When it comes to city passes and travel cards, it’s usually fairly easy to figure out whether they would be worth it for you or not. For things like the Paris Pass or London Pass, they have a list of the most popular attractions and how much they cost, right there for you to see. The Swiss Travel Pass, however, is shrouded in mystery, or at least it was until I spent several days tracking down all of the prices and benefits.
A great many of the visitors and commenters on my popular page about where to go in Switzerland on a short visit are wondering whether the Swiss Travel Pass is a good deal. Embarrassingly, I’ve always had to answer that I found the pass too confusing to confidently advise people on. Now that has all changed, after literally days of research.
Note: This article was last updated in February, 2024.
Disclosure: This is a reader-supported website and some of the links are affiliate links where a small commission is paid to help keep this site going, but the cost to visitors is the same. The Swiss Travel Pass seems quite expensive at first, so it felt like it might be hard to get your money’s worth out of it. As it turns out, it’s pretty easy to get good value, and it’ll be a good deal for many visitors.
New in 2024
Prices increased an average of 5.9% from 2023 on the Swiss Travel Passes, but the Half Fare Card remains at CHF120, which is where it’s been for many years. Train fares in the country increased by similar percentages so the value is basically unchanged. There were no other notable changes to service or the included attractions and train routes.
>>>Buy the Swiss Travel Pass online
Where to stay in Interlaken and the Lauterbrunnen Valley
Since most people reading this will be visiting the Interlaken area and I get so many questions about it, I decided to write a detailed guide on which area to stay in while visiting this area.
>>>Where to stay in Interlaken or the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland
I included many huge photos in that post so readers will be able to get a better idea of what each place looks like and they are worth a look by itself.
>>>Lucerne or Interlaken: Which to visit and how long to stay?
The article just above will help you decide on how long to spend in each of Switzerland’s two best tourist areas.
Are you 100% sure where you want to go in Switzerland? This should help
I’ve been to almost every corner of Europe and have spent a lot of time in Switzerland, so I can reveal that Switzerland is very unlike visiting almost any other country in the region. In any other country you will want to start out in the capital or largest city and then add in another place or two if you have time. But in Switzerland the big cities are strangely boring and the scenery everywhere else is magical.
Zurich and Geneva are pleasant but dull. The good news is that Switzerland is packed with amazing sights and none of them are the big cities. If you aren’t 100% locked in yet, please read the article below and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Is the Swiss Travel Pass a good deal? Here's the short version
If you plan on taking at least 2 of Switzerland’s famous scenic train rides within a 3 or 4-day period, a Swiss Travel Pass can easily pay for itself. If you take 3 or 4 scenic train rides, as well as use the pass on one or more of the famous cable cars such as Schilthorn (50% covered by the pass) or 25% off the mountain train up to Jungfraujoch, the pass is definitely worth it.
The bottom line is that the scenery, train journeys, and cable car rides in Switzerland are stunning and not found anywhere else in the world. They are also quite expensive if you pay for them one at a time. So no matter how you visit Switzerland, you are going to be paying quite a bit, or skipping the absolute best things that you’ve come there to see.
With good planning it’s quite easy to get great value out of a Swiss Travel Pass, but it might be a poor choice for those who don’t like to plan ahead. You can easily do a scenic train ride and a cable car in the same day, and still have time to do a scenic hike in the process.
First class or second class? Good news for most people
In most of Europe the Second Class trains are reasonably comfortable but they can get crowded, especially if you travel during the morning or evening commute time between large cities such as Munich and Berlin. Second Class always has plenty of legroom and reasonably wide seats, so it’s mainly just the experience of guaranteeing that you’ll NOT be sat next to a full carriage of partying backpackers or screaming kids that makes First Class potentially worthwhile.
That said, Swiss Trains are literally the nicest in Europe and even the Second Class seats and carriages are nicer and roomier than trains in neighboring countries. The First Class seats are larger and nicer with only 3 across the cabin instead of 4, but honestly Second Class is perfectly comfortable for almost everyone.
