15 day Swiss Travel Pass price and cost per day
Second class is $615.38 and first class is $970.55. Divide that by fifteen and you get $41.03 a day in second, $64.70 in first, which is the cheapest any Swiss Travel Pass gets. At CHF 1 = $1.2357 the second class pass is about CHF 498 of travel to break even, the first class one about CHF 785. Spread across fifteen days, that's roughly CHF 33 of travel every single day, holidays, hangovers and rainy afternoons included.
Here's how the daily rate falls as the pass gets longer, second class:
| Length | Cost per day, second class |
|---|---|
| 3 days | $104.41 |
| 4 days | $95.27 |
| 6 days | $82.01 |
| 8 days | $67.67 |
| 15 days | $41.03 |
The daily rate is the headline and the trap. Nobody rides trains for fifteen days straight, and the pass doesn't care whether you used it or spent Tuesday lying by a lake. Full pricing for every length sits on the price page.
The 15 day pass versus the 30 day Half Fare Card
The Half Fare Card costs $184.98, about CHF 148, halves nearly every fare in the country, and runs for thirty days rather than fifteen, so it outlives the pass by a fortnight.
| 15 day pass | 30 day Half Fare Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $615.38 second class, about CHF 498 | $184.98, about CHF 148 |
| Valid for | 15 consecutive days | 30 days |
| Normal fares | Nothing more to pay | Half of every fare |
| Jungfraujoch | You still pay CHF 176 | You pay CHF 117.40 |
| Rigi and Stanserhorn | Free | Half price |
| Museums | Around 500 free | Not included |
| Ticket buying | None, you just board | Every trip, every time |
The pass costs about CHF 345 more up front. Since the card gives you half off, the pass only wins once your full fare travel clears roughly CHF 690 over the fifteen days, about CHF 46 a day, every day. Miss that and the card is cheaper, and it's still working two weeks after the pass has expired.
What fifteen consecutive days actually gives you
It's fifteen days in a row, activated from the start date you choose at checkout, so day one and day fifteen are fixed the moment you buy.
What you get inside those days is every train, bus, boat and city tram on the covered network without touching a ticket machine. Lake boats are in, city transport is in, and around 500 museums are in. The Glacier Express fare of CHF 159 and the Bernina Express fare of CHF 125 are both covered, but the seat reservations are CHF 54 and CHF 44 and no pass on earth covers those.
These are the full fares you'd pay with nothing in your pocket, in francs:
- Zurich to Zermatt, 125
- Geneva to Zermatt, 120
- Zurich to Interlaken, 76
- Lucerne to Interlaken, 40
- Zurich to Lucerne, 27
- Lake Lucerne boat, 45
- City transport, 12 a day
- Zurich airport to the centre, 7
Mountains included with the 15 day Swiss Travel Pass
Some summits are free with the pass, some are half off, and one is barely discounted at all.
| Mountain | Full fare, CHF | With the pass, CHF |
|---|---|---|
| Rigi | 76 | 0 |
| Stanserhorn | 82 | 0 |
| Harder Kulm | 51 | 25.50 |
| Pilatus | 94.20 | 42 |
| Titlis | 96 | 48 |
| Schilthorn | 115 | 57.50 |
| Gornergrat | 132 | 66 |
| Jungfraujoch | 234.80 | 176 |
Jungfraujoch is the odd one out at only 25% off, which is why a Half Fare Card gets you up there for CHF 117.40 against the pass holder's CHF 176. If the Top of Europe is the one thing you've promised yourself, the pass loses that argument by CHF 58.60.
A 15 day itinerary that earns the pass back
Fifteen days is long enough to stop packing and unpacking every second morning, so this shape uses three bases and moves twice.
Days 1 to 5, Zurich and Lucerne
You land, you ride the lake, you climb the mountain that costs you nothing.
- Zurich airport to the centre, 7, plus city transport, 12.
- Zurich on trams all day, 12.
- Zurich to Lucerne, 27, plus city transport, 12.
- Lake Lucerne boat, 45, then Rigi, 76, free with the pass.
