Lauterbrunnen - Jungfraujoch Train Booking

BLiKing

Hi, i tried to book a train ride from Lauterbrunnen-Jungfraujoch (via Kleine Scheidegg), but when I completed my ticket purchase, the ticket showed “Lauterbrunnen -> Jungfraujoch, Single Journey via Wengen o Grindelwald Terminal”. Any idea whether this is normal? I would hate to go to the terminal only to find out that I cannot take the Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch (transfer via Kleine Scheidegg). Also, my ticket doesn’t show the specific train numbers and only shows valid period (one day). Does it mean that i don’t have a “guaranteed” seat on the train that i intended to take? thank you!

RolandP

Hello BLiKing

You have to choose a connection from Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch via Wengen, via Kleine Scheidegg.

The ticket does not include a seat reservation. If you want a seat reservation in addition, you have to pay for it extra, and get it from the operator’s website, not SBB.

In my opinion, it is best to book that ticket directly from the operator, the Jungfrau railways, either online or offline.

https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/jungfraujoch-top-of-europe/buy-jungfraujoch-ticket/

Also, it is not advisable to purchase such expensive tickets in advance. What if you will face bad weather and you won’t see anything up there? Would you still want to go? Purchase the tickets the day before the excursion day at the train station office in Lauterbrunnen, when the weather forecast is reliable. There you will get everything: the ticket for the desired route, and the optional seat reservation.

Kind regards,
Roland

BLiKing

Thank you Roland for your feedback. I will try the Jungfrau railways instead. Another questions, i purchased the swiss half fare card and if when i used the SBB website to also book for my 15 year old daughter, she would ride for free, but using the Jungfrau railways website, i would need to pay CHF 20? Thanks again.

RolandP

Hello BLiKing

You need the Swiss Family Card for your daughter. Do you have it?
If yes, then you do not need to book a ticket for her, she rides for free with the Swiss Family Card, that is her ticket. The seat reservation is to be paid for her as well, if desired.

Kind regards,
Roland

BLiKing

Thanks again. Yes, she has the Swiss Family Card. I tried booking via Jungfrau railways website, but I haven’t been able to find one-way trips (they only offer round trips from and to the same starting location?). I am trying to go (1) Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch (via Kleine Scheidegg) but back (2) Jungfraujoch to Grindelwald Terminal (via Eigergletscher Gondona). Am i missing something here? Thanks!

Krist

The ticket you were about to buy allows travel via both Wengen and Grindelwald Terminal. That is what that “Wengen o Grindelwald Terminal” means. The “o” stands for “oder” or “ou” or, coincidentally also “or”. So that ticket would be good for an outward journey and a return journey, and you can pick the route of your choosing.

Tickets are for a route, not a train, so you will only see the route and dates mentioned, not specific trains. For that you need a reservation.

So you need:
a) A ticket for you
b) If you want, a reservation for you and your daughter.

Best place to get those is just at the ticket office in Lauterbrunnen…

BLiKing

Krist, that’s hugely helpful! first time visitor so quite clueless.

Krist

Note that reservations on the Junfraujoch Railway are optional. And “reservation” is a bit of a misnomer here, as you are not reserving a seat, but buying priority boarding. So at Kleine Scheidegg or Eigergletscher (depending on the route you have chose) those with reservations board first, and then they allow as many people as there are seats to board afterwards. So without this you may on busy days end up having to queue a bit.

But I see the reservation displays every day, and see that usually there are still slots available the day before for most trains, so there is no need to hurry.