Again, First Class on European trains like this is generally popular with business travelers where the company is paying and they need to get work done during the ride, and also senior citizens who don’t want to worry about a carriage full of backpackers. For most of the rest of us, Second Class is more than comfortable enough and the seat width and legroom compare to business-class airline seats. I’m a big and tall guy and I almost always travel in Second because it’s plenty comfortable enough and all the seats arrive at the same time anyway.
The longer you'll be in Switzerland, the better deal a Swiss Travel Pass will be
Most people visiting Switzerland only stay for 3 or 4 days and in visits of that length you really have to compare the costs of the Pass to the costs of the things you’ll do. And for many of those people who aren’t doing longer train rides, the Half Fare Card (discussed below) is the best choice. It’s easy to see that the per-day cost of the Swiss Travel Pass is pretty high until you get to the 6-day, 8-day, and 15-day versions. However, the per-day prices on those longer passes are actually very low considering the price of typical train rides and mountain attractions.
In other words, if you are staying 5 days or fewer, you have to do the math to determine your best option. But if you are spending even 6 or 7 days in Switzerland then the 6-day or 8-day Pass is almost guaranteed to be a great deal and your best choice. Once you have a Swiss Travel Pass you’ll absolutely love the ability to just hop on any train (excellent trains, always on time) and most boats and cable cars without having to worry about the cost. The per-day cost of an 8-day Pass even if you only use 6 of those days is about CHF65, and Switzerland is filled with amazing train rides and boats and cable cars that can get you that much value before noon each day.
Schilthorn (50% discount) and Jungfraujoch (25% discount) are cheaper with a Swiss Travel Pass
The two most dramatic viewpoints and most beloved activities in Switzerland are Schilthorn and the Jungfraujoch tourist train that goes up the mountain across the valley from Schilthorn. Jungfraujoch is a 25% discount off the CHF224 price for Swiss Travel Pass holders. If it’s not confusing enough, the entire rail journey to the start of the Jungfrau train is covered by the pass, so prices appear to be a bit more than 25% cheaper.
Both of those peak experiences are extraordinary and different from each other. Even so, compared to Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn is also faster and more comfortable on the way up and down. You can enjoy an excellent visit to Schilthorn in 4 hours or so (or a bit longer if you eat at the spinning Piz Gloria restaurant at the top), while a visit to Jungfraujoch requires closer to 6 hours.
NOTE: Schilthorn closes for maintenance for a week or two in late November most years.
Consider the Swiss Half-Fare Card instead
If you AREN’T going to be doing two or more of the long (and expensive) scenic train trips, you will get much better value out of the Swiss Half-Fare Card, which is explained a bit below.
Mt Rigi, near Lucerne, is 100% covered by the Swiss Travel Pass
While most of the famous mountain excursions are only discounted 50% by the Swiss Travel Pass, the famous excursions to Mt Rigi, near Lucerne, are still 100% covered by the pass. This is one of the best mountaintop experiences in Switzerland and reaching the top involves a combination of cog railways and cable cars. There are multiple ways of reaching the mountain and all of them are fairly close to Lucerne. Most people prefer getting there by taking one of the frequent boats leaving from across from the railway station in Lucerne and then jumping off at one of the cog rail departure points. Needless to say, if you buy a Swiss Travel Pass, the Mt Rigi excursion should be a priority when you visit Lucerne.
Is a Swiss Travel Pass right for you?
Determining whether a Swiss Travel Pass is a good deal for you is simply a matter of figuring out which of the scenic rail and cable car journeys you plan on doing while in Switzerland, and seeing whether the price of the pass will cover the benefits. Below in this article you’ll see a long list of every one of the most expensive and most popular scenic journeys and cable cars, along with how much they cost without the pass, and how much you can save.
Most people only visit Switzerland for 5 or 6 days at most, so the 3-day and 4-day passes are the ones to focus on. But if you are staying for 8 days or more, those longer passes are almost certainly a great deal for you.
Long story short, if you plan on doing 2 of the more expensive scenic trains and the Jungfraujoch railway or the Schilthorn cable car, then the pass will save you money. Switzerland is expensive, but it’s worth it, and the travel pass can help make it a bit more affordable.
