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If you search this forum using a key word of your choice you will find various previous discussions on Swiss journeys in this forum.
As ever with these things, Ideally, we would sit down over a coffee with maps and books to hand and I could explain in great detail all about where to go and what to see on Swiss railways, which I have been travelling since 1960.
As we haven't got that luxury, I'm going to keep my reply simple.
Fares: For a one-off trip, there is no substitute for the Swiss Pass rail rover. It gives you the flexibility to go where you want when you want by bus, train, boat, mountain railway etc.
Getting there: I would recommend flying Edinburgh - Basel as a hassle free route into Switzerland
Alternatives are Glasgow - Geneva, or Easyjet to Malpensa (north of Milan but as close to the Swiss border as it is to Milan!)
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I would highly recommend these items as the starting point for your research:
1) the guidebook Switzerland Without a Car, by Anthony Lambert
2) a general Swiss road map (as long as it shows railways) e.g. Michelin red number 729
3) a synoptic map of Swiss railways (source:
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...I4ALMFuTheB5FC8GA&sig2=XegN-4oKVxYTAGy4ahpOow
4) A copy of the European Rail Timetable to check times and how long it takes to get where from where.
Not sure what type of hotel you favour but you can do most of Switzerland economically by staying at the Ibis hotels round the country. There Ibis (and other cheap end Accor group hotels) near stations in various key places e.g. Luzern, Chur, Zurich, Basel, Delemont. Plus the already suggested Good Night Inn in Brig.
Finally, one key recommendation: it is easy to get drawn towards the 'famous' Swiss rail mountain journeys. But don't dismiss even the most ordinary looking Swiss line. Nearly every railway line in Switzerland is scenic in a uniquely 'Swiss' way, frequently farms with animals, industrial sites and housing estates can be found immediately adjacent to one another.
As the country and its cities are so small, you only have to travel a few minutes from the city centres to reach quintessential Swiss countryside (yes, even including cows with bells even in the flatter parts of the country!) even if you are still on a suburban train.