12 Cheapest destinations in Switzerland

In some Swiss regions, if you stay overnight, you get a free guest card that includes free public transportation and either free or discounted mountain transport and leisure activities. This can significantly reduce your costs for your summer holidays as these activities can be very expensive in Switzerland.

Here are the best regional offers for summer 2020 and our hiking suggestion for those areas.

Graubünden – southeast Switzerland

1. Engadin – “Mountain Railways Included” Pass

We love the Engadin region in southeast Switzerland, home to the highest fire pit in Europe and fancy St. Moritz. Guests staying more than one night at participating hotels and holiday apartments will receive the “Mountain Railways Included” pass for free! This covers 13 mountain railways including our favorites Corvatsch and Diavolezza.

Some hotels offer an expanded pass that includes public transportation, bike transport, and/or dog transport. Check with the specific hotel for which pass they offer. Valid: 1 May to 31 October 2020.

See details for Engadin “Mountain Railways Included” Pass.

See our Family Hiking Guide to Engadin  

2. Arosa All-inclusive Summer Pass

This mountain resort in southeast Switzerland might have the best deal in Switzerland. If you stay overnight in a participating hotel, you get the Arosa All-Inclusive Summer pass for free! This covers not only the mountain transport and bus service, but also many activities including entry to lake swimming area, rope climbing park, pedalo rental, mini golf, and more. We haven’t used all the services included in the card, but we can definitely recommend the hiking!

Details for Arosa All-Inclusive Summer Pass

3. Davos Klosters Premium Card

We don’t often hike at Davos Klosters because it’s quite expensive for day trippers and they don’t accept SBB Half-fare, Junior cards or other travel passes. But their free Premium Card for overnight guests makes everything more affordable.

Mountain railways are discounted to CHF 10 for a return trip and public transportation is free across the entire region. You get discounts on swimming areas, sports facilities, climbing park, golf, paragliding, and other leisure activities. It also includes the mountain amusement park for children at Madrisa. I might do a weekend here just so I can afford all these fun activities.

See details for Davos Klosters Premium Card

We recommend the Davos Panorama Trail

Eastern Switzerland

4. Appenzell Holiday Card

You will be familiar with Appenzell for famous cliff restaurant at Ebenalp and their yummy cheese in every Swiss grocery. Guests staying for 3 nights or more in a hotel or holiday accommodation receive the Appenzell Card for free. It includes public transportation in the Ostwind zone around the Appenzell area. It covers free transport on three cable cars including Ebenalp and Hoher Kasten, entrance to a few museums including the Appenzell Cheese Dairy, and a variety of sport facilities.

Details for Appenzell Holiday Card

We recommend the hike to Ebenalp Wildkirchli cliff restaurant

5. Oskar Card for Northeastern Switzerland

This card covers most of northeastern Switzerland including St. Gallen, Toggenburg, Appenzell, Thurgau, Schaffhausen and Liechtenstein. If you stay a minimum of 2 nights at one of their partner accommodations, you can purchase the Oskar Card for CHF 10/day (half-price for children 6-16).

The card covers public transportation in the area and 70 amusements for free, including:

• mountains: Staubern (Saxer Lücke), Mt. Santis, Hoher Kasten, Ebenalp, Toggenburg Wildhaus, Pizol Heidi Trail, Amden
• museums: Sea Life Konstanz, Chocolarium, Appenzell Cheese Dairy
• outdoor amusements: Tree Top Walk, Rhein Falls, Rhein river & Bodensee ferry

See details for Oskar Card

We recommend the hike from Staubern to Saxer Lücke

Lucerne & Central Switzerland

6. Luzern Visitor Card

If you stay in the Luzern area, you receive the Luzern Visitor Card for free. This gives you free public transportation in Luzern city and small discounts on many attractions in the area, including:

• mountains: Mt Rigi, Stoos, Stanserhorn, Pilatus, Brunni-Engelberg, Brienzer Rothorn, etc. 
• museums: Transportation Museum, Hergiswil Glass Museum, Ballenberg
• swimming: Alpamare & Swiss Holiday Park Morschach

You can enhance this by purchasing the Tell Pass, a regional travel pass that includes public transportation and almost all mountain transport for the entire region. You can buy it for 2-10 days. A 5 day pass costs CHF 250. 

Details for Luzern Visitor Card

See our Family Guide to Central Switzerland

Southern Switzerland

7. Ticino Ticket

We love this sunny southern part of Switzerland with Italian flavors. If you stay overnight in a hotel, hostel or campsite, you get free public transport throughout the region and discounts on mountain railways, boat trips (on the Swiss part of the lakes) and many tourist attractions. This means free buses to Valle Verzasca, reduced entrance to the Bellinzona castles, and 20% off Piotta-Ritom funicular, 

Get details for Ticino Ticket

We recommend the views at Cardada Cimetta

8. SaastalCard

If you are staying in the Saastal area in souther Switzerland (see on map), you get the SaastalCard for free. It includes free local bus service and the 9 mountain railways in the Saastal region. It also gives a variety of discounts on leisure activities like bike rental, summer toboggan, climbing park, museums, sports facilities, etc.

The only mountain not completely covered by the pass is the Metro Alpin cable car and entrance to the Ice Pavilion, an elaborate ice cave in the glacier. You can upgrade your Saastal Card by purchasing the Metro Plus ticket for a one time fee of CHF 45, which covers unlimited travel during your stay.

See our 5 day itinerary for Saastal

Details for the SaastalCard

Western Switzerland

9. Villars Free Access Card

We had a wonderful winter holiday in this French-speaking region in western Switzerland and are excited to explore in summer. This card is free for guests staying in the Villars, Gryon or Les Diablerets area. Valid for the length of your stay anytime between May, 30th to October, 25th 2020. If you just make frequent day trips here, you can buy this pass for CHF 170 for the summer (less for locals). 

It includes free public transportation, including buses and two gondolas that service the mountain hiking areas. With the card, many leisure activities are free or discounted, including pools, off-road scooters, climbing park, sport facilities, golf, tennis, archery, etc.

Details for Villars Free Access Card

See our winter weekend in the Villars-Les Diablerets area 

10. Adelboden Frutigen

Adelboden is at the end of a beautiful valley, about an hour drive south of Bern. If you stay in the Adelboden Frutigen area, you get a guest card that covers public transportation and gives small discounts on mountain transport, guided walks, sport facilities, bike rentals, horse riding, museums and other amusements.

See details for Adelboden Guest Card

We recommend hiking at Engstligenalp

11. Gstaad card

If you stay in a hotel or holiday apartment in the Saanenland or Zweisimmen area near Gstaad, you receive a Guest Card for free. The Guest Card gives you a variety of discounts on leisure activities including swimming pools, tennis, climbing parks, paragliding, lama trekking, etc.

The Guest Card allows you to purchase mountain railway tickets for CHF 19/day per adult (CHF 9/day for children over 6). It also includes free public transportation and discounts on leisure activities like museums and sport activities. For Glacier 3000, you get a 50% discount.

See details for Gstaad Card

See all our Gstaad hikes

12. Montreux Riviera Card

This sunny region on the east side of Lake Geneva is known for its good food and wine and beautiful views across the lake. You receive the Montreux Riviera Card for free if you stay in a hotel or other holiday accommodation in the area. It includes public transportation in the region and discounts on many museums and outdoor amusements, including 50% off the Chillon castle and mountains Les Pleides and Rocher-de-Naye. 

Details for the Montreux Riviera Card

See our Montreux weekend itinerary