[Removed user]

24 March 2013 at 17:31:08 #805870

Hello, I’m going to buy a swiss pass in the summer, when I’ll be visiting, and even though I’ve been reading a lot and informing myself about it, I can’t seem to find a definite answer for this (probably dumb) question, so bare with me:

I know that, in the first day I use the pass, I have to validate it at a ticket counter. My question is, do I have to stop buy a ticket counter every other time, even though the ticket its free with the pass, just to show my pass and get a seat on the train? Or can I just jump in the train, because I have the pass?

Thank in advance, this has been bothering me forever.

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[Arno]

25 March 2013 at 1:24:31 #838289

Hi Teresa,

You don’t need tickets if you have a Swiss Pass; you can just board the train. That’s one of the advantages of a pass: you’re flexible and don’t loose any time. As for validation: it depends on where you buy it, and your available resellers depend on where you live. What’s your country of residence?

[Removed user]

25 March 2013 at 8:11:22 #838290

I’m from Portugal, but I was thinking about buying it in Geneve’s airport, when I arrived. Do you advise me to buy it in advance?

Also, does the boarding without getting a ticket apply to buses, cable cars, boats (in which we get a free ride, of course)? I assume not in musuems.

Thank you so much for your answer, you are really helping me.

[Arno]

25 March 2013 at 15:44:39 #838291

Hi Teresa,

From Portugal, you can easily get the Swiss Pass in advance from the Swiss Railways here. You can have it shipped to your home address or to a Swiss address such as an hotel (that’s the cheapest option). The advantage of buying there is that you don’t need to go to a ticket counter to validate the pass. You can validate it yourself by writing down your passport number, name and country on it. You can board your first train straight away. It’s up to you to decide which purchase option you find most attractive.

You don’t need tickets for trains, buses, boats and city transport. Your pass is sufficient there.

Exceptions, where you do need tickets, are: some buses on Alpine routes (you need an additional Alpine Ticket there), museums (you’ll get a ticket for free), cable cars (you’ll get a discounted ticket, or a free one in some cases).