What the Swiss Travel Pass includes
- Free rail travel on normal trains and most scenic trains
- Discounted travel (about 50%) on popular tourist mountain trains
- Discounted travel (about 50%) on popular tourist cable cars
- Free travel on public transport in 75 towns and cities
- Free entry to around 500 museums in Switzerland
The Swiss Travel Pass covers the fare on the most popular scenic and panoramic trains. You can choose a normal seat in a regular carriage for no additional cost, but there is a supplement of CHF8 to CHF49 for a reserved seat in one of the special panorama carriages on these routes.
Prices of the 2024 Swiss Travel Pass
1st Class
- Adult 3-day Pass: CHF389
- Youth (4 to 25) 3-day Pass: 274
- Adult 4-day Pass: 469
- Youth (4 to 25) 4-day Pass: 330
- Adult 6-day Pass: 602
- Youth (4 to 25) 6-day Pass: 424
- Adult 8-day Pass: 655
- Youth (4 to 25) 8-day Pass: 469
- Adult 15-day Pass: 723
- Youth (4 to 25) 15-day Pass: 512
2nd Class
- Adult 3-day Pass: CHF244
- Youth (4 to 25) 3-day Pass: 172
- Adult 4-day Pass: 295
- Youth (16 to 25) 4-day Pass: 209
- Adult 6-day Pass: 379
- Youth (16 to 25) 6-day Pass: 268
- Adult 8-day Pass: 419
- Youth (16 to 25) 8-day Pass: 297
- Adult 15-day Pass: 459
- Youth (16 to 25) 15-day Pass: 328
Swiss Travel Pass Flex
This version costs a bit more, but you don’t have to use the travel days consecutively. It’s a great option for anyone who won’t be taking longer train rides each day.
- Adult 3 Flex days in 1 month (1st Class): CHF445
- Adult 3 Flex days in 1 month (2nd Class): 279
- Adult 4 Flex days in 1 month (1st Class): 539
- Adult 4 Flex days in 1 month (2nd Class): 339
- Adult 6 Flex days in 1 month (1st Class): 644
- Adult 6 Flex days in 1 month (2nd Class): 405
- Adult 8 Flex days in 1 month (1st Class): 697
- Adult 8 Flex days in 1 month (2nd Class): 439
- Adult 15 Flex days in 1 month (1st Class): 755
- Adult 15 Flex days in 1 month (2nd Class): 472
Where to buy the Swiss Travel Pass
The Swiss Half-Fare Card – A better option for many visitors
Far less confusing than the Swiss Travel Pass, you can instead get a Swiss Half-Fare Card, and it will be a better deal for many travelers. The price is lower and it’s much easier to do the math, and the discounts are greater on some things as well.
- Swiss Half-Fare Card for 30 days: Adults – CHF120 or US$129
What you get:
Those who buy the Swiss Half-Fare Card will get 50% discount on all trains, buses, and boats in Switzerland for up to 30 days, as well as 50% off all public transportation in 75 cities and towns.
>>>Buy the Swiss Half-Fare Card
Why the Half-Fare Card is a better deal for many
While the Swiss Travel Pass is a great deal for those doing many of the expensive scenic journeys and mountain sights within a few days, it’s not good value for those who are doing fewer of the expensive trips and/or those who are staying longer. Also, the Swiss Travel Pass only provides a 25% discount on the amazing Jungfraujoch Railway, which costs between CHF120 and CHF224 return depending on your starting point, while the Half-Fare Card provides a 50% discount.
The math is simple as well. You can just add up the cost of the trains, boats, and buses you’ll be taking while in Switzerland, and if the total is more than CHF240 or so, the Half-Fare Card will save you money.
Example itinerary:
- Zurich to Interlaken train (2nd Class): CHF50
- Schilthorn Cable Car: CHF112
- Jungfraujoch railway from Interlaken: CHF205
- Interlaken to Lucerne train (2nd Class): CHF33
- Mt Rigi roundtrip from Lucerne: CHF84
- Engelberg (near Lucerne) to Mt. Titlis Cable Car: CHF92
- Lucerne to Zurich train (2nd Class): CHF25
Total per person: CHF601
Total with Half-Fare Card (including price of card): CHF420.50
It would be tough to do all of those things in 4 days, although it is possible. If you bought a 4-day Swiss Travel Pass here is how it adds up:
4-Day Swiss Travel Pass: CHF259
Supplements for Schilthorn, Jungfraujoch, and Mt. Titlis: CHF203.25
Total cost: CHF462.25
Bottom line on the Swiss Half-Fare Card
Since the Half-Fare Card lasts 30 days and provides a larger discount on Jungfraujoch, it is better value for visitors who want to include that scenic top-of-Europe rail journey on their trip. The discounts also add up more quickly on Schilthorn and Mt. Titlis trips, just to name two examples, and you don’t have to take many longer rail journeys to get value out of the Half-Fare Card.
