Thank you guys for the videos. I just got back from a successful trip in Switzerland. You’re right Switzerland doesn’t have to be expensive. Also the farm fridges are awesome. I really like the fresh cow milk 🐮
Well done video. Complete yet concise! The important thing to remember about this huge area of the Bernese Oberlands is that yes, there are many things to do that are hyped by travelers, but you can also experience so much beauty doing simple off the beaten path things, many of which cost nothing except the basic transportation to get there.
Thanks for this heads up! Just returned from our 2nd trip in two years and don't plan a 3rd consecutive visit, but will update my notes just in case!! Glad they added Montreux and Schilthorn, two places we need to visit next time! Thanks for always keeping us in the loop!!😊
So fun to hear that you've already been here twice - and we hope you make it to Switzerland again in the future :) But yes, those are big developments, especially for people on second/third trips to the region!
used it last summer and it was so convenient, too bad they decided to blow it up. very helpful and informative video as always. btw we saw you guys rom our train window on the lauterbrunnen platform, but were too far to say hi.
I just got back from a 12-day trip to Switzerland. I purchased your travel guides to the Jungfrau region, Zermatt, Lucerne, and the transportation guides. I must say that those guides saved me a lot of time when planning and researching, and also saved me money since I met my budget for the trip. Even though we didn’t have great weather for the entire trip we were able to enjoy several activities and the breathtaking views, specially after a snowfall. Your guides worth every penny for me because I was so confident and allowed for our trip to run smoothly without any major delays or complications. I loved the Berner Oberland pass, it’s just so convenient…so sad it will be downgraded!
Went on a 10 day trip to Switzerland this month, visited Luzern and Jungfrau region. Your videos and guide were really helpful. It saved us a lot of time and money. One thing worth mentioning is that the berner oberland pass covered our journey on goldenpass express from interlaken to Gstaad only not upto Montreux. But it didn't cause any inconvenience as we were able to buy tickets from Gstaad to Montreux onboard.
Agreed. Glad I visited Grindlewald this June and did all the stuff on the Berner pass that will now be excluded. Just getting around now will be a load of extra faff buying tickets and trying to work out what is and what isn’t included. On the whole this is a big fail IMO for Swiss Tourism. Frankly too complicated
Planning our june25 vacation and your videos have helped me the most. I believe I’ll purchase the HotelCard and your 7 day Jungfrau plan. My wife, 14 y/o daughter and I will visit Italy for 7 days. Coming from Venice, had considered the Birnina Expess to enter Switzerland., but now that landing the 7 hr train to Zermatt, staying then a night before spending 2-3 nights in the Jungfrau region and flying home from Zurich. Maybe Half-off pass, Swiss Family Pass (believe it gets her free train travel) and the Jungfrau pass are now the best. Was going to get the Oberland. I LOVE your videos! Thank you! We’re also in TN
Sounds like a super fun vacation to Switzerland and Italy! You're right that your daughter can travel with you for free if you have the Half Fare Card and she gets the complimentary Swiss Family Card. Pretty sweet deal, right?!
Wow, thanks for your update. We watched your 2024 Berner Oberland Pass and took your advice. We LOVE LOVE LOVE the pass!!! It's SO EASY to use, and it allows us to go to so many places. We can change our itinerary last minute and won't cost us extra. I'm glad that we visited the Jungfrau region this June. You guys are absolutely the Swiss experts!
We do not do one on one consultations anymore. We have created several done for you travel guides that have helped thousands of travelers plan their trips. You can check them out at aplinsinthealps.com/guides/
Thank you for a very informative video. You were clearly right to give us the good news before you gave us the bad. I suspect that if someone in 2025 is staying in the Jungfrau Region for a FEW days but is also doing a LOT of travelling in other parts of Switzerland, they should get a Swiss Travel Pass and a Jungfrau Travel Pass, and not bother with the Berner Oberland Pass.
Hi there! From our early research, it will depend on what you want to do in the Region. Jungfrau Pass is great if you'll mostly stay in the mountains near Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. Berner Oberland Pass is perfect if you want to do day trips from Interlaken, or are coming back for a return trip to the Region. We tend to think the Half Fare Card + the regional train passes are pretty ideal for most travelers to Switzerland, but the Swiss Travel Pass is sometimes helpful too!!
Just a question, do you two have an idea of when you will come out with the new travel pass update to go over. My fiance are going to Switzerland next year for our honeymoon and as we get closer, I am looking to get a train pass. I love your videos and would love to see what is the best train pass for different areas.
