UKC

Going round in circles online trying to get best train deal from Grindewald and Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch to climb the Monch with a pal this time, probably by SE Ridge but maybe traverse. Soloed most of it before but guides and clients descending were not for giving way to me so I descended from top section disappointed. Any current advice would be helpful.

In reply to gilliesp:

Well, I think if you want to use the trains there etc, you just have to suck it up. It is very expensive, but that's Switzerland for you....It i s very well organised, the huts are great and the food tastes nice. Stuff costs, but then Swiss people earn more..... As a tourist prices hurt...As a suggestion - to maximise money, how about get the train up (when you have a good weather window), do a few climbs up there without descending, and then walk down to the valley ( if skint) or take the train down) if still flush...

In reply to Heike:

This is not going to make it any cheaper either for those travelling from the UK http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=GBP&to=CHF&view=1M

In reply to gilliesp:
Swiss trains aren't like ours - the pricing structure is very simple. You can however sometimes save by booking online - look for "Sparpreis" or similar on sbb.ch when you search in the journey planner.

If travelling by air into CH, you might find the Swiss Transfer Ticket a good option, this won't take you to the top however. (edited again, there isn't a discount it seems)

But it's CH, it's *expensive*.

The one thing I would say to watch for is that while there aren't proper reservations as such the train up the mountain does get "full" - if that happens the local ticket offices stop selling tickets - but you can still get them through from elsewhere. So on those grounds booking in advance (you can print at home) may still be a good idea even if not cheaper.

Give these guys a shout, they know their stuff and are helpful: http://www.stc.co.uk/

In reply to gilliesp:

The trains are expensive. If your just taking a single trip up to the Jungfraujoch and back then I don't think you have much choice other than sucking it up. I do know that if you are around the area for a few day then you can get an area pass that covers most of the train buses and cable cars and give you a half price ride to the Jungfraujoch which is still expensive but cheaper than paying individually.

In reply to gilliesp:

I lie, they do now do reservations for CHF10 plus the ticket. But still buy the ticket in advance as they do stop selling them when it gets too busy!

http://shop.jungfrau.ch/de/bergbahn/reservation

In reply to James FR:

Temporary glitch, hopefully......

In reply to gilliesp:

Thanks EVERYBODY. Cheers for replies.

I've been over there extensively before, albeit 12 years ago, so know quite a lot of what you've all been telling me but my eyes popped out my head at today's prices. Should really do Stechelberg, Rottal Hut, Jungfrau to access Monch over a few days and then just a descent fare to Eigergletscher... or do Eiger and down west flank (no cost). But, d'ye know what?

In reply to gilliesp:


Hmmm, have you checked that?

In reply to jon:


Probably not.

There was not a ticket office at the top over 40 years ago, I bet there still is not one.

After trying strenuously to buy tickets down, we just got on the train, and walked off at KS.

We figured we might have an argument on the train but at least we would be at the bottom.

Fortunately I was with the quickest thinking, talk his way into or out of any situation character I have ever met.

"Tickets please.
The Stationmaster said we could pay at the bottom.
Eh? Ok then. "

F**k em.

In reply to Rick Graham:

Ah, that's not what I meant. I was referring to the cost of a single descent. I used to go to the Oberland at least twice a year, always using the JJ train. Apart from just a few quick aller retours to do the Mönch or Jungfrau all the others, summer or winter were multi day trips exiting either at the Grimsel or Rhone valley and so only requiring a single ride up ticket. However, after one enforced retreat from Koncordia back up to JJ I discovered to my annoyance that a single down was the same price as a single up. However, a single up was only a few francs less than an aller retour...! So after that I systematically bought aller retours whether I intended to use them or not. In the end I reckoned I probably gained on the deal. So a long winded way of saying it's probably not 'just' a single ride down!

At the time there was no ticket office at the top, you just asked the station master in his kiosk.

In reply to gilliesp:

The train is expensive, but if you're spending a couple of weeks or more in Switzerland and using other lifts or public transport you can get a half-fare card which gets half price on trains and bus, including the Jungfraujoch. Double check this is the right card before buying!
https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/holidays--short-breaks-in-switzerlan...

As someone else said, stay a few days up there and do the Jungfrau, etc.

Or walk in from Fiesch via Koncordia, or via Hollandia hut. Cheaper, and you'll be well acclimatised by the time you get there.

In reply to Rick Graham:

Brilliant story. I have been up and down many times in the past but always with a return ticket. However, folks coming from other directions use it as a descent eg from Concordis and Aletsch Glacier and more contrived routes.

In reply to jon:

Noted. Thanks.

In reply to gilliesp:

You should go to Yosemite Paul, the exchange rate is very good!

In reply to Rick Graham:

Wouldn't try it on these days, it's CHF80 fine and they don't take prisoners

In reply to Neil Williams:


CHF80 , thats a snip for Switzerland.

I once got pulled there for overtaking. No other vehicles, solid lines, trees, buildings or people visible for several hundred metres in all directions, just road and grass.

The Police officer explained the offence, which despite his good English was incomprehensible .
The fine was several hundred pounds equivalent.
My mate in the car kicked off and got threatened with prison.
Taking a leaf out of my aforementioned mates spiel book, I calmed the situation and knocked him down to about £20

In reply to Cog:

Hi Cog. Currencies levelling out soon? You are right but once the juggernaut gets going..and we've only got a week.