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Swiss Half Fare Card

The Swiss Half Fare Card entitles visitors to travel by train, bus and boat and most mountain railways at half price.

It is the ideal companion for short trips and excursions throughout Switzerland. The Swiss Half Fare Card has a validity of one month and can be obtained at nearly every Swiss railway station as well as all points-of-sale worldwide.

• Up to 50% discount on travels by train, bus, boat and most mountain excursions.  Show area of validity
• Up to 50% discount on use of public transportation in more than 90 towns and cities.
• Children above 6 years of age and up to their 16th birthday enjoy free travels with the complimentary Swiss Family Card . They must be accompanied by at least one parent who is a holder of a Swiss Half Fare Card along with a valid ticket.
• Children below 6 years of age travel free of charge.
• The Swiss Half Fare Card is available as an e-Ticket to persons with residence outside Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
• Validity: one month
• In Switzerland, fares apply in Swiss Francs as detailed in the chart. (In case of cash payment in EUR, USD or GBP: current exchange rates apply.)

Swiss Family Card

• As long as they are accompanied by at least one parent holding a valid Swiss Travel System ticket, children above 6 years of age and up to their 16th birthday enjoy free travels with the complimentary  Swiss Family Card .
• Children from their 6th up to their 16th birthday who are not accompanied by a parent receive a 50% discount on Swiss Travel System tickets and passes.

Bonus Benefits with the Swiss Travel Pass

Regional passes, sales outlet swiss travel system.

The Ultimate Guide to the Swiss Half Fare Card [2024]

If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland, then you may well have heard of the Swiss Half Fare Card. This Swiss Half Fare Travelcard does exactly what its name suggests – it entitles the holder to half price tickets for travel within Switzerland. 

If you’re considering buying the Half Fare Card in Switzerland for tourist purposes, then this article will tell you all you need to know. From where to buy your Swiss Half Fare Card and how to use the Swiss Half Fare Card , to the current Swiss Half Fare Card price for first and second class travel.

If you want to know is the Swiss Half Fare Card worth it?, read on so you can make up your own mind. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to decide whether or not the Swiss Half Fare pass is the best option for you. 

Let’s get started by taking a look at exactly what a Swiss Half Fare Card for a tourist entitles you to. 

[ This post may contain compensated links. Please see my  disclosure policy  for more information. ]

What's in this Article

What is the Swiss Half Fare Card?

The Swiss Half Fare Card is also sometimes referred to as the SBB Half Fare Card. (SBB stands for Swiss Federal Railways.)

This Swiss half price travel card entitles the holder to buy half price tickets for all public transport in Switzerland which includes trains, buses, boats, trams and mountain railways. 

The Swiss Half Fare Card is valid for 1 month . Though it may seem best suited to those travelling around Switzerland by train, this isn’t necessarily the case.

Even those planning minimal train travel and some mountain excursions can benefit from having the card. It’s therefore a good option for those who are renting a car, too.

The SBB Half Fare Card for tourists entitles you to 50% off train tickets.

It also offers up to 50% off fares on other forms of public transport across the country, and covers more than 90 Swiss cities and towns. This includes travel by boat, bus and mountain railway. 

GET YOUR HALF FARE CARD HERE

Swiss Half Fare Card price

The Swiss Half Fare Card from SBB costs exactly the same whether you plan to travel in first or second class. The price for the Swiss Half Fare Card in 2024 is CHF 120 and you can buy the Swiss Half Fare Card here .

As a general guide, at the time of writing this converts to around USD 130, EUR 120, GBP 105 or AUD 185. (Though exchange rates will of course vary.) 

Whilst the initial cost of the Swiss Half Fare Card is the same regardless of the class of travel, fares for individual journeys differ. 

First class travel costs more than second class travel, but tickets for both classes qualify for a 50% discount with the Half Fare Card.

Swiss Half Fare Card validity

The Half Fare Card in Switzerland is available to anyone who permanently resides outside the country of Switzerland and the landlocked microstate of Liechtenstein. 

Each SBB Half Fare Card gives the tourist up to 50% off travel for a full month.

It can be used to purchase tickets in both classes of travel, and can be bought all year round and the Swiss half fare travel card can be used as an e-ticket.

