Switzerland’s rail passes make travel easier and more affordable, offering savings on trains, buses, cable cars, and attractions.
For most travelers, the Swiss Travel Pass is the best choice, providing unlimited public transport across the country, a 50% discount on mountain transport, and free entry to hundreds of museums.
However, if you’re spending most of your time in a specific area—like the Jungfrau Region or Lake Lucerne area—a regional travel pass may offer better value and additional benefits.
Below, I compare Switzerland’s regional travel passes to the Swiss Travel Pass to help you choose the best option for your trip.
Contents
Note: Prices and pass benefits may change without notice.
Quick decision
If you don’t want to overthink this decision, here’s a quick chart to help you decide.
| Swiss Half Fare Card | Swiss Travel Pass | Regional travel pass |
|---|---|---|
| renting a car | public transport | renting a car or public transport |
| short trip 1-4 days or trip longer than 15 days | trip length 5-15 days and visiting 2+ regions | visiting only one region for 5-15 days |
| budget is more important than convenience | convenience is more important than budget | convenience is more important than budget |
| ➡️ Purchase | ➡️Purchase |
Need help deciding? Book a travel consult with me to discuss your options.
Travel Pass Options
Here are quick links to the most popular travel passes for Switzerland
| Travel Pass | Benefits | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss Travel Pass | free public transport and 50% discount on mountain railways for the whole country | ➡️Purchase |
| Swiss Half Fare Card | 50% discount on public transport and mountain railways for the whole country | ➡️ Purchase |
| Jungfrau Travel Pass | free public transport + free or discounted mountain railways in most of the Jungfrau Region | ➡️ Purchase |
| Bernese Oberland Pass | free public transport + free and discounted mountain transport in the Bernese Oberland, including most of the Jungfrau Region | ➡️ Purchase |
| Lucerne Tell Pass | all-inclusive travel pass for free public transport and mountain railways in the Lake Lucerne region | ➡️ Purchase |
| Matterhorn Gotthard Pass | flexible pass for free public transport and 50% discount on mountain railways in the Upper Valais region (Zermatt, Aletsch Arena, Saas-Fee, etc.) | ➡️ Purchase |
| Zermatt Peak Pass | all-inclusive travel pass for mountain railways in the Zermatt area | ➡️ Purchase |
Why buy a travel pass for Switzerland?
Convenience
The pass can save you the hassle of buying individual tickets each day. But if the excursion is only discounted with the pass, you will still need to buy a ticket. Also make sure you don’t accidentally travel outside the network.
Cost savings
The pass can save you money if you maximize the value by doing many expensive journeys that are covered by the pass. But you’ll have to choose your exact itinerary and do the math, comparing full price and price with other passes to figure out the exact savings.
In general, the rail passes are worth it if you take public transportation to every destination and you go up at least one expensive mountain included in the pass every day.
Any day you skip a mountain because of bad weather or other reason, you’re losing money.
Do children need a travel pass?
Children under age 16 need the child’s version of the pass (sometimes called a Swiss Family Card), which is either free or has a nominal fee.
Children over 16 are usually considered adults and need their own travel pass. In some cases, there is a student discount for ages 16-25, which requires presenting a valid student ID (not a passport proving age).
Note: If you are not using a travel pass but purchasing individual tickets, you can buy a Junior card for children aged 6-16. This card entitles them to ride free on public transport and most mountain railways all over Switzerland when accompanied by a parent with a valid ticket. This does not apply when the parent is using a travel pass instead of a regular ticket.
Swiss Travel Pass
The “Swiss Travel Pass” covers public transportation in the whole country and a 25-50% discount on most mountain railways (a few are included in the pass). It also includes entry to 500 museums and a few other discounts.
The Swiss Travel Pass is the best option if you are visiting several different parts of Switzerland, spending a few days in each area.
In contrast, regional rail passes cover public transportation only in their specific region. So if you travel outside the region, you have to pay full fare for everything.
But with regional passes, they often completely cover mountain transport instead of just giving a discount. So you might get more value from a regional pass if you want to go up a lot of mountains in that region.
➡️ Buy Swiss Travel Pass here.
Learn more about the Swiss Travel Pass
Swiss Half Fare Card
The Swiss Half Fare Card gives you 50% discount on travel in all of Switzerland, public transport and mountain railways.
The card is usually the best option if you are driving, since you aren’t getting the value of free public transport. But like the STC, if you are staying in one area for a long time, a regional pass that completely covers the mountain transport can be worth it.
If you are doing a very long trip, the Swiss Half Card might be a better choice since it’s good for 30 days, while most other passes are maximum 10 or 15 days.
Some regional passes are cheaper if you also have a Swiss Half Fare Card, usually only helpful for Swiss residents that have a yearly Half Fare Card anyway. It’s not usually cost efficient for tourists to buy both a Half Fare Card and regional travel pass.
