I'm referring to Swiss Golden Pass. I try to book under rail europe but cant see Golden Pass option.
Is this same as Swiss Pass?
As this package include accomodation, may I know how does it works?
Can I buy the ticket at train station? Any Swiss station?
Thanks.
Is the Swiss Pass & the Swiss Golden Pass the same thing? I can't find the Golden Pass option on your site. How does it work?
-
Hi Janice,
The Swiss Pass is a rail pass that covers the ticket costs for travel all throughout the country of Switzerland. You would purchase the Swiss Pass by clicking here: http://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/swiss-pass/index.html .
The GoldenPass is a specific route in Switzerland, popularized by the fact that it has been specially designated as a 'scenic route'. Therefore, the word 'pass' here is used to refer to a passage (i.e. a passage between mountains or a path you would follow) and not a physical document that allows for travel. The GoldenPass route is between Lucerne and Montreux and involves changing trains twice in between; once in Interlaken and then once in Zweisimmen.
If you purchase a Swiss Pass, ticket costs for the full route of the GoldenPass route would be covered.
While the Swiss Pass covers the ticket costs on these trains, actual seat reservations would still be a supplementary cost to the rail pass. On the GoldenPass, it is really only advisable to have seat reservations on the segment between Zweisimmen and Montreux. Reservations aren't really necessary on the segment of this route that's between Lucerne and Interlaken and the segment between Interlaken and Zweisimmen.
For travel with a rail pass, reservations are purchased by clicking on 'Book your Rail Pass Reservations' on our homepage, entering the route, and indicating the type of rail pass you'll be traveling with, when prompted.
If you decide to purchase reservations for the full route of the GoldenPass, you would break up your search once in Interlaken. Therefore, you would do one search for the segment between Lucerne and Interlaken and another search for the segment between Interlaken and Montreux. Otherwise, you can just purchase reservations for the segment between Zweisimmen and Montreux, and then the Swiss Pass would be all you'd need to board the train between Lucerne and Interlaken and the train between Interlaken and Zweisimmen.
For planning purposes, you can just check the schedules for any segments you don't reserve by entering the cities after clicking on 'Find Fares & Schedules' on our homepage and not indicating that you'll be traveling with a rail pass.
The GoldenPass trains can be booked once within 90 days of an intended date of departure. -
-
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for your reply.
In that case, I would prefer to purchase the Swiss pass online. Should I get the pass validated in station?
Understand too, this package depart from Lucerne>Geneva>Jungfrau. May I know how do this works? Reason being the hotel package is in Lucerne, Interlaken & Montreux?
And how does the accommodation works? Choose the preferred hotel during online bookings or all is fixed by rail Europe?-
Hi Janice,
The pass would be validated at the station prior to boarding your first train.
You could take the GoldenPass from Lucerne to Montreux, as I described above. If you like, you can do your trip up to Jungfraujoch when you stop in Interlaken en route from Lucerne to Montreux on the GoldenPass.
For your trek up to Jungfraujoch from Interlaken, you would purchase the Jungfraujoch Top of Europe Pass for Swiss Pass holders. You would purchase this pass by clicking here:
http://www.raileurope.com/activities/jungfraujoch/index.html.
Since you would be traveling with a Swiss Pass, you would purchase the '1 Day Round-Trip Journey from Grindelwald or Wengen - For Use Only With Swiss Pass' option of the Jungfraujoch Top of Europe Pass.
You can then take a train from Montreux to Geneva upon your arrival into Montreux via the GoldenPass. There are direct trains from Montreux to Geneva that depart about twice every hour and take about an hour in duration. Trains from Montreux to Geneva don't accept reservations, so the Swiss Pass is all you would need to board.
Otherwise, you can just head straight for Geneva from Interlaken after you do your Jungfraujoch trip. A connection from Interlaken to Geneva would take under 3 hours in duration and involves changing trains once in Bern along the way. Once again, the Swiss Pass is all you would need to board these trains.
We do provide a link on our website from where you can book hotels in Europe. You would just click on 'Hotels' from our homepage, www.raileurope.com.
The direct link is http://www.raileurope.com/us/hotel/hotel_search.htm. -
-
-
-
-
Hi Jeff,
I just understand that golden pass tour is an offer by USA website?
http://www.raileurope.com/rail-ticket...
In this case, how should I proceed? Fyi, I will be flying from Amsterdam to Zurich. Afterthat, take train Zurich to Lucerne to join the golden pass tour.-
Hi Janice,
If you are interested specifically in the GoldenPass Tour, you would refer to the page for this tour on our website and click 'Let us help build your package and provide you with a free quote!'. The direct link for the GoldenPass Tour is http://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/golden-pass-tour/discounts-and-pricing.html.
Please note, this option would be entirely separate from the Swiss Pass. You would be welcome to purchase the Swiss Pass in addition to the GoldenPass Tour, but the Swiss Pass would not be used for the GoldenPass trip in this case. -
-
-
-
-
Hi Jeff,
In view of cost effective (i.e travel intercity, hotel accomodation, etc), I believe taking Golden Pass tour is more appopriate.
In this case, I will get the free quote & see how to proceed from there.
Reason being is I understand that I need to go thru agent if I would like to proceed with this tour. -
-
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Train tickets and seats.
Hi,
Just asking, if I have a swiss pass and I am travelling on the GoldenPass Train within the validated dates, although a booking is a must, do I still need to pay for making a reservation? And one more thing, what is the difference between a first class and a second class seat? Thanks if you can reply me :) -