Swiss Saver Day Pass (A one-day unlimited travel pass)
As if the Swiss travel situation wasn’t already complicated enough, they also offer a 1-day version of a Swiss Travel Pass and it can be very cheap, but it’s also a bit complicated. They only sell these Saver Day Passes starting 60 days out (so you can buy a pass for May 1 starting on March 2 etc), and the prices goes up quickly the more of them they sell. If you buy them right away you can get them as cheaply as CHF29 (in 2nd Class) if you have a Half Fare Card, which is an amazing deal. But after they sell the first batch the price jumps up to CHF39 and then CHF49. In other words, if you want the cheapest price you should book exactly 60 days in advance, or generally as soon as possible.
If you buy the Saver Day Pass at least 21 days in advance (and up to 60 days in advance) the 2023 cost is:
- 2nd Class (with Half Fare Card): CHF29
- 1st Class (with Half Fare Card): CHF82
- 2nd Class (with no Half Fare Card): CHF52
- 1st Class (with no Half Fare Card): CHF97
Once you research the normal cost of Swiss train fares you’ll see that the above prices are a very good deal for anyone riding more than 150 kilometers or so in a day. If you are just going, for example, from Zurich to Lucerne or Interlaken on a day, it’ll be cheaper to just buy that ticket individually. But if you are going from Geneva or Montreux to Interlaken or Lucerne then the Saver Day Pass will be much cheaper. Better still, you can use a Saver Day Pass to go from Interlaken to Geneva and back on the same day on the Goldenpass line and returning on the faster train through Bern, and it will still all be included for free.
If you don’t buy a Saver Day Pass at least 14 days in advance it’s more expensive, and if you only buy 1 to 3 days in advance it’s VERY expensive, so the key is to buy early. This is all confusing, but the Saver Day Pass should be a great option for many people only in Switzerland for one to three days.
Popular Swiss panorama scenic trains
The 5 train routes listed below are the best and most popular of Switzerland’s scenic train routes. With a Swiss Travel Pass, you can ride for free in normal carriages or pay a small supplement for a reserved seat in one of the special Panorama carriages. If you are going to do one of these as a journey unto itself, the Panorama carriages are highly recommended, and worth the supplement.
- Glacier Express
- Route: Zermatt to St. Moritz
- Train type: Panorama
- Journey time: 8 hours 3 minutes
- Distance: 291km
- 1st Class fare: CHF272
- 2nd Class fare: CHF159
- Compulsory seat reservation fee: CHF44 or 49
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 13 to 33 for panorama carriage
- Bernina Express
- Route: Chur to Tirano and Lugano
- Train type: Panorama and bus
- Journey time: 4 hours 13 minutes and 3 hours 10 minutes
- Distance: 148km and 90km
- 1st Class fare: CHF113
- 2nd Class fare: CHF66
- Compulsory seat reservation fee: CHF32
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 10 to 14 for panorama carriage
- GoldenPass Line
- Route: Lucerne to Montreaux
- Train type: Panorama
- Journey time: 5 hours 8 minutes
- Distance: 191 km
- Prestige Class fare: CHF131
- 1st Class fare: CHF96
- 2nd Class fare: CHF56
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 8 to 15 for panorama carriage
- Gotthard Panorama Express (formerly Wilhelm Tell Express)
- Route: Lugano or Locarno to Lucerne
- Train type: Panorama and boat
- Journey time: 5 hours 21 minutes
- Distance: 182 km
- 1st Class fare: CHF164
- 2nd Class fare: CHF135
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 39 to 49 for panorama carriage
- Swiss Chocolate Train
- Route: Montreux to Broc round trip
- Train type: Panorama or First Class
- Journey time: X hours X minutes
- Distance: 82 km
- 1st Class fare: CHF99
- 2nd Class fare: 89
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 39
Popular Swiss scenic and theme trains
The scenic trains below are also extremely popular as sightseeing journeys rather than just as transportation, but can be used as both.