➡️ Buy Swiss Half Fare Card here.
Learn more about Half Fare Card
Regional travel passes
The following passes cover one region of Switzerland, not the whole country. The prices and benefits may change without notice.
1. Jungfrau Region Travel Pass
The Jungfrau Travel Pass is travel pass for 3 to 8 days for the Jungfrau Region.
The map below shows what transport is included in the Jungfrau Travel Pass: regular trains, cable cars, funiculars, mountain trains, and boats. The grey lines on the map are not free with the pass. The two with % symbol get a discount with the pass.
The Jungfrau Travel Pass covers mountain excursions to Grindelwald First, Männlichen, Mürren and Grütschalp, Kleine Scheidegg, Schynige Platte, and Harder Kulm. It discounts the excursion to Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn.
You can buy the Jungfrau Travel Pass for 3 to 8 days. Prices start at CHF 210 for 3 days, reduced if you have a Swiss Half Fare Card or GA.
Learn more about the Jungfrau Region Pass
Compare mountain excursions prices (2025)
Here are some sample day trips, with cost comparisons between passes (based on 2025 prices). As you can see in the table, which pass you get is very dependent which mountain excursions you want to do.
| Mountain Excursion | Full Price | Jungfrau Travel Pass | Bernese Oberland Pass | Swiss Travel Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grindelwald First cable car | CHF 64 | free | CHF 32 | CHF 32 |
| Grindelwald – Männlichen | CHF 68 | free | free | CHF 34 |
| Grindelwald – Jungfraujoch (June to August) | CHF 227 | CHF 85 | CHF 168.20 | 113.50 |
| Lauterbrunnen – Mürren | CHF 23.60 | free | free | free |
| Mürren – Schilthorn | CHF 85.60 | CHF 85.60 | free | CHF 42.60 |
| Pfingstegg | CHF 32 | CHF 27.20 | free | CHF 16 |
| Schynige Platte | CHF 64 | free | CHF 32 | CHF 32 |
| Harder Kulm | CHF 44 | free | CHF 22 | CHF 22 |
2. Berner Oberland Pass
The Berner Oberland Regional Pass covers a large network in the middle of Switzerland, as shown on the below validity map
The benefits of the Berner Oberland Pass include:
- Public Transport: free travel on most trains and buses inside the Bernese Oberland region
- Scenic Panorama Trains: free travel on Lucerne-Interlaken Express and Golden Pass Express (seat reservations extra)
- Intercity Connections: free train connections to this region from Bern, Lucerne, Montreux, and Domodossola.
- Mountain Railways: free travel on cable cars, gondolas, mountain trains and funicular at 25+ mountain resorts including Oeschinensee, Meiringen Hasliberg, and Gstaad
- Popular Viewpoints: free travel to mountain viewpoints like Schilthorn, Brienzer Rothorn, Niederhorn, and discounts on others like Jungfraujoch and Titlis
- Boats: free cruises on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun
- Museums: discounts on entrance fees to 40+ museums and other attractions
- High Adventure: discounts on activities like climbing parks, canyoning, rafting, indoor sports
This means you get a lot more variety, especially helpful if you want to escape the bad weather for a better micro climate elsewhere.
It’s more expensive than the Jungfrau Travel Pass, so only worth it if you plan to travel around the larger Berner Oberland region. You should also consider the travel time between destinations, which can be 2hr or more from one side of the region to the other.
Details for Berner Oberland Regional Pass. See hikes in the Bernese Oberland
3. Lucerne Travel Pass
The Lucerne Travel Pass covers public transportation, mountain railways and ferries in almost all of Central Switzerland.
This includes all the famous mountains like Pilatus, Rigi, Titlis, Brienzer Rothorn and Stoos and lots of family favorites like Bannalp, Klewenalp, Melchsee-Frutt, and Sattel.
The pass also gives you a discount at their bonus partners like Ballenberg open-air museum, Glasi Hergiswil glass factory, and Goldau animal park.
Cost for Tell Pass 2026
CHF 240 for 3 days
CHF 265 for 4 days
CHF 290 for 5 days
CHF 365 for 10 days
Learn more about the Lucerne Travel Pass
4. Zermatt Peak Pass
The Zermatt Peak Pass is an all-inclusive pass for unlimited use of the mountain transport in the Zermatt region. This includes :
- Zermatt – Furi – Trockener Steg – Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
- Zermatt – Sunnegga – Blauherd – Rothorn
- Zermatt – Gornergrat
- Zermatt – Furi – Riffelberg gondola
- train between Randa – Täsch – Zermatt
- local bus in Zermatt
In summer 2025, prices start at CHF 234 for 2 days in summer season. Prices are reduced about 25% if you have a Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Half Fare Card, or GA. 50% discount for children aged 6-15. See current prices.
