Swiss Travels
Travels in Switzerland
Switzerland has a wonderful travel network. The most useful rail passes are intended for visitors to Switzerland.. You can buy them from travel agents at home and abroad or at major railway stations in Switzerland (including the stations in the Zürich and Geneva Airports) upon presentation of a foreign passport. Various types are available and you need to do your homework first to decide which one is the best option for you. Swiss rail passes are availbale for first or second-class travel and include:
Swiss Pass.
Use this for unlimited travel on the Swiss Federal Railways, postal buses, lake steamers, and local transportation in 35 cities and towns. Just show your pass to the conductor (along with your passport, if asked). The Swiss Pass also gives a 25% discount on privately owned mountain railroads, funiculars, and aerial cablecars. It's offered for periods of 4 days, 8 days, 15 days, 21 days, or a month.
Swiss Flexi-Pass.
If you plan to stay mostly in a few areas, the FlexiPass is a good bet. It's similar to the Swiss Pass but allows unlimited travel on any 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 days within a 30-day period.
N.B. two or more persons travelling together, a 15% discount for each adult is available on price of Swiss Pass and Swiss Flexi-Pass.
Swiss Card.
This 30-day pass includes roundtrip transportation to any one destination within Switzerland plus a 50% discount on other travel during your visit.
Swiss Transfer Ticket.
This ticket is good for a journey from the Swiss border or from an airport station to the holiday resort and return, within a period of 1 month.
TIP: Eurailpass and Europass allow free travel on Swiss Federal Railways and discounts on some other services, but the passes and cards mentioned here are better values if you're traveling extensively within Switzerland.
Swiss Half-Fare Card. (available only in Switzerland)
This is different from the Swiss Card mentioned above. You can buy it locally in Switzerland, and it offers a 50% reduction on most travel services (including private railroads). It's especially useful for longer stays, as validity period is one or two years.
Family travel offers.
If you're traveling with children, be sure to request the free Swiss Family Card when you buy your Swiss Pass, Swiss FlexiPass, or Swiss Card. The Family Card offers these perks: Free travel for children from the ages of 6 through 15 when accompanied by their parents. Half-fare travel for accompanied children from 16 through 24 who live at home or attend school full-time. (Note: Without the Swiss Family Card, children from 6 through 15 pay half-fare; children 5 and under travel free.) If you forget to request a free Swiss Family Card when ordering your rail pass, buy one for CHF 20-- at any Swiss railroad station.
SBB Travel Online - Ticket Shop Order the Swiss Pass, Swiss Flexi-Pass, etc. online from anywhere in the world, or check prices in Swiss Francs to see what you'll pay if you buy the passes in Switzerland.