Make your next Swiss adventure a seamless one with the Swiss Travel Pass, your key to unlock one of the world’s reliable public transport network.
There’s no doubt that Switzerland is a dream destination for travellers. Its undulating valleys, gorgeous Alpine peaks, glistening lakes, and culturally-rich villages have lured globetrotters for long. This abundant beauty can be tricky to navigate, particularly as a first-timer in the country. To ease this hassle, opt for the Swiss Travel Pass.
What is the Swiss Travel Pass?
Put simply, the Swiss Travel Pass is the one key that unlocks access to the world’s most reliable network of public transport. This includes rail, bus, trams, and boat routes that connect over 90 towns and cities spread across 29,000 kilometres! Despite these vast geographies, the Swiss Travel System has cemented its position as a convenient, seamless, and highly reliable means of transport. Plus, it’s always on time so your itineraries can be followed as planned!
Paired with the Swiss Travel Guide app, you can also enjoy on-the-go information for your next bus, boat or train trip with real time updates to the timetables and schedules.
What is included?
Apart from providing access to the public transport system, the Swiss Travel Pass also comes loaded with additional perks for a comfortable vacation. This includes free admission to over 500 museums like FIFA Museum in Zürich or The Olympic Museum in Lausanne; access to historical sites like Chillon Castle in Montreux; and even free mountain excursions to Rigi, Stanserhorn, Klewenalp, Brunni, and Stoos. Other mountain excursions like Mt. Titlis, Mt. Pilatus, and Glacier 3000 are available at up to half price.
Swiss Family Card
What’s more — children under the age of 16 can travel for free with the Swiss Family Card when accompanied by at least one parent holding the Swiss Travel Pass. Should the child take off on a solo adventure, the minor is still eligible for a 50 percent discount on the entire range of tickets under the Pass. The Swiss Family Card, though complimentary, is available upon request at all Swiss Travel System points-of-sale within Switzerland and worldwide.
Swiss Travel Pass Promotion
The Swiss Travel Pass is available for varying durations — three, four, eight, or 15 consecutive days. As a part of the special Swiss Travel Pass Promotion, visitors who purchase a four-day or eight-day pass can enjoy an extra day or two extra days for free respectively.
This special limited-period Swiss Travel Pass promotion is valid from April 15, 2023 to May 14, 2023 for travels within six months from the date of issue, and is applicable for first and second class passes.
The Grand Train Tour of Switzerland
Can you imagine embarking upon an epic train tour across Switzerland that combines all the famous panoramic routes in one breathtaking round-train trip spread across 1,280 kilometres? With the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland — which is included in the Swiss Travel Pass — this mammoth task is made easier.
The Grand Train Tour itinerary takes a round-tour starting in Zürich, and meanders its way through glaciers, lakes, mountains and cities in eight stages. Understanding that travellers have varying tastes, one can even design their own unique itinerary along the train route and hop on or off at any point.
Irrespective of what you chalk out, set aside time for these Switzerland’s premium panoramic trains that take you through the lengths and breadths of the country. The Bernina Express, for instance, connects St Moritz to Tirano on a four-and-a-half hour journey that takes takes passengers through Rhaetian Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage site; glaciers, and palm trees. The Gotthard Panorama Express chugs along the historic Gotthard panoramic route from Ticino to Lucerne in five-and-a-half-hours. Or hop aboard The GoldenPass Express — which connects Interlaken with Montreux in just three hours and 15 minutes — and pair it with the exclusive travel class Prestige that elevates the journey with immersive views beyond panoramic windows. Slow travellers will enjoy the Glacier Express which is dubbed as the world’s slowest express. The route journeys through 91 tunnels across 291 bridges from Zermatt to St. Moritz in roughly eight hours. Or the fast-paced action, take the Luzern–Interlaken Express which connects two of Switzerland’s most popular tourist destinations and offers travellers unbeatable views of five crystal clear mountain lakes in just two hours!
Related: Take The Grand Train Tour Of Switzerland With Roger Federer and Trevor Noah
Bayar Jain
Senior Content Manager
Equipped with a degree in Sociology (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism and Mass Communication from Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, Bayar enjoys sharing stories of people, places, and different cultures. When not typing her travel tales, you can catch the hobbyist photographer capturing the next frame, dabbling in arts and crafts, or gushing over puppies and kittens.
