Are you planning to visit Switzerland by train? Then first thing: excellent decision! 🙂 Swiss trains are really a unique experience and a great way to see the country (much easier than renting a car for example if you want our humble opinion). In Switzerland, the public transport network is perfectly developed and you will easily reach your destination (often even faster than by road!)
The Swiss Pass and the half price card: presentation
For foreign travelers who decide to visit Switzerland, the train is often cited as the best means of transportation, and frankly,as a Swiss resident I’ll happily confirm this is correct! Afterwards, many are a bit afraid of the rather prohibitive prices of our dear little country… I am not going to tell you here that traveling in Switzerland is cheap, but I will try to present you some options to limit the costs.
As far as trains are concerned, there are mainly 2 solutions available to international travelers:
- The half-fare card: Sold at 120 CHF for one month, it allows you to benefit from all the trips with a 50% discount. Very quickly amortized, it can really be an excellent option!
- The Swiss Travel Pass: A pass which was 100% designed for travelers! With this precious pass, you have unlimited access to absolutely all public transport in the country. The pass exists in a classic version (from 3 to 15 consecutive days) or in a flex version (3 to 15 days to be used over a period of 30 days).
Big bonus for families: With the Swiss Travel Pass or Half-Fare travelcard, children up to the age of 15 travel free of charge! If the parent(s) take a Swiss Travel Pass or Half-Fare travelcard, you can then pick up a Swiss Family Card free of charge at the ticket office on arrival. With this pass, your children up to the age of 15 travel free of charge as long as they are accompanied by a parent with a valid pass or ticket!
Here are the prices of the Swiss Travel Pass 2023 (December 2022 prices):
| 2nd class | 1st class | Youth (2nd class) | |
| Swiss Travel Pass 3 days | 232 CHF | 369 CHF | 163 CHF |
| Swiss Travel Pass 3 days “Flex” | 267 CHF | 424 CHF | 188 CHF |
| Swiss Travel Pass 4 days | 281 CHF | 447 CHF | 198 CHF |
| Swiss Travel Pass 4 days “Flex” | 323 CHF | 514 CHF | 228 CHF |
| Swiss Travel Pass 6 days | 359 CHF | 570 CHF | 253 CHF |
| Swiss Travel Pass 6 days “Flex” | 384 CHF | 610 CHF | 259 CHF |
| Swiss Travel Pass 8 days | 389 CHF | 617 CHF | 271 CHF |
| Swiss Travel Pass 8 days “Flex” | 409 CHF | 649 CHF | 275 CHF |
| Swiss Travel Pass 15 days | 429 CHF | 675 CHF | 289 CHF |
| Swiss Travel Pass 15 days “Flex” | 449 CHF | 706 CHF | 306 CHF |
The Youth prices are really advantageous (from 16 to 24 years old). If you are travelling with kids (under 16) they will travel for free thanks to the swiss family card. If you travel with young adults, the swiss travel pass will usually be a no-brainer for them!
To buy your Swiss Travel Pass we encourage you to go through the Getyourguide website. Why? 2 reasons… the first one being that it allows you to support us in our work on this blog. By buying through Getyourguide you allow us to earn a small commission which contributes to allow us to offer you these free, updated and ad-free contents. All our contents have been written independently without partnership with anyone.
Second point, and not the least. In addition to supporting us, buying via Getyourguide allows you to pay the pass a few CHF less (yes, it’s cheaper than on the official website) and you can cancel your trip for free until 24 hours before the trip (unforeseen events, change of plans, etc).
The Swiss travel pass is for you if…
Designed for foreign travelers visiting Switzerland, the Swiss Travel Pass is the ultimate way to get around the country and enjoy many museums. The Swiss travel pass is expensive, but it offers the huge advantage of being a 100% hassle-free solution. Once you have the pass in hand, you can take any regional train, intercity, bus, postal bus, streetcar or even boat. The only exception would be the few panoramic trains in Switzerland like the Bernina Express, the Glacier Express or the Gothard Express. The Swiss Travel pass is valid on these lines, but you will have to add the budget for the seat reservation (mandatory). If you want to read more about panoramic trains in Switzerland and which ones we recommend the most, check out this blog post. Concerning the cable cars and gondolas, the Swiss Travel Pass works like a swiss GA, which means that for the so-called public services, your trips will be free of charge, but if it is a private company you will have to pay a ticket. Having the Swiss Travel Pass will however give you access to the “half price” fare.
The rather large budget associated with the Swiss Travel Pass means that to “amortize” it, you need to plan to travel quite a bit and/or visit several museums throughout the country. To help you imagine the budget, I have created 3 examples of itineraries in Switzerland at the end of the article and I compare the price depending on whether you take the Swiss Travel Pass, the flex version, a half-fare card or if you simply buy your tickets at full price.
The museums included in the Swiss Travel Pass
There are about 500 museums included in the Swiss Travel Pass, so I won’t make a complete list here 😉 But if you are interested in the latter, you can go and look at the complete list here.
Here is a list of the most famous and popular museums in Switzerland that are included in the Swiss Travel Pass (with their standard entrance fee) so that you can get a first impression of how much you’d save by having the pass:
- Musée Olympique de Lausanne, included, 20 CHF
- Château de Chillon, included, 13,5 CHF
- H.R Giger Museum, Gruyère, included, 12,5 CHF
- Gruyère Castle, included, 12 CHF
- Kunstmuseum, Bâle, included, 26 CHF
- Paper museum, Bâle, included, 15 CHF
- Art Museum, Zurich, included, 23 CHF
- Transportation Museum, Lucerne,included, 32 CHF
- Museum of ethnography, Genève, included, 12 CHF
- International Museum of Watchmaking, la Chaux-de-Fonds, included, 15 CHF
- Ballenberg, included, 32 CHF
- Barryland, Martigny, included, 12 CHF
- Fondation Gianadda, Martigny, included 18 CHF
- etc…
Just with these 13 museums (which are all really great), we already arrive at a bill of more than 240 CHF. I’m sure you won’t do them all, but let’s just say that if you’re planning on doing some of them, it’s a good idea to count these rates in your calculations to see if the Swiss Pass is worth it for you.
