8 Day Swiss Travel Pass question

If purchasing the pass online, do I need to know my exact start date or is it valid for 8 days from,first use?

Thanks,

Hi niokasc,

Print at home passes require you to pick the exact start date. What's your scenario? When would you know your travel date?

Hi Arno,

We fly standby so we never know exactly when we will arrive. Coming from the States, we may arrive in Milan, Geneva or Zurich.

We have arranged an apartment in Murren for Sept 6 -10 then the 10th through the 17th in Riomaggiore. So we plan to arrive on the 2nd and start using the pass but we can't be sure and we will be leaving Switzerland for Italy on the 10th.

In addition to the Murren/Wengen area, we hope to take the Bernese Express southbound, overnight in Tirano then to Lucern via Lugano.

Thanks for your help,and all the great information on your forum.

Hi niokasc,

I am not sure I understand your itinerary (particularly the part from Sept 2 to 6), but I will explain how things work: a print at home pass takes 1-3 business days to be e-mailed to you. You can check the sites listed here once you know your first travel day to see if they still offer it for that day. As you will receive it through e-mail you can even print it from a hotel. If this does fit your plans you can also buy it at a staffed train station in Switzerland (see the link). Be sure to bring all travelers and passports in that case.

There is no Bernese Express, but there is a Bernina Express that would fit in nicely if you arrive in Milan. You can either take a train to Tirano from there, or a train to Lugano and the Bernina Express bus ride to Tirano. The next day you would take the Bernina Express train to Chur and change there for your next destination.