The Swiss Travel Pass is a convenient rail pass for tourists in Switzerland.
The pass includes unlimited public transportation throughout Switzerland and discounts on mountain railways, museums and other attractions. You can purchase the pass for 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 days.
We think the Swiss Travel Pass is a great value for many travelers and often recommend it in our travel consultations. But it’s not right for every itinerary.
In this article, I explain the benefits of the pass and do some price comparisons to help you decide if the pass is right for you. I also include our favorite excursions to do with the pass in popular destinations.
Contents
- Benefits of Swiss Travel Pass
- 10 Reasons to Get the Swiss Travel Pass
- 1. Unlimited travel across Switzerland
- 2. 50% discount on mountain railways
- 3. Free scenic train tickets (like Glacier Express)
- 4. Free public transportation in cities
- 5. Children travel for free
- 6. Free museums
- 7. Easy to use & flexibility
- 8. FREE Mountain Excursions
- 9. Free Scenic Boat Rides
- 10. Discounts on attractions
- Price of Swiss Travel Pass
- Cost Comparisons
- How to decide if the Swiss Travel Pass is worth it
- Travel Passes Compared
- Renting a car vs Swiss Travel Pass
Benefits of Swiss Travel Pass
The Swiss Travel Pass is an unlimited travel pass for the entire country of Switzerland. In short, the benefits include:
- unlimited travel on most trains, buses, and boats across the entire country
- free train tickets for scenic panorama trains – you only need to pay for the seat reservation
- free public transport in cities, including trams and buses
- discount up to 50% off on mountain railways like cable cars, gondolas, cogwheel mountain trains and funiculars
- free entrance to over 500 museums
Note: The Swiss Travel Pass does not sell out. However, some providers like GetYourGuide sometimes have limited quantities on certain dates. In this case, you can purchase the travel pass via SBB.ch or SwissRailways.com instead.
10 Reasons to Get the Swiss Travel Pass
1. Unlimited travel across Switzerland
The main benefit of the Swiss Travel Pass is unlimited public transportation throughout Switzerland. This benefit includes intercity trains, trams and buses in cities, and most boats on lakes and rivers around Switzerland.
The “Map of Validity” shows exactly where you can use the Swiss Travel Pass.
To check specific connections, use the interactive “Map of Validity” on SBB.ch or download a PDF. You can also get this map from any train station ticket office.
Quick Decision: Total up the full fare cost of just the intercity train trips in your itinerary. If this is about 80% of the cost of the Swiss Travel Pass or more, it’s usually worth it. Less than that, the Swiss Half Fare Card is usually better.
2. 50% discount on mountain railways
With the Swiss Travel Pass, you get a up to 50% discount on most mountain railways like cable cars, gondolas, cogwheel mountain trains and funiculars trains. If you plan to visit a lot of mountains, this can lead to a big cost savings.
By contrast, the Eurail Global Pass, usually only gives a 25% discount and doesn’t cover nearly as many mountains.
However, if you are spending most of your time in one region, you may consider a regional pass instead, which includes mountain excursions for free within that region. Learn more.
3. Free scenic train tickets (like Glacier Express)
The Swiss Travel Pass covers the train ticket for all scenic panorama trains in Switzerland, including Glacier Express, Bernina Express and GoldenPass Express. This benefit can significantly reduce your cost for these special journeys.
Important: The STP does not cover the seat reservation, which is mandatory for most of these routes and must be booked well in advance.
It’s easiest to book these scenic trains with Swiss Rail Packages. When booking rail packages, you can select the Swiss Travel Pass as a reduction. Use our promo code AFFSWISSFAMILYFUN to get a further 5% discount. Learn more.
4. Free public transportation in cities
Unlike the Eurail Global Pass, the Swiss Travel Pass covers trams and buses in cities. This benefit reduces both the cost and complexity of your day trips.
5. Children travel for free
When you purchase a Swiss Travel Pass, you get a free “Family Card” for each child in your family aged 6-15. With the Family Card, the child rides free on both public transport and mountain railways when traveling with a parent with a valid travel pass.