The Swiss travel Pass Flex: what if the more expensive pass could save you money?
This sentence may seem very paradoxical I grant you… but keep reading, I promise you it’s true! 🙂 In fact, what you need to know is that the Swiss Travel Pass was really designed to make life easier for travelers and to avoid you having to ask yourself questions. Once you have the Swiss Travel Pass in your pocket, you can move around freely without thinking about prices or tickets, go to the vast majority of museums in the country and enjoy discounts with partner restaurants and stores.
In short, if you don’t want to bother and your budget is relatively flexible, then yes, take the Swiss Travel Pass for your entire stay.
Nevertheless, on a personal basis, I often recommend to our readers who decide to come and visit Switzerland to take the Flex pass if they stay only one week. Why do I do this? For the simple reason that if you decide to spend a whole day hiking, you will end up “burning” a day of Swiss Pass for a simple transport by postal bus or cable car…
It obviously depends on your style of travel, but if you don’t plan to move every day over long distances and/or visit many museums every day, it might be more interesting to take a shorter Flex pass. Let me explain… Let’s say you decide to come to Switzerland for 7-8 days. The classic Swiss Travel pass would cost you 389 CHF (second class) or 617 CHF (first class). But if during your week you only plan to visit 2-3 destinations (say Zurich, Zermatt and Davos to name 3 of the most famous ones) then it might be possible to take the 3-day Swiss Travel Pass Flex (267 CHF in 2nd class or 424 CHF in 1st class). With the 3-day pass, you would use it for the days when you are doing the long distance distance travels and could include stops en route in other cities for museums. During the days in Zurich, Zermatt and Davos, you could complete the pass with the purchase of individual tickets to take a streetcar or a chairlift if needed… It’s a good bet that you won’t spend the difference just to take 3 buses/trams or a gondola 😉
Note : The longer you stay, the less advantageous it is to take the Flex version. If you come for 15 days, it is better to take the classic!
The half-fare card is more suitable for you if…
The half-fare card costs 120 CHF and is valid for one month. This offer will be really advantageous for you if you are planning a trip in Switzerland that involves a few long trips between destinations and then several days on site taking occasional regional transport (bus, streetcar, trains for a few stops or boats) etc.
The other aspect that may tip the balance in favor of the half price would be if you are not interested in museums.
Last but not least: your anticipation! Because a good deal with the half-fare card could be to buy day passes at CHF 29 (half-fare price) and to use them on the days of your big trips. These cards are on sale 60 days before the date of the trip. To get the best price, you should buy them as soon as possible.
The Half-Fare travelcard can be purchased directly from the official SBB website (no cheaper price via Getyourguide)
But be careful, this method is probably the most economical but it requires a lot of planning and anticipation and especially it doesn’t allow any flexibility on the weather or an unforeseen event in your trip (Supersaver day tickets are neither refundable nor exchangeable). To have all the information on how to buy the Supersaver tickets, go to this article.
Examples of itineraries and cost comparison with Swiss Travel Pass vs. half-fare card
In order to choose the best pass or subscription for you, my best advice would be to plan your itinerary as well as possible (especially the long trips) and to think about how many days you will spend in each place. Once you have this information, you can go on the SBB website and look at how much your different tickets would cost (+ add any museums you would like to visit). From there, it will be easier for you to make an idea of the most adapted formula.
Itinerary in Switzerland: Discover the most beautiful cities in Switzerland in 7 days
In this first scenario we will assume that you want to visit the cities of Switzerland and enjoy some excursions. In this first example, we have decided not to travel “too much”, meaning that we stay in the part of the plateau between Geneva and Zurich. The train journeys are all relatively short (max 3h for Zurich-Geneva):
Day 1: Geneva (city tour, ethnographic museum)
Day 2: Lausanne (visit of the city and Olympic museum + detour in the vineyards of Lavaux at the end of the day (UNESCO)
Day 3-4: Bern + Interlaken (old town and train to Interlaken. On the second day you could for example go to Lauterbrunnen for hiking)
Day 5: Lucerne (visit of the city and the bridge, transport museum)
Day 6: Basel (visit of the old town and art museum)
Day 7: Zurich (old town, art museum and boat trip on the lake)
Day 8: return to Geneva by train with a stop in Fribourg or Neuchâtel)
This very cultural itinerary is typically an example of a case where the question of taking a Swiss Travel pass should not even arise… And yet… the distances being relatively short, the advantage is mainly on the museums. If you only take the transport, the 1/2 fare option wins… So it’s up to you if you want to include a lot of museums or not 😉
| Swiss Travel Pass (8 days) | Swiss Travel Pass Flex (3 days) | half fare card (+120 CHF) + tickets | No pass at all | |
| Transports+ museums | 389 CHF | more than 550 CHF | about 400 CHF + bus/tram in the cities | about 450 CHF + bus/tram in the cities |
| Transports only | 389 CHF | 469 CHF | 290 CHF (169 travel + 120 subscription) + bus/tram in the cities | 338 CHF + bus/tram in the cities |
Itineraries in Switzerland: A panoramic train tour
For this second example, we will focus more on the mythical trains of Switzerland 😉 Please note that some trains like the Bernina Express or the Glacier Express require a seat reservation and/or a 1st class ticket in addition to the Swiss Travel Pass. In the calculations below, I have included the additional fees in all the options below.