The Swiss rail half fare card is valid on much more than only trains. It can also be used to purchase half price bus, boat and mountain railway tickets during its validity.

To see a map of the area of validity of the Swiss Half Fare Card > click here .

This is why it can be worthwhile, even for those who will be travelling around Switzerland by car. 

The Swiss Family Card

Adults buying the Switzerland Half Fare Card can also get the Swiss Family Card for free. The Swiss Family Card can be used as a pass for accompanying children aged under 16. 

Do note that this must be ordered at same time as the adults’ half fare card. 

Once you have a Swiss Family Card, kids aged between 6 and 15 inclusive can travel for free. This applies as long as they’re travelling with at least one parent who is a half fare pass holder.

Children aged 5 or under also travel for free within Switzerland but do not need a Swiss Family Card. 

If you do want to make a seat reservation for an adult or child, however, there will be an additional charge for this.

How you receive the Swiss Half Fare Card

The easiest way to buy this special Swiss pass half fare card is to order it online . Once you’ve done that, the card will be delivered by email to your inbox. 

You can then use it as you would any digital ticket – though we always recommend printing a copy just for back-up.

How to use the Swiss Half Fare Card 

The Swiss Half Fare Card does not require activation. This happens automatically when you use it for the first time. 

Just make sure you have your passport to hand as well when buying tickets for each journey. 

This is because you do need to be resident in a country other than Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein to be eligible for the pass, and therefore the 50% discount. 

So let’s say you now have the Swiss Half Fare Card. Where to buy your actual tickets for travel?

Tickets for each journey you want to make can be purchased via the SBB Mobile app, online , or at any Swiss train station via a machine or staffed counter.

However you choose to proceed, simply make sure you have your Half Fare Card and passport to hand when buying. 

Features and Benefits of the Swiss Half Fare Card

For quick reference, here’s a brief summary of the key features and benefits of the Half Fare Card for Swiss travel . 

• Available to anyone who permanently resides outside Switzerland or Liechtenstein
• Half Fare Cards can be bought and used all year round
• Buy via the SBB app, at any train station in Switzerland, or online
• Available for first or second class travel
• Can be used as an e-ticket
• Valid for one month from the first date of use
• Up to 50% off travel across all of Switzerland
• A Swiss Family Card is free for accompanying children under 16
• Holders can buy half price tickets for travel by train, local transport networks such as buses and boats, and mountain railways

> Get your Swiss Half Fare Card here.

Planning a trip to Switzerland? At Holidays to Switzerland we are passionate about sharing our love of Switzerland and helping you to plan the perfect trip. Read our guide to planning a trip to Switzerland to kick start your travel plans and join our free Switzerland Travel Planning group on Facebook to chat with other past and future travellers. Want monthly news and podcast updates, helpful travel tips and special deals sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to Holidays to Switzerland and we’ll send you a bonus copy of our 10 Useful Things to Know Before You Visit Switzerland guide. 🇨🇭 Check out our exclusive discount offers and save on your Swiss vacation. 🇨🇭

Swiss Half Fare Card FAQs

How long is the swiss half fare card valid for.

The Swiss Half Fare Card is valid for one month from the first date of use. You don’t need to validate the card before you travel. It can be bought and used all year round, and for first or second class travel. 

Does the Swiss Half Fare Card cover the Jungfraujoch region?

Yes, the Swiss Half Fare Card does indeed cover the Jungfraujoch region – mountain excursions in the region, as well as travel tickets, are 50% cheaper for card holders.

Can the Swiss Half Fare Card be used on premium panoramic trains like the Glacier Express?

For many people, taking a panoramic train journey within Switzerland is a must. So is there a discount for holders of the Swiss half fare card?

Tickets for the Glacier Express and other premium panoramic trains are available with a 50% discount for Half Fare Card holders. Simply show your Half Fare Card and passport when buying your tickets. 

Does the Swiss Half Fare Card cover cable cars?

The SBB Half Fare Card gives the holder up to 50% off travel by train, bus, boat, tram, mountain railway and participating cable car services.

Can foreigners buy the Swiss Half Fare Card?

Yes, foreigners can buy the Swiss Half Fare Card. In fact, it’s only available to anyone who isn’t a permanent resident of Switzerland or Liechtenstein.