You can buy a consecutive pass for 1 to 14 days, 21 day, or 1 month. Or a flexible pass for 3 in 5 days or 4 in 6 days. You can also buy extensions to the pass if you find you need more days.
You can purchase the pass for use between mid March through end of October.
Honestly, I think this pass is ridiculously overpriced. The value of the pass increases the longer you stay, with the per-day cost steadily decreasing. For most travelers, you would have to stay 5 or more to make it worth it. And I usually don’t recommend staying more than 3 days in this area.
5. Matterhorn Gotthard Pass
The Matterhorn Gotthard Pass gives you free public transportation and 50% discount on many mountain railways in the upper Valais region of southern Switzerland. The coverage is shown on the validity map below.
The region includes Zermat mountains like Gornergrat, Rothorn and Matterhorn Paradise plus lots of other great ones like Aletsch Arena, Hohsaas, Gemmibahn, Torrentbahn, and Oeschinensee.
You can purchase the pass for 2, 3, or 5 days, which can be used flexibly within a month.
This pass is particularly good for people that want to other activities besides hiking like mountain biking, swimming, golf, and museums.
The card is discounted almost 50% for those with a SBB Half-fare card. They also offer a family price that includes 2 adults and 3 children aged 6-16, which is about double the single rate.
Below are the 2025 prices for the Matterhorn Gotthard Pass:
| Days | Matterhorn Gotthard Pass | Reduced with Swiss Half Fare Card |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | CHF 114 | CHF 66 |
| 3 | CHF 148 | CHF 78 |
| 5 | CHF 205 | CHF 102 |
Note: there are no additional discounts for students or seniors.
Details for Adventure Card
6. Graubünden Pass for southeast Switzerland
The Graubünden Pass covers public transportation in canton Graubünden in southeast Switzerland and a 50% discount on a few mountain railways.
This pass might make sense if you want to travel a lot by train and bus in this region. It doesn’t help that much if you want to go up a lot of mountains.
The region is divided into 2 zones, north and south. You can buy the pass for 1 or 2 zones.
Unlike the other passes, this is non-consecutive pass, so you can choose 2 days in 7 or 5 days in 14 . It’s discounted if you have a SBB Half-fare card.
Honestly, the online info for this pass is not that helpful. Only a couple gondolas are mentioned in this pass and it’s not clear if they are included in the pass or just discounted.
It doesn’t include any mountain transport in popular areas like Davos or Klosters, which are better served by the Davos Klosters Premium Card, a free discount card for overnight guests. The Arosa Lenzerheide All-Inclusive Summer Pass is another pass free for overnight guest in that area.
Details for Graubünden Pass
7. Magic Pass
The Magic Pass is a year long pass that covers over 100 mountains in Switzerland, France and Italy. In 2025, it includes 41 summer mountains and 90 ski resorts. Most are smaller resorts, not the big ones you’ve heard of.
You can also add on a “Pools” option to include 18 thermal baths and mountain pools to your pass.
Prices start at CHF 419/adult and CHF 282/ child. It’s best to buy in March when they have discounted promotional pricing.
Details for Magic Pass
8. Regional Pass Lake Geneva Alps
The Regional Pass Lake Geneva Alps gives free and discounted travel throughout the region on public transportation and mountain transport.
This pass is a little complicated. For a 5 day pass, you choose 2 free days and the other 3 days get a 50% discount. For a 7 day pass, you get 3 “free” days and 4 discount days. This means you want to use the free days for the most expensive trips and destinations.
On the map below, only the red lines are eligible to be free. The black lines are always 50% with the pass, even on a “free” day. The dotted lines have a special price determined by the individual destinations.
This pass doesn’t have the convenience factor of other passes because you have to still get tickets on your discount days. This pass is cheaper for those with a SBB Half-fare card, but it doesn’t make much sense since you already get 50% discount on most everything anyway.
Below are the 2025 prices for the Matterhorn Gotthard Pass:
| Days | Full Price | Half-fare/GA/STP | Children 6-15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Day Package (2+3) | CHF 110 | CHF 89 | 53 |
| 7-Day Package (3+4) | CHF 136 | CHF 110 | 68 |
You can also buy a 1st class version of the pass.
Details for Regional Pass Lake Geneva Alps
I hope this helps. Which regional pass do you think you’ll get?
Book Swiss Travel Pass
If you still think the Swiss Travel Pass is a better fit for you, book it here:
2 responses
I’d like to recommend combining the Halbtax Abo for a Month with one of the Passes. For example: a 10 day Berner Oberland Pass costs CHF 259 with Halbtax compared to CHF 399 full price. The difference is more than the price of the Halbtax Abo. I haven’t checked the prices of the other Regional Passes, but expect similar benefits.
That’s a great suggestion! I hadn’t thought about doing that. Good idea.