Day 1: Zurich-Lucerne-Interlaken
Day 2: Visit to Grindelwald and then GoldenPass from Interlaken to Montreux
Day 3: Train from Montreux to Zermatt, walk in Zermatt
Day 4: From Zermatt to St.Moritz with the Glacier Express
Day 5: Hiking around St.Moritz
Day 6: From St.Moritz to Lugano with the Bernina Express
Day 7: Lugano to Lucerne with the Gotthard Panorama Express
Day 8: Mount Rigi and return to Zurich
| Swiss Travel Pass 8 days (2nd class) | Swiss Travel pass Flex | half fare (+ 120 CHF) | no pass | |
| Transports | 525.5 CHF | 715,5 CHF | 650 CHF | 998 CHF |
Note: the 8-day Swiss travel pass costs 389 CHF. For this itinerary the following supplements must be added
- 26 CHF (train) and 16 CHF (bus) for the Bernina Express
- 49 CHF for the Glacier Express
- CHF 29.5 for the Gotthard Express (upgrade to 1st class mandatory) + CHF 16.00 seat reservation fee
Routes in Switzerland: The most beautiful views and hikes
For this 3rd itinerary I decided to assume that you like hiking and that you want to come to Switzerland to admire beautiful views (on our blog you will find more than 50 hiking ideas in Switzerland here).
Day 1: From Geneva to Martigny with a detour through the Lavaux and the Rocher de Naye
Day 2: Train to Finhaut, hike to the Emosson dam. Then train to Sion
Day 3: Go to Saas Grund to go hiking at the foot of the 4000m Valais. Alternative: Go hike near the Aletsch glacier
Day 4: Train to Davos. Short hike in the surroundings
Day 5: Hike in Davos. At the end of the day, train to Appenzell
Day 6: Hike to the top of the Säntis via the Seealpsee. Descent in cabin and train to Schwyz.
Day 7: Hike to the Fronalpstock and take the Stoosbahn (steepest funicular in the world)
Day 8: Take the train to Mount Rigi and then take the train to Lucerne
Day 9: Sightseeing in Lucerne and ride the Pilatus (by cable car)
Day 10: Hike to the Brienzer Rothorn.
Day 11: Heading to Grindelwald and hiking at First
Day 12: Train from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen and stop at the Kleine Scheidegg (optional ascent to the Jungfraujoch – surcharge of CHF 142 with the Swiss Travel pass or CHF 110 with the half-fare), See the standard rates)
Day 13: Day hike in Lauterbrunnen. See our hiking ideas in Lauterbrunnen
Day 14: Train to Kandersteg and hike to Lake Oeschinen.
Day 15: Head for Jaun to tour the Gastlosen (the small Dolomites of Switzerland) ;), return train to Geneva
| | Swiss Travel Pass 15 days (2nd class) | Swiss Travel pass Flex (8 days) | 1/2 fare (+ 120 CHF) | No pass |
| Transports | 528 CHF | 760.7 CHF | 680 CHF | 1120 CHF |
- The above budget does not include the supplement for the Jungfraujoch.
- The price of the Swiss Pass 15 days is 429 CHF, but we had to add a supplement of 39 CHF for the Pilatus cable car (standard price without swiss travel pass: 78 CHF) and 40.5 CHF supplement for the Brienzer Rothorn (standard price: 81 CHF) and 19 CHF for the Säntis
- For the Flex Pass, I counted that we used the Swiss Pass for the most expensive days + purchase of tickets the others.
Summary : What to choose between the Swiss Travel Pass and the Half-Fare Card?
As you can see in the itinerary simulations above, the Swiss Travel pass can be very advantageous. But after that, it is important to note that it will really pay off if you plan to move “often” and over relatively long distances (and see museums). If your goal is to visit 2-3 places in Switzerland and stay several days each time, then it is worthwhile to compare the Travel Pass Flex option to the individual purchase of tickets.
To be honest, there are no ready-made answers to these questions. My best advice for you would be to think about your itinerary beforehand and then do some fare simulations on the sbb.ch website (and if the total of your train tickets exceeds 240 CHF, it will be advantageous to take the half-fare card for 120 CHF).
I personally find the Swiss Travel pass to be a good product. Although expensive, it will offer you a lot of flexibility and once you have it in your pocket you won’t need to think about taking any tram/bus/boat or standard train tickets (for the panoramic trains it is better to anticipate a little bit because the seat reservation can be mandatory).
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Great article on Half Fare Pass Vs Swiss Travel Pass for travel in Switzerland. Thank you.
I am planning a trip in Switzerland in May 2023 and note that there are other regional passes as well. This further complicates the fare modelling.
For example, in Montreux, there is the Montreux Riviera Travel Card available free at your hotel. It includes free travel on public transport in the region, discounts on museums and more. Another free pass is available in Bern.
The Zurich card is not free but also includes free travel around Zurich and discounted museum entry
There is also the Bernese Oberland Pass, a bit pricey, but works well in conjunction with the Half Fare Card.
So complicated!!!
Hi Brian, Thanks for your message!
Yes I know… I mentioned those in our other post about buying the supersaver tickets (another option which could be interesting if combined with the half-fare Pass). Some destinations have really made great efforts to provide a quality-card giving access to lots of things (we stayed 2 nights in Saas Grund this year and were so amazed by all the (quite expensive) cable-cars we could take for free with the guest card. Most mountain resorts have one of these cards, but advantages vary… Do you already have your travel plans set? Generally speaking, the more you travel, the better is the swiss travel pass, but if you decide to stick to 2-3 destinations then the half-fare pass or the supersaver day passes would most likely be a better option (even more if combined with local guest cards or regional passes). We hope you’ll enjoy your stay in Switzerland!
