Overview of the Swiss Travel System passes in 2020

Back to: Switzerland questions and announcements28 Replies
Short summary – read this first

A traveler started this thread to discuss the changes to the Swiss Travel System for 2020, specifically regarding the Swiss Travel Pass. They wanted to know how recent updates would affect transportation options like cable cars and the Glacier Express, and if they could buy passes online for better pricing. The thread provides useful insights into discounted tickets and provides links for more information.

Key takeaways:
  • The Swiss Travel Pass now offers a 50% discount on the Mürren to Schilthorn cable car instead of the previous 100%.
  • With the Swiss Travel Pass, the Stechelberg to Mürren cable car remains free.
  • Reservations for the Glacier Express must be made separately from the Swiss Travel Pass, but tickets are unnecessary for travel in 2nd class.
➤ We can plan your Switzerland trip for you. Save time and avoid mistakes! See how it works
InfoAI-generated summary
  • User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 1 of 28 • 23 July 2019 at 3:39:28 #917943

    Hi Arno, or others in the know:

    Despite doing some reading on the internet, there are certain things I am not certain of. Do I have this correct:

    1. The Swiss Travel Pass is good for the Glacier Express.

    2. The reservation for the Glacier Express is separate from the Swiss Travel Pass. You make the reservation and then use the pass or buy tickets when you get on the train.

    3. With a second class Swiss Travel Pass tickets are unnecessary. You just find the train for the time and destination you want and get on.

    4. Seat reservations are not necessary for Swiss Travel Pass use.

    5. I can buy the Swiss Travel Pass three months in advance, and designate a date I wish it to start.

    Thank you.

    larijames

    Arno
    Moderator
    15717 posts
    Reply 2 of 28 • 23 July 2019 at 8:02:35 #917944

    Hi Larijames,

    Welcome to MySwissAlps!

    1./2. Yes indeed, please see:

    3. Correct! http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/howtouse

    4. Correct, and this applies to any pass or ticket: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/reservations

    5. You can buy it even further in advance, but in that case the retailer may e-mail it to you later. Please find purchase options and promotions here:

    Please post further questions in a new thread. This thread is only to discuss the changes in 2020.

    User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 3 of 28 • 23 July 2019 at 15:28:01 #917945

    Thanks, Arno. All clear now. I appreciate your help.

    All the best.

    larijames

    User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 4 of 28 • 23 July 2019 at 21:01:59 #917946
    • The cable car from Mürren to the Schilthorn will be discounted by 50% instead of 100%.

    What about that same cable car on the lower segments from Stechelberg to Gimmelwalf to Murren? Is that still 100% discount?

    User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 5 of 28 • 24 July 2019 at 7:10:08 #917947

    Hi there,

    I would really appreciate some help.

    I’m travelling with my 9yo to Zurich > Lucerne (1 night) > Murren (3 nights) (hoping to do Junfraujoch and Shilthorn) > Interlaken > Venice.

    I purchased a Swiss Travel Pass with a Family Pass, though, I’m afraid a half pass would’ve been more economical given I want to go to Jungfraujoch. Would you confirm if this is the best option over a Travel Half Pass?

    I bought the Swiss Travel Pass with the Jungfraujoch deal but the Jungfraujoch seems very costly on top of the Swiss Travel Pass. Can you tell me the best option for buy tickets for Jungfraujoch?

    Would you advise me what the best option is for travelling to Venice from Interlaken?

    Thanks and kind regards, Mary-Anne

    Annika
    Moderator
    7264 posts
    Reply 6 of 28 • 24 July 2019 at 12:34:41 #917948

    Hi weinhold, thanks for joining MySwissAlps!

    Yes, as far as we can tell now, Stechelberg-Mürren-Gimmelwald will still be fully covered. The cable car provides public transportation to an all-year round inhabited village of reasonable size, and most of the times such “regular” transportation is for free with the Swiss Travel Pass.

    Annika
    Moderator
    7264 posts
    Reply 7 of 28 • 24 July 2019 at 12:36:13 #917949

    Hello Mary-Anne, welcome to MySwissAlps!

    I’d like to ask you to open a new topic for your questions, as they aren’t really related to the 2020 changes for STS products that are discussed here. We’re happy to help you out there! Thank you for your understanding :-)!