Once you have the card, always have your passport handy when buying tickets, in case station or train staff wish to check your eligibility.  

Are cancellations or refunds available with the Swiss Half Fare Card?

If you need to cancel your card before travel, you can contact SBB or the company you purchased it from to request a refund.

If you buy via Klook , for example, they generally allow cancellation for a full refund as long as you cancel 48 hours or more before the date of travel or validity. 

Are changes to the Swiss Half Fare Card allowed?

Once you’ve used and therefore activated your pass, it’s valid for one month. No changes are thus permitted after this date.

However as with all SBB tickets and passes, you can request a refund from SBB if you need to curtail your trip for a good reason. Evidence may be required, and refunds are entirely at their discretion. 

What is the difference between the Swiss Pass and the Swiss Half Fare Card?

The Swiss Half Fare Card differs from the Swiss Travel Pass. The Half Fare Card gives you half-price – rather than free or pre-paid – travel on Swiss trains, buses and some other forms of public transport such as mountain railways and cable cars. 

The Swiss Travel Pass covers all travel by public transport, rather than entitling you to half price travel. Both the Swiss Travel Pass and the Swiss Half Fare Card are available to non-Swiss residents. 

You can read more about the Swiss Travel Pass here >

The SwissPass is an entirely different product that is only available to Swiss residents. We explain the difference in more detail in this article .

Summary – Is the Swiss Half Fare Card worth it?

If you’ll be in Switzerland for a month or less and plan to use some public transport services such as trains, buses, trams and mountain railways during that time, then a Half Fare Card is likely to save you a lot of money when buying tickets. 

There are a number of things to consider when deciding if this is the best travel card option for you.

The Swiss Travel Pass may be a better option if you plan to travel primarily by train.

Regional passes covering the Jungfrau region, the Bernese Oberland and the Lucerne area (the Tell Pass) may also be worth thinking about, depending on where you want to go. 

A Eurail Global Pass might also be a better choice if you plan to visit other European countries. 

Find more guidance on which Swiss Pass to choose in this article . 

The best way to work out whether it’s worth buying a Swiss Half Fare Card is to list the main journeys you will take. Then you can check the applicable fares for each trip to find out if the discount offered will cover the initial CHF 120 cost of the pass. 

Many travellers rate the Swiss Half Fare Card very highly, and you don’t need to make too many or very long journeys to benefit. 

If you travel as a family, don’t forget that the Swiss Half Fare Card entitles accompanying children under 16 to free travel, too. This applies when you claim a free Swiss Family Card at the same time as buying your half fare pass. 

Now that you’ve read our Ultimate Guide to the Swiss Half Fare Card are you ready to purchase yours? Buy it here!

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Carolyn Schönafinger

Carolyn Schönafinger is a frequent visitor to Switzerland, the country she fell in love with more than 30 years ago. She now visits Switzerland every year in her quest to explore every inch of the country. Carolyn is a certified Switzerland Travel Expert and she has achieved the Swiss Travel System Travel Expert diploma. She loves sharing her Switzerland travel expertise and helping others to plan their dream Swiss vacation on this website and the Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast. Read more

Episode 65: 10 Top experiences to enjoy in Switzerland

Episode 66: Explore Switzerland with a Swiss Rail Package

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Half Fare Card Travel for Tourists (Save Big)

One of the best travel pass options for visitors to Switzerland is the Half Fare Card.

It is not as popular or famous as the Swiss Travel Pass, but it packs a punch nonetheless.

The Half Fare Card provides a boatload of benefits and lasts a month, no questions asked. And all at a very reasonable price.

So, if you are looking for the cheapest and most flexible option as a tourist in Switzerland, this might be it.

Table of Contents

Benefits Of The Half Fare Card

When you purchase a Half Fare Card , you get:

• Half-price travel on SBB transport (trains, buses and boats)
• Big discounts on the majority of mountain excursions (like Jungfraujoch, First, Harder Kulm, Rigi, Pilatus etc).
• Discounts on urban travel (city networks etc)

The Half Fare Card for tourists is similar to the one I have in my pocket. The only difference is that it is time-limited.