- Stanserhorn, 82, also free, plus city transport, 12.
That is five days of travel with more than half the pass paid off.
Days 6 to 10, Interlaken and the Bernese Oberland
Lucerne to Interlaken is the prettiest CHF 40 in the country and it's included.
- Lucerne to Interlaken, 40.
- Harder Kulm, 51 full fare, 25.50 with the pass, plus city transport, 12.
- Schilthorn, 115 full fare, 57.50 with the pass.
- Jungfraujoch, 234.80 full fare, 176 with the pass, so the pass saves you 58.80 here and no more.
- Interlaken back to Zurich, 76, plus city transport, 12.
That second stretch takes you past break even somewhere around day eight.
Days 11 to 15, Zermatt and the scenic trains
This is the block that makes fifteen days worth having, because the long legs are where the fares are.
- Zurich to Zermatt, 125.
- Gornergrat, 132 full fare, 66 with the pass.
- Glacier Express, 159 fare covered, CHF 54 reservation on you.
- Bernina Express, 125 fare covered, CHF 44 reservation on you.
- Last day back, city transport, 12.
Add the three blocks and you are well past the CHF 498 break-even, and past the CHF 690 where the pass beats the Half Fare Card. That's a busy fifteen days, though. Take out Zermatt and the two scenic trains and the same trip drops below the CHF 690 the pass needs, which is where the card wins.
15 day Flexi versus 15 day continuous
The Flexi gives you fifteen travel days chosen inside a month, and costs $640 second class or $1,010.01 first.
That is $640 against $615.38 for the continuous pass, so $24.62 for the right to spread the same fifteen days over a longer window, which is a fair deal if your trip runs three weeks and you're static for chunks of it. But if you're static for chunks of a three week trip, you're the exact person the Half Fare Card was built for. Worth noting that a 4 day Flexi at $430 is $62 under a 6 day continuous, so Flexi maths pays off far better at short lengths.
Shorter passes that often make more sense
Stepping up a length is usually cheap, which is what makes the daily rate so seductive.
Going 3 to 4 days costs $67.83, and 6 to 8 days costs $49.33, both less than a single Zurich to Zermatt round trip. But the 8 day pass at $67.67 a day is the one most people should be looking at, and it's covered on the 8 day page. If you're still weighing lengths against each other, start at which duration, and if you're weighing the whole idea, read is it worth it.
FAQ
How much is the 15 day Swiss Travel Pass?
$615.38 in second class and $970.55 in first, which works out at $41.03 and $64.70 a day. The Flexi version, fifteen travel days inside a month, is $640 and $1,010.01.
How much travel do I need to do to break even on the 15 day pass?
Against buying tickets one by one, you need about CHF 498 of travel in second class or CHF 785 in first, roughly CHF 33 a day. Against a Half Fare Card, the bar is higher at about CHF 690 total, around CHF 46 every day of the fifteen.
Is the Half Fare Card better than the 15 day pass?
It's better on slower trips. It costs $184.98, lasts thirty days rather than fifteen, and halves your fares, so unless your full fare travel tops about CHF 690 the card comes out ahead.
Does the 15 day pass cover Jungfraujoch?
Only partly. The full fare is CHF 234.80 and you still pay CHF 176 with the pass, which is 25% off, while a Half Fare Card gets you the whole route for CHF 117.40.
Which mountains are free with the 15 day Swiss Travel Pass?
Rigi, normally CHF 76, and Stanserhorn, normally CHF 82, cost you nothing. Pilatus, Titlis, Gornergrat, Schilthorn and Harder Kulm are half price, so CHF 42, 48, 66, 57.50 and 25.50 respectively.
Are Glacier Express and Bernina Express included?
The fares are, CHF 159 and CHF 125, so the ride itself is covered. The compulsory seat reservations of CHF 54 and CHF 44 are not covered by any pass and you'll pay them separately.
Can I choose when my 15 days start?
Yes, you pick the start date at checkout and the pass runs for fifteen consecutive days from there. If you want to spread fifteen travel days across a month instead, that's the Flexi at $640.