    User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 8 of 28 • 11 August 2019 at 9:25:50 #917950

    Hi Guys,

    We will be visiting Interlaken for 3 days this September. We are just wondering which of the following are covered by Swiss Travel card and whether we are at advantage purchasing one.

    1. Day 1 : Zurich -> Interlaken (Train)

    2. Day 2:

    Interlaken West -> Wengen (Train)

    Wengen -> Mannichlen ( Cable Car)

    Mannichlen -> Kleine Scheidegg ( Hike)

    Kleine Scheidegg -> Jungfraujoch ( Train)

    Jungfraujoch to Grindelwald (Train)

    Grindelwald to Interlaken West (Train)

    3. Day 3:

    BLS Boat Trips on Lake Thun

    Regards,

    User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 9 of 28 • 11 August 2019 at 12:21:11 #917951

    Hello Nkharika28,

    Please find the detailed validity of the Swiss Travel Pass, incl. a superb pdf map, in the second post by Arno.

    For further questions about your personal itinerary may I ask you to open an own thread in the according forum, as this current discussion is mainly about the “changes” of the pass for 2020.

    Best,
    Steph

    BatesFamily
    Participant
    2 posts
    Reply 10 of 28 • 13 August 2019 at 2:54:03 #917952

    Ok. Here is my itenirary. Paris… Turin… Florence… Como…Lugano to Lucerne (Gothard Panorama Express). Lucerne 1 day to Grindelwald 2days. Next Grindelwald to Fuelen Fuelen to Salzburg… Vienna.. paris…normady… to London… Want to do bunch around Grindelwald (cablecars to Wengen… and back… maybe Schilthorn next day. Schilthorn versus Junfraujoch cost) . So I figure I need a global EurailPass 10 days or 15 days. or 10 day EurailPass + 3 day Swiss Travel Pass. or 10 EurailPass + Bernese Oberland regional pass or 10 EurailPass + Jungrau regional pass. BTW this is a great site!

    Arno
    Moderator
    15717 posts
    Reply 11 of 28 • 13 August 2019 at 7:05:53 #917953

    Hi BatesFamily,

    Welcome to MySwissAlps and thanks for your compliments! Can you please open a new thread for your questions? We are only discussing Swiss Travel System changes for 2020 here. Thanks!

    Arno
    Moderator
    15717 posts
    Reply 12 of 28 • 14 August 2019 at 14:53:55 #917954

    Hi everyone,

    One of the changes in 2020 is that the Swiss Travel Pass Flex will be available electronically. Some retailers have already begun offering this option. Basically you will no longer receive a pass; you will receive a purchase receipt with passenger details instead. These details allow you to log into a specific website to choose your travel days. Details on how this works can be found here: http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpassflex/howt ouse.

    Retailers can be found here: http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpassflex/pric e.

    User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 13 of 28 • 16 August 2019 at 11:59:03 #917955

    The Swiss Travel Pass worked very well for my family on a recent trip. A few tips for other travelers:

    Print your travel passes. Conductors were faster and more efficient with multiple paper tickets than me fumbling around on a phone. Keep the passes somewhere waterproof or maybe even laminate them. You can print double-sided, but do print the entire page (I was berated by one conductor for trimming the small print at bottom).

    If you have kids, the passes labeled “Family Card” entitle them to free tickets anywhere the parents are entitled to go. E.g., for discounted gondola tickets, simply go to the cashier and purchase tickets for the adults at the discount rate and show the “Family Card” passes. You’ll be issued the proper number of paper tickets for your whole family. Ignore all posted child pricing you may see.

    Book seat reservations for the tourist hot zone train or gondola that you plan to take during peak hours (roughly 10am to 3pm) — e.g., Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn/Murren gondolas, etc. The 5 CHF/PP cost may save you an hour or more of standing in line. Better yet, get up early or skip the hot zones entirely.

    While waiting for a train, get to the appropriate boarding sector for the train’s 2nd class carriages. The train layout is displayed at most stations and is also in the SBB app. By getting yourself in the right place before the train arrives, you’ll be able to get your family and luggage situated with much less stress than if you follow the mass of people who don’t know what a “sector” is.

    The SBB app was easy and indispensable! It gave us confidence to tightly navigate the timetables and bus/train/gondola connections. It also helped us reroute smartly when delays did happen (they do, even in Switzerland!) My only complaints are that the app had no offline timetable and no integration with the Swiss Travel Pass program.