- Jungfraujoch round trip
- Route: Interlaken to Jungfraujoch
- Train type: special mountain train
- Journey time: 4 hours 41 minutes, round trip, plus time on top
- Distance: 73 km
- 1st Class fare: N/A
- 2nd Class fare: CHF224
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 147 (so, a saving of CHF77)
- Gornergrat Railway
- Route: Gornergrat Railway
- Train type: Cog railway
- Journey time: 44 minutes return
- Distance: 10 km
- 1st Class fare: N/A
- 2nd Class fare: CHF90
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 45
- Rigi round trip
- Route: Lucerne to Rigi
- Train type: Cog railway
- Journey time: 3 hours 25 minutes, plus time at the top
- Distance: 58 km
- 2nd Class fare: CHF78
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: None (this one is free with the pass)
- Mt Rigi Excursion (one-way and walk down)
- Route: Lucerne to Mt Rigi
- Train type: cogwheel train and/or cable car
- Journey time: 45 minutes up
- 1st Class fare: N/A
- 2nd Class fare: 49
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 0
- Lotschberg Mountain Route and Centrovalli
- Route: Bern to Locarno
- Train type: Narrow gauge
- Journey time: 4 hours 40 minutes
- Distance: 212 km
- 1st Class fare: CHF158
- 2nd Class fare: CHF90
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 5
- Jura round trip (Watchmaking Tour)
- Route: Neuchatel through Jura
- Train type: Regular
- Journey time: 3 hours 0 minutes
- Distance: 143 km
- 1st Class fare: CHF168
- 2nd Class fare: CHF108
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 0
- Pre-Alpine Express
- Route: St. Gallen to Lucerne
- Train type: Regular
- Journey time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Distance: 146 km
- 1st Class fare: CHF83
- 2nd Class fare: CHF47
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 0
- Jura Foot Line
- Route: Basel to Geneva
- Train type: Regular
- Journey time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Distance: 248 km
- 1st Class fare: CHF132
- 2nd Class fare: CHF75
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 0
Popular Switzerland cable car rides
These are the two most popular cable car rides to obvservation peaks in central Switzerland. The Swiss Travel Pass offers a 50% or more discount, but not the whole fare.
- Schilthorn
- Route: Stechelberg (Lauterbrunnen) to Schilthorn
- Train type: cable car
- Journey time: 1 hour
- 2nd Class fare: CHF108
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 54
- Engelberg to Mt. Titlis cable car
- Route: Engelberg to Mt. Titlis
- Train type: cable car
- 2nd Class fare: CHF96
- Supplement for Swiss Pass holders: 46
The Swiss Travel Pass also includes free museum admission, but…
While it’s true that the Swiss Travel Pass includes free admission to around 500 museums all over Switzerland, it’s probably best to just ignore that when you are determining whether to buy a pass or not. Most of the included museums cost between CHF5 and CHF10 without the pass, although a few are closer to CHF20.
The problem is that the museums are only free on valid travel days, and almost no one would visit more than one or two museums with a Swiss Travel Pass. The trains and cable cars are so expensive that the pass gives very good value to cover those, so you don’t want to waste precious sightseeing time walking through a museum that only costs CHF10 anyway.
In other words, calculate the value of a Swiss Travel Pass on the travel savings only, and if you visit a museum here or there, then great. Most people are better off trying to squeeze in an additional train ride each day, and ignoring the museums. Switzerland is all about the outdoor scenery. As nice as the museums may be, they are not why you are there.
The pass includes free public transport in most Swiss cities
Similar to the free museum part of the offer, it’s best to ignore or minimize the value of free public transportation. It could be helpful in Zurich, but in most other Swiss tourist towns you won’t need much public transport. In fact, in Interlaken, each hotel or hostel guest automatically gets a card for free public transportation within the town (including between the two train stations).