Hi
Good article. I with family (4 adults) travelling to Zurich 1 day, Lucerne 4 days and Interlaken 2 days. With mt titlis, Jungfraujoch and mt pilatus and Lauterbrunnen.
Strictly no museums.
Only sight seeing no activities like parasailing. Which would you recommend?
Thanks.
Hi Anand,
Hmmm tough choice! Did you try adding up the indivual ticket prices? Since Titlis, Jungfrau and Pilatus are anyway not included in the Swiss Travel pass (you get the half-fare discount though), I would tend towards the half-fare card because the distances between Zurich, Lucerne and Interlaken are quite short and most of your budget will go towards panoramic trains/cable cars for which the swiss travel pass would give you the same discounts.
To save even a bit more, you could take a look at the super-saver tickets available for half-fare card holders (but be careful, with those tickets you need to be sure about when you travel because they are bought for a specific train and are non-refundable and can’t be changed).
Hope you’ll enjoy your trip! The program you’re planning sounds amazing! 🙂
Hi Fabienne,
It is a great article!
My family of 2 adults and 2 teen (17 & 18 yrs old) flying into to Zurich and take train to Lucerne right away. Using Lucerne as a home base for 4 full days (5 nights) to explore nearby towns. Bern, Basil, Interlaken, Mr. Titlis and Mt Pilatus. I know there is also youth tickets. Would you recommend Half Fare or Swiss Pass? We are not planning to visit a lot of museums, maybe Lindorf or Fifa if we will make it to Zurich. Also, i would greatly appreciate recommendations for one extra day we have in Lucerne. Thank you!
Hi Irina,
Thanks for your message! Hmmm I think it really depends on how many museums you’d like to visit.The swiss pass has the advantage of beeing super convenient (one card, all included (except for specific cable cars where you’ll have to buy an extension, in your list I see Pilatus and Titlis where you would have to pay extra)). And yes, for the 2 teens, there is a special youth rate which is actually a really good deal (if you get the half fare there is no special discount for youth). So I would say that for the 2 teens, the swiss pass would be the best option, and for you it would be a close call.
For the extra day I would either recommend Rigi (https://www.novo-monde.com/en/panoramic-trail-mount-rigi/) which offers beautiful views and it is included in the swiss pass.
Alternatively, the Brienzer Rothorn (https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hike-brienzer-rothorn/) or Fronalpstock (https://www.novo-monde.com/en/stoos-hike-fronalpstock-klingenstock/) are stunning excursions as well!
We wish you a wonderful trip in Switzerland!
Hi Fabienne
I’m really glad I stumbled upon your website!
I’m travelling with my 24 year old son to Switzerland in June. We’ll arrive in Geneva (from Paris), where we’ll stay for one night; then to Murren for 3 nights and Zermatt for 2 nights (then on to Milan).
I’m thinking the half-fare card would be best for me, with my son getting the Swiss Travel Pass – Youth. However, I’m really unsure whether I need to purchase the Bernese Oberland Pass also.
The only big train trips will be to get from one destination to the next (no scenic trains), so it’s mainly things like getting up/down from Murren, we’ll probably go over to Grindelwald First, plus the train and/or cable car in Zermatt.
Would really appreciate your advice.
Thanks
Christina
Hi Christina,
Thanks for your message.
Yes I think the swiss travel pass youth is great for your son! For you I agree the half fare would probably be better.
For the bernese Oberland pass I think it depends how many excursions you’ll want to do , but genrally speaking these passes are really worth it the longer you stay. For 3 days, I think you won’t spend more than 150 CHF (the bernese oberland pass price for 3 days) in individual tickets since it’s rather small distances. So I would go half fare for you and swiss travel pass for your son.
Wishing you a wonderful stay in Switzerland!
Thank you so much for your response. It’s good to get confirmation that I’m on the right track.
Planning for a 12 day vacation from June 2 to June 14 for a family of 4 ( me/ my wife and 2 daughters 15 and 18) What itineary would you recommend and would u recommend Swiss travel pass or half ticket
Hi,
I think it really depends what you would like to see 😉 cities/nature a mix?
If it is your first time in Switzerland I would recommend you take a look at the panoramic train tour I suggested in the blog post. I suggested an 8-day route, but you could easily extend it to 12 by extending stays in places such as Zermatt or Interlaken where there is a lot to do!
If you plan to move quite a lot I would go for the swiss travel pass. If your daughter is not 16 yet, she would travel for free if you take the pass and for your 18 year old daughter there is the Youth Swiss Travel Pass which is really a great deal!
Wishing you a wonderful trip in Switzerland!
We are travelling to Switzerland staying Zurich and want to travel around from 3/10 till 9/10 no museums . We do want to do the cable train up the mountains. Any suggestions
Hi. I am planning to visit Switzerland for 4 days. Will be 2 adults & 2 kids below age of 16. Will Luzerne as base will be visiting Geneva; Zurich; Mt Itlis & Jungfraujoch.
What would you recommend- Swiss Pass or the half fare card.
Hi,
It’s hard to tell, it depends quite a bit on how many museums you’ll want to do and how often you plan on using public transportation in the cities. But with 2 kids under 16 I would tend to advise you to take 2 swiss travel pass for the adults and the free family card so the kids travel for free with you. This is the easy solution and you’ll simply have to count a supplement for Mount Titlis or JungfrauJoch.
Have a wonderful stay!
My husband and I are planning a trip time in April for 1 week. I have a brother living in Solothurn so we are making that our base for the week. My husband’s wants to stay local for a few days around Solothurn to visit a few museums and then we are looking at travelling, short enough train rides for example Interlaken, hopefully do sledging for one day. Perhaps Bern for a day and the other day in Lucerne. Mainly sight-seeing and perhaps a boat ride too.