Congrats on your upcoming honeymoon Tim! Our goal is to have all of our recommendations for the Jungfrau Region updated in our 1-Week Guide to the Jungfrau Region as well as our Swiss Train Pass checklist (free download) by the end of the year. So you'll have the ability to see our new recommendations in either of those by early 2025. We are also planning another big train pass video for sometime next Spring too. Thankfully, there's no need to buy the train passes in advance, so you have the time to wait until our recommendations come out. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the update guys, I was in Switzerland this June and Berner Oberland pass was so convenient, looks like now for next year we will need combination of Berner Oberland and Jungfrau Travel pass. NOT GOOD
Well, that makes planning our 2025 trip more complicated! Do you know if the Wengernalpbahn between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen will still be included in the pass?
What's really cool, is that you can now visit the Montreux Riviera area and plan a cruise on a "Belle Époque" Boat, visit Chillon Castle, etc !!! For me, it's a GREAT improvement.
I have three questions: when we arrive in Geneva in June (our entry into Switzerland), should I purchase the half fare pass, the Bernese Oberland Pass and the Tell Pass at that time since I can get a substantial discount using an active half fare pass when purchasing a Bernese Oberland Pass? Is there any benefit to purchase a Tell Pass before arriving? With all those mountain trains and cable cars that will be reduced to only a 25% discount with a Bernese Oberland Pass, will a half fare pass cover 50%?
Hi Jack! Yes, you can buy the Half Fare Card and BO Pass together when you enter Switzerland, and you can also buy those online in advance. There's no need to buy the Tell Pass in advance, and you also (unfortunately) do not get a discount on that pass by having a Half Fare Card. You're correct though - the Half Fare Card gives you the better discount than the BO Pass on those few mountain rides we mentioned.
Ahhhh.. that Berner Oberland pass was sooooooo nice. We went May 2024. Going back in August 2025 to see it in better weather as a layover so, our time is more limited this time. I'll be looking for advice as it rolls out.
Thanks for the update. Now they have made visitors manage multiple passes. What a mess. BO was just perfect for our trip in Aug. we covered all the things in both passes except Montruex. We took several trips in Eiger express in evenings when no one was at Eigergletscher. Weather changes coverage. Hoping for Swiss railways to unify this sort of mess.
So glad you enjoyed your trip! Unfortunately there are actually many privately owned railway companies so it is highly unlikely that it will ever be unified. For example, in the Jungfrau region there are multiple private companies: Jungfrau Railways, Pfingstegg, Schilthornbahn, etc. So they all negiotiate with these various train passes (some of which are also separate private companies). But don't worry, we're here to help you sort through the options and pick the best pass for your itinerary! (With our free Checklist - which will be updated soon!)
Will definitely be on the lookout for more detailed breakdown. We are staying in Wilderswil for 5 nights in June 2025 for our first time in Switzerland and was counting on the BO Pass. Now I’ll always be worrying about getting on a train or gondola that isn’t covered in my pass of choosing ! 🤦🏻♀️
I think it depends what you want to do - if you wanted to go up the Schinyge platte, First, mannlichen and jungfraujoch, then the jungfrau pass works. I’m hoping to stay in the region next summer for a number of days and I’m thinking of splitting so we buy a jungfrau pass for some days and a BO pass for the second half?
We will definitely be updating our recommendations soon! And if you purchase our Jungfrau Region Guide, we will recommend the best pass for the itinerary and thoroughly detail when you do/don't need to buy tickets (think "cheat sheet"). We're on your team! And by the way, @MrGreatplum had a great suggestion to consider splitting your trip into 2 different passes!
oh Man! what a bummer. BO pass was too good to be true. Used it in my last 4 trips and made countless rounds to Grindelwald First... but now Im assuming so far Jungfrau Travel Pass would suit me better.... What a sad news!
Wow, that's amazing that you've been here 4 times and are planning to come back! It helps that you know what you what to do/where you want to go. If you're staying central to the Jungfrau Region, then maybe the Jungfrau Travel Pass. But if you want to explore more day trips, maybe the BO Pass is still a great choice for you!
it sucks that it's getting downgraded but I'm glad I took advantage of it while I had the chance. Your video talking about the new youth discounts motivated me to travel to Switzerland again while I was still under 25 years old, even though I had just been there last year! I don't think I would've come back if it weren't for you guys so thank you so much for that !!! :)
Oh no :( If i wanna experience bernina ( italy to switzerland) and wanna see interlaken ( maybe experience boats), grindelwald, lauterbrunnen, wengen, mürren in 4 days on early march 2025 what pass you recommend for a tight budget?
Hello from Costa Rica. I'll be in Switzerland next month, We will be 2 nights in Luzern, 3 nights in Thun and 1 night in Geneva. We already bought Half Fare Swiss Pass. Major idea is go to Alps attractions like Pilatus, Grindelwald First, Interlaken and so. How many days of Berner Overland Pass do you recommend to buy? Thank you in advance for your support. Pura vida!
