What's included in the Ticino Ticket?
- Unlimited travel by trains, almost all buses, and some boats for the duration of your stay.
- Discounts of 20-30% on trips by cableways, funiculars, and the remaining boats.
- Discounts of 20-30% on pools, wellness, museums, and various other activities.
- Free entrance to some museums.
Price of the Ticino Ticket and how to get it
The Ticino Ticket is free if you book accommodation in the canton of Ticino for at least one night.
The ticket is provided by hotels, hostels, and campsites. The Ticino Ticket is not offered by most holiday homes, apartments, farmhouses, mountain huts, Airbnb's, and most bed and breakfasts. There are a few exceptions.
Contact the accommodation with your booking reference to double-check you'll receive the Ticino Ticket. If you're still in doubt: make sure your booking can be canceled.
Scenic train rides with the Ticino Ticket
Scenic train | Discount |
---|---|
Centovalli Railway | Free:
Camedo to Domodossola: no discount. Seat reservations: no discount. |
Gotthard Panorama Express | Free:
Arth-Goldau to Airolo (train): no discount. Lucerne to Flüelen (boat): no discount. Seat reservations: no discount. |
Mountain trips with the Ticino Ticket
Mountain | Discount |
---|---|
Cardada-Cimetta | Discount 20%:
Locarno to Orselina (funicular): 20% discount. |
Monte Brè | Discount 30%:
|
Monte Generoso | Discount 30%:
|
Monte San Salvatore | Discount 20%:
|
Monte Tamaro | Discount 20%:
|
Other things to do with the Ticino Ticket
Activity | Discount |
---|---|
Boat Lake Lugano | Discount 20%:
|
Boat Lake Maggiore | Discount 20%:
Locarno - Tenero - Magadino route: free. |
Castles of Bellinzona | Discount 30%:
Mini train: no discount. |
Swissminiatur | Discount 20%:
|
Other much-traveled routes with the Ticino Ticket
Route | Discount |
---|---|
Italy to Switzerland |
No discount:
|
Ticino Ticket coverage map
The map shows where you can travel for free. The basic rules are:
- Trains and buses are free.
- The boats on the Locarno - Tenero - Magadino route are free (Lake Maggiore).
- A 20% discount applies to day passes for Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano.
- A 50% discount applies to bus route 62.110: Airolo - San Gottardo (Gotthard Pass).
- A 50% discount applies to bus route 62.111: Airolo - Passo della Novena (Nufenen Pass).
How the map works
- Solid dark green lines are free bus, boat, and train routes.
- Solid light green lines are discounted bus routes.
- Gray dashed lines are excluded routes.
- Other discounted routes are not displayed on the map, but listed in the rest of the document.
How does the Ticino Ticket work?
The Ticino Ticket app allows you to have the ticket on your phone. You can hop on and off trains, buses, and boats on the free routes. Just show your app on request. To get a discount on an activity or transportation, show the app at the ticket desk.
How to start using your Ticino Ticket
You need to activate your ticket before you use it.
- Visit https://ticket.ticino.ch/app and log in with an Apple, Google, Microsoft, or discover.swiss account.
- Install the Ticino Ticket app.
- Enter the code that will be provided upon checking in at your accommodation.
- Proceed to fill out the other requested information.
- Other members of the group can now be invited to have their own app with their own Ticino Ticket. Alternatively, the person who booked the accommodation can keep the set of Ticino Tickets for everyone on one phone.
- Open the app and activate the Ticino Ticket(s).
All guests from 6 years old will receive their own code and must have their own Ticino Ticket. Children up to 5 years old do not need a Ticino Ticket.
Period of validity
The Ticino Ticket is valid from arrival at your accommodation until midnight of the departure day. The maximum validity period is 14 consecutive days. If your stay lasts longer than that, a new Ticino Ticket must be issued. Contact your accommodation owner or host in that case.
Seat reservations
You don’t need seat reservations for 99% of all trains, buses, and boats in the Ticino. You can simply board with your Ticino Ticket.
Some panoramic trains like the Gotthard Panorama Express are an exception. If you choose to travel on such a train, you will have to arrange for seat reservations separately. Seat reservations are not included in the Ticino Ticket.
What to present on board the train, bus, or boat
Once you’re on board, you will need to present your Ticino Ticket app to ticket controllers upon request. The controller may want to check your passport as well, to make sure you’re the owner of the presented ticket.
Additional tickets
There are two types of trips:
- Trips on routes that allow free traveling. You can just board any train, bus, boat, et cetera on such routes. You do not need anything else besides your Ticino Ticket.
- Trips on routes that allow discounted traveling. This mostly applies to boats and transportation into the mountains. You need to arrange for a discounted ticket. You can do so at the ticket office. Present your Ticino Ticket app to make sure you’ll get the discount. Tickets are available online too, but the Ticino Ticket discount may not always be offered there.
Ticino Ticket FAQ
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Is the Ticino Ticket always my best option because it is free?
The Ticino Ticket is the best option in many cases, but there are exceptions.
If you stay in the Ticino for a few days only, and you’ll also explore other areas of Switzerland, a Swiss Travel Pass might be a good choice for the entire trip. Within the Ticino area, it offers better value for boats and mountain transport than the Ticino Ticket.
If you plan to travel by boat, cableways, and mountain railways extensively, you can consider buying an additional Swiss Half Fare Card to get discounts of 50% instead of the 20-30% offered by the Ticino Ticket.
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My accommodation does not provide a Ticino Ticket, can I buy it instead?
No, the only way to get a Ticino Ticket is from your accommodation. It is not for sale.
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Can I travel 1st class?
The Ticino Ticket is only offered for 2nd class, but you can buy upgrade tickets if you prefer to travel 1st class on a specific route.
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Does the Ticino Ticket offer anything else than travel?
Yes, it offers a free or discounted entrance to museums and various activities. Please download the map for details.
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What if I can’t use the Ticino Ticket app?
You can request a paper version at your accommodation.
Other websites of interest
- https://www.ticino.ch: more about the Ticino Ticket