This child’s pass is a fantastic value, especially if you have more than one child. In just three days, you could easily save CHF 80+ per child with just one mountain outing per day.
This savings could be the determining factor when deciding whether the Jungfrau Travel Pass is worth it for the family.
Note: Children under 6 usually travel for free even without a pass.
6. Free museums
The Swiss Travel Pass includes free entrance to 500+ museums (same benefits as the Swiss Museum Pass).
Here are a few popular museums and attractions covered by the pass:
- Interlaken region: Thun Castle, Ballenberg
- Zurich: Swiss National Museum, FIFA Museum
- Lucerne: Glacier Garden Museum, 50% off Swiss Museum of Transport
- Lake Geneva Region: Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Chillon Castle at Montreux, Gruyères Castle and Cheese dairy
- Appenzell: Appenzell Show Dairy, Maestrani’s Chocolarium, St Gallen Abbey Library
7. Easy to use & flexibility
With the Swiss Travel Pass, you don’t have to purchase individual tickets for your public transport journeys. This saves you both time and hassle.
You can simply hop on most any train, tram, bus, or boat around the country. Simply show your Swiss Travel Pass QR Code when a ticket agent requests it.
During the day, you can change your mind at any time and go somewhere else, without considering the effects on your budget.
Plus, if you miss your connection or accidently get on the wrong train, you don’t have to worry that your ticket doesn’t cover that journey.
8. FREE Mountain Excursions
Several mountain excursions are completely free with the Swiss Travel Pass, most notably Mt Rigi near Lucerne. Choosing these excursions helps you maximize the value of your Swiss Travel Pass.
Here are a few mountain railways that are completely covered by the pass.
- Mt Rigi: with STP, free boat from Lucerne and all Rigi mountain railways. This includes the mountain train to Rigi Kulm viewpoint and Panorama trail.
- Stanserhorn: with STP, free travel on funicular train and open-air cable car to reach spectacular mountain viewpoint.
- Mürren, Wengen, & Gimmelwald: the STP covers the cable cars and mountain train to reach these alpine villages in the Jungfrau Region
- Engelberg: The STP covers the Engelberg Brunni-Ristis cable car, which takes you to a fantastic alpine playground and fun trails. Chair lift to the Tickle Trail costs extra, but you can hike up instead.
- Stoos funicular train: the STP gets you a free ride on the famous funicular train to the alpine village. For a totally free day, you can hike up to the popular ridge trail or cliff viewpoint. For an easier day, use the STP to get a discount on the chair lifts.
- Montreux: Near end of May, wild daffodils bloom near Montreux. The best places to see these flowers have mountain railways that are free with the STP: Les Pléiades, Les Avants, Mont Pèlerin, and Rochers-de-Naye trail to Haut Caux.
- Klewenalp & Stockhütte: both of these cable cars are free with the STP, accessing a nice trail, alpine playgrounds, and mountain scooter ride. Learn more about Klewenalp.
- Flumserberg Tannenboden: The STP includes the SeeJet cable car from the valley (Unterterzen) to the base of the Flumserberg resort (Tannenboden). If you don’t want to spend extra, you can hike to the lake at Seebenalp. Or get 50% off the other mountain lifts and do the Alpine Flower trail or 7 Peak Tour.
This list was updated in 2026, but validity may change without notice. Check the relevant websites to verify the current discounts.
Need help planning your trip? Book a travel consult with Tanya.
9. Free Scenic Boat Rides
You can cruise many lakes around Switzerland for free with the Swiss Travel Pass.
As of 2026, the following boats are free with the Swiss Travel Pass.
- Lake Zürich
- Lake Lucerne
- Lake Thun
- Lake Brienz
- Lake Neuchatel
- Lake Zug
- Lake Geneva
If you have a 2nd Class Swiss Travel Pass, you can purchase a 1st Class Upgrade for just for the boat ride. Inquire at the boat ticket office.
Here are some sample price comparisons for boat day passes.
10. Discounts on attractions
With the Swiss Travel Pass, you can also book “Railaway Leisure Offers” and get discounts on attractions like thermal baths, chocolate factories, and amusement parks.
The discount is usually 10-30% off the entrance fee to the attraction. Offers change seasonally. See current Railaway Leisure Offers.