Would you recommend the half-fare card please, if only going for 1 week or the flexi, I am guessing half-fare card? Can the half-fare card be put against sledging too do you know? Also, we will be booking a return ticket from Zurich Airport to Solothurn can I use the half-fare card for these trips also? If so, would you recommend I buy the ½ fare card when I arrive at Zurich airport or before? If before, how do I off-set it against my train ticket? Thanks in advance for your help, I really appreciate it and any advice or suggestions you can give.
Hello,
I think the half-fare could indeed be interesting (I would recommend you try to add up the different prices of the planned trips and see if the total goes over 240CHF). If not, then I would simply buy regular tickets as you go. Solothurn is indeed well located, and the trips you plan are rather short.
If you decide to buy the half-fare card, you can do this online on sbb.ch (https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/inspiration/international-guests/swiss-halffare-card.html) and you will receive the pass by email. Since it’s valid 1 month, I would take it for one day before your arrival and then simply buy the half-fare tickets as you go.
For your question regarding sledging, it will depend where you plan to go. If it’s a public transportation gondola, then yes, half-fare card would work as well, but if it is a private-run chairlift or gondola, I am afraid this would not work.
Hello,
I am traveling to Switzerland with my husband and 16 months old daughter during April 8th to April 23rd(15 days)
We will visit Zurich,Lucerne, Jungfrau,Interlaken,Mt.Titlis,Mt.Pilatus,lauterbrunnen,Geneva,Lugano,Bern,Basel…mostly we will try to cover whole of Switzerland..From 8th to 15 th we will stay in Interlaken,16th to 18th in Bern and 19th to 23rd in Zurich.
I would like to know what kind of passes we can have with most benefits and where can we use
them.
Thanks and Regards
Sanjoli
Hello Sanjoli,
Thanks for your message. You plan to move a lot, so I guess the Swiss Travel Pass will most likely be your best option for you and your husband (your daughter being under 6 she will travel for free in any cases). The longer you stay, the more the Swiss Pass becomes interesting (in my opinion), so for your trip I would go for this one (you’ll only have to add a few supplements for the private railways such as Pilatus and Jungfrau, all the rest will be covered including the local bus, boats and trams in the cities)
I wish you a wonderful holiday for you and your family
Hello,
I am currently planning a 3 days trip for 2 adults. We’re thinking to find a place to stay around Thun as Interlaken area can be expensive, and plan to visit Interlaken, Jungfrau, Grindelwald. Then head to Zurich for our flight back home. So we’re torn between getting swiss pass or half fare pass as we don’t plan to visit any museums.
It’d be great if we can get some recommendations or suggestions for the plan from you.
Thank you.
Hi,
I think it depends how many small trips you want to take. But for example: Zurich to Thun is 30.5 CHF (one way) with the half fare, so return trip comes back to 70. Thun-Interlaken return would be 14 and Thun Grindelwald would be 30. Total would be 114 + 120 for the half fare card which make 234 CHF. This is exactly the same as the Swiss travel pass for 3 days (you’ll pay the same for the Jungfrau extension no matter which one you choose).
I would personnally go for the Swiss travel pass, because this will allow you to be more flexible and add a few extra local bus/trams without having to worry (but to be honest there will be little difference between the 2 options)
Enjoy your trip
Hi Fabienne,
We’re a couple and we will be taking the train from Milan to Zermatt, staying for 3 days, then to Interlaken for another 3 days, then to Lucerne for 1 day. Mostly riding up the mountains and taking short hikes, with Jungfrau, Titlis and Pilatus. And boat ride at Lake Brienz/Thun. Is half fare card the better option? No museums. Thank you.
Hi Nesta,
I think the best would be to try doing price simulations for the different streches of your trip. Offical prices from Brig to Zermatt, Zermatt to Interlaken, Interlaken to Lucern + a boat tour with the half fare would come to about 100 CHF, to which you’ll have to add 120 CHF for the half fare. So it depends how many cable cars and special trains you’ll take.
Where will you go after Lucerne, still travelling by train?
The Swiss Travel pass for 8 days is 388 CHF. If in Lucerne you plan to do the Rigi or the Stoosbahn from Interlaken, these would be included.
Have a nice stay in Switzerland!
Hi,
My boyfriend and I are going from Zurich (1 day) to Interlaken (1 day) to Grindelwald (2 days) to Zermatt (5 days) and then Yvoire (1 day) and leaving from Geneva. I’m thinking the half fare since we aren’t too keen on museums. Do you suggest this or a different pass?
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for your message. Are you going to stay in Zermatt or are you planning to move around from there? If no, you’ll only have 3 travel days on which you’ll cover quite a bit of distance (Zurich-Interlaken, Grindelwald-Zermatt and Zermatt-Geneva (Yvoire).
Yvoire being in France, swiss pass would not be valid here…
By adding these major tickets you get to approx 300 CHF (full fare). Thus half fare would cost you 120+(0.5*290)=290 CHF which is more or less the same. I would neverthless take the half fare because this will give you discounts for some cable cars/Zermatt trains and you might want to take a bus or tram in a city.
The swiss pass for 8 days is 388 CHF / person, so I guess it would depend on how many extra trips you’ll want to make (taking a boat in Zurich/Interlaken, local buses, etc…). The swiss pass also gives the 50% discount on all non included private trains and cable cars (in Zermatt for example).
I wish you a beautiful trip!
Fabienne
Hi. I am planning to visit Switzerland for 5 full days. Will be 2 adults & 2 kids older than 16 (16 & 18). Will Luzerne as base will be visiting Bern, Interlaken; Zurich; Mt Itlis .
What would you recommend- Swiss Pass or the half fare card? Also would you please recommend any other day trips? Thank you!