So you might use a ride or two each day on public transport, but that won’t add up to much in terms of value of your Swiss Travel Pass.
Is the new Swiss Saver Day Pass restricted to rail travel only or does it cover lake steamers & local busses?
Dave,
The Saver Day Pass covers everything that a Swiss Travel Pass covers, but just for a day. It covers most lake cruises and tourist things like that, but it doesn’t cover most local bus transportation. Several key tourist places in Switzerland (including Interlaken) provide a free local transit pass for guests staying in all local hotels and hostels. And even when you aren’t covered with one of those, you can usually buy an all-day transit pass for around CHF6 to 8 per day. -Roger
Hi!
Thank you for sharing your passion about Switzerland and taking
time to answer all comments! It’s great to reassure our traveker’s options. It’s seems the journey is already starting with the right foot.
My question to you is very simple:
I’m planning a trip to Zurique with my husband and 2 kids, 7 and 9 years old during the next 7th-10th December.
We’ll be staying in a hotel in Zurich the first night, then 2 nights with some friend’s, at Bäth.
Being with kids, what sightseeing experiences do you recommend?
Thank you in advance. Maria
Maria,
I’ll be happy to try to help, but I’m unsure of where Bäth is. Google doesn’t show me any results and I assume you don’t mean the one in England.
As you may have noticed, I recommend focusing more on the mountain sights than on the cities. One thing to consider would be to take a train to Lucerne, which is an hour from Zurich, and explore the town and take a lake cruise and perhaps go up one of the mountains there. There is much more information on my main article about where to go in Switzerland. Have a look at that and I’ll be happy to answer any other questions you may have. -Roger
Hello Roger:
Loving the feedback you’ve been providing individuals with and hoping you can help me out as well! My fiancee (wife by then) and I will be traveling to Paris and Switzerland for our honeymoon from January 20th through the 1st of February and our itinerary — in Switzerland — is as follows:
Jan 24th: Fly into Zurich AM, 1/2 day of sightseeing in Zurich, then train to Lucerne late afternoon
Jan 25th: Lucerne sightseeing all day, train to Interlaken late afternoon
Jan 26th: Day trip from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen/Schilthorn/Grindelwald
Jan 27th: Interlaken sightseeing in AM, train to Zermatt mid afternoon (Zermatt until 1/30)
Jan 30th: Zermatt to Milan
Wondering A) your thoughts on the number of days in each location, and B) if you believe the SwissPass will be a good deal given the routes. Thank you so much in advance!
– Mike Lafont
Mike,
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I’d actually put Zermatt as my third choice on this list, so it feels like you are rushing Interlaken and Lucerne, both of which have more to see. I’ll give you my honest thoughts for what it’s worth and you can obviously decide yourself. I’d probably skip Zurich unless there is something specific you want to see there. It’s nice for a big city, but it’s expensive and has no real top attractions. I’d take a train straight to Lucerne.
I would also try to spend at least two nights IN the Lauterbrunnen Valley, which has the greatest concentration of amazing scenery in Europe, rather than in Interlaken itself. You could stay in Murren or Gimmelwald or Wengen or Grindelwald or in Lauterbrunnen itself. Zermatt obviously has the Matterhorn and it’s a lovely car-free town, but it doesn’t have the variety of the other places and it’s quite remote.
As for the Swiss Travel Pass versus the Half Fare Card, it’s tough to say without knowing the specifics of your sightseeing. Schilthorn will only be 50% discount next year with the Swiss Travel Pass, so staying with the Half Fare Card might make more sense. The only way to be sure is to add up all of the things you’ll do and compare the prices. You’ll definitely want one or the other (as opposed to paying full price), and if it looks like a close call I’d go with the Swiss Travel Pass because you’ll get more use out of it if you can just hop on additional trains, boats, and cable cars for free. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger,
It is a wonderfu blog ! Thanks for sharing with us.
