What it costs
The price is set by the railway and it does not move. There is no cheaper version of this pass waiting somewhere else, no discount for booking early and no markup for booking here, so the number you are quoted is the number.
Continuous pass Consecutive days
| Days | 2nd class adult | 2nd class youth | 1st class adult | 1st class youth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | $313 (€270) | $221 (€191) | $499 (€430) | $351 (€304) |
| 4 | $381 (€327) | $269 (€231) | $607 (€520) | $427 (€368) |
| 6 | $492 (€418) | $348 (€296) | $782 (€664) | $551 (€470) |
| 8 | $541 (€467) | $384 (€330) | $860 (€742) | $607 (€525) |
| 15 | $615 (€507) | $439 (€359) | $971 (€871) | $687 (€617) |
Flexi pass Days used when you choose
| Days | 2nd class adult | 2nd class youth | 1st class adult | 1st class youth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | $356 (€311) | $252 (€219) | $569 (€490) | $401 (€346) |
| 4 | $430 (€376) | $303 (€266) | $684 (€593) | $481 (€419) |
| 6 | $523 (€448) | $370 (€317) | $831 (€708) | $586 (€500) |
| 8 | $566 (€494) | $401 (€349) | $899 (€783) | $634 (€554) |
| 15 | $640 (€542) | $456 (€383) | $1,010 (€928) | $715 (€657) |
Youth pricing is for ages 16 to 25. The Swiss Half Fare Card, the other pass sold to the same buyers, is $185 (€160) and runs 30 days from first use.
Who travels free with you
Children under 6 travel free. Children aged 6 to 15 travel free with the Swiss Family Card, which comes with the pass and with the Half Fare Card at no extra cost and does not need requesting separately, so there is nothing to tick and nothing to chase. The card is one of several things the Swiss Travel Pass covers without charging you separately for them.
Who it suits
You have to live outside Switzerland and Liechtenstein to buy one, and you may be asked to prove it. Beyond that, a continuous pass suits you if you are moving on most days of your trip, since it runs from the date you picked at purchase whether you use it or not. A flexi pass suits you if the trip has parked days in it, because you switch each travel day on individually. If you are still weighing the sums, whether the pass pays off on your itinerary works through the arithmetic properly.
How buying works
- Pick the shape of the pass Duration, class, continuous or flexi, adult or youth, and a start date up to 180 days out.
- Pay and check your inbox The pass arrives by email as a PDF with a QR code on it, which is the whole product.
- Activate it A continuous pass activates itself on the date you chose, and a flexi pass gets its travel days switched on one at a time online.
- Show it when asked The inspector scans the QR code, and a passport or ID card is checked when they ask for it.
The terms that catch people out
Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before your start date, and after that you are charged the full amount. An issued pass cannot be amended, so shifting your start date by a day means cancelling and rebooking, which is painless inside the window and expensive outside it.
Whether your pass shows in the national railway app depends on where you bought it, and a Flex pass never shows at all. It does not need to. The QR code in the PDF is what gets scanned, and nothing else has to be shown. The app is still useful for timetables, which is a separate question covered in using the SBB app with your pass.
FAQ
Is it cheaper once I am in Switzerland?
No. The railway sets the price and it is the same wherever you buy, so waiting until you land saves you nothing and costs you the cancellation window.
What actually arrives after I pay?
An email with a PDF attached, carrying the QR code the inspector scans. That is the pass, and it can be issued up to 180 days before your start date.
Can I change the dates on a pass I have already bought?
Not directly, because an issued pass cannot be amended. You cancel and rebook, which costs nothing up to 48 hours before the start date and costs the full price after that.
Do I have to prove where I live?
You have to live outside Switzerland or Liechtenstein to buy a pass, and you may be asked to prove it. A passport or ID card is checked when a ticket inspector asks.
Do my children need their own passes?
Under 6, no, they travel free. From 6 to 15 they travel free with the Swiss Family Card, which is included with your pass at no extra cost.
Do I need the railway app?
No. Your pass will not load into it anyway, and the QR code in your PDF is all an inspector needs.