    Thank you to Arno, Annika, and everyone else helping with the terrific Swiss Travel Pass program.

    Annika
    Moderator
    7264 posts
    Reply 14 of 28 • 16 August 2019 at 13:58:02 #917956

    Hi weinhold! Thanks for getting back to us and sharing your experiences. Yes, the Swiss Travel Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass) is for sure a very efficient and flexible way of traveling. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

    The SBB website and app are designed primarily for residents and not for tourists, so there’s no official “connection” with tourist products such as the Swiss Travel Pass. It wouldn’t be really necessary either, as regular trips by boat, train and bus are for free with a Swiss Travel Pass anyway, and discounted mountain tickets are often purchased at the spot or through other online retailers.

    If you don’t mind, would you please copy and paste your text into a new thread in the Trip reports forum: http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/tripreports? That way, your experiences will be found by other travelers much easier. Thanks a lot :-)!

    User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 15 of 28 • 26 August 2019 at 1:30:39 #917957

    Hi, I am trying to plan a trip for April/May 2020. When does the summer season start? I am thinking of taking Gotthard Panorama to Lugano, bus to Tirano and Bernina Express to St. Moritz. This would be April 28, 2020 to May 1,2020. Will they be open yet? Thanks!

    User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 16 of 28 • 26 August 2019 at 11:16:56 #917958

    Hello Justjen1,

    You will be fine on those dates as the Gotthard Panorama Express and the Bernina Express bus will be back to daily service by April 18th resp. 22nd.

    See the dates of operation in these links:
    – http://www.myswissalps.com/go tthardpanoramaexpress/ gettingthere
    – http://www.myswissalps.com/be rninaexpress/gettingth ere

    Best,
    Steph

    Also see:
    – http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne
    – http://www.myswissalps.com/lu gano
    – http://www.myswissalps.com/st moritz

    User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 17 of 28 • 25 September 2019 at 3:45:11 #917959

    Hi,

    The cable car from Murren to Schilthorn for year 2020 will be charge, nothought using Swiss travel pass. As mentioned early. Can I know how much the price ? Need to list in my costing list. Once reach there, do I still need to purchase any entrance fee ? How about cable car from Stechelberg to Schilthorn is it still 100% free with Swiss Travel Pass ?

    Please advise.

    Angel7105

    User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 18 of 28 • 25 September 2019 at 12:02:22 #917960

    Hi Angel 7105,

    with Swiss Travel Pass the cable car from Mürren to the Schilthorn will be discounted by 50% instead of 100%. Stechelberg to Mürren will still be free with Swiss Travel Pass.

    Mürren – Schilthorn full price: one way 51,8 CHF, return 85,6 CHF.

    Stechelberg – Schilthorn full price: one way 63 CHF, return 108 CHF.

    You can find the prices in the timetable at http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable.

    See also: How to get to Schilthorn at http://www.myswissalps.com/sc hilthorn/gettingthere.

    ruedi
    Participant
    26 posts
    Reply 19 of 28 • 23 November 2019 at 19:18:39 #917961

    Hi

    could you please tell me if any of the other mountain excursions are now included in the pass . In the past there has always been one but the sites changed. Thank you

    User
    Inactive
    77267 posts
    Reply 20 of 28 • 24 November 2019 at 15:06:13 #917962

    Hello ruedi,

    Thanks for your question! As far as I know, the only changes made so far for 2020 to the various train passes and mountain excursions are what Arno has posted and updated on September 25, 2019. Any future changes or updates, it will be posted again. Please look at the first comment in the beginning of this thread.

    Best wishes,

    Suzanne

Viewing 20 replies - 1 through 20 (of 28 total)
1 2
  • The thread ‘Overview of the Swiss Travel System passes in 2020’ is closed to new replies.

About MySwissAlps

We’re passionate tourists and locals. We share tips about how to plan a trip to Switzerland. MySwissAlps was founded in 2002.

About us

Get a free account for a worry-free trip

  • Join our 8860 members and ask us questions in the forum
  • Access to member-only promotions
  • Detailed maps and weather forecasts
Create a free account

Planning your first Switzerland adventure?

Get a jump-start with Annika’s 20-minute e-mail course, “Switzerland for beginners”. Subscribe to our newsletter to unlock the course.

Subscribe