When booking the offer, you add passenger info and select “Other ticket” as shown below, which would be your Swiss Travel Pass.
Price of Swiss Travel Pass
You can purchase the Jungfrau Travel Pass for 3 to 8 days, which must be used consecutively. The pass is a better value the more days you buy it for, as indicated by the approximate per day cost.
2026 Prices for Swiss Travel Pass
Here are the Swiss Travel Pass prices for 2026. These may change without notice.
Notes:
- children age 15 and under get a free Swiss Family Card
- no discount for seniors
When to purchase the pass
The Swiss Travel Pass does not sell out. But for convenience, you should buy the Swiss Travel Pass before your trip. During the purchase process, you select the first day of validity.
We suggest purchasing the Swiss Travel Pass through Get Your Guide because they allow free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.
Children and Swiss Travel Pass
When parents purchase a Swiss Travel Pass, you can get a free “Swiss Family Card” for each child age 15 and under. With the Swiss Family Card, the child travels for free on public transport and mountain transport when travel with their parent who has a valid STP.
This child’s pass is a fantastic value, especially if you have more than one child. In just three days, you could easily save CHF 30-50 per child with just one mountain outing per day. This savings could be the determining factor when deciding whether the Jungfrau Travel Pass is worth it for the family.
Children under 6 are free on all public transportation and most mountain transport. No travel pass or ticket required.
1st class vs 2nd class
When you purchase the Swiss Travel Pass, you can choose 2nd or 1st class. For most people, the 2nd class pass is fine. Our family always travels in 2nd class and I never even consider upgrading to 1st class.
But here are a few reasons you might prefer 1st class:
- less crowded – less people purchase 1st class tickets, so on busy trains it may be easier to find a good seat
- more comfortable – seats in 1st class have slightly more leg room and wider seats
- quieter – 1st class attracts more business commuters and older travelers, not rowdy young people
In general, we do not recommend that families with small children book 1st class tickets, as 1st class passengers expect a quiet journey. Instead some trains have a “family carriage” that has a small play area and tolerate more noise.
Flex pass
There is a more expensive “Flex” version of the Swiss Travel Pass, which is non-continuous. This means you buy a number of days and can use them anytime in a one month period. You activate each day individually when you need to use it.
A good scenario for the Swiss Travel Pass FLEX would be if you are visiting Switzerland for work and only traveling on the weekends.
Cost Comparisons
To figure out your potential cost savings with the Swiss Travel Pass, you have to do the math based on your specific itinerary.
This calculation would compare prices for trains between your destinations and cost of daily excursions (public transport to reach the excursion and mountain transport).
NOTE: The prices below were updated in March 2026. No guarantee that these prices are valid for your trip.
Sample itinerary price comparison
Below is a typical itinerary for an 8 day trip in Switzerland, visiting Lucerne, Wengen (Jungfrau Region), and Zermatt, flying in and out of Zürich. It assumes 2nd class tickets.
The Intercity Trains are for each time you move hotels. The Excursions include the public transport to the activity and mountain transport required for the activity.
You’ll notice that for just the intercity transfers, the STP is more expensive than full price. But once you include the excursions, it’s the least expensive option.
If you need help doing these calculations for your trip, you can book a travel consult with me.
Scenic train itinerary
If you are doing a lot of long train rides, the Swiss Travel Pass can be good value just for these rides.
The table below shows a sample Switzerland “Grand Tour” itinerary, that includes many of the scenic trains. It assumes a 2nd class ticket and pass.
Savings on Mountain Railway Tickets
The Swiss Travel Pass gives you a discount on most mountain railways, usually 50%.
A few mountains are completely free with the STP, like Rigi, Stanserhorn, Rochers de Naye, and Mürren. A few are only 25% like Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg.
Here are a few price comparisons of popular mountain railways:
If you ride a lot of expensive mountain railways, the Swiss Travel Pass pays for itself pretty quickly. But if you only visit a few mountains or only inexpensive rides, then you don’t get much value from the Swiss Travel Pass.
