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We bought the electronic version of the swiss rail passes. I noticed that it says that one must print the passes on A4 paper. Since the U.S. uses a different size of paper (8.5″X11″) rather than A4 must we track down some of this A4 paper or is the American size adequate? Also, I can see that these passes are likely to get bent up as we use trains and buses over two weeks. Are these paper passes waved in front or passed through a machine or what? How can one preserve these paper passes better without damaging them? Would lamination make them not work?
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Hi Dognlap,
The US Letter size paper is nearly the same as A4 and should be fine; no need to buy special paper.
You can fold the pass so it fits in your wallet. Just don’t fold the QR code as that’s what the train staff will scan.
You can print multiple copies just in case. And you can keep the electronic copy on your phone or in the cloud and print it again from there if needed.
>> these passes are likely to get bent up as we use trains and buses over two weeks … How can one preserve these paper passes better without damaging them?
A sturdy business-size envelope, size DL (110 cm x 220 cm), which is designed for folded A4-size paper, makes a good protective wallet for the Swiss Travel Pass.
And, as Arno has mentioned, you can print a few spare copies to take with you.
>> Are these paper passes waved in front or passed through a machine or what?
No, simply shown to the conductor on board the train. The conductor scans the QR code with a hand-held scanner.
>> Would lamination make them not work?
Some people have laminated them. The critical thing is that the QR code must be able to be read by the conductor’s hand-held scanner.
However, if you laminate it, won’t you then have an awkwardly-sized document that can’t be folded? It seems to me it would be rather a nuisance to have something that size, which wouldn’t be easy to carry on your person at all times.
Alpenrose
I don’t recall my Swiss Travel Pass Flex having a QR-code on it or anyone ever scanning it. They just checked to see that we had written the current date on it to ensure we were eligible to travel that day. Maybe the print at home Swiss Travel Pass adds a QR-code to prove authenticity?
Did you have a Swiss Travel Pass Flex perhaps? Those are still physical documents without a code. That is going to change though.
Yes, Flex. So if print at home STP is validated by scanning QR-code why can’t it be stored in SBB App or on mobile device? What security does the piece of paper add if you can print multiple copies?
I don’t know actually. Perhaps because the app is not geared to tourists, but it could be the next step. The piece of paper is not less secure I think, but not more secure either. There is still the passport check on top of the QR code, and I would think if the same code popped up all over the country at the same time, some kind of alert will be activated 🙂
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