SBB mobile app – different types of tickets
A traveler named Sburbank35 is planning a trip from Geneva to Montreux and is seeking clarity about using the SBB mobile app, particularly regarding ticket options and prices. They are trying to understand whether the Supersaver ticket is the best choice for them and if they need to buy tickets in advance or can purchase them at the station.
- The SBB mobile app is recommended for buying tickets since it suggests options you're eligible for, making the process easier.
- Supersaver tickets can be cheaper but are restrictive; buy them in advance to ensure availability.
- If you have a Half Fare Card, you can benefit from discounts on point-to-point tickets, which are generally at fixed prices regardless of when you buy them.
AI-generated summary-
Hi, I am playing around with the SBB mobile app and have a few questions. I have entered my information and my husband’s information and have selected that we have a Half Fare Card. So, from Google it tells me that when I look for a train it is already giving me my discounted price for the tickets I am looking at. Is that correct? There are many different tickets for one route. I did a mock search from Geneva to Montreux in 1st class and it’s giving me:
Point to Point
Supersaver Ticket
City-Ticket (what is this?)
Point to Point Class upgrade
Supersaver Class upgrade
Can someone tell me what all these prices are? I see that the Supersaver is a certain train at a certain time. If I already have 1st class listed and my HFC is linked to my mobile app, is the best price here the Supersaver ticket? And, is there any reason to buy these ahead of time or will they be the same price at the station the morning we decide to go?
Thank you in advance!
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Hi Sburbank35,
Yes, the SBB timetable can be very confusing if you are not familiar with it. The online timetable is geared for residents and ticket prices are shown half-price by default (most residents travel with the Half-Fare Card).
I’ll try my best to explain the different type of tickets for you:
- Point-to-point tickets are basically standard regular tickets. You can buy a single or return journey for 1st class or 2nd class travel. The price of standard tickets are usually fixed regardless when and where you purchase them. If you have a Swiss Half Fare Card, you can purchase tickets with discounts up to 50%: https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard/howtouse.
- You can travel even cheaper with a Supersaver ticket. This is basically a discounted standard ticket that you get cheaper when you purchase in advance. They are only available online and do run out. It is cheaper because it is restrictive and non-refundable. With a Supersaver ticket, you can only travel on a specific connection. If you miss your connection, you will have to purchase a new ticket.
- City-Ticket – If you choose this option, you point-to-point ticket also includes free travel on the local public transport at the place of departure and destination (not just station to station).
- Point-to-point class upgrade – If you have a 2nd class point-to-point ticket, you can upgrade upgrade to 1st class by choosing this option.
- Supersaver upgrade – If you have a 2nd class Supersaver ticket, you can upgrade to 1st class by choosing this option.
You can find more information about train tickets and how to use the timetable in the following links:
- Point to point tickets: http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/switzerland
- SBB timetable explained: http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable
Hope this somehow helps you with your journey planning.
Regards,
Anna
Thank you Anna. That is pretty much what I thought so it’s good to have it confirmed. (other than I thought maybe the “city ticket” had some sort of entrance to museums or something)
Do you suggest that I use the app? Or just buy them online?
Hi Sburbank35,
The SBB mobile app is a very handy tool to have not just to buy tickets but also to check transportation schedules. So I would definitely recommend you install it on your mobile device if possible.
You can find the link to the SBB mobile app /and other useful travel apps) here: http://www.myswissalps.com/aboutswitzerland/practical/websites
Regards,
Anna
Anna, you well explained the ticket types.
There is only one error:
Supersaver upgrade – If you have a 2nd class Supersaver ticket, you can upgrade to 1st class by choosing this option.
Supersaver upgrades must not be bought with Supersaver tickets. Supersaver upgrades can be combined with regular 2nd class tickets, 2nd class Swiss Travel Passes, GA, Day Passes, etc. They work like Supersaver tickets yet for class upgrades.
Regards,
Roland
Hello Anna, and Sburbank3,
It is good timing for me to see Sburbank3’s questions, as well as Anna’s answer. I just spent a few hours googling various websites to try figure out how to purchase train tickets in Switzerland, and was planning on downloading the SBB App in a few days. I read Sburbank3’s message and Anna’s answer with a lot of interest!
Anna – in case I find the SBB App too confusing and decide to buy tickets prior to the trip, via the SBB. ch website, I have the following question: When you select the date , you are also obliged to specify the time. However, my flight into Zurich airport might be delayed…. it is difficult to estimate the time to go through customs etc… So I cannot know at exactly what time I would take the train. How, on the website (and maybe also the SBB app) does one indicate , for example’ ‘AS OF 8:00, meaning I want to take a train earliest 8:00, but it might be one, two or more hours later…..?
Thank you for your help!
Monica
Hello Monica,
If there is concern about not catching a specific train, then you will need to purchase a point to point ticket for your journey. That way you would have till 05.00 the following day to take your journey.
- Point to point tickets: https://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/switzerland
I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Hello Yolanda,
This information (point to point) is already very helpful!
However, I still have a few questions. So after selecting ‘Point to Point Ticket’ (on the SBB.CH website), I have to enter the date as well as a time of departure. Is the time that I enter the earliest possible one that I could take…? Since the ticket is valid until 5am the next day, I am a bit confused why we have to enter a TIME.