How to decide if the Swiss Travel Pass is worth it
During my Swiss travel consultations, many travelers ask if the Swiss Travel Pass is worth it. It completely depends on your specific itinerary and travel style.
Here are three main factors to consider when deciding if you should purchase a Swiss Travel Pass for your trip.
1. Cost savings
If saving money is the most important factor, you must do the math based on your specific itinerary. It can be a complicated calculation with dozen of variables.
Even then, your plans may change day by day, based on energy levels and weather, which can change the answer at any time.
If you don’t want to the math, the Swiss Travel Pass is usually worth it if:
- you are visiting 3+ destinations in Switzerland, with expensive train rides between each destination
- you plan to ride up one or more mountains almost every day of your trip
- you want to visit museums, since most museums are free with the STP
- you don’t want to hassle with buying individual tickets
- you have children aged 6-15 who get a free Swiss Family Card
2. Convenience
For many travelers, the convenience of the Swiss Travel Pass is worth even more than the potential cost savings.
A few things to consider:
- With the pass, you don’t have to hassle with purchasing individual tickets
- You don’t have to worry that you bought the wrong ticket, as long as you stay within the covered network
- At most mountain transport, you can skip the ticket line and scan your pass directly at the turnstile
Tip: For a rough calculation, total up the costs of just the intercity train trips in your itinerary. If this is about 80% of the cost of the Swiss Travel Pass or more, it’s usually a good idea to get the pass. Less than that, the Swiss Half Fare Card is usually better.
3. Flexibility
Since the Swiss Travel Pass covers the entire country, you have the flexibility to change plans and add more activities without additional costs.
For example, if you have poor weather, you could travel far outside your region to somewhere with a better forecast without worrying about the high priced train ticket. If you only had a regional travel pass or were paying full price, those day trips could feel outside your travel budget.
You may also feel free to visit more mountains and do more activities because they are already included in the pass.
Travel Passes Compared
Switzerland has a variety of travel passes and discount tickets. Depending on your exact plans, these other passes may be a better fit.
Regional Passes vs Swiss Travel Pass
If you are spending 5+ days in the Jungfrau Region or Lucerne, then a regional pass might be a better choice than the Swiss Travel Pass.
In additional to free public transport, the regional passes fully cover mountain railways, while the more expensive Swiss Travel Pass only gives a discount. So if you spend a long time in one region, it might be more cost effective to have a regional pass that completely covers the mountain railways.
The regional pass also adds convenience, since you can also skip the ticket line at mountain railways.
But if you are visiting several destinations across Switzerland, only spending a couple days in each, the Swiss Travel Pass usually is the better pass. That pass covers your trains all over Switzerland, but the regional passes only cover public transportation in the associated region.
Prices for popular regional passes 2026:
Here are a few price comparisons between the different passes.
Learn about the Jungfrau Travel Pass, Berner Oberland Pass, and Lucerne Tell Pass.
Swiss Half Fare Card
Tourists can buy a one month Swiss Half Fare card , which entitles them to half-fare on all public transportation and most mountain transport in the entire country.
In 2026, this one month card costs CHF 150. It can only be purchased by non Swiss residents. This card can quickly pay for itself after only a few journeys.
The Swiss Half Fare Card is much cheaper than the Swiss Travel Pass, but it doesn’t completely cover your public transport. You always have to pay at least 50% of the full fare on everything.
In general, we find the Swiss Half Fare a better option than the Swiss Travel Pass if:
- most activities are near your hotel, so you aren’t using public transport long, expensive train journeys
- you only visit a couple mountains during your trip
- you rent a car and don’t use public transportation much or at all
- you visit Switzerland for 15-30 days, since the Half Fare Card is good for a whole month
The Swiss Travel Pass is better if:
- you are staying in a few places around Switzerland, with expensive train rides between each destination
- you plan to visit 1-2 mountains almost every day of your trip
- you want to visit a lot of museums, since most museums are free with the STP
If you have children aged 6-15, they each get a free “Swiss Family Card” when you purchase a one month Swiss Half Fard for the parent, same as the Swiss Travel Pass. So this comparison is the same.
➡️ Learn more about the one month Swiss Half Fare Card.
