Hi, this is my 1st trip to Europe so it is rather confusing when i was trying to understand the type of pass to buy ie Swiss Travel Pass or Eurorail. i am also unsure which route would require me to make reservation and the cost involved etc. For my maiden trip to Europe, I am planning a 2 weeks trip to Switzerland and Italy. Here’s my draft itinerary: Day 1 : Head to Rhine Falls from Zurich Airport Day 2 to 3 : In Lucerne : Mt Titli, Old Town, Bilten Day 4 to 5 : Grindelwald : Jungfraujoch Day 6 to 7 : Zermatt, Matterhorn Day 8 to 9 : Zermatt to Venice : St. Mark’s Bascilica, Doge’s Palace etc Day 10 to 11 : Rome : Sistine Chapel etc Day 12 to 14 Milan Would appreciate your advice. Thank you very much!
Query on the different passes
Best answer by ralderton
That looks like a good itinerary, at a good pace.
The only thing I would suggest would be more days in Rome, There’s so much to see there, two days won’t be enough. I would drop a destination, maybe Milan, of get more days in Rome.
It’s also worth noting that travel around Switzerland is really quick and easy. You might want to base yourself in one central location, and make day trips. It makes for a more relaxing holiday.
Hello
For Switzerland, please note that passes are not valid for mountain excursions (Titlis, Jungfraujoch, Matterhorn). I suggest to buy a Swiss Half Fare Card. With this card you can buy half fare regular tickets, Supersaver Tickets and Saver Day Passes depending on your trip.
For Italy you could buy an Eurail Country Pass for 3 days, you must add reservation fees for the long distance trains (13 €). Discounted prices are also available if you buy the tickets in advance and could be cheaper as a pass.
Let us know if you need more information,
+8That looks like a good itinerary, at a good pace.
The only thing I would suggest would be more days in Rome, There’s so much to see there, two days won’t be enough. I would drop a destination, maybe Milan, of get more days in Rome.
It’s also worth noting that travel around Switzerland is really quick and easy. You might want to base yourself in one central location, and make day trips. It makes for a more relaxing holiday.
Danhiel and Ralderton, thank you for your advice.
Does it mean it would be better to purchase the Swiss Half Card instead of the Swiss Travel Pass?
If I base myself in Lucerne for my trips in Lucerne and Grindelwald, it seems much time would be taken up for travelling as i checked one way on train will take about 2 hours. Not sure if I have gotten it right.
This is my advice, but the price of the Saver Day Passes and Supersaver Tickets depends of the date of travel and when you buy them, they are sometimes not available. It is not really possible to answer this question without knowing your exact itinerary and the dates.
You can find the actual prices on sbb.ch. An example of Lucerne - Grindelwald in July with the Half Fare Card. A Point-to-point Ticket is valid in every train this day (the price is always the same), a Supersaver ticket only for the selected connection:
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