How to use the Swiss Travel Pass Flex

SwissPass account: not required

You shouldn't add your Swiss Travel Pass Flex to a "SwissPass" account. Find more information here.

What you'll receive when ordering a Swiss Travel Pass Flex

You don't receive a pass, you will only receive a purchase receipt with these details for each traveler:

• reference number;
• first name;
• last name;
• birth date.

You need these details to get day tickets for each day you want to travel.

Validity of the Swiss Travel Pass Flex and of travel days

• The Swiss Travel Pass Flex is valid for 1 month. You can choose any start date you want. It doesn't have to be the first day of a calendar month.
• The start time of a travel day is not relevant. There's no difference between July 15 at 08:00 or July 15 at 19:0. July 15 still counts as a full travel day, and the pass is basically valid from 0:00 that day. Say that your pass is valid from July 15, it will expire August 14 at the latest.
• Travel days end on 5:00 AM of the following day, so that allows you to complete late night trips, even after midnight. In the above example, validity of the pass ends on August 15, 5:00 AM, if you would choose August 14 as the last travel day.
• Within the validity month you can choose consecutive or non-consecutive travel days: whatever fits your plans. If you have a 4-day pass that is valid from July 15, you could use the travel days on July 15, July 18, August 2 and August 14, for example. But you could also choose consecutive days like August 1, 2, 3 and 4.

How to select your Swiss Travel Pass Flex travel days

This is how you pick a travel day:

• Log into the website https://activateyourpass.com using the details on your purchase receipt.
• Select a date from the calendar.
• Select one of the below options to get a day ticket:
  • Print ticket: this will download a PDF document with your ticket. We recommend this option because you can store the document on your phone (or tablet) just like any other PDF document, and show it on request. This works even when you are offline. You can print the document, but that's not required.
  • Add to wallet: this adds the ticket to a wallet app. This normally also works when offline.
  • Show ticket: this shows the ticket but does not store it anywhere.
• Present the day ticket to the staff when requested.

Obtain your day ticket before you start traveling, not when you're already on board. You can cancel a day ticket until the day before it is valid. We recommend to obtain your day tickets on the evening or the morning prior to traveling. That way you minimize the chance that your travel plans change.

If you do not have internet access while traveling, then be sure to obtain your day ticket before you leave your accommodation, so you can log on via the Wifi there.

Extra tickets during your travel days

There are two types of trips:

• Trips on routes that allow free traveling. On a travel day, you can board any train, bus, boat, et cetera on on such routes. You don't need a regular ticket.
• Trips on routes that allow discounted traveling. This applies to transportation into the mountains. You need to arrange for a discounted ticket. You can do so online or at the ticket office of the cable car. Present your pass and day ticket to make sure you'll get the discount.

There are a few cable cars that allow free traveling. In such cases you may need to get a ticket as access gates require a specific ticket type. You can get a free ticket as a Swiss Travel Pass Flex holder.

Traveling on other days

If you want to travel on any of the days in between the travel days, you will have to purchase a regular ticket. There are no discounts on such days. The Swiss Family Card is not valid either, so children from 6 to 15 would need a ticket, or a Junior travelcard.

To get around this limitation, it could be worth it to buy an additional Swiss Half Fare Card.

Seat reservations

You do not need seat reservations for 99% of all trains and buses in Switzerland. You can just board and enjoy the ride. Exceptions are some international trains and a few panoramic trains like the Glacier Express and Bernina Express. If you need or want seat reservations, you'll have to arrange for them separately. Seat reservations are not included in the pass.

About train seat reservations
About bus seat reservations

On board the train, bus and boat

Once you're on board, you will need to present your Swiss Travel Pass Flex and day ticket to ticket controllers upon request. The controller may want to check your passport as well, so be sure to not travel without it.

Traveling beyond the area covered by the pass

You may have planned a trip not completely covered by the pass. You can check the map to find which part of your trip is covered. You will have to buy a ticket for the part of the trip that is not covered.

Example: you intend to travel from Milan to Interlaken. As you can see on the map, Domodossola - Interlaken is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass Flex. So you need to buy a ticket Milan - Domodossola. You don't need to get off the train in Domodossola. You have paid for the entire trip by the ticket and pass, so you can stay seated.