class and Second Class? The
price difference is around 30% less for 2nd Class. The seats
are a little different, a little more comfort and style in
1st, though you might not really notice it much, and all
Swiss trains whatever class are clean and comfortable. The
real difference is seat competition. Most Swiss local passengers
travel in 2nd class. The second class cars can get crowded
at times, while in first you can find yourself nearly alone.
You pull into a station and the platform is lined with waiting
throngs. In first, you glide past them as they board other
cars. Some local train routes even have only one car or half
a car for first class. Just you and the businessman reading
his newspaper. Which class you choose really depends on whether
you want to stretch out in your own world or immerse yourself
in the buzz of multi-language conversations of surrounding
fellow wayfarers. Swiss Rail Passes are available for non-Switzerland
or Liechtenstein residents, sold through RailEurope, which
is partly owned by the Swiss Railways. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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Swiss
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These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
SEE ALSO:
SHERLOCK
HOLMES MUSEUM - MEIRINGEN
IS
SWITZERLAND TRAVEL EXPENSIVE?
