(Dis)advantages of buying Swiss Travel Pass early or later?
Marne is planning a 15-day trip to Switzerland in late July with his wife, focusing on scenic trains. He wants advice on when to buy their 1st class Swiss Travel Passes, questioning if there's any advantage to purchasing them early or late.
- You can buy Swiss Travel Passes at any time; they will never sell out.
- Consider purchasing the passes a few weeks before your trip to ensure you have time to sort out any issues and print backups.
- Keep an eye out for special offers, but timing can be unpredictable, so buying too early may mean missing out on deals.
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First of all, MANY thanks for this wonderful site and community. It has been a lifeline for my wife and I in the planning of our late-July trip to Switzerland.
Much of our time will be on scenic trains. We will have 15-day 1st class Swiss Travel Passes. Absolutely. But my question is WHEN should I buy them?
My understanding is that (a) SBB doesn’t ever “run out” of passes, (b) passes don’t ever go on sale, and (c) properly purchased passes are refundable before their start date. So there seems to be no advantage — or disadvantage — to purchasing them either well in advance or a just few days before travel.
Do I have this right? Or is there some reason to buy our passes sooner rather than later (or later rather than sooner)?
—Marne
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Hi Marne,
That’s right, there is no limit on the sale of Swiss Travel Passes, so they will never sell out.
There are occasionally special offers available though. The SBB offers are usually along the lines of giving you extra days, e.g. 10 days for the usual price of an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass, rather than a reduction in price. Third-party agents have their own special deals from time to time.
The timing of special offers is never predictable though, so buying a pass months before you are due to go means you might miss out if a special offer materialises later on.
Refund conditions depend on where you buy your pass, so check carefully before buying. There might be an administrative fee deducted, so you wouldn’t get the full purchase price refunded.
My preference is to leave it until shortly before my trip begins, but with enough time to sort out any problems if something should go wrong with the purchase e.g. a credit card not working, supplying an incorrect email address so your pass never arrives, misspelling names or mixing up birth dates.
Here is more information about the Swiss Travel Pass:
https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/
Hope this helps you make a decision!
Alpenrose
Hi Marne,
I think it makes sense to purchase the Swiss Travel Pass in advance, once all your plans are confirmed. At least a few weeks before your trip so you have time to print it out and make back up copies just in case. This also means you can use immediately on arrival.
You can find information about rail pass and other promotions here: https://www.myswissalps.com/promotions/
Regards,
Anna
A perfect reply, Alpenrose! So yes, Anna, I will purchase our Swiss Travel Passes about three weeks before our departure. That way I might be able to grab a sale price, but I certainlywill have enough time to solve any issues with the purchase.
Sincere thanks for your help!
–Marne
This was great advice and answered one of my questions also. You folks really add to making a successful trip. Patrick
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