Hi Irene,
Thanks for your message. I think that for the young adults (16 and 18) the Youth swiss travel pass would be the best option (it’s 253CHF/ person for 6 days). This includes everything except the Mount Titlis where the swiss travel pass gives a 50% discount.
For the adults you would need to make more detailed calculations by checking the individual prices on cff.ch (it would probably be a quite close call)
As excursions which are included in the swiss travel pass I would highly recommend Mount Rigi just above Luzern (possibility to do a hike on top) as well as the Fronalpstock panoramic hike (by taking the stoosbahn, which is the steepest funicular in the world). You’ll find posts about these two places on our blog:
https://www.novo-monde.com/en/stoos-hike-fronalpstock-klingenstock/
We wish you a beautiful stay!
Fabienne
Hi Fabienne
My friend and myself are doing a 7 day trip to
1)Lucerne- 1 night
(Want to take the golden pass train to Interlaken)
2) 2 nights in interlaken ( going to lauterbrunnen on day 1, going to jungfraujoch and grindelwald on second day )
3) Zermatt – 1 night (Matterhorn)
4) Zurich – 2 nights
Would you recommend doing a half pass or full)
Thank you so much!
Hi Kiren,
Thanks for your message.
I did a quick calculation adding up the standard prices (with half fare) for your planned route. This makes about 160-180 CHF in tickets. If you take the half fare (120CHF), this makes a total of about 290-300 CHF.
The swiss travel pass for 8 days is 389 CHF which is a bit more. So I would say it depends how many “local” trips you want to do (local bus, tram, boat, short trains). In my calculation, I did not include those, so if for example in Lucern you plan to take a boat, take trams in Zurich, rides to/from the airport, etc I think this would be a very close call. if you plan to add some museums, then swiss travel pass wins for sure.
When it’s a close call I would usually tend towards the swiss travel pass because this is a 100% hassle-free solution, no need to worry about buying a ticket, you just hop on any train/bus/tram/boat (except for the Jungfrau which has to be paid extra in both cases).
I hope this helps!
Wishing you a wonderful trip in Switzerland!
I’m so confused! We’ll be staying in Grindelwald in August. We would like to do Jungfraujoch (Eigerexpress up and train back down) and then in the afternoon, go to Piz Gloria/Schilthorn. What do you suggest – Half Price Card or Swiss Travel Card? And what route would you take?
Hi Linda, the Jungfraujoch is not included in the swiss travel pass unfortunately. The best way is to book it directly here –> https://www.novo-monde.com/go/getyourguide/jungfraujoch/
Thank you for all your comments so far. I am surprised you are responding to each and every query, thank you again. I guess the Swiss are masterminds of complexities. So many fares and so many options, it’s really hard to choose easily.
We arrive and leave from Zurich, 20-26th June. We hope to possibly stay at Interlaken and see the Jungfraujoch regions, travel to Lucerne and then go back to Zurich. Any advice on the Swiss travel pass or half-fare card would be much appreciated.,
Hi Tom,
I am trying to reply to everybody because I feel that this swiss pass was initially made to make things easier, but in the end there is still quite a lot of confusion about it. 😉 To me, the swiss pass is really IDEAL for anyone who wants to travel a lot and see many different places. For trips like yours, I would say it is more about how convenient you want to have it.
Half fare would probably be slightly cheaper (Jungfrau is not included in the swiss travel pass, so you only get the half fare discount as well.
Having the swiss pass will allow you to board any train, bus or even boat without having to think twice (and it includes museums as well, so it depends if you plan to visit some as well?!?). With the half fare, I would say you would end up paying a bit less, but you’ll have to remember to buy a ticket for every single journey (or individual day passes).
I wish you a wonderful stay in Switzerland! Greetings from the alps in Valais 😉
Hi Fabienne,
We (4 adults) planning to visit Switzerland in June for 5 days from Milan via Barnina route and staying in Zurich as base .
Our plan is to do day trips to Mount Titilis one day with a visit to Lucerne on our way back.
Next day to Jungfrau region with a visit to Grindelwald or interlacken on our way back to Zurich( as time permits).
3 rd day to mount Pilates from Zurich
4th day to Bern & back
5 th day – to Basel and fly back.
We are not interested in museums.
We are confused whether we need to take a Swiss pass( 6 day) or half fare pass.
Your help would be much appreciated .
Mathew
Hi,
This is such a great article. For our trip, the half fare would be best unless the train from Interlaken to Lake Como is included in the Swiss travel pass. I can not find the answer to this question anywhere….do you know if the travel pass and or the half fare would cover this route?
Thank you
Yadira
Hi Yadira,
If you take the swiss public transportation from Interlaken to Chiasso (almost lake Como but still in Switzerland), it’s going to be included in the swiss travel pass (in the half fare as well).
Hello, we are traveling to Geneva on business and will have Sunday and Monday for site seeing. Do you have any recommendations? Our first trip ever there and then we are on our way to Italy for 2 days business trip. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
Wow, what a great blog.
Still torn with deciding. I am traveling in June from zurich to Lucerne by train. I am doing the Classic rountrip to Mt. Rigi, and Silver roundtrip for Mt. Pilatus. I will also travel from Lucerne to Lauterbrunnan and stay there 5 days. There, it will be Jungfrau and Schtilhorn trips, and a day trip to Lake Oeschinsee. Then Lauterbrunnan to Zurich by train and fly home. I’m thinking the 1/2 price fare. I did the 1/2 price in 2019 in Switzerland, but really torn now. I don’t think I am doing any museums. Thank you for your help.