Half Fare Card Validity

The Half Fare Card is valid on the Swiss Travel System, which you can see below – or download a PDF by clicking on the image.

Anyone living outside of Switzerland or Liechtenstein can purchase a tourist Half Fare Travel card and it is valid for one month.

Currently, it costs 120 CHF.

Buying Your Half Fare Card

The best option is to purchase it online before you arrive in Switzerland so that you can use it as soon as you land – to get from the airport.

This also saves you the time of lining up at the train station at the airport or in the city center and wasting your first day sorting out travel passes in Switzerland.

How to Use The Half Fare Card

You do not need to specifically activate or use your Swiss Half Fare Card when you travel. Just make sure you have a copy with you, as well as a passport.

Just ensure that you use the Half Fare Card option when buying at ticket

• on the SBB website
• via the SBB App
• or at an SBB ticket counter

Your travel should be 50% cheaper than it would otherwise be.

The same goes for buying a ticket for a trip up the Jungfraujoch or any other mountain. The online ticket systems will have a discount section showing an option for Half Fare, or you can ask at the counter to get the discount.

And as you can see in the image above, it provides significant discounts even on the Jungfraujoch!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the swiss half fare card worth it.

The Swiss Half Fare Card is worth it if you are in Switzerland for less than a month and traveling by public transport a reasonable amount. It can also save you a lot of money if you plan on mountain excursions like the Jungfraujoch, First, Pilatus, Rigi and many others.

Does Swiss Half Fare work on Glacier Express?

The Swiss Half Fare Card is valid on all panoramic trains, including the Glacier Express, the Bernina Express, the Gotthard Express and the GoldenPass Line.

Does Swiss Half Fare card cover cable cars?

Yes, the Half Fare Card offers significant discounts on most cable car journeys in Switzerland. Simply request a discount when you purchase your ticket.

Can foreigners buy the Half Fare card in Switzerland?

Foreigners can buy the Swiss Half Fare Card for tourists which is valid for one month and costs 120 CHF.

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Half Fare Travelcard.

Travel across Switzerland on business with the Half Fare Travelcard and cut your travel expenses in half.

You will make up the cost of the Half Fare Travelcard after just a few journeys: just two 1st class journeys between Bern and Zurich would be enough.

With the Half Fare Travelcard, you benefit not just in your professional life but in your personal life too – for example, when travelling abroad, for leisure activities or when hiring a car. That makes the Half Fare Travelcard an attractive employee benefit.

The annual price for a Half Fare Travelcard is CHF 190. You can benefit from the loyalty price of CHF 170 a year if your Half Fare Travelcard is automatically renewed after one year or if you switch seamlessly from a GA Travelcard to a Half Fare Travelcard.

Please note that the Half Fare Travelcard discount may be less than 50% on short-distance routes because of the minimum price. This also applies to reduced offers or combined offers which include a train journey and additional services.

Supplementary offers with the Half Fare Travelcard.

Benefit from the following supplementary offers with the Half Fare Travelcard:

Products and prices subject to change.

In addition to these offers, you can also get a variety of discounts with your Half Fare Travelcard:

10% discount with Europcar.

Your Half Fare Travelcard entitles you to a 10% discount when you hire passenger cars or utility vehicles from Europcar in Switzerland.

10% lower fares for travel abroad with the Half Fare Travelcard.

If you have a Half Fare Travelcard and purchase your international ticket in Switzerland, you will receive a 10% discount on the non-Swiss section of the route. And if you book your journey for the weekend and at least three days in advance, you will receive an additional discount of 10% on a return supersaver ticket on the non-Swiss section of the route for your journey to Germany or Austria (this also applies to return supersaver tickets for the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Denmark). You will even benefit from up to 15% off the flexible fares for travel to France with TGV Lyria.

RailAway discounts.

You can also use your Half Fare Travelcard to enjoy day trips that won’t break the bank, thanks to a discount on RailAway combined offers.

Price and product specifications subject to modification.

Information for the passenger.

If you already have a personal Half Fare Travelcard, take it to the nearest ticket counter. SBB will refund your existing travelcard on a pro rata basis. 

Alternatively, you can also cancel your GA Travelcard or Half Fare Travelcard online at SBB.ch.

