stezbot
Traveller
31 comments
Posted 14 years ago
hey
I'm travelling to Zürich on 20th July to stay with my boyfriend and will be leaving for Copenhagen on the 30th or 31st July. I did initially plan on starting my interrail 22 day pass then, but after considering how long my boyfriend will be at work and me left on my own, I started to consider what I will do during the day.
For an extra £75 I will get an extra 9 days on my interrail pass (if I'm correct in thinking that it will be 31 days long as I'll be starting it in July) which I can use on all national rail lines. Whereas the Swiss half fare card is around £66 and the places that I'd visit in Switzerland, even with supersaver tickets would come to £53 (Luzern, Geneve, Basel & Lausanne). So in my mind, getting the interrail pass works wonders.
But, I realise that I can only use it on national rail lines so I know I won't be able to use mountain railways or cablecars or whatever but I'm not planning too. However I may use the smaller railways to go on walks around the Zürich region. Will interrail allow me to use these regional railways free of charge? I can't quite remember the conditions for interrail travel, it's been a while! And also, it will give me discount on lake boats?
Thanks!
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi!
Included in InterRail are:
SBB, BLS, FART, MOB, RHB, SOB, SSIF, THURBO
On most other railways you get 50% reduction, plus on the following boat services:
BLS on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun
BSG on Lake Biel and on the river Aare between Biel and Solothurn
CGN on Lake Geneva
SGV on Lake Luzern
URH on the river Rhine between Constance and Schaf hausen
ZSG on Lake Zurich
Unfortunately there is no free travel or even discount on the railways in the Jungfrau area.
Flo 8)
stezbot
Traveller
31 comments
that's brilliant, thank you for clarifying that. I remember last time I visited Interlaken there were no reductions or free travel but that's expected.
thanks!
stezbot
Traveller
31 comments
ok, i've looked further at the private rail companies and checked out the interrail site with extra interrail pass benefits to work out what the railways are but there's so many I need some extra help...
what does THURBO involve - where can I go and what transport does it cover? Do I just show my pass for it?
Same for ZB ZentralBahn and SOB Südostbahn?
Does BLS allow me to use the S-Bahn in Bern? Any other S-Bahn lines? And all other of the lines that are on the rail network page of BLS's website?
I don't have a clue about the other 50% private lines but for now I'd just like to know what I can and can't use the pass for.
Does it allow me to use the S-Bahn in specific cantons like Zurich?
Thanks! :|
anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments
THURBO, SOB and ZB are just some carriers of regional trains. They work together with sbb, so mostly you don't even see that you drive with one of them. THURBO and SOB are in the north-east of Switzerland and ZB is on the line between Luzern-Interlaken and Luzern-Engelberg.
You can also use the whole rail network of BLS including the S-Bahn in Bern.
As i know, you can use the pass for all the S-Bahn by every city in Switzerland.
I think the most of this 50% discount companys are mountain railways. Like in the region around the Jungfrau, you can't use the trains for free.