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for your message. Yes, I think it’s a close call for such a trip (Pilatus and Jungfrau would not be included in the Swiss Pass, you’d get the same discount as with the half fare). But I think the swiss travel pass (6 days) might be worth it if you plan to travel a bit from Lauterbrunnen (go see Interlaken, Klingenstock, StoosBahn, etc). If you add up your journeys Zurich-Luzern, Luzern-Lauterbrunnen, Lauterbrunnen-Kandersteg(return) and Lauterbrunnen-Zurich, this makes about 200 CHF full fare.
If you decide not to take many trains from Lauterbrunnen then half fare is probably sightly cheaper.
Enjoy your stay!
Hi Fabienne, thanks for your blog. It helps to clarify some things but I’m still confuse though. My family and I (of which are 5 adults and 3 children under 16) are planning to go to Switzerland this July 2023. From Venice, we’ll be staying first in Lucerne for 2 nights then Zurich for 1 night then go to Paris. We plan to go to Mt. Titlis, Interlaken and Jungfrau. No intentions to see museum. What’s the best option for us? Is rent a car an option? If not and train pass is the best option for us, what kind of train pass is the best for us? Thank you for your response.
Hi Ron,
Thanks for your message. I think your train travels will be rather small, so I don’t think the swiss travel pass would be worth it. The half fare would most likely not be worth it neither (train from Lugano to Luzern + train from Luzern to Zurich would be about 100 CHF without discount, thus paying 120 extra to get 50% would not be worth it).
As for car rentals I have less experience, but I would tend to favor trains (parking in cities is expensive and reading your travel plan I would assume you would want to drop off the car in a different location than the one you pick it up, this unfortunately comes with a supplement).
For your trip from Lugano to Luzern you can can a daily pass for the kids at 19 CHF (cheaper than the regular children price for this trip) –> https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/day-pass/day-pass-children.html
Enjoy your stay!
Hi. Coming from Paris to bern for 2 nights (possible day to Gruyère), then to wengen for 3 nights to explore the area with murren/ jungfraunoch and then to Lucern with a trip to pilatus/riji before heading to Zurich to fly home. Wondering about the Swiss pass vs half fare and oberland pass. Thank you for any advice!
Hi,
Thanks for your message.
Hmm yes I think this is a close call, getting the half fare + Bernese Oberland or swiss pass. I think it depends if you include Gruyère or not (Gruyère is not included in the bernese pass as far as i know). I think the swiss travel pass for 6 days (359 CHF) would probably be cheaper.
The half fare is 120, bernese pass is 150, and then you’d have to add half fare tickets from Geneva to Bern (26), round trip to Gruyère (40), Rigi (60) and then train from Luzern to Zurich (12,5), this makes about 415 CHF. Jungfrau and Pilatus will be extra anyways.
Have a nice stay in Switzerland!
Thank you for the response. I know pilatus/jungfrau are extra. Do you know if the Bernese pass/Swiss pass otherwise cover the same cable cars in the area? I believe the boats/trains/buses are the same. Thanks!
Hi,
For boats, trains and buses it’s exactly the same yes. For the cable cars I think the bernese pass would be better as it includes more (some are covered by the swiss pass, but the bernese pass seems to cover more). I’ll be honest, I never tried the bernese pass, but reading on their website it seems to cover more.
Namaste, Hi, Hello!!!
We (2 adults + 2 children (15 & 9 years young) visiting Switzerland in mid June for 19 days (after 3 days in Paris).
Entry and Exit from Zurich.
Interested to visit Transport museum – Luzern, Charlie Chaplin museum, Chocolate Factory – Broc, one more can be added.
Travel plan is as below:
Luzern – 5 days – Rheinfall, Mt. Titlis, CableO Stanserhorn, Stoos (Includes Hike), Mt. Rigi or Pilatus)
Wengen – 9 days – Griendelwald First, Schilthorn, Trumelbach falls, Gimmelwald, Murren, 2-3 Hiking, Pls advise the gap days
Zermatt – 3 days – Grogernat, Matterhorn, 1 Hike,
Laussanne – 1 day – Geneva, Broc
Zurich – Last night to catch flight on next day.
Kindly advise:
1. Swiss Flex Pass for 15 days or Swiss Half Fare Card
2. Additional locations to cover from Wengen
3. Locations like hotel aescher in appenzell
Basically, we want to make best use of our time and efforts during this visit to beautiful country.
Thank you in advance.
Hi,
Thanks for your comment. I think since you’ll be moving quite a lot, the swiss travel pass would be the best option for the adults (+ get the free family card so that the kids travel for free with you).
For your gap days, I would recommend you stop in Kandersteg (from there you can take the train to Zermatt easily) and go see Oeschienen lake + blue lake. These places are stunning and definitely worth a visit.
Another place which is stunning and kind of on your way between Kandersteg and Zermatt would be Aletsch Glacier (there is a beautiful hike you can do along the glacier (https://www.novo-monde.com/en/aletsch-glacier-hikes-switzerland)
Another place which is really nice, would be the steam train going up the Brienzer Rothorn (https://www.novo-monde.com/en/hike-brienzer-rothorn/).
Wishing you a wonderful trip in Switzerland!
Hello,
Thanks for the great article.
We are hoping to drive to Geneva ,Zurich or any other city from UK and then park it up in a long stay car park and travel around the country for 7-10 days, do you know any parking options you can recommend?
Many thanks
-Ima
Hello Ima,
Unfortunately I do not know any long term options in Zurich and Geneva, but generally speaking, the larger the city, the more complicated (and expensive) this would be. I know that in Lausanne (40 minutes from Geneva) there are a few options which cost 8 CHF a day ( https://www.lausanne.ch/vie-pratique/mobilite/parkings-stationnement/p-longue-duree.html) but it is limited to 6 days, in Yverdon it’s 40 CHF for 7 days (https://www.yverdon-les-bains.ch/questions-reponses/detail-de-la-question/en-ce-qui-concerne-les-parkings-de-la-plage-des-rives-du-lac-et-du-centre-sportif-des-iles-suis-je-autorise-a-y-stationner-a-la-journee-ou-suis-je-limite-dans-le-temps) Would you travel by train after that?
