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Swiss Travel Pass: All you need to know

Take train rides through amazing switzerland with a swiss travel pass that also lets you travel using public transport to the country’s most scenic regions. With a swiss travel pass or half fare card, you can travel using the train, bus, cable car, or boat. Your swiss travel pass or half fare card gives you free admission to over 500 museums. Your Swiss Pass provides up to 50% off on certain mountain excursions, and a 30% discount on SBB RailAway offers.

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Swiss Travel Pass: Short Info

Swiss Travel Pass – Short Info
What’s included?
  • free travel by train, ship, public transport, mountain railways
  • including premium panoramic trains such as the Glacier Express and Bernina Express
  • free admission to 500 museums
  • Children up to the age of 16 travel for free
Which passes are availible?
  • 3,4,8 or 15 selectable days of validity
  • with Swiss Travel Pass Flex freely selectable within one month
  • with Swiss Travel Pass consecutively
What’s the price?
  • Swiss Travel Pass from CHF 232
  • Swiss Travel Pass Flex from CHF 267
  • Swiss Halftax (Half Fare Card) from CHF 120
Where to book?Book your Swiss Travel Pass now!

Swiss Travel Pass vs. Swiss Half Fare Card

What discount card for travels in Switzerland to choose? Well, that’s a matter of time. If you just wanna take an 8-hour-journey on the Glacier Express and leave the country afterwards, your best option is probably the Swiss Half Fare Card. A Swiss Travel Pass, on the opposite, is worth paying the price if you have more time to discover Switzerland.

  • Swiss Travel Pass: The easiest way to explore Switzerland by train is the Swiss Travel Pass. Included are trips by bus, train and boat within the validity range. It’s up to you if you need 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 consecutive days. You receive 50% discount on most mountain railways and free entry at more than 500 museums.
  • Swiss Travel Pass Flex: With the Travel Pass Flex you will have the maximum flexibility. The Swiss Travel Pass Flex is valid on 3, 4, 6, 8, or 15 freely selectable days within one month and offers 50% discount on most mountain railways and free entry at more than 500 museums (only valid on selected travel day).
  • Swiss Half Fare Card: With the Swiss Half Fare Card you will have a 50% discount when travelling by train, bus and boat and most mountain railways. Purchase a half fare card that offers 50% off on mountain excursions, cable car tours, exclusive switzerland cogwheel trains, and funiculars. The Swiss Half Fare Card has a validity of one month.
Swiss Travel Pass Price
Swiss Travel Pass: 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 consecutive daysfrom  CHF232
Swiss Travel Pass Flex: 3, 4, 6, 8, or 15 freely selectable days within one monthfrom  CHF267
Swiss Half Fare Card: With the Swiss Half Fare Card, you will have a 50% discount when travelling by train, bus and boat and most mountain railways. Card is valid one month.from  CHF120
Bernina Express - Train Travel Switzerland

Swiss Travel Pass – Price

It’s the best seller – the classic Swiss Travel Pass. Explore this beautiful country by train, bus and boat. Included are trips by bus, train and boat within the validity range. It’s up to you if you need 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 consecutive days. You receive 50% discount on most mountain railways and free entry at more than 500 museums. Find the prices in detail below:

Swiss Travel Pass / Days

Price
3
  • 2nd class: CHF281
  • 1st class: CHF447
4
  • 2nd class: CHF359
  • 1st class: CHF570
6
  • 2nd class: CHF232
  • 1st class: CHF369
8
  • 2nd class: CHF389
  • 1st class: CHF617
15
  • 2nd class: CHF429
  • 1st class: CHF675

Swiss Travel Pass Discounts

  • Children can receive a 50% discount on the swiss travel pass when they travel alone throughout switzerland.
  • Group discounts on a swiss travel pass are available.
  • No special switzerland fares for seniors are included on a swiss travel pass or half fare card, including cable care transport.

