Switzerland train travel is efficient, punctual, clean and a great way to see this beautiful country. But Swiss public transportation can also be expensive, especially if you are traveling with a large group or family.
So here are tips for getting discounts on Swiss train fares to maximize your budget.
Contents
How much does it cost to ride a train in Switzerland?
Full fare train travel in Switzerland can be expensive. Here are some sample one-way fares (double these for round trip).
- Zürich to Luzern = CHF 25
- Luzern to Interlaken = CHF 33
- Zürich to Zermatt = CHF 125
- Zermatt to Geneva = CHF 102
Children 6-16 pay half-fare. Children under 6 ride for free.
Seniors and students do not get a discount on full fare train tickets. But they do qualify for discounts on some travel passes, travel cards and mountain excursions.
Short-term travel passes
Travel passes are designed for tourists, making Swiss travel more convenient and cost effective. Instead of buying individual tickets each day of travel, you purchase a travel passes for a specific number of days, from 2 to 10 days depending on the pass.
Most travel passes cover public transport (trains, trams, buses) and give discounts on mountain excursions and leisure activities. Look at the specific pass details for the exact benefits.
1. Swiss Travel Pass
The most popular option for tourists is the Swiss Travel Pass. It fully covers transportation on trains, buses, and boats for a predetermined number of days. It also gives a discount on mountain transport at many locations. This is the most flexible pass and is best if you are traveling long distances and don’t have a set itinerary.
Should you buy a Swiss Travel Pass?
2. Regional travel passes
Many mountain destinations offer a regional travel passes that covers trains, buses, boats, and some mountain transport (or discounts for them) in one region for a certain number of days. You’ll have to do the math, but generally, these are only worth it if you don’t have a car (meaning you are always traveling to/from places by public transport) and you will be using expensive mountain transport every day.
- Jungfrau Pass
- Berner Oberland Regional Pass
- Tell Pass for Central Switzerland
- Erlebnis Card for Upper Valais
- Graubünden Pass for southeast Switzerland
- Golden Pass for western Switzerland
3. International travel passes
If you are traveling across Europe with a InterRail or Eurail pass, you may be eligible for discounts on Swiss train travel. But if Switzerland is the focus of your trip, it’s much better to purchase a Switzerland specific pass as mentioned above.
Interrail Global Pass – This pass is only available to residents of Europe and not valid in the country you live in (i.e. Swiss residents cannot use it in Switzerland). It is generally used to travel between major destinations/countries, e.g. 5 days of travel in one month. If you use this pass in Switzerland, it covers all public transportation and gives a discount on some mountain excursions (usually 25% off). If seat reservations are required on your train (like the Glacier Express), you must purchase those separately. Learn more.
Eurail Pass – This pass is only available to non-European residents. Depending which version of the pass you get, you get discounts on train trail and some mountain excursions in Switzerland. Learn more.
Long-term travel cards
These travel cards are designed more for Swiss residents, giving them discounted travel over the long term. But these can also be purchased by tourists and may be a more cost efficient option in some scenarios.
4. Half-fare travelcard
The SBB Half-fare travelcard gives you a 50% discount on public transportation (trains, trams, buses and boats) and most mountain transport. This pass pays for itself rather quickly if you ride up just a few expensive mountains.
Swiss residents can purchase the yearly SBB Half-fare travelcard, which costs CHF 185/adult. First you have to order a Swiss Pass, which is a travel ID card. Then you can buy travel passes to load onto the card. Learn more.
Tourists can purchase a 1 month Half-fare card, which provides the same benefits but just for 30 days. In 2023, this short-term travelcard costs CHF 120/adult. Learn more.
More info about the SBB Half-fare card.
5. Junior card – Free travel for kids
If you are traveling with children aged 6 to 16, you should buy the SBB Junior card (sometimes called the Family Card). It costs CHF 30 per year and entitles the child to travel free on public transportation and most mountain transport when traveling with a parent with a valid ticket.
The Junior Card is available for purchase by both locals and tourists. You can buy the Junior card at a train station that has a ticket office. You need to bring IDs for your children proving their age.
You can also buy a Children’s Co-Travelcard, which allows children to travel free when traveling with any adult with a valid ticket. It also costs CHF 30/year.
Children under 6 are free on all public transport and almost all mountain transport when accompanied by a parent with a valid ticket.
More info about SBB Junior Cards
5. 1-month GA Travelcard
If you are staying in Switzerland for a few weeks, a one month GA card could be the most affordable way to travel. A GA pass includes free public transportation all over Switzerland, including trains, trams, buses and boats. It also include a discount on most mountain railways, usually 50% discount and some free. See the current validity map to see what’s covered.
In 2023, a 1-month GA Travelcard costs CHF 420 (2nd class), about the same price as an 8 day Swiss Travel Pass (see below). You do not need a SBB Half-fare card to use the 1 month GA Travelcard. Both Swiss residents and non-Swiss residents can purchase this card.
Discount fares
If you do a little research and purchase in advance, you can benefit from discounted fares and special promotions.