I will be traveling to Switzerland in December, below is the itinerary :
Dec 8: Reach Lucerne from Paris. Stay in hotel around Lucerne
Dec 9: Mt. Titlis, Interlaken, Lake Thun
Dec 10: Chapel Bridge, Lion Monument. On the afternoon will travel to Italy
Should I go with 1 day Swiss travel pass ? Do I need to have Swiss travel pass and Swiss half fare card together ? . Because I read in another website that “Only available for Swiss Half Fare Card holders.” to buy Swiss travel pass.
Please kindly help for my itinerary above.
Thank you
Angga,
I’m happy to try to help. If you want to visit Mt. Titlis and Interlaken and Lake Thun in one day you’ll need to get a very early start and it will take all day. It’s a 2-hour train ride from Lucerne to Interlaken, and once in Interlaken it takes at least 30 minutes more each way to get into the Lauterbrunnen Valley, which is where the best scenery is found.
You will be able to visit the Chapel Bridge and Lion statue on the day you arrive. The Chapel Bridge is in the middle of town and near the train station, and the Lion is a fairly short walk away. Both are very nice at night as well, so even if you arrive late you’ll be able to see them. Then you could do Interlaken on your second day and you should have time to do Titlis on the next morning before you leave for Italy.
It’s hard to say about a Swiss Travel Pass, although if you DO decide to do all of those things on your second day it could save you money. Most people get the Swiss Travel Pass OR the Half Fare Card. If you get a Half Fare Card you can get a Saver Day Pass for a cheaper amount as long as you buy at least two weeks in advance. I guess that is what you mean by 1-day Swiss Travel Pass. If you go with your original plan it wouldn’t be worth getting the Half Fare Card since you can buy a Saver Day Pass without one for only a small amount more. I hope this helps. -Roger
Ho Roger,
Gone through your article, its just amazing how you described entire swiss.
Coming to my question, I will traveling to Switzerland from paris for a 5 day Trip with my family in may 2020 (3 people aged 65, my wife n daughter 3 yrs of age).
I request you to help in building an itinerary keeping in mind the parents traveling along s[specifically focusing on :
– which city to enter from paris
– places to visit keeping in mind the parents and 3 yr toddler traveling along.
– Will it be ok to visit titlis, Alps
kindly guide.
DGR,
I’m happy to help people with advice on their travel plans, but I don’t build itineraries from scratch like this. You will get a lot of information on this other article on where to go in Switzerland, and you’ll be able to figure most of it out yourself. If you have questions after you have your plan started I will be happy to help. As for the 3-year-old, all of the main attractions and towns should be simple enough to visit as long as the child has the normal amount of energy. There are no real tricky places I can think of that you should avoid. -Roger
Hey Roger,
How I did not find your site before today is beyond me ! You should get nominated for a Nobel prize 🙂
I thought I had my Swiss trip sorted but after reading your site, looks like I could do better.
The original plan was :
Day 1 – Milan to Lucerne
Day 2 – Lucerne to Jungfrau and back
Day 3 – Lucern to Titlis and back
Day 4 – Lucerne to Paris
I was going to get the Swiss Pass which if I calculated correctly would give a small savings vs buying the tickets individually / local tours.
Now, after reading your articles am thinking :
Day 1 – Milan to Interlaken
Day 2 – Interlaken to Jungfrau
Day 3 – Interlaken to Montreux on the Golden Pass Express
Day 4 – Montreux to Paris
( still thinking of delaying the trip to Paris by a day and instead doing a Titlis day trip)
Probably use the Half Price Pass for this.
What do you think?
The Bernadi Express really interests me but not sure how I would get easily to Paris from that line.
Alvin,
I’m glad you found this site as well. I think your new plan is much better and I’m sure you’ll be very happy staying in the Interlaken area, especially for your Jungfraujoch day. Lucerne is really gorgeous as well, but the dramatic scenery around Interlaken is much nicer. So I think doing Lucerne and Titlis for one day would be very worthwhile. The train ride from Interlaken to Lucerne is really wonderful and the best of Lucerne can be seen right around the train station, so visiting for just a day still would work well. And I think the Half Fare Card is probably your best option, especially with Jungfraujoch. Let me know if you have any specific questions and I’ll try to help more. -Roger
Thanks Roger.
10th November is more of coincidence and bit lucky that we can do this during trip.
Should we swap 2nd and 3rd Day. So that we go use golden pass line on the last day of our trip to Montreux and then we go back to Basel for return journey?
