Swiss Rail Pass Worth It?

[seat38a]

So Eurostar Standard tickets booked and printed. TGV Lyria First Class booked and printed. Now the only thing left is Swiss Rail. As I understand it, most of Swiss Rail is like the Surfliner, you can jump on and off any train in coach since its unreserved. Now the question is it worth buying one for 4 days vs just paying a la cart as we go?

Were hopping off in Basel and heading to Wengen and surrounding area then Interlaken to Lucern and finally to Zurich. Also, should be overnight in Interlaken or Lucern? That is the only hotel left to book.

 

[xyzzy]

Been a while since I was in Switzerland, but at the time the answer was yes, you can hop on and hop off most trains at will - but don't count on being able to sit down at peak times.

The pass is very convenient because you can change your travel plans on a whim. Tickets on mobile phones have eroded this benefit, however, because you don't necessarily have to queue up to buy tickets anymore. (With mobile phones you can also make seat reservations on the IC trains, if you're willing to pay extra for them.) In the old days the queues at ticket counters and kiosks could get long at peak times.