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Swiss Travel Pass vs. the Half-Fare Card to visit Switzerland by train

Last Update: 11/03/2024 79 COMMENTS

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):

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…

Description.

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!

On the blog, we’ve received lots of questions about which pass to choose. If you’re planning to visit mainly central Switzerland, such as Berne, Lucerne, Interlaken, JungfrauJoch, etc., it could be very interesting to take the Berner Oberland Pass. This pass is a bit like the Swiss Travel Pass, but concentrated on a single region. The prices are similar to those of the Swiss Travel Pass, but it includes more gondolas and private railways that are not normally included in the Swiss Travel Pass (for example, the train that goes up to the Brienzer Rothorn is not included in the Swiss Travel Pass).

note: the pass can be purchased on its own for 3, 4, 6, 8 or 10 days, or as a supplement to the Swiss Travel Pass (which is cheaper and entitles you to use the gondola lifts and private trains, as well as additional discounts).

Important: the ascent to the JungfrauJoch is not included in the pass. The pass does, however, entitle you to the price of the half-fare ticket, which is already quite a saving (around CHF 100 saved by buying the connecting ticket instead of the full ticket)!

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 travel card 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: 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 😉

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

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

• 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: the Swiss Travel Pass or 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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Reader Interactions

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! 🙂

1 month ago

Hello Can you please help me plan my itinerary for 5 night 6days Switzerland with my base stay at altdorf, i want to visit lucerne, interlaken, zurich. I want to travel everywhere by train from altdorf. So please help me finalise my itinerary and also tell me which pass should i go for. Note: I would be arriving to zurich by flight. Also tell me how to reach altdorf from zurich by train.

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!

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!

9 months ago

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.

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.

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!

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/

12 months ago

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 😉

11 months ago

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 .

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

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!

10 months ago

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!

2 months ago

Hi, I’m from NYC- traveling to Paris and then to Zurich in late April. Planning to stay in Swiss for 5 nights. We are family of 4 ( 2 adults and 2 kids). Was thinking to base out of Zurich and do day trips to all beautiful places. Is it possible ? Also should I get Swiss half fare pass instead of Swiss pass ?

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)

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!!!

7 months ago

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!

Hallo Fabienne, sorry, ich glaube, ich habe meinen ersten Kommentar irgendwo in Ihrem Forum geschrieben. Eine Freundin und ich werden am Ende Oktober nach Interlaken fahren, wir kommen aus Deutschland. Der erste Tag ist nur Anreise. Am zweiten Tag möchten wir Jungfraujoch, Eigergletscher, Grindelwald und Schynige Platte besuchen. Am dritten Tag nach Lauterbrunnen, Männlichen und Harder Kulm fahren. Am vierten Tag nach Zermatt, Gornergrat, Schwarzsee und Matterhorn fahren. Am fünften Tag ist der Abreise.

Ich habe mich erkundigen, es gibt auch Gästekarte Interlaken. Ich bin noch mehr verwirrt, welches Ticket ich kaufen muss, Gästekarte + Jungfrau Travel Pass drei Tage oder Swiss Half Fare Card + Gästekarte + Jungfrau Travel Pass drei Tage oder Swiss Travel Pass + Gästekarte + Jungfrau Travel Pass drei Tage.

Könnten Sie mit Ihrem Rat mir helfen? Vielen Dank

Guten Tag, Es ist tatsächlich eine ziemlich komplizierte Berechnung und ich glaube wirklich, dass es kaum einen Unterschied geben wird. Viele Ihrer Transporte sind nicht durch den Swiss Travel Pass abgedeckt (er bietet nur 50% Rabatt). Ich persönlich denke, dass die Kombi Swiss Half Fare Card + Gästekarte + Jungfrau Travel Pass drei Tage am günstigsten ist. Aber um sicherzugehen, ist es am besten, die verschiedenen Fahrten + Zuschläge zusammenzuzählen und zu vergleichen. Ich wünsche Ihnen einen angenehmen Aufenthalt in der Schweiz

