[Removed user]

23 September 2018 at 1:05:44 #818483

Hello,

My husband and I will get in Zurich until December 20th and we are struggling to figure out what rail pass would be best for us. He will need access to regular public transport in Zurich to get to his internship, and I will also need it to get around on a daily basis.

Also, we are planning to take some weekend trips around Switzerland- including going to the Entlebucher Alpabfahrt next weekend. Does it make sense for us to get the half-fare card, then buy day passes for these trips? Will the half-fare card cover transit in Zurich or will be have to buy an additional monthly ZVV card? I have been trying to read the websites, but it is a lot of information and I’m not sure what applies to us as we are not Swiss citizens. We also considered getting a 6-day (non-consecutive) multi-country pass, but I think most of our travel will be in Switzerland.

What would you recommend for us in terms of rail options?

Thank you,

W

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[rockoyster]

23 September 2018 at 3:15:57 #896728

Hello W and Welcome to MySwissAlps,

For that length of stay you would probably be best getting a Half-Fare Card for CHF185 for 12 months. This is designed for residents rather than tourists but is still available to visitors if you show up at an SBB Ticket Office with identification. You might augment that with the Saver Day Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/on edaytravelpass/details) and bit.ly/2rkekat for longer journeys.

I was at one stage considering a 3 months stay on Switzerland and asked SBB if a foreign national was eligible. They said yes and provided the following advice:

You are eligible to purchase the domestic 1-year half-fare card on Swiss Pass if you’d like, with whatever address you prefer, but before you do so, please read the information below.

Travelcard and Tickets
For most tourists and short time visitors the separate offers (http://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/travel-in-switzerland/internatio nal-guests.html) are better suited to their needs and they are generally valid with your Passport directly.

The Half Fare travelcard (http://www.sbb.ch/en/travelca rds-and-tickets/railpasses/hal f-fare-travelcard.html) is mainly for residents of Switzerland, frequent or longer stay visitors.
However you are absolutely free to purchase one of those if, even if none of that applies to you.

Online, postal or direct purchase
If you’re a first time customer without an existing SBB customer number an online travelcard order is only possible, if during the automated process, the Webshop can verify your First and Last Name, as well as Date of Birth with a valid government issued photo ID and the respective countries have provided a verification process of some sorts.

Currently the following countries provide the technological means to do so: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland

If you have an ID or passport from a different country, the SwissPass Half Fare travelcard may be purchased only using these 2 options:

1) By post mail service: order form (including a copy of a valid government issued photo ID, as well a physical photo) and your handwritten original signature. It’s the same which is attached to this email.
2) Directly at any staffed SBB railway station ticket counter (payment in cash, Reka Checks or by credit card).

Notes:
For legal reasons we require your original handwritten signature, thus can’t accept email orders or the likes.
If during the purchase/order, the postal address of the contract partner is not in one of the above mentioned countries, the automatic renewal is deactivated by default and can’t be overridden and no SwissPass card is issued.

SwissPass System
If you purchase a half fare travelcard at a SBB train station ticket counter you do have the option afterwards to upload a digital photo at http://www.swisspass.ch/picture if you don’t have or want to use a physical photo.
Note: You’ll need to create free SwissPass-Login at https://www.swisspass.ch/auth/login?lang=en to do so.

With the same SwissPass-Login you can use:

http://www.swisspass.ch = to access your travelcards, contracts, personal data and services
http://www.sbb.ch/en Webshop = to buy tickets etc. online
http://www.sbb.ch/mobile SBB Mobile (iOS/Android/Windows) = to buy tickets etc. with your mobile device, check your schedule/connections etc.

Recommendation
My advice, if you’d like to have a Half Fare travelcard on the SwissPass, buy it directly at one of our train station ticket counters. All it takes is about 3 minutes.
That way there is no paper work, you just order, sign the contract, pay and are good to go right away.
It also allows you to upload the photo comfortably digitally, have any other questions you might have answered and also set up SBB Mobile for an easy to use, convenient travel experience.

[Removed user]

23 September 2018 at 7:37:43 #896729

Hi W,

I second Rockoyster’s suggestion. The Half Fare TravelCard will get you 50% off country trips as well as city tickets, day passes in Zurich (or any other city).

If you want a monthly pass for Zurich though that is different and through ZVV: http://www.zvv.ch/zvv/de/home .html. You can buy the monthly pass at any ticket machine in Zurich or go to the ZVV information office in the lower level of Zurich main station (different than the SBB office on street level).

[pvonk]

23 September 2018 at 10:54:47 #896730

For Lucas’ link, tap the navigation icon in upper left then choose “en” at top for English.

[Removed user]

23 September 2018 at 23:55:24 #896731

You situation definitely warrants the half fare card

Don’t worry about any of the various texts that talk about Half Fare Card being ‘intended for Swiss residents’.

I have never been resident permanently in or near Switzerland but I have had a half fare card for years. I renewed mine (and my wife’s) this August in minutes at Disentis Muster on the Glacier Express route.

However I think you will also want a regional Zurich local transport pass for daily travel.