Be sure to download our free Swiss Train Pass Checklist! You can plug in your itinerary and find out which pass/how many days is best for you! Link in our video description
That really just depends on where you're going and what you're wanting to do. We recommend watching this video and using the FREE download to help you decide which train pass(es) are best for your trip! th-cam.com/video/fzuP0hMUjFk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-sUO1xXGsuRNL3qY
I am planning a trip to the Jungfrau region and can only afford one pass. Which would you recommend? The swiss half fare card or the Jungfrau travel pass? I don't see myself taking day trips to other regions so I think the OB pass would not be worth it for me.
Excellent question - that's what our free Train Pass Checklist is for! Plug in your itinerary and then it will pick out the best pass for you! www.aplinsinthealps.com/resources
Great question! It's not as convenient, because you'll be buying tickets every time you ride. But a lot of people could actually save money if they just bought the Half Fare Card with nothing else. That depends on your trip plans though!
Thank you Jana and Brett for this news; as disappointing as it is. The BO pass was so convenient! We are (very likely) staying in Grindelwald next summer for 10 days. We will want to visit the First (my kids would be very upset if we didn’t go on the mountain carts), go to the jungfraujoch (we didn’t do that in 2019 and the boys want to go in a glacier!) but also see the Schilthorn, pffingstegg etc. so, I’m wondering if the best thing to do would have a 5 day jungfrau pass and a 5 day BO pass. (I wonder if the Grindelwald guest card covers the buses in that area - I’ll need to check that!) Definitely some homework to do and number crunching (time for an excel spreadsheet?)
We're disappointed for you as well! Although I think your idea of splitting your trip up into a 5-day Jungfrau Travel Pass and 5-day BO Pass is actually a brilliant idea! (I passed that one along to Brett) And oh yes, Brett is deep in the spreadsheets right now with ya! He's analyzing the options in order to give our best recommendations/update our Guides. Stay tuned (I know you will - we love reading your comments on all of our videos!)
We usually say that passes are great if you're going to be staying longer than 3 days. If you're only staying 2 days it might be cheaper to just buy individual tickets. You can use the SBB app to price out individual tickets to see if a pass would be worth it.
I plan to visit Interlaken on 10th November for 4 days. Do you think it is possible that it may snow? 😢 Also wondering what I'll do after early sunset by 4:30 pm. 😢😢
Firstly, I am just coming to the end of my week in the Jungfrau region. I have used your vlogs to plan out everything, so thank you. I bought this pass in your recommendation and has been excellent. When using the cable cars we have had to show our passes but any train, regularly gone to and from Grindelwald to Interlaken and even to Bern and never asked to show the pass, the same for the buses, which regularly took. So in theory could have travelled free of charge. Loved it here but poor weather affected some plans, so come back for a few days next year.
Switzerland largely counts on riders being honest and buying tickets. That does not mean that you can travel for free. It's no different than stuffing a bunch of merchandise into your jacket and walking out of the store without paying. Please, buy your train tickets or don't come back next year, or ever again.
Same experience here with ticket checking. commuter routes no checking...tourist routes...always. Five days here..two to go. Unfortunate weather for sure for September. First the clouds/fog/rain then the snow. Activities closed at First on Saturday...in the late morning at least. So much snow.....Sunday looks good but who knows. Been fun but man how much better could it be w decent normal September weather.
Unfortunately we've had such a rainy summer, and now an early fall here. But hopefully you were still able to enjoy your trip! As for checking tickets, Switzerland is based on the honors system, which means you are required to have a ticket and they can inspect at any moment. We live here and don't own a car (so we only ride public transport) and we get checked 50-75% of the time. So yes, you DO need to have a ticket or you will be fined - which we see happen all of the time!
We went in 2024. Buying the BO Pass cost a little more than if we’d just gotten individual tickets, but we bought it because of convenience…it covered everywhere we wanted to go. I don’t think we’d get it again.
I read your blog and watched your videos, I am still confused: what passes cover what? Instead of saying what is not covered (negative phrase), I think it is better to say what passes cover what in detail. How many passes in total (to visit Interlaken and the nearby cities/places)? Then create a detail table or chart to show the differences in visual pictures/images. Hope this helps. The explanation is confusing to follow especially for 1st timer to Switzerland. Hope this helps. ❤
Hi Sarah, sorry for the confusion! This was meant as more of an update video, so you'll want to be sure and watch the video we referenced and linked (here it is in case you missed it: th-cam.com/video/AW4Uk-c_FD0/w-d-xo.html). In that one, we go into details about the different routes included. Hope this helps!!
Great question! The Swiss Travel Pass only provides limited discounts (usually 25-50%) off mountain transportation, which the Berner Oberland Pass covers this rides for free. In many cases, if you go into the the mountains enough, the BO Pass is a much better deal!