My next question is with regards to printing the details of the train connections. On the screen when I see the choices of train connections , when I expand them to see the details (very clear), I would like to print these detail. (From past trips, when I would buy a ticket at the Zurich Airport at the Customer Service Center, I receive a nice ‘Fahrplanauskunft’ showing the train connection times and platforms). It seems odd that there is not a friendly way to print them (I did a cut and paste but that is awkward) from the website….
Next, after selecting a certain train connection, in red it indicates ‘TICKETS from CHF XX’. It seems like the default is super saver. So now I change from Super Saver to Point to Point. Now it indicates ‘Point to Point, Half fare Travel Card’. However, I will not be purchasing a Half fare Travel Card. I believe I have to select ‘Full price’ in the Travel Options, correct?
If I try to simulate as if I were to purchase a ticket, and I click on ‘continue’, I see that I would next enter my email (as a ‘guest’). I suppose after that I would enter the payment credit card information. Once the transaction is completed, is a pdf ticket sent within a few minutes? I would be curious to know if the detailed train connections are then attached to the pdf ticket …?
Thank you so much in advance for all your patience and assistance!
Monica Schwalbe
Hello Monica,
If you are buying a point to point ticket with the option to travel on any train (up till 05.00 the next day) then you can key in any time to confirm the ticket you are buying.
Have you tried taking a screenshot, either via your computer/laptop or phone?
If you do not have a Swiss Half Fare Card, then yes, you need click on “full price” 🙂
Yes, upon payment, you would receive a confirmation pdf via email, shortly after. In regard to the desired /specific train route details, no these would not appear. As you are wanting the option to take any train available (due to airport arrival, customs, exit, luggage). It needs to be ‘open’ so should you be asked to show your ticket, they would know you have this option. I hope that makes sense?
If you wanted a print out of specific train route, then you would need a Supersaver ticket which would be time/date specific. I hope that makes sense too.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Hello again Yolanda,
Yes your answers do in fact make sense, since I want an ‘open ticket’! I understand.
Thank you very much for clarifying all my questions! This has been very helpful.
Kind regards,
Monica
Hello Monica
The SBB Mobile app might appear difficult but in fact, buying tickets through the app is simpler than through the website for a simple reason: the app will only suggest tickets which you are eligible to buy. This is not the case with the website.
With the app, you cannot buy half fare tickets if you hadn’t activated the Half Fare Card option (which is possible on the website – be careful). And, the app will always suggest the best ticket; for example, if you were to buy a return ticket, the app might suggest a Saver Day Pass as the cost is less, compared to a return ticket.
Working as a conductor, I am always astonished to see how elderly people manage to buy tickets with the app, knowing that they have not grown up with this kind of tools. It is really easy nowadays for everyone, you might want to give it a try. With any purchase, regardless if done via website or app, you will still reveive a payment confirmation by e-mail.
Best regards,
Roland
Hi Roland,
Thank you for your insights.
It’s great to have input from someone who is familiar with SBB and train travel.
Regards,
Anna
Hi Roland,
Your comments reassure me!! Many thanks! I will download the app this weekend and will try figure it out. I suppose being 62 qualifies me as being ‘older’! 🙂
Monica
Thank you, Anna, for your kind words.
Monica, by elderly I actually meant 80+ :)) You will certainly manage it, if not, we will assist you with pleasure.
Have a good weekend,
Roland
Hi Roland,
haha! I am glad that I am not yet considered elderly! Besides, I often have the energy of a 20 yr old. 🙂
Thanks in advance, in case I need your help with the app.
Monica
If you see me in two weeks’ time I’ll be the 63 year old showing you a Saver Day pass on a piece of paper. I still like it that way!
That’s totally fine. In this case you are not one of these guys who are running after me on the plattform before departure to ask: “can I show you my ticket already now, my phone has only 1% battery” 🙂
Hi RolandP, Anna & others
Well, I am happy to say that I downloaded the SBB App and am finding it quite nice to use! I am entering various schedules to see the journey choices, which are quite clear. As I go along the different screens, when I get to ‘Purchase ticket for CHF xx’, I am simply simulating at this point. I am wondering if creating a ‘SwissPass login’ is worth it, versus ‘Buy as a guest’. If you have any comments on the pros and cons on this, it would be appreciated.
Also, I was now able to get a fairly good estimate of my entire train ticket costs. At full price, I am at CHF280, which in fact makes the Half Fare pass seem worthwhile (marginally!). (I believe the cost of CHF120). If I decide to purchase a Half Fare pass, then is there any preference whether to purchase it on the SBB website or via the App?
By the way, I appreciated the comment about people having only 1% battery left… !! I suppose it can be a real concern. I am not sure if cell phones can easily be charged on the trains, at train stations, etc…
So although I am a lot like 1960man, typically sticking to ‘good old paper’, I am making an effort here to modernize and to try keep up with technology! 🙂
Monica
Hi Monica,
A SwissPass login won’t be needed, that’s more geared to residents. As for buying the Swiss Half Fare Card, you’ll find the purchase options listed here: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard/price. If you prefer to buy from SBB, then you’d best pick the SBB tourist web shop which is listed there too. That’s an easy to navigate web shop all optimized for travelers from abroad. Also with an easy to reach support team if needed.
Many thanks Arno!
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