6 months ago

Hello Fabienne, My husband and I are planning our first 10-day trip to Switzerland, arriving in Zurich in late January/early February, and heading straight to Lucern to stay for 3 nights (including a boat trip on the lake), then on to Murren for 4 nights. If the weather is nice, we may ski for 2 days at Schilthorn (lunch at Piz Gloria on one of those days). On non-ski days, we’ll hike, sled or explore the Lauterbrunnen Valley/Interlaken area in a relaxed way. From Murren, we’ll likely return to Zurich for 2 nights. There are only a few museums that interest us. Based on (low) fare calculations on https://www.sbb.ch/en, the only pass that seems to make sense is the Jungfrau Hiking & Sledging Pass, which would be available for a 50% discount with a Half-fare card (CHF380). However, since we’ll be spending most of our time in the Murren area, how about just purchasing a 5-day Jungfrau Hiking & Sledging Pass for CHF468 (https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/jungfrau-ski-region/jungfrau-region-hiking-sledging-pass/) and purchasing other trips a la carte? It seems like I’m spending way too much time on train planning instead of our itinerary…

I am planning to visit Switzerland for 5 days entering from zurich. day 1 straight to bern day 2-4 exploring Jungfrau Region with Interlaken as base (Lake Thun, lauterbrunen, murren, Grindelwald and schiltron – if time allows) day 5 exit Switzerland from zurich

strictly no museum.

I am thinking to buy half fare mix with saver pass while in Interlaken considering the amount of places I would visit or should I get the STP for 4 days? which pass do you think is suitable for me?

Thank you so much for your help!

Planning for newly weds in August, both will be 25-yrs-old. They will be coming from Milan. Here’s the general plan: Day 1: Travel from Milan to Jungfrau-region (probably staying in Lauterbrunnen or Wengen or Murren) Day 2-4: Hiking various trails in the region, in both valleys Lauterbrunnen and Grindewald Day 5: Travel to Zurich Day 6: Fly home from Zurich airport

What passes do you recommend?

Hi Lisa, I am not sure a pass would be worth it. The 3 days flex could be an option, but it’s 264 CHF, so I think it really depends on what you are planning during your days on site. If you only plan short distances, I don’t think it would be worth it. Train from Domodossola to lauterbrunnen will be around 66 CHF and the train from Lauterbrunnen to Zurich around 80 CHF. Enjoy your stay in Switzerland

Hello! Thank you for this helpful post! Can you please share your thoughts on what pass we should get…?

Itinerary for July: Sunday – Paris to Lausanne, Lausanne to Zermatt Monday – Zermatt, Gornergrat Tuesday – Zermatt to Zurich Wednesday – Lindt Museum, Zurich to Lucerne; Lucerne to Wengen Thursday – Wengen, Grindewald First Friday – Wengen to Basel, back to Paris

I believe the Swiss Travel Pass is our best option, but do I really need it for 6 days? Or, should I get different passes for Sunday and Friday and just get the 4-day STP? Any thoughts or ideas? All of the different passes are so confusing, no matter how many times I read about them. Thanks so much!

Thanks for your message. I think the Swiss travel pass is indeed quite worht it for your stay (you’ll be moving quite a lot). For your travel, I think you’d have to choose between the 6 days continuous or 4 day (flexi) and skip the use on Monday and Thursday. But to be honest, the price difference between these 2 is only 40 CHF (approx) and having it will give you a 50% discount on the Gornergratt train (amount the same amount saved). Gornergrat is never included (private company) but the Swiss travel pass is equivalent to the half fare pass. But yes, I agree it’s a close call and these passes are indeed a bit confusing sometimes. Wishing you a wonderful stay in Switzerland!

Hi, would like to ask which pass should i get? will fly in from Zurich for 10days 9 nights. Interlaken – Lauterbrunnen – Murren – Gindelwald – Jungfrau – Spiez (for first 4days 3nights) Zermatt (3days 2nights) Lucern (3days 2nights) Zurich (3days 2nights).

As i aware that the Swiss pass is available for 8 days and next for 15days. There are no 10 days option available. In that case, what should i get?

I think the best option would most likely to get one of the flex passes. It depends how much you’re planning on moving while in a fixed location (such as Zermatt Zurich or Lucern) and how many museums included in the Swiss pass you’re considering visiting. But maybe the 4 days flex could already be enough (using it only on the days which involve the most travels) or if you plan more side trips, then I would grab the 8 days flex (and not activate it on days you’ll only take a few trams to visit Zurich for example). But if you plan lots of museums and side trips, then I guess the 15 days pass is a better deal since it’s only 21 € more expensive than the 8 days flex. 😉 have a nice stay in Switzerland!