@@AplinsintheAlps i just returned, and yes what a breeze it was to travel with BOP. I am planning my next trip now and its such a shame how the pass has downgraded. I see itself going out of business and there is no appeal left for tourists in this pass.
NOTE : IF SOMEONE HAS PLAN TO VISIT ITALY AFTER SWITZERLAND & WANNA COVER ALL PLACES BY REGIONAL BERNESE OBERLAND PASS,HE SHOULD BUY 6 DAY PASS + BUY JUNGRAUJOCH RETURN TICKET BY HALF FARE CARD, GRINDELWALD FIRST & SCHYNIGE PLATTE & hardern kulm. It still cost less than buying a 3 day jungfrau pass.
There are so many nuances to which pass to buy based on your itinerary. It definitely helps if you crunch the numbers based on your specific plans. (That's why we created our free Checklist!) Glad you found what works best for you!
its a real shame! I found the OB pass so convinient but i can understand why the did it. I really think this will just push more people to hire cars which is a shame.
Not one of the destinations that have been removed can be reached by car. Literally there aren't even roads. Anyone who hires a car to go to those destinations is going to be very disappointed.
You're right - none of these mountain destinations are reachable by car so a train pass is still the most economical option for most travelers. You can only drive to Interlaken, Grindelwald, or Lauterbrunnen. Beyond that, you must ride public transportation!
We understand it's frustrating! But the Berner Oberland Pass as a company doesn't own any of these railways that are no longer included. We're confident they would have kept these routes on the pass if they could!
@@AplinsintheAlps No there isn't. Once you decided you had dragged it on as far as you could possibly get away with, it actually only took you 15 seconds to explain the downgrade (which was in fact the topic of the video). Nice try tho
It would be sad if someone skipped ahead and missed the info about the new additions as well. We like to share all the info that travelers might find helpful.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you guys for the videos. I just got back from a successful trip in Switzerland. You’re right Switzerland doesn’t have to be expensive. Also the farm fridges are awesome. I really like the fresh cow milk 🐮
So glad our videos helped you have a successful trip! Farm fridges really are the best!
Well done video. Complete yet concise! The important thing to remember about this huge area of the Bernese Oberlands is that yes, there are many things to do that are hyped by travelers, but you can also experience so much beauty doing simple off the beaten path things, many of which cost nothing except the basic transportation to get there.
Thanks for this heads up! Just returned from our 2nd trip in two years and don't plan a 3rd consecutive visit, but will update my notes just in case!! Glad they added Montreux and Schilthorn, two places we need to visit next time! Thanks for always keeping us in the loop!!😊
So fun to hear that you've already been here twice - and we hope you make it to Switzerland again in the future :) But yes, those are big developments, especially for people on second/third trips to the region!
used it last summer and it was so convenient, too bad they decided to blow it up. very helpful and informative video as always. btw we saw you guys rom our train window on the lauterbrunnen platform, but were too far to say hi.
So glad you got to enjoy the BO benefits!! And that you spied us from the train too :)
I just got back from a 12-day trip to Switzerland. I purchased your travel guides to the Jungfrau region, Zermatt, Lucerne, and the transportation guides. I must say that those guides saved me a lot of time when planning and researching, and also saved me money since I met my budget for the trip. Even though we didn’t have great weather for the entire trip we were able to enjoy several activities and the breathtaking views, specially after a snowfall. Your guides worth every penny for me because I was so confident and allowed for our trip to run smoothly without any major delays or complications. I loved the Berner Oberland pass, it’s just so convenient…so sad it will be downgraded!
We're so thrilled to hear that our guides helped make your trip go smoothly so you were able to really enjoy the beauty of Switzerland!
Went on a 10 day trip to Switzerland this month, visited Luzern and Jungfrau region. Your videos and guide were really helpful. It saved us a lot of time and money. One thing worth mentioning is that the berner oberland pass covered our journey on goldenpass express from interlaken to Gstaad only not upto Montreux. But it didn't cause any inconvenience as we were able to buy tickets from Gstaad to Montreux onboard.
Ugh! It's not even about the money for me. The BO pass was just so convenient.
Absolutely- it’s a huge shame.
We agree - it was just so convenient!
Agreed. Glad I visited Grindlewald this June and did all the stuff on the Berner pass that will now be excluded.
Just getting around now will be a load of extra faff buying tickets and trying to work out what is and what isn’t included. On the whole this is a big fail IMO for Swiss Tourism. Frankly too complicated
Planning our june25 vacation and your videos have helped me the most. I believe I’ll purchase the HotelCard and your 7 day Jungfrau plan. My wife, 14 y/o daughter and I will visit Italy for 7 days. Coming from Venice, had considered the Birnina Expess to enter Switzerland., but now that landing the 7 hr train to Zermatt, staying then a night before spending 2-3 nights in the Jungfrau region and flying home from Zurich. Maybe Half-off pass, Swiss Family Pass (believe it gets her free train travel) and the Jungfrau pass are now the best. Was going to get the Oberland. I LOVE your videos! Thank you! We’re also in TN
Sounds like a super fun vacation to Switzerland and Italy! You're right that your daughter can travel with you for free if you have the Half Fare Card and she gets the complimentary Swiss Family Card. Pretty sweet deal, right?!
