This pass is great because...
The pass runs northeast-southwest through the Valais Alps (formerly known as the Pennine Alps after the Roman name for the pass, poeninus mons or summus poeninus) at a maximum elevation of 2,469 m (8,100 ft). The road running through the pass, highway E27 in both Italy and Switzerland, joins Martigny on the upper Rhône river in the canton of Valais, Switzerland, to Aosta in the Aosta Valley region of Italy. From Martigny Route 9 descends to Lausanne and from Aosta Route A5 descends to Torino.
From the north (Switzerland), the route to the pass follows the Dranse River valley above Martigny, then into the wild and desolate valley of the Dranse d'Entremont. The Great St Bernard Tunnel (and the main road) plunges through the mountains at the 1,915 m (6,283 ft) level, reducing, since the tunnel's opening in 1964, the commercial relevance of the road over the pass. A reduction of utility began after the construction of the Simplon Tunnel, strictly a railway tunnel, 100 km (62 mi) to the east in 1905. The much smaller historic road winding over the pass itself, which lies a few hundred metres from the Swiss border with Italy, is only passable June to September. On the south side of the pass, the Great St Bernard Valley is drained by the Artanavaz River, which runs down to Aosta.
The German Rail Pass offers international visitors unlimited rail travel throughout Germany on trains operated by DB and other private train operating companies.
Note: 2 children (aged 6 - 11) can travel free with every paying adult. Any additional children or children travelling alone will need to purchase a Youth Pass
When purchasing a German Rail Pass you must provide proof of:
- Country of residence
- Date of birth if buying a German Rail Youth pass
- Date of birth if buying a Child for Free German Rail Pass
The arrival in Europe not being longer than 6 months prior to the purchase when buying a pass at a DB Aid Office. The date of arrival marked in the passport is decisive. If the purchase is being made by another person or on the Internet, the passenger must be able to provide proof of the accuracy of this information when a DB conductors inspects tickets.