6. Supersaver fares
If you buy tickets in advance, you may get a Supersaver Ticket option, which can offer extreme discounts. In the example below, a normal one-way ticket from Zürich to Bern is CHF 51, but with Supersaver it’s only CHF 15.40 (even less with a SBB Half-fare card).
When booking tickets on SBB.ch or the SBB app, you’ll see the Supersaver option in the “Options for outward journey” section at the bottom of the screen. You’ll need to expand that section to see it. The Supersaver option isn’t always available. If you see the % symbol, then a discount option is available.
Please note that the Supersaver fare is for a specific date & time, so you cannot use this ticket for a different train that day, e.g. if you missed the train or wanted to take an earlier one. More details on SBB.
7. SBB Railaway combi discounts
SBB Railaway does many special travel promotions within Switzerland. Their “combi discounts” give you a discount when you purchase your train travel together with a leisure activities like mountain excursions and museums. The discount is at least 10% but can be as high as 50%. They typically publish a new set of offers each season.
Day Passes
A day pass covers all public transport covers all public transportation throughout Switzerland and gives discounts on some mountain transport. In 2022, the standard day pass costs CHF 150 full fare and CHF 75 with a SBB Half-fare card. But there are three ways you can get a discounted day pass.
8. Saver Day Passes
Anyone can buy Saver Day Passes in advance, which covers all public transportation throughout Switzerland and gives discounts on some mountain transport. These Saver Day Passes can be as low as CHF 52 for adults or CHF 29 for adults with a SBB half-fare card. This is about the same price as a return ticket from Zürich to Luzern. Amazing deal!
The downside is that you have book very far in advance to get the biggest discount. If your plans change, there is bad weather or you get sick, you might not be able to use the pass.
The Saver Day Pass generally has the same validity as a GA Pass. But some mountains do not accept the Saver Day Pass (even if they accept the GA pass). So check the validity map to make sure your desired destinations are covered.
Learn more about the Saver Day Pass
9. “Gemeinde” Day Passes
Many towns pre-purchase GA Day Passes (covers travel for the entire country), which they offer at a discount to people who live in the town. You can see a list of towns and calendar of what’s still available here: https://www.tageskarte-gemeinde.ch/en-us/
This website simply links you to the website for that Gemeinde (aka community), so you can see their rules for reserving and purchasing the tickets. You can often reserve them online, sometimes by phone, then pick them up a few days before your travel day. Typically only people living in the Gemeinde can reserve and pick up the tickets, so you could have a friend do it for you.
10. Leisure Card
If you have a SBB Half-fare card, you can purchase a “Leisure Card,” which includes 20 GA day passes for CHF 900. This works out to CHF 45/day, which is much cheaper than the standard half-fare day pass price of CHF 75/day.
You have to use all 20 passes within a year of purchase. But you can use them anytime and don’t have to pre-book a specific day.
FAQ
Is it cheaper to buy Swiss train tickets online?
For regular tickets, it is not cheaper to purchase Swiss train tickets online. However, some discount offers (like Supersaver fares and Saver Day Passes) are only available on the SBB website and SBB mobile app. So it’s always better to purchase train tickets online or via mobile app so you can see if these discounts are available.
Do I need to reserve a seat on Swiss trains?
Seat reservations are only CHF 5 but it’s not usually necessary to make a seat reservation on Swiss trains. I’ve made a reservation only one time in 17 years.
But you may need/want to reserve a seat if:
- you are traveling on a special panorama train that requires a reservation (e.g. Glacier Express, Bernina Express, Gotthard Express)
- the train is forecast to be very crowded and you are traveling a long distance on a single train
- you are traveling a popular commute route during commuting hours (Zurich – Bern, Bern – Geneva, Zurich – Lugano)
- you are traveling with children or a large group and want to sit together
- you want to sit in a special train car, like family area or business zone
You can only make reservations on most Intercity (IC) and ICN trains, not on local trains. You can see the forecast capacity on the SBB.ch or SBB mobile app. They have a little people icon that turns red as they predict the train to be more full.
You can make the reservation online at SBB.ch. You don’t reserve the seat when purchasing your ticket. You do it separately using the reservation booking system. During this process, make sure to select the same train your ticket is for.
Do I have to buy a train ticket for my dog?
Dogs larger than 30 cm tall must have a train ticket. Small dogs under 30cm may travel for free only if they travel inside a carrier or basket.
For short journeys, purchase a half-fare ticket for your dog. For longer journeys, purchase a Dog Day Pass, which costs CHF 25. You can also purchase a Dog year pass for CHF 350. Learn more.
Do I need a train ticket for my bike?
Yes, you need a separate train ticket for your bike. For short distances, you can purchase a half-price ticket for your bike in addition to your own ticket. For longer distances, purchase a bike day pass, which in 2022, costs CHF 14. Learn more about taking bikes on Swiss trains.
Do disabled passengers receive discounts?
Disabled passengers are not automatically entitled to discounts on Swiss train travel. However, you may receive discounts if you purchase Swiss train tickets from your country of origin. Learn more.
I hope these tips helped. Do you have any other ideas on how to save money on travel in Switzerland?
2 Responses
Thank you, very useful! Saved us quite a bit on train tickets
Great! So I could help you save some money on your trip.