Eurail Pass
The Eurail Global Pass covers train travel in 30+ European countries, including Switzerland.
Like the Swiss Travel Pass, the Eurail Global Pass includes most intercity train travel around Switzerland. This includes scenic trains, but not the seat reservations, which must be booked separately.
See detailed map of Eurail Global Pass coverage for Switzerland.
However unlike the Swiss Travel Pass, the Eurail Global Pass does not cover buses or city trams. While the Eurail Global Pass gives a discount on popular Swiss mountain excursions, it is usually only 25% off, while the Swiss Travel Pass gives a 50% discount.
If you are traveling to a few European countries, with a just a couple days in Switzerland, then the Eurail Global Pass is a good choice. If you are spending 6 or more days in Switzerland, it’s usually a better value to get the Swiss Travel Pass.
Renting a car vs Swiss Travel Pass
Travel by car can be faster and more convenient than public transport. But it’s not always less expensive.
I recommend a car if:
- your time is short and you need to get around quickly
- you want to visit out of the way non-tourist areas
- you don’t like carrying your luggage through busy train stations for transfers
- you have small kids that are difficult to manage on public transport
- anyone in your group has mobility issues that make walking to public transport stops difficult
Here are a few downsides of renting a car:
- rental fees, parking, and gas are very expensive in Switzerland
- large vans for 6+ people including luggage are hard to find and expensive
- there lots of speed cameras in Switzerland, leading to expensive traffic violations
- traffic can be really bad, particularly on the weekends at the Gotthard tunnel (connection to Italy), country boarders, and freeways leading to popular mountain resorts
Sample Cost comparison – car vs public transportation
Let’s assume a basic rental car costs about CHF 60/day. Gas is expensive, about CHF 1.85/liter. In general, expect to spend about CHF 80-100 to fill up your tank. If you drive about 2-3 hrs/day, that would be about CHF 30-40 in gas/day.
Expect to pay for parking in most places: grocery stores, shopping malls, parking lots next to cable cars, train stations, etc. Expect to pay about CHF 1/hr or CHF 5-15/day, more if you are parking in a garage in Grindelwald or Zermatt.
So let’s say about CHF 100-120/day for the car costs. Divide this cost across all adults in your car.
Assuming 2 adults, here are some cost comparisons. With a Swiss Travel Pass, each journey would cost between CHF 52-77/adult, depending on how many days you bought the pass for.
- Zürich to Luzern return trip – car ~CHF 40/adult, full price train CHF 50/adult
- Zürich to Interlaken one way – car ~CHF 45/adult, full price train CHF 75/adult
- Zürich to Zermatt one way – car ~CHF 50/adult, full price train CHF 130/adult
So the farther you travel, the most cost effective the car (or a Swiss Travel Pass) becomes.
Not sure which pass is right for you?
Book a Travel Consult with Tanya to discuss your options.
21 responses
I will be travelling to Grindelwald next month and stay only in Grindelwald for 5 nights. I will do hiking and probable go up to Jungfrau Joch. Which pass is the most suitable for me? Does the pass provide free train rides between Zurich airport and Grindelwald?
The Jungfrau Travel Pass would probably be the best option. It does not cover the train ticket to the airport.
Hi Tanya! Thanks for all your amazing tips! Really appreciate your insight. My husband and I are flying into Zurich in 2 weeks…yes, we know we’re cutting it close and we still don’t know what we’re doing! We are staying in Lucerne for 3 days and will stay local and if time and weather permits, we’d like to do some easy hikes (without winter gear) and visit all 3 scenic mountains. Being that we are visiting right at the end of the winter season, we know that some transportation, services, and activities may be closed. Should we bother? Will that greatly impact our experience to where it’s really not worth going? If we decide to go regardless, it seems the Tell Pass will be the best way to go at the current discounted winter rate. However, after Lucerne we are looking to head down to Tirano either via local trains or the Bernina Express, whichever offers the best value and flexibility without compromising our experience so we are wondering if the Swiss Travel Pass would be the better choice or if we should stick with Tell and just purchase point to point for our way down to Tirano (one way). Also keeping in mind we need to find our way from Zurich airport to Lucerne as well. Would love to hear your thoughts on this and hopefully receive a response before we fly out in 2 weeks! Thank you in advance!!