You are wonderful!

Im traveling with husband in May. Taking Bernini Express to Chur on May 13 (have seat res) then heading to other countries by car and will be back in Luzern dropping off car on May 19 and taking train to Interlaken for four nights on May 20. Day trips not set but will try to see Murren, Grindewald, Lauterbrunnen. Try to go to Bern for a day if we can. May depend on weather.. Then heading to Maggiore Lake (Stresa) on May 24. I’m thinking 1/2 Fare and 4 day (6?) Berner Oberland. Or just 1/2 fare and maybe some day saver passes?

Hi, Thanks for your message! I think indeed that the Berner Oberland pass could be the best option since you’re gonna stay in the area. As for the half fare, I am not sure it would be worth it. Having it would save you about 90 CHF on the berner Oberland and then you only take 2 larger trips (Luzern-Interlaken and Interlaken-Stresa). There having the half fare would save you 17 for the first one and 30 on the second one). The half fare being 190, this might not even be worth it. You can always check for the other train journey if you can get daysavers. have a wonderful holiday!

3 weeks ago

Thank you so much for your response!

Hello! Your help and advice is so nice and helpful. My daughter and I will be coming first of May. We don’t really care that much about museums but will be doing a lot of walking and hiking. Here are our destinations. What do you suggest? is there a better route we should take? 29-30 Zurich 30 Lucern all day 30 Interlaken 1 Interlaken/Grindelwald/Wengen/Interlaken 2 Jaunfraugh/interlaken/harder klum 3 Lauterbrunnen/Gimmelwald 4 Golden Pass train to Montreux/Lusanne? 5 Brienz/Lucern 6 Lucern/Zurich 7 Zurich/Appenzall/Ebanald/Zurich Any advice would be helpful! I think I have read everything on your blog thus far.

Hello Angela, May I ask how old your daughter is? If she’s under 15, then I think the Swiss travel pass would be the most suitable for you (she would then travel for free if you get the free swiss family card upon arrival). If she’s between 15 and 24, then I would for sure get the swiss pass for her (prices are really reasonable for the Youth option) and for you I think it would be a close call between berner oberalp pass and swiss travel pass (the berner oberalp includes more things in the area Luzern-Lauterbrunnen such as Harder Kulm and gives 50% off on the train to Montreux, but you’ll have to pay full price for Appenzell and Lausanne while the swiss travel pass will cover all inter-city trains, but you’ll have to pay the 50% price for Harder Kulm) If you decide to get it (either berner oberland or swiss pass for your daughter), I would get the 8 day pass and have it active from the 30th until the 7th (it’s not worth getting it for Zurich unless you plan to visit lots of museums). Enjoy your stay!

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Half Travel Card

Hello, I have a Singapore passport. Will be in Switzerland for 2 weeks.

Which HFC card should I buy and can I purchase it online before coming to Switzerland?

Does HFC card applies only to SBB network. How about local buses and trains say from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen?

Can you explain to me what are the different types of train travel in Switzerland, please? For example, intercity, interstate?

Hello jlowsgp

I suggest you to buy the Swiss Half Fare Card.

Swiss Half Fare Card – Switzerland at half the price | SBB

It entitles you to buy Half Fare tickets on all lines listed on this map, for example also on trains in the Berner Oberland: https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/internet/sbb/de/abos-billette/abonnemente/karte-geltungsbereich-ga-halbtax-stand_d_barrierefrei.pdf.sbbdownload.pdf

The train types do not really matter. As a general saying, IC, EC, RJ, ICE, TGV are fast trains taking less stops, IR, R, RE trains are regional trains taking more stops. Latter category does not offer a dining car.

More information on the comfort and services offered on board you can find here: On-board service – all the comfort you require | SBB

For your journeys, simply look up public transportation schedules here: www.sbb.ch/en or download the SBB Mobile app. It includes all public transport schedules offered in Switzerland, not only those from SBB trains.

Best regards, Roland