Thanks Fabienne, Yes we are hoping to take the swiss pass for 8 days, I think it’s best we fly to Geneva instead of driving, having to manage a vehicle in Switzerland seem like a disadvantage than an advantage while visiting.
I have a question re 1st and 2nd class options in swiss pass though, is it worth the money we pay extra for the 1st class in your opinion? especially if we are doing a lot of travelling in 8 days on trains, we are hoping to stay 10 days and use the swiss pass for 8 days.
Many thanks
Hi Ima,
To be honest, second class is already really good in Switzerland. I personnally always choose this option (there are large seats, plugs available in most trains and it’s very comfortable).
The main difference and what could justify first class:
– During peak hours (early morning and around 5-7 pm), first class tends to be less crowded (but as a general rule, I would try avoiding peak hours on major lines such as Lausanne-Geneva or Bern-Zurich)
– For panoramic trains, 1st class offer larger windows
– For Gothard express 1st class is mandatory
But anyways, you could easily take second class and simply upgrade for one specific train if you want to enjoy bigger windows for a particular route for example.
This is a great explanation of the different fares. We have decided to base ourselves for 8 days in Wengen, get the Berner Oberland pass and see a good amount of sights in that area. We have rented a car as a party of 5 to drive from Geneva to Lauterbrunnen to park the car and carry on. I’m thinking we may have some time on either our first or last day to visit Zermatt and the Matterhorn. Should we buy a Swiss flex pass or a 1/2 price pass or pay the full fare for wherever the transportation costs are at Zermatt? Are there any other options or discounts with the Berner Oberland pass to see Zermatt or any other areas not in Oberland pass?
Thank you kindly. This is the most difficult trip I have ever planned!
Hi, thanks for your message.
Honestly, I do not think this would be worth it taking the half fare just for Zermatt. But if you get the 8 days bernese pass then it might be worth it (the bernese pass is cheaper if you have the half fare card as well (https://www.berneseoberlandpass.ch/prices-tickets/)
But if I can be totally honest, Zermatt is of course stunning but it’s quite a long drive for the Matterhorn. There are alternatives which would most likely be a bit closer to the bernese oberland (Rigi, Stoosbahn, Brienzer Rothorn,etc.)
Wishing you a wonderful stay in Switzerland!
Hi. We will be visiting in September (family of 6). We will be arriving in Zurich in the afternoon and off to Bern the next day. Plan to go to Interlaken, Laterbrunen and Brig over the period of 4 days in Switzerland then we are off to Milan. What is the best travel pass for us.
For families, the swiss travel pass combined with the family card would most likely be the best option (depending on the age of kids), but you’ll cover quite some distance by train so I would assume this would be your best option.
Enjoy your trip!
Hi Fabienne,
I’m planning to visit Switzerland this weekend. I will arrive in Bern, 24th June, 9 am in the morning. then I’m wil stay somewhere near interlaken. I would like to explore more on the nature, so I will spend more time on The interlaken, grindelwald, and Jungfraujoch area. Then after that I would like to visit Zermatt & Zurich for a day visit and go back to my hostel in interlaken. I’m only planning to stay until 27th June at night, then going back to paris. Which pass would suit this situation?
Thank you!!
Hi Elsa, sorry I just saw your comment now, I guess it’s too late… Hope you’re having a wonderful trip!
hi Fabienne … my query is re. which pass to buy ?
My wife and I plan to journey across Switzerland by rented car covering St. Moritz, Lugano, Zermat, Gstaad and Interlaken over a period of 10 days. We plan to do Matterhorn, Glacier 3000 and Jungfraujoch apart from boat rides and funicular rides. What do you suggest ?
Hi Ash,
I think that if you have a car, there would be not much benefit taking any pass (depends how often you would like to take trains instead of your car). Try adding the different tickets prices for the funiculars/trains and cable cars and check if the total goes over 240 in which case half fare would be worth it (half fare costs 120 CHF for a month)
Enjoy your stay!
Travelling from Geneva airport to Interlaken on 16 th July (return 23 rd), Myself and son aged 12 yrs. Will be visiting Gimmewald, Wengen, Grindewald, Schilthorn, Murren, Lauterbrunen etc. No musuems. Best option ?
Hi,
The best option is for sure to get the swiss family card so that your son travels for free with you. For you, I think it’s a close call, but the swiss travel pass is most likely the most flexible option. If you take it for you it’s 389 for 8 days and both of you can travel unlimited on all public transportation (except for trains/cable cars subject to a supplement such as Jungfrau).
Have a nice stay in Switzerland
Hi, Would love your advice on which rail pass to get
I am in Switzerland for a10 days and see myself using train for 8 of those days
3 nights St Gallen – side trips to Allenzell and Wasserauen – ebenalp cable car
1 night Lucerne
3 nights Lauterbrunnen – will do trips to murrain/wengen/ Klein sheidgg and cable cars in both areas
1 night Bern
2 nights Geneva
I worked out very roughly that the train portion would be about 300 CHF
which card would be best seeing I will need to add in cable cars
many thanks!!!
Hi Fabienne
Firs of all ket me admire of your help to travellers all around the world. There is a lot of information about passes and discount tickets and i find it somehow confusing.
We are planning our 10 day trip from Geneva. We are renting a car. the plan is to visit Zematt (3 days), Spiez (3 days) visiting Lauterbrunnen of course and then Kreuz Jona. we are family of 3 adults and a child 12 years old. Thank You!