I’m just seeing your comment. I would probably get the Swiss Travel Pass since it gives you the most flexibility especially if you want to take the train down to the St Moritz area. The STP would cover visiting Rigi, which will be open when you are here. You could even do a day trip over to Mürren with the STP (using the Luzern-Interlaken Express), which also covers the cable car and mountain train up to Mürren and cable car down to Stechelberg and bus back to Lauterbrunnen. You can definitely find some nice things to do. If you can postpone the trip until later in summer, I would do that. But this is the only time you can come, do it!
My wife and I are arriving in Basel (from Canada) on October 30th and we are trying to plan the following quick 3-day trip before embarking on a river cruise.
– October 31st travel from Basel to Luzern. Spend the day visiting in the Luzern area.
– November 1st travel from Luzern to Grindelwald
– We would like to use cable cars on November 1st and November 2nd in Grindelwald.
– November 2nd travel from Grindelwald back to Basel to arrive late in the day.
Would a Swiss Travel Pass be useful for these 3 days or are we better off with a one month Half-Fare Discount Travel Card ?
We understand that many places will be closed at that time but our schedule cannot be changed.
Maybe you have other suggestions.
Thank You
Hi. A Swiss Travel Pass for 3 days costs CHF 232. You would need to calculate the costs of the activities you plan to do and compare it to the pass cost. I did a quick calculation, guessing what activities you might do, and your costs are pretty similar full fare, with STP or with a half-fare card. It really depends on how many mountains you visit. You are welcome to book a travel advice call with me if you need help doing more specific calculations.
Hello,
How do we know which trains are covered by the Swiss travel pass? We are trying to map our route with trains and times bur not sure which trains are cover by the pass itself. Are there specific icons say on google maps that are designated for one type of pass vs others?
You can see the validity map for the Swiss Travel Pass here: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/railpasses/area-validity-map.html
Hello,
I’m traveling from Zurich to Zermatt for 7 days of skiing with my husband and children who are 13, 16, and 17. I was thinking that I would need to get the flex travel passes for each of us to make this train trip. Is this correct?
Thanks for your help, Jen
Sorry for the very late response. If you are traveling one way from Zurich to Zermatt, you only need a Point-to-Point ticket, not a travel pass which is valid for multiple days. You can save money by buying this ticket well in advance. See my train travel budget tips for more info: https://swissfamilyfun.com/affordable-train-travel-switzerland/
Hey,
Hopefully you can help me make sense of my travel situation and offer some advice. I am going to be staying around Lucerne, Brienz, Interlaken, Thun, Grindelwald, Engleberg areas. I will be driving to all destinations so will not be taking public transport but will be taking boats on lake tours, cable cars and hope to take a panoramic train. Would a swiss travel pass still be a good idea or???
Thanks so much, I understand I will need to do the full calculations but just wondering if the travel pass is more about public transport or what I have stated above.
Thanks in advance,
I do think the travel passes do make more sense financially when you use them for public transport as well as the mountain railways. Yes, you’ll need to do the math. Perhaps the half-fare card will be better value for you depending on how many mountain trips you plan to do.
Hi Tanya & Family,
Great to read your informative blog.
I have been bringing my family of 4 (my wife and 2 teens girls of 15 & 17 years old now) 3 weeks roads trip each yearly to Australia like Gold Coast, Perth and Tasmania as well as North and South Islands of New Zealand. I have always rented bigger car for each trip.
But I have read up so far as if it is better to travel by public transport in Switzerland.
I am planning with my family of 4 to visit Switzerland for 10 to 12 days in late November to early Dec 2020. Hence, we probably spend 2-3 days each at Zurich, Interlaken and Zermatt mainly for the AMAZING HIGH mountain visits.
As such, would you advise/recommend if my family should travel by car or use Swiss pass to as we will definitely visit Mountains…etc?
Is there anything we must take note of like the weather conditions?
Thank you in advance for your kind advice!
Stay safe and healthy!
