Online purchase of one-way ticket to Jungfraujoch

gymshoey

I need to buy a one-way ticket from Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch because I am doing an Aletsch Glacier hike and won’t be taking the train back down.
You can ONLY by “return” (round-trip) tickets on the website: https://www.jungfrau.ch/.
I inquired with jungfrau.ch, and they told me I could book a one-way ticket on the SBB.ch website, while booking the seat reservations (also mandatory for that time of year) on the jungfrau.ch website.

When I try to buy a one-way ticket (Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch) on SBB.com, it shows me a warning:
“Unfortunately, seat spaces are not available for the following sections with compulsory reservation: Kleine Scheidegg - Jungfraujoch. Please select an alternative connection. Please note that it is not possible to make reservations for all transport companies via this sales channel. You can find the relevant information in the SBB online timetable in the connection view.”

On the one hand, there is a button to click at the bottom of this SBB.ch webpage which suggests that I can “continue" to finalize the purchase of my selected route: Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch. But on the other hand, the wording of the above warning suggests to me that I cannot buy a ticket through SBB.com for Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch, although I am allowed to buy a ticket from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg.

<OR> are they just saying, you can buy a valid ticket, but not the seat reservations, which I know I can do through the Jungfraujoch website?

(I don’t want to complete a purchase on SBB.ch if they are not the correct tickets.)

Thank you very much for your assistance.
Jim

RedBaron

gymshoey
Don’t overthink that message on SBB.ch and get your ticket there as instructed. Don’t expect the webshop messages to accurately reflect all special cases of the hundreds of other public transport operators than SBB.

As for the reservation requirement, I personally doubt it. In half a century of using Swiss public transportation including twice the Jungfraujoch (return), I never ever had to reserve a seat. If using the new cable car from Grindelwald to Eigergletscher, there should always be a few free seats left in the train due to no-shows or passengers leaving it at Eigergletscher, even in busy times. Or in the worst case, you could be standing in the train, nobody can prohibit that.

But what do I know - maybe question that reservation requirement once more with the Jungfrau.ch customer service (maybe hoping for a more knowledgeable staff member), or simply ask your alpine guide (organization): They should be the most reliable source of information regarding your slightly unusual travel scenario, and also have some incentive to get you up there.

Krist

This summer reservations will be required for the Jungfraujoch. However I expect that getting them on the day, or the day before will not be an issue.

I suggest you just buy the ticket at the station when you are here. You can buy a ticket to the Jungfraujoch from any station in Switzerland.

gymshoey

Thanks for your advice.

(FYI, maybe they don’t enforce it, but on the jungfrau.ch website it says:
“Seat reservation mandatory: 01.05.2025 - 31.08.2025”)

RolandP

gymshoey

Say hi to SAC Concordia hut, where I have been working for two seasons. The way you do was my way when going to work 😉

Kind regards,
Roland

Krist

gymshoey (FYI, maybe they don’t enforce it, but on the jungfrau.ch website it says:
“Seat reservation mandatory: 01.05.2025 - 31.08.2025”)

I assume they will soft-enforce it. The seat reservation is not really a seat reservation. It does not come with a seat number for example. It is just priority boarding for a particular departure. But you will be able to get that at the station.

Alice-day

@gymshoey

Did you get a resolution? I tried to do the same thing, just buy the SBB ticket and then the seat reservation on jungfrau.ch, however I cannot complete the purchase with SBB.

Alice-day

More info for mountain climbers and ski tourers - link found via SAC tour portal

https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/jungfrau-ski-region/grindelwald-wengen/touring-skiers/

In summary:

Ticket purchase

Counter: Grindelwald Terminal; open daily from 07:00
Online: via SBB.ch (single tickets can also be purchased here)

Reservation purchase

One-way journey to the Jungfraujoch can be made at the ticket counters at Jungfrau Railways sales points.
One-way reservations for the descent can also be purchased at the ticket machine on the Jungfraujoch.
Return reservations can also be purchased via the digital sales channels.
It is still possible to travel to the Jungfraujoch without a seat reservation. However, a ride on the desired train cannot be guaranteed. However, if the journey takes place at off-peak times (first two trains in the morning, last three trains in the afternoon), it can be assumed that there will still be enough seats available even without a reservation.

gymshoey

Do your SBB online purchase eventually work? (You initially said it wasn’t working.) Was there a trick to get it to work? Thank you.

RolandP

Hello gymshoey

You can purchase tickets from SBB for Jungfraujoch, they are definitely accepted. The other poster could probably not complete the purchase because of a credit card issue.

Kind regards,
Roland