What the four day pass costs and what it works out at per day
Second class is $381.07 and first class is $606.75. Across four consecutive days that's $95.27 a day in second, which is the point where most people stop doing sums in their head and start just getting on trains. The pass activates from the start date you pick at checkout, and once it's running it runs, so don't burn day one on an arrival afternoon spent horizontal in a hotel room.
How much travel you need to break even on four days
At CHF 1 = $1.2357, the second class pass is about CHF 308 of travel and the first class one about CHF 491. Here's what you'd otherwise pay in francs, with no pass:
- 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
Add a Zurich arrival, one long transfer, one lake boat and four days of trams and you're already near CHF 250 without climbing anything. One mountain finishes the job. The Glacier Express fare of 159 and the Bernina Express fare of 125 are both covered outright, which is why a single scenic train inside four days tends to settle the argument. The seat reservations are not covered and never will be: CHF 54 on the Glacier Express, CHF 44 on the Bernina. Budget for them separately and don't feel cheated.
The two bases and one scenic train trip the four day pass is built for
Four days is enough for two places to stay and one properly slow train, and not enough for three, which is the mistake people make.
- Land, ride in from the airport, and spend the rest of day one on city transport in Zurich or Geneva.
- Move to your first base, Lucerne or Interlaken, and use the afternoon on a lake boat rather than another train.
- Go up one mountain from that base, then transfer to your second base in the evening.
- Take the scenic train, or take Zurich to Zermatt at CHF 125 and call that your scenic day.
If your plan needs a fifth thing, you don't want four days, you want six.
Which mountains the pass covers and what you still pay
The pass covers some summits outright, discounts others, and treats Jungfraujoch as an entirely separate financial event. All figures in francs.
| Mountain | Full fare | You still pay with the pass |
|---|---|---|
| Rigi | 76 | nothing |
| Stanserhorn | 82 | nothing |
| Harder Kulm | 51 | 25.50 |
| Pilatus | 94.20 | 42 |
| Titlis | 96 | 48 |
| Schilthorn | 115 | 57.50 |
| Gornergrat | 132 | 66 |
| Jungfraujoch | 234.80 | 176 |
Rigi and Stanserhorn free is the pass at its best, and both are easy from Lucerne. Jungfraujoch at 176 is only 25% off, which is the pass at its worst. Also included: around 500 museums, and the lake boats, which are the most underrated thing you own for four days.
Four day pass or Half Fare Card: which one wins
The Half Fare Card is $184.98 for 30 days, roughly CHF 148, and it halves almost every fare instead of covering it.
| 4 day pass | Half Fare Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $381.07 | $184.98 |
| Zurich to Zermatt | free | Half of 125 |
| Glacier Express fare | free | Half of 159 |
| Rigi | free | Half of 76 |
| Jungfraujoch | CHF 176 | CHF 117.40 |
| Valid for | 4 consecutive days | 30 days |
If Jungfraujoch is the whole reason you're going, the Half Fare Card beats the pass on that one route by nearly CHF 60 and keeps working for a month. If you're doing two bases, a lake, a mountain and a scenic train inside four days, the pass wins comfortably. More on that split on the worth it page.
Why four days costs less per day than three
The pass gets cheaper per day the longer you buy, and the jump from three to four is the best value step on the ladder.
| Length | Second class price | Per travel day |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | $313.24 | $104.41 |
| 4 days | $381.07 | $95.27 |
| 6 days | $492.06 | $82.01 |
| 8 days | $541.39 | $67.67 |
| 15 days | $615.38 | $41.03 |
Going from three days to four costs $67.83, which is less than a single Zurich to Zermatt ticket at CHF 125. Going from six to eight costs $49.33, which is even better value if you've got the holiday for it. First class at three days is $166.49 a day, and the full price breakdown is worth a look before you upgrade on impulse.
Four day Flexi or six day Continuous
A four day Flexi is $430, which is $62 under a six day Continuous at $492.06. That's a small premium for spreading your travel days over a longer window, so if your trip has a couple of stay-put days in the middle, Flexi earns it. If your four days are genuinely back to back, buy the Continuous four day and keep the $49.
FAQ
How much is the Swiss Travel Pass for 4 days?
$381.07 in second class and $606.75 in first. That's $95.27 a day in second, against $104.41 a day if you only buy three.
Is the 4 day Swiss Travel Pass worth it?
You need about CHF 308 of travel in second class to break even. Zurich to Zermatt at 125, Zurich to Interlaken at 76, a Lake Lucerne boat at 45 and four days of city transport at 12 gets you there, and that's before any mountain.
Does the 4 day pass cover the Glacier Express and Bernina Express?
It covers the fares, CHF 159 and CHF 125. It does not cover the seat reservations, which are CHF 54 and CHF 44 and are never included with any pass.
Does the Swiss Travel Pass cover Jungfraujoch?
Only 25% of it. You still pay CHF 176 of the CHF 234.80 fare, while a Half Fare Card halves the whole route to CHF 117.40.
Which mountains are free with the Swiss Travel Pass?
Rigi at CHF 76 and Stanserhorn at CHF 82 cost you nothing extra. Pilatus, Titlis, Gornergrat, Schilthorn and Harder Kulm are half price, so Gornergrat drops from 132 to 66.
Do the 4 days have to be consecutive?
On the standard pass, yes, four days in a row from the start date you choose at checkout. If you want gaps, the four day Flexi is $430, still $62 under a six day Continuous.