Where to book a Swiss Travel Pass

Purchase Options through Switzerland include:

  • Online via Railtour CHF 232.00 (€212.17) – 3-day swiss travel pass rail pass 2nd class. Email delivery of your rail pass or half fare card.
  • Online through Happy Rail – CHF 230.0 (€212,32) – 3-day swiss travel pass, 2nd class. Tickets or the rail pass are delivered within one day. You may receive a voucher allowing you to obtain your swiss travel pass from a railway station.
  • Online via SBB online shop CHF 232.00 (€214.17) – 3-day swiss travel pass, 2nd class. Instant delivery of your Swiss Pass via email within 5 minutes. There is free cancellation on the swiss travel ticket through SBB within 4 business days before you travel throughout switzerland..

Activation of the Swiss Travel Pass

The swiss travel pass through switzerland is ready for use once you receive it. If you receive the Swiss Pass via a PDF file through SBB, the file will have a code that can be scanned from your smartphone. You can also receive a link to add the swiss travel pass to a wallet app on your smartphone. It is also possible to print the Swiss Pass on letter-sized paper.

Once you have received your swiss travel pass or half fare card, it is ready to be used. Note: Your swiss travel pass travel days through switzerland are consecutive. If you don’t travel on one of the days included in the swiss travel pass, that day will still be counted as a travel day.

When you board for train rides, present your swiss travel pass or half fare card to a ticket controller. The ticket controller may also want to check your passport to ensure you are the swiss travel pass owner. Show the passport you used when you purchased the swiss travel pass.

You will need to have your swiss travel pass validated if there is an area on the pass that requires a stamp from switzerland public transport and the start date is not filled out.

Seat Reservations

A seat reservation is usually not needed for trains and buses in switzerland. Simply board with your swiss travel pass, and you are on your way.

However, seat reservations are needed on international trains and some panoramic trains like the Bernina Express or the Glacier Express. If you want a seat reservation, you will need to arrange for a seat reservation online since seat reservations are not included in the swiss travel pass or rail pass.

Find the prices for the seat reservation for the Glacier Express, which have to be booked prior to your journey, as the trains are fully booked most of the time!

Seat Reservation Glacier ExpressPrice
Long Distance (Zermatt – St. Moritz)CHF 39 (Winter), CHF 49 (Summer)
Short distanceCHF 29 (Winter), CHF 39 (Summer)
Excellence ClassCHF 420
Train Travel Switzerland

Scenic Train Rides & places to visit with Swiss Travel Pass

Explore extraordinary switzerland with a rail pass, and you will experience all the best natural sights – from dramatic waterfalls, sheer mountain peaks, and charming villages.

Germany, France, and italy border switzerland, and each area has a different feel that is all its own. You can begin your rail rides at Bern, Switzerland’s capital city, and see the medieval Clock Tower and Muenster Cathedral, Lucerne with Historic Chapel Bridge, or Geneva, home to the Flower Clock and international peacekeeping organizations. Go on a free bus tour of Zurich, the financial center of the country. Zurich is also known as the most expensive city globally, and the zurich airport includes very pricey shops.

Choose train tours that include time in charming resort towns, including Zermatt at the base of the Matterhorn, St. Moritz that epitomizes winter alpine tourism, or Montreaux nestled on the shores of Lake Genea.

Take advantage of your swiss travel pass to book tours, including the Glacier Express, the Bernina Express, and the Gornergrat Railway.

