7124 posts
Hi sarah23, and welcome! All purchase options for the Swiss Pass can be found in the upper right corner of the Swiss Pass page. Just fill out your travel data (country of residence, the preferred pass type and the number of travelers) to find out about prices, shipping options and ways of validating. Be sure to click ‘Show more information’ and the questions marks for detailed information. As for validation: as mentioned on the Swiss Pass page, some resellers – such as RailEurope – require you to validate the pass yourself before boarding the first train, bus, tram or boat. This means that you have to get your pass stamped by a railway employee at a station desk. You can start using your pass immediately after validating, for example for the tram in Bern. Other resellers – such as STC – allow you to validate the pass yourself by writing down the date of your first travel day.
By the way, do you plan to enter Switzerland by train from Milan? If so, you can start using your Swiss Pass as soon as you arrive in the area of the Swiss Pass’s validity. Depending on your train connection, this means that you can use your Swiss Pass (and thus travel to Bern for free) from either Domodossola or Chiasso. In that case, you can ask railway employees in the train to validate your pass before you cross the Italian-Swiss border. The Swiss timetable will help you to pick the right connection.
As for the Swiss Pass/Swiss Flexi Pass question: if you plan on using public transport intensively each day of your stay, the 8 day Swiss Pass is the better option. The 6 day Swiss Flexi Pass may be an alternative if there are 1 or 2 days on which you to plan to make no trips, or short local trips.
72625 posts
Thank you so much Annika.That tip about validating the Pass from the Swiss border is fantastic.Thanks again.We were going to book a direct Milan to Bern train.In that case how will I validate it.do i have to change the route then?
15484 posts
Hi sarah23,
You can just ask the conductor of the train to validate the pass. Please do so before you reach the Swiss border (Domodossola or Chiasso).
72625 posts
Thank you Arno.
Another doubt regarding a lake cruise.We are planning to go to biel and visit the Omega watch museum there.I read about boat cruises along the lake.After the Museum visit ,is it possible to walk over to the port and board one of the boat cruises.Wil the swiss pass be valid on them?
15484 posts
Hi sarah23,
Yes, the boat is included in the Swiss Pass. The museum and the port are about 2km apart.