Help purchasing a ticket for a family of 4

AmericanOverseas2363

Hello,

My family and I are hoping to find the most affordable ticket price from Zurich to Grindelwald in June. It says tickets “from 40chf” but when I go through all the steps and go to checkout each ticket goes to 80 chf a piece. I also tried the saver fare then hit round trip and then it brought the price down significantly so I dont really understand what the cheapest option would be for a family of 4. We plan on just doing a “day trip” to Grindewald from Zurich. Would it be cheaper to do the round trip option since the pass is valid all day long??

We also dont have the half fare tickets or the swiss pass since we are only in switzerland for 3 days.

We are open to suggestions and need some help please!

RolandP

Hello AmericanOverseas2363

The first price given is the Half Fare Card price. Most Swiss do have the Half Fare Card and the ticketing system is programmed to cater to their needs; thus they can benefit from tickets at half of the regular cost. When you proceed, the ticketing system recognises that you do not have the Swiss Half Fare Card, and consequently adjusts prices to reflect the full fare. That explains why you suddenly see higher prices.

May I give a personal thought on your base?
It looks to me, you are staying in Zurich, a place which is not conveniently located for day trips in Switzerland. You will do a lot of “commuting” to see our country, which will consequently raise the costs. And, Zurich is expensive, also what concerns the living costs. You are so to speak maximizing the travel costs, while, from what I understood, you are trying to minimize the costs.
If you aren’t staying in Zurich for a family visit, a base like Lucerne would have been the better choice, and it is more Swiss than Zurich.

Even if you stay in Switzerland for three days only, a Swiss Travel Pass might make sense, as it comes with the free Swiss Family Card for your children. Yes, they would travel for free for three days together with you.

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/planning/transport-accommodation/tickets-public-transport/swiss-travel-pass/
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/planning/transport-accommodation/tickets-public-transport/swiss-family-card/

Alternatively, look for the full fare Saver Day Passes for that day. This is the ticket for each parent/adult. For the children, simply purchase for each a Children’s Day Pass.

I suggest doing the maths and calculating the costs for the individual tickets versus the Swiss Travel Pass with the Swiss Family Card. The Saver Day Pass must be purchased in advance, is not refundable, and its cost is raising the nearer the travel date and the higher the demand; it can even sell out.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/tickets/day-passes/saver-day-pass.html
https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/tickets/day-passes/day-pass-children.html

Kind regards,
Roland