Wow, thanks for your update. We watched your 2024 Berner Oberland Pass and took your advice. We LOVE LOVE LOVE the pass!!! It's SO EASY to use, and it allows us to go to so many places. We can change our itinerary last minute and won't cost us extra. I'm glad that we visited the Jungfrau region this June. You guys are absolutely the Swiss experts!
You're so kind, thanks for the encouragement! And we're happy to hear that you loved your trip here :) Hope you get to come back again one day!
Hello. Longtime fans. Thank you for all the great videos. Do you guys do one on one consultations via zoom?
We do not do one on one consultations anymore. We have created several done for you travel guides that have helped thousands of travelers plan their trips. You can check them out at aplinsinthealps.com/guides/
Thank you for a very informative video. You were clearly right to give us the good news before you gave us the bad. I suspect that if someone in 2025 is staying in the Jungfrau Region for a FEW days but is also doing a LOT of travelling in other parts of Switzerland, they should get a Swiss Travel Pass and a Jungfrau Travel Pass, and not bother with the Berner Oberland Pass.
Hi there! From our early research, it will depend on what you want to do in the Region. Jungfrau Pass is great if you'll mostly stay in the mountains near Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. Berner Oberland Pass is perfect if you want to do day trips from Interlaken, or are coming back for a return trip to the Region. We tend to think the Half Fare Card + the regional train passes are pretty ideal for most travelers to Switzerland, but the Swiss Travel Pass is sometimes helpful too!!
Just a question, do you two have an idea of when you will come out with the new travel pass update to go over. My fiance are going to Switzerland next year for our honeymoon and as we get closer, I am looking to get a train pass. I love your videos and would love to see what is the best train pass for different areas.
Congrats on your upcoming honeymoon Tim! Our goal is to have all of our recommendations for the Jungfrau Region updated in our 1-Week Guide to the Jungfrau Region as well as our Swiss Train Pass checklist (free download) by the end of the year. So you'll have the ability to see our new recommendations in either of those by early 2025. We are also planning another big train pass video for sometime next Spring too.
Thankfully, there's no need to buy the train passes in advance, so you have the time to wait until our recommendations come out. Hope this helps!
@@AplinsintheAlps Yes! This helps tremendously! Thank you so much!
Thank goodness I went to the Swiss Alps in 2024.
Glad you got to take advantage of the BO Pass convenience!
So glad we went this May! Half Fare Card and BO Pass were our main mode of travel.
That's a great combo!
Thanks for the update guys, I was in Switzerland this June and Berner Oberland pass was so convenient, looks like now for next year we will need combination of Berner Oberland and Jungfrau Travel pass. NOT GOOD
Yeah....the changes aren't great. Glad you were able to experience the awesomeness of the BO pass before it changed.
Well, that makes planning our 2025 trip more complicated! Do you know if the Wengernalpbahn between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen will still be included in the pass?
Yes, the train between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen is still included!
What's really cool, is that you can now visit the Montreux Riviera area and plan a cruise on a "Belle Époque" Boat, visit Chillon Castle, etc !!! For me, it's a GREAT improvement.
Exactly! That's a huge expansion! I mean, looking at the map of the places you can reach with the BO Pass is quite impressive!
After watching your videos we used the Berner pass this year and thought it was great value. Such a shame they are changing it so much.
It still is a great value, but there are some big changes. That's why we're here to help!
I have three questions: when we arrive in Geneva in June (our entry into Switzerland), should I purchase the half fare pass, the Bernese Oberland Pass and the Tell Pass at that time since I can get a substantial discount using an active half fare pass when purchasing a Bernese Oberland Pass? Is there any benefit to purchase a Tell Pass before arriving? With all those mountain trains and cable cars that will be reduced to only a 25% discount with a Bernese Oberland Pass, will a half fare pass cover 50%?
Hi Jack! Yes, you can buy the Half Fare Card and BO Pass together when you enter Switzerland, and you can also buy those online in advance. There's no need to buy the Tell Pass in advance, and you also (unfortunately) do not get a discount on that pass by having a Half Fare Card.
You're correct though - the Half Fare Card gives you the better discount than the BO Pass on those few mountain rides we mentioned.
Ahhhh.. that Berner Oberland pass was sooooooo nice. We went May 2024. Going back in August 2025 to see it in better weather as a layover so, our time is more limited this time. I'll be looking for advice as it rolls out.