  1. Bernina Express: The Bernina Express connects Chur to Poschiavo in switzerland to Tirano in italy. It crosses the Swiss Engadin Alps and features incredible views from red carriage train rides that provide panoramic views of 196 bridges, 55 tunnels, and peaks at 7,391 feet above sea level. Ride across the Lanwasser Viaduct made of limestone and six enormous arches. Your seat reservation on the Bernina Express varies by season, with the cheapest rail pass in November through February. A seat reservation is per traveler and is CHF 62 one way and CHF 73 to return. You don’t have to take the entire tour, and your swiss travel pass will cover your fare.
  2. Glacier Express: The Glacier Express is also known as the Slowest Express Train in the World, but it is also the most scenic train. It connects the villages of Matterhorn, Zermatt, and St. Moritz in the Swiss Alps. Most of the Glacier Express passes through the World Heritage Site and encompasses the impressive Matterhorn and Matter Valley views. It also gives you a wonderful view of rock walls through Visp and along the river Rhone.
  3. Cogwheel Railway to Mount Pilatus: Your swiss travel pass gives you 50% off the cogwheel railway to Mount Pilatus. The trip to Mount Pilatus features the Steepest Cogwheel Railway in the World. The journey lasts for 30 minutes and starts in Alanchtad, and has a gradient of 35%. The railway operates between November and May, or you can take a spectacular aerial cable car to the top. At the top of Mount Pilatus is Pilatus Kulm Hotel with the most incredible views.
  4. Jungfrau Railway to Jungfrau Mountain: Use your swiss travel pass in Zurich to take the historic Jungfrau railway to the highest railway station in Europe. The railway takes you 11,332 feet above sea level to an area that sits between the peaks of Monch and the Eiger Mountains. On a clear day, you can see the Black Forest of Germany and France. Here you will have the opportunity to tour the dazzling ice sculpture gallery. Walk on a glacier and purchase chocolate in the world’s highest chocolate shop. Don’t miss the waterfalls back to the village of Lauterbrunnen.
  5. Wildkirchli: One of the most popular day trips from Zurich is a cable car ride to Wildkirchli. Explore ancient caves and the Aescher restaurant perching on the cliff edges. The Ebenalp cable car station is located across the street from the Wasserauen train station, and your fee is covered 50% by the swiss travel pass. You can also use a half fare card for his excursion.
  6. Rigi: The summit of Rigi mountain is a must-visit place. A day trip to Rigi, also known as the Queen of Mountains, gives you a unique experience of riding the oldest cogwheel rail up to the summit. The trip begins with a ferry from the Lucerne train station and a ride in a cable car from Weggis to Rigi Kaltbad. You then board a cogwheel to the summit. The route takes you over green meadows filled with alpine wildflowers and gorgeous chalets. You will be delighted with the stunning views of villages and lakes famous in switzerland at the summit.
  7. Brienzer Rothorn: One of the top things you must do in switzerland is to visit Brienzer Rothorn. Take a cable car up to the Brienzer Rothorn from Sorenberg, offering gorgeous alpine views. Experience Bernese Oberland’s landscape at the summit, one of Switzerland’s most beautiful places. Your cable car ride down the mountain is exhilarating and a trip you will never forget.

A visit to switzerland should be on everyone’s bucket list. switzerland is a place with the world’s most photographed mountain, the Matterhorn. Switzerland is the roof of Europe with more peaks and rail travel than most European countries. switzerland has the chocolates you need and incredible diversity. Buy a swiss travel pass and have the trip of a lifetime.

Where to start your train tour through Switzerland

Start your tour of switzerland by landing in Zurich via the Zurich airport, the largest international airport in switzerland. zurich airport has major public transport links to the rest of the country, and swiss travel is easily found through zurich airport tours.

Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe: Once you arrive at the zurich airport, use your swiss travel pass to take a train to the “top of Europe” or the Jungfraujoch on a full-day tour. Travel through Lucerne, switzerland, followed by a ride in a revolving cable car to Mount Titlis’s top and gaze on the spectacular ice crevasses. Walk across the highest suspension bridge in Europe for more breathless views.

Your swiss travel pass includes touring Zurich by bus and visiting Rhine Falls by boat. Take advantage of the rail pass to see the most spectacular waterfall in Europe. Your boat ride to the middle of the falls is included in the swiss travel pass. Don’t forget to get out of the boat and walk to the top for a most unforgettable experience.

Use your swiss travel pass and take a train from Zurich through switzerland, italy, and Liechtenstein. Take a bus ride (included in the swiss travel pass) along Lake Como in italy. Your rail pass includes train rides through Switzerland’s unique villages, through part of northern Italy, and to Vaduz, Liechtenstein’s capital.