Picking the right pass for 18 days in Switzerland

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have scoured the internet and can't seem to find this answer. My daughter and I are taking an 18 day trip to Switzerland in April. Too many days for a 15 day pass, but maybe too many days for a 15 day flex pass. We are unsure what counts as a day of travel. Does any mode of transportation, such as bus, metro, etc., count against those 15 days or only days where an actual city to city train is taken? If so, what would be the best option for us? While we are going to make a few cities "home-base", we will be taking day trips from each one. Especially in the Interlake area. Any helpful guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, catleal

Thanks for joining us, catleal!

As for a Swiss Travel Pass Flex: you can't really say that any day "counts" as a free travel day. It's entirely up to you to decide whether or not you use a free travel day for the plans you have in mind. You can do so by writing down the date on your pass before boarding the first bus/boat/train that morning. So you're free to choose the 15 days that you think are most needed for your journeys. Please find explanation in the "How to use section" of the page I linked to .

A 15 day Swiss Travel Pass Flex could be a good option for your plans. It's CHF 44 more expensive than the regular 15 day Swiss Travel Pass with continuous days. So which option is more economical depends on your exact itinerary. If there are a few days in between without traveling, or with short local trips only, the Swiss Travel Pass Flex would be fine. If the first and/or last days of your stay only involve short local trip (e.g. if you stay in a city that has its own local travel pass), the regular 15 day Swiss Travel Pass might be easier.

If you want to make sure, you'd best make calculations based on a detailed travel plan as explained at our "How to choose" page.

You may want to calculate the 8-day Swiss Flex Combi pass (you get the half-fare card with the flex pass at 50% discount). We too have an 18-day itinerary and this option is turning out to be best. See my thread for more details: www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/rail-passes-for-18-day-in-switzerland