We agree....it was such a good pass! Hopefully we'll have some more information before your trip next August.
Great to see you
Thanks for the update. Now they have made visitors manage multiple passes. What a mess. BO was just perfect for our trip in Aug. we covered all the things in both passes except Montruex. We took several trips in Eiger express in evenings when no one was at Eigergletscher. Weather changes coverage. Hoping for Swiss railways to unify this sort of mess.
So glad you enjoyed your trip! Unfortunately there are actually many privately owned railway companies so it is highly unlikely that it will ever be unified. For example, in the Jungfrau region there are multiple private companies: Jungfrau Railways, Pfingstegg, Schilthornbahn, etc. So they all negiotiate with these various train passes (some of which are also separate private companies). But don't worry, we're here to help you sort through the options and pick the best pass for your itinerary! (With our free Checklist - which will be updated soon!)
Will definitely be on the lookout for more detailed breakdown. We are staying in Wilderswil for 5 nights in June 2025 for our first time in Switzerland and was counting on the BO Pass. Now I’ll always be worrying about getting on a train or gondola that isn’t covered in my pass of choosing ! 🤦🏻♀️
I think it depends what you want to do - if you wanted to go up the Schinyge platte, First, mannlichen and jungfraujoch, then the jungfrau pass works. I’m hoping to stay in the region next summer for a number of days and I’m thinking of splitting so we buy a jungfrau pass for some days and a BO pass for the second half?
@@MrGreatplum I thought about that too but it’s always weather dependent which is the kicker!
@@yenglund70 - yes, that’s a very good point! It’s a difficult one.
We will definitely be updating our recommendations soon! And if you purchase our Jungfrau Region Guide, we will recommend the best pass for the itinerary and thoroughly detail when you do/don't need to buy tickets (think "cheat sheet"). We're on your team! And by the way, @MrGreatplum had a great suggestion to consider splitting your trip into 2 different passes!
@@AplinsintheAlps Thank you!
Thank you so much for your important information. I cancelled my trip, so disappointed
We're so sorry to hear that. Hopefully you'll be able to reschedule soon!
oh Man! what a bummer. BO pass was too good to be true. Used it in my last 4 trips and made countless rounds to Grindelwald First... but now Im assuming so far Jungfrau Travel Pass would suit me better.... What a sad news!
Wow, that's amazing that you've been here 4 times and are planning to come back! It helps that you know what you what to do/where you want to go. If you're staying central to the Jungfrau Region, then maybe the Jungfrau Travel Pass. But if you want to explore more day trips, maybe the BO Pass is still a great choice for you!
it sucks that it's getting downgraded but I'm glad I took advantage of it while I had the chance. Your video talking about the new youth discounts motivated me to travel to Switzerland again while I was still under 25 years old, even though I had just been there last year! I don't think I would've come back if it weren't for you guys so thank you so much for that !!! :)
Awww we're so happy to hear that our content encouraged you to plan your trip again! And niceeee - that youth discount is pretty sweet! :)
Oh no :(
If i wanna experience bernina ( italy to switzerland) and wanna see interlaken ( maybe experience boats), grindelwald, lauterbrunnen, wengen, mürren in 4 days on early march 2025 what pass you recommend for a tight budget?
Hello from Costa Rica. I'll be in Switzerland next month, We will be 2 nights in Luzern, 3 nights in Thun and 1 night in Geneva. We already bought Half Fare Swiss Pass. Major idea is go to Alps attractions like Pilatus, Grindelwald First, Interlaken and so. How many days of Berner Overland Pass do you recommend to buy? Thank you in advance for your support. Pura vida!
i'll be there in Oct plan 3 day OB for now, Grindewald, Lauter, Bern
Be sure to download our free Swiss Train Pass Checklist! You can plug in your itinerary and find out which pass/how many days is best for you! Link in our video description
Thank you. Again, our choice of buying the Swiss travel pass was our best option.
Every traveler and every itinerary will have specific needs, so we're glad you found the pass that works best for you!
If I buy the Jungfrau Travel Pass instead of the BO Pass- do you still suggest the half-fair card?
That really just depends on where you're going and what you're wanting to do. We recommend watching this video and using the FREE download to help you decide which train pass(es) are best for your trip!
th-cam.com/video/fzuP0hMUjFk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-sUO1xXGsuRNL3qY
Question: if you have a four-day pass and want to add just one extra day, is it possible?
I am planning a trip to the Jungfrau region and can only afford one pass. Which would you recommend? The swiss half fare card or the Jungfrau travel pass? I don't see myself taking day trips to other regions so I think the OB pass would not be worth it for me.
Excellent question - that's what our free Train Pass Checklist is for! Plug in your itinerary and then it will pick out the best pass for you! www.aplinsinthealps.com/resources
so does this mean the wengernalp train from lauterbrunnen to wengen is still covered ?
We have a helpful picture on the video and blog that details what is/isn't covered!
😢😢😢😢😢Thank you for the update 😢😢😢👍💯❤️❤️❤️
You're welcome! We will keep you updated with our recommendations soon too!
Does a skiing lift ticket cover the trains for Grindelwald? In Jan 2025
Do you think the 1/2 fair card only by itself is just as good for the Berner Oberland area?
Great question! It's not as convenient, because you'll be buying tickets every time you ride. But a lot of people could actually save money if they just bought the Half Fare Card with nothing else. That depends on your trip plans though!
@@AplinsintheAlps Thank You 🙏 very much for this information! You guys are awesome!!👏
You're welcome!
Thank you Jana and Brett for this news; as disappointing as it is. The BO pass was so convenient!
We are (very likely) staying in Grindelwald next summer for 10 days. We will want to visit the First (my kids would be very upset if we didn’t go on the mountain carts), go to the jungfraujoch (we didn’t do that in 2019 and the boys want to go in a glacier!) but also see the Schilthorn, pffingstegg etc. so, I’m wondering if the best thing to do would have a 5 day jungfrau pass and a 5 day BO pass.
(I wonder if the Grindelwald guest card covers the buses in that area - I’ll need to check that!)
Definitely some homework to do and number crunching (time for an excel spreadsheet?)
We're disappointed for you as well! Although I think your idea of splitting your trip up into a 5-day Jungfrau Travel Pass and 5-day BO Pass is actually a brilliant idea! (I passed that one along to Brett)
And oh yes, Brett is deep in the spreadsheets right now with ya! He's analyzing the options in order to give our best recommendations/update our Guides. Stay tuned (I know you will - we love reading your comments on all of our videos!)
wonder if the bus in lauterbrunen and funicular to Allmendhubel , Pfigstegg is still covered.
Yep, all of those are still covered!
Hi, does berner oberland pass cover / give any discount for mount titlis excursion? Thanks
You can check here to see:
www.berneseoberlandpass.ch/discount-partner/
Is it worth it to buy the BO pass if I just visit the Jungfrau Region for 2 days?
We usually say that passes are great if you're going to be staying longer than 3 days. If you're only staying 2 days it might be cheaper to just buy individual tickets. You can use the SBB app to price out individual tickets to see if a pass would be worth it.
I plan to visit Interlaken on 10th November for 4 days. Do you think it is possible that it may snow? 😢
Also wondering what I'll do after early sunset by 4:30 pm. 😢😢
It can certainly snow in November! And evenings are a great time to explore towns and shops, even though it's dark outside.
What a shame. The Oberland pass was handy in it's current form. Glad the Jung Frau pass covers these areas too!
They are both still great passes depending on your itinerary!
Firstly, I am just coming to the end of my week in the Jungfrau region. I have used your vlogs to plan out everything, so thank you. I bought this pass in your recommendation and has been excellent. When using the cable cars we have had to show our passes but any train, regularly gone to and from Grindelwald to Interlaken and even to Bern and never asked to show the pass, the same for the buses, which regularly took. So in theory could have travelled free of charge. Loved it here but poor weather affected some plans, so come back for a few days next year.
Switzerland largely counts on riders being honest and buying tickets. That does not mean that you can travel for free. It's no different than stuffing a bunch of merchandise into your jacket and walking out of the store without paying. Please, buy your train tickets or don't come back next year, or ever again.
We would always pay and have the Oberland pass. Nice to see they trust their public but was just surprised as very unusual
Same experience here with ticket checking. commuter routes no checking...tourist routes...always. Five days here..two to go. Unfortunate weather for sure for September. First the clouds/fog/rain then the snow. Activities closed at First on Saturday...in the late morning at least. So much snow.....Sunday looks good but who knows. Been fun but man how much better could it be w decent normal September weather.
Next two days look good, unfortunately I am going home tomorrow!!
Unfortunately we've had such a rainy summer, and now an early fall here. But hopefully you were still able to enjoy your trip!
As for checking tickets, Switzerland is based on the honors system, which means you are required to have a ticket and they can inspect at any moment. We live here and don't own a car (so we only ride public transport) and we get checked 50-75% of the time. So yes, you DO need to have a ticket or you will be fined - which we see happen all of the time!
We went in 2024. Buying the BO Pass cost a little more than if we’d just gotten individual tickets, but we bought it because of convenience…it covered everywhere we wanted to go. I don’t think we’d get it again.
Exactly, the convenience and time savings are sometimes worth the price difference. But we love that you priced it all out to know that!
I got scared for a second, cause im going there tomorrow 🙏🏻
Nope, you're all good for the rest of 2024!
It’s a shame 😢 BO Pass was just convenient. I’m glad I traveled end of August this year and purchased BO plus Half fare card.
It's definitely disappointing. Glad you were able to experience the BO pass before it changes!
One doubt : if I have half fare card & buy Regional pass, shall I get 75% off on Grindelwald first gondola? 😮
Most places don't let you stack discounts like that
The Gondola rides are covered by Bernese Oberland pass. Until next year.
No, unfortunately you cannot combine discounts. You can only use the bigger discount (50%).
Oh no, what a pity. We used this in 2023 and 2024 and it was a fantastic pass not even from a money point of view but just ease of use.
We agree, it's such a convienent pass!
I read your blog and watched your videos, I am still confused: what passes cover what? Instead of saying what is not covered (negative phrase), I think it is better to say what passes cover what in detail. How many passes in total (to visit Interlaken and the nearby cities/places)? Then create a detail table or chart to show the differences in visual pictures/images. Hope this helps. The explanation is confusing to follow especially for 1st timer to Switzerland. Hope this helps. ❤
Hi Sarah, sorry for the confusion! This was meant as more of an update video, so you'll want to be sure and watch the video we referenced and linked (here it is in case you missed it: th-cam.com/video/AW4Uk-c_FD0/w-d-xo.html). In that one, we go into details about the different routes included. Hope this helps!!
Thank you. I already watched that video before. I prefer the most updated info with the new changes. I appreciate your response ❤🙏
Thanks a lot for the feedback!!
Thankyou sir
You're welcome!
M lucky to enjoy the existing benefits in Jul'24
Absolutely!
why would any person buy BernerOberlandPass if he/she already has Swiss Travel Pass. Is there any advantage. Thanks for sharing
Great question! The Swiss Travel Pass only provides limited discounts (usually 25-50%) off mountain transportation, which the Berner Oberland Pass covers this rides for free. In many cases, if you go into the the mountains enough, the BO Pass is a much better deal!
Glad I am going in less than a week !!!!!!
Enjoy your BO Pass benefits :)
@@AplinsintheAlps i just returned, and yes what a breeze it was to travel with BOP. I am planning my next trip now and its such a shame how the pass has downgraded. I see itself going out of business and there is no appeal left for tourists in this pass.
Welp, glad it’s not until ‘25-I’m going in two weeks and getting a BO pass.
You're getting your trip in just in time!
NOTE : IF SOMEONE HAS PLAN TO VISIT ITALY AFTER SWITZERLAND & WANNA COVER ALL PLACES BY REGIONAL BERNESE OBERLAND PASS,HE SHOULD BUY 6 DAY PASS + BUY JUNGRAUJOCH RETURN TICKET BY HALF FARE CARD, GRINDELWALD FIRST & SCHYNIGE PLATTE & hardern kulm. It still cost less than buying a 3 day jungfrau pass.
There are so many nuances to which pass to buy based on your itinerary. It definitely helps if you crunch the numbers based on your specific plans. (That's why we created our free Checklist!) Glad you found what works best for you!
With this change it seems better to buy only the Swiss Half Fare Card than buying the Berner Oberland Pass .
It all just depends on where exactly you're traveling and what you're doing!
its a real shame! I found the OB pass so convinient but i can understand why the did it. I really think this will just push more people to hire cars which is a shame.
Not one of the destinations that have been removed can be reached by car. Literally there aren't even roads. Anyone who hires a car to go to those destinations is going to be very disappointed.
You're right - none of these mountain destinations are reachable by car so a train pass is still the most economical option for most travelers. You can only drive to Interlaken, Grindelwald, or Lauterbrunnen. Beyond that, you must ride public transportation!
Aagh! So bad news, Berner Oberland pass was the best pass to discover the region 😢
It was pretty fantastic - and still is for the right kind of itinerary!
Calling these rides “free” or “completely free” when you’re paying money for the pass is interesting.
Well, technically you've paid for the pass so that route is covered. (Sometimes we use the words "covered" and "free" to mean the same thing.)
Omg people relax... we know what they meant
They basically want the confused first timers to buy both travel passes plus the half price travel card.
We understand it's frustrating! But the Berner Oberland Pass as a company doesn't own any of these railways that are no longer included. We're confident they would have kept these routes on the pass if they could!
So much stalling, just get to the point! For everyone else, skip to 4:50
@@kkirk333 be nice
There's so much to say and we wanted to be thorough, but hopefully you found the info you came for!
@@AplinsintheAlps No there isn't. Once you decided you had dragged it on as far as you could possibly get away with, it actually only took you 15 seconds to explain the downgrade (which was in fact the topic of the video). Nice try tho
It would be sad if someone skipped ahead and missed the info about the new additions as well. We like to share all the info that travelers might find helpful.