Warmest regards,
Paul & Family (Singapore)
Hi Paul, What a fun trip you’re planning for your family. But I would highly encourage you to do this kind of trip earlier in the season. Most mountains close for the season in mid-October and don’t open back up for ski season until mid-December. So you would be very limited on which mountains you can visit during this time. Even if you can access a mountain, you likely won’t be able to hike because of snow plus all the services like restaurants and other leisure activities will be closed. I have a post that might be helpful https://swissfamilyfun.com/swiss-alps-november/
If possible, I would move your trip to end of September to mid-October. Even then, you need to be prepared for cold weather and possibly snow. So bring waterproof hiking shoes and warm layers.
Swiss public transportation is very convenient and efficient. With one of the Swiss travel passes, it can be more affordable than traveling by car because of the discounts on mountain transport. But with a family of four, I might consider renting a car instead because it gives you more flexibility. You’ll have to do the math, of course.
I hope this advice helps and best of luck planning your trip.
Hi there,
I am still confused!
I am wanting to travel from Zurich to Interlaken return (would like to stop at Bern one way and Lucerne the other)
I am then staying at Interlaken for a week and want to maximise the area.
Do I need to buy a swiss travel pass for example 3 day flex and then the Jungfrau pass for an amount of days there?
We are also staying in Zurich for 1 night.
I have 2 adults and a child of 10 in my party. I realise the expense for Swiss train travel but don’t want to double up on tickets!
Any help would be appreciated! Want to do everything possible whilst there for our 8 days!
Hi. I know it’s complicated. You’ll have to do some calculations comparing prices based on your exact activities. Yes, the Swiss Travel Pass Flex makes sense for the days are you traveling to and from Zürich. But only if you are traveling far on each of those days, not if you are staying in Zürich city one of those days. While you are in Interlaken, I would probably get either a Berner Oberland Regional Pass or Jungfrau Travel Pass, depending on what you plan to do while you are there. Definitely don’t double up. On the days you have the Swiss Travel Pass, you can still go up a mountain, you’ll just get 50% discount on that part. So maybe get the Swiss Travel Pass Flex for 3 days and use it for one day during your Interlaken time, either on the beginning of end of your stay. That pass will definitely make your travel to and from Interlaken cheaper. For your child, definitely get the Junior Card for CHF 30, then they travel for free with you.
Another idea is to buy the Saver Day Pass for those travel days to and from Interlaken. If you buy them very far in advance (2 months max I think), you get them for about CHF 66 per person (maybe less), much cheaper than the Swiss Travel Pass. So buy those for the two travel days and do a regional pass for the days in Interlaken. https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/1-day-travelpass/saver-day-pass.html
Hope this helps.
It’s probably too late for your plans, but I would go for a Halbtax abo for a month combined with the Berner Oberland Pass.
Grear helpful tips though for a first timer planning a Swiss trip like me the info is a bit confusing.
I am driving from Paris to Geneva with wife, 14 yr old son and 2 sister in laws, then onto Interlaken for Jungfraujoch. From there we are undecided to visit Zermatt or straight to Milan on our way to Venice.
Reading your guide made me wonder if we should buy Swiss Travel Pass or just individual tickets. Our train journey is only going up from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch on 24 Nov 2019.
Would you suggest where and when to buy the cheapest round trip tickets for 4 adults and 1 child 14 yr old? Appreciate it.
Sounds like a fun trip! The Swiss Travel Pass is only available for a minimum of 3 days of travel, which costs CHF 232. So if you only have one travel day, it’s not worth it. It doesn’t fully cover the journey up to the Jungfraujoch. If you need it to cover the travel in Switzerland to Interlaken and back out of Switzerland, then maybe it’s worth it. You’ll just have to do some price comparisons. I buy all my Swiss train tickets through SBB.ch, the official public transport website of Switzerland. You can view the website in English.
Dear Tanya,
Thank you very much for your post. Your web site is super helpful. We did so many wonderful hikes and city trips with huge help from you.
Also want to share that junior card is free from third child. We didn’t know that when we bought ours this year and lady at the SBB office also:(
With all the best for you and your family,
Anya
Great tip! I didn’t know that. I will add that to my posts. Thanks so much!!!