Can we keep the luggage in Montreux train station?
Thanks
Santhosh
Santhosh,
If you are leaving Switzerland at the end of day 3 via Basel, then switching those days seems like a wise idea. The GoldenPass is a wonderful train journey, but if you take a long portion of it and then jump right back on the train going back the way you came after only a short stop, that trip back is less thrilling. I know this because I’ve done exactly that.
Storing luggage in any of the larger train stations is possible and quite easy. They will all have luggage lockers of various sizes, and the stations in the cities will also have a Left Luggage counter where you can drop things (including odd-shaped things) off and get a claim ticket. It’s not very cheap (nothing in Switzerland is cheap), but it’s better than hauling bags around when you don’t have to. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Thanks for great website and advice. I really appreciate if you can help me with following queries.
Planning for following itinerary:
Nov 10: Reach Bern from Paris. Stay in Interlaken hotel and travel to Schilthorn.
Nov 11: Interlaaken to Montreux and back by golden pass line
Nov 12: Interlaken to Mount Rigi, Lucerne and Lake Thun. Same night travel back.
Please let me know if my itinerary if feasible and should I go with Swiss travel pass?
Kindly suggest best itinerary if its too much.
Santhosh,
I do actually think that a 3-day Swiss Travel Pass would be great value for this trip. I’m not sure if you realized this or not, but Schilthorn typically closes for a couple weeks in November for maintenance and this year the last day they are running is 10-November and won’t start up again until early December. So you’ll be going on the final day before they close, which is lucky (or genius).
Your itinerary is quite busy, but it can all be done within those days and it means you’ll be getting great value out of the Swiss Travel Pass. Since you’ve only got 3 days I think visiting Lucerne briefly as a day trip is a good idea. Again, you’ll be spending a lot of time on trains so you’ll want to get early starts every day. But fortunately every kilometer of those train lines is really gorgeous and the Swiss trains are very punctual and comfortable.
For the GoldenPass day I’d recommend going on the GoldenPass TO Montreux and then on the way back take the faster train that changes in Bern. The one GoldenPass section that slowly goes through that valley to the south is really lovely, but if you do that route in both directions you’ll be really sick of train travel by the time you are back. The route through Bern is also lovely and it saves an hour or more. Let me know if you have any questions. -Roger
Tried to reply but the reply link didn’t work.
Thanks for the info and as you suggested, the half pass will be the one for us.
Another question if you don’t mind: if we buy cable car tickets in advance, are they refundable if the weather is bad the days we’re there?
Thanks again.
Phil,
That is a great question and I’m not sure of the answer about getting refunds for bad weather. I just looked around and I’m not seeing anything about refunds, so it may not be possible. I normally recommend buying tickets just before you go up, party for that reason. They are the same price no matter when you buy, so there is really no advantage to buying in advance. And as far as I know, it’s very rare that they are sold out, except perhaps for short periods right after a long stint of bad weather. Have a great trip. -Roger
Great site Roger. As with a lot of people, the amount information that’s found online gets to be confusing so I’m reaching out to you for hopefully a little help.
My wife and I will be driving (a long road trip: Amsterdam to Amsterdam) from Innsbruck to Grindelwald on 31, March. Not interested in trains unless absolutely necessary. But we do want to take the cable cars to First as well as Jungfraujoch and any others we can squeeze in. We will be in Switzerland 3-4 days before heading to Paris.
My question is: would any of the Swiss passes (half/full) benefit us, money wise?
Thank you.
Phil,
I’m glad this has been helpful. As for the Swiss passes, I think a Half Fare Card would probably save you money, but I don’t think a Swiss Travel Pass would be good value. In fact, if you do Jungfraujoch (about CHF200 return per person), the CHF120 Half Fare Card almost pays for itself because it saves you about CHF100 on just that ride. Even if you don’t take city-to-city trains you’ll still probably take a few more mountain trains and cable cars, and getting half price on those will save you quite a bit.
The fact is, nearly everyone in Switzerland is paying half fare because the passes for residents are even cheaper. All of those things seem REALLY expensive, but if you are only paying half they are pretty good value. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger