Jun 25, 2011 - 7:22 AM
Hi no1jchic! Welcome to the forum. That's not a silly question at all. Rail passes for tourists are indeed not the same as rail passes for Swiss residents. However, I'm not sure if you're ineligible for a Swiss Pass or any other pass of the STS rail pass system. The STS regulations state that their rail passes are available to those with a permanent residence outside of Switzerland, and I don't know if your B-permit for Switzerland causes any changes to this permanent residence, as you'll probably still have a passport from your country of residence as well. I think you can best check with either STS or the migration office.
In case you can't purchase a Swiss Pass, this overview of the SBB may help you out. It lists passes available to Swiss residents. I'm not sure what you'd be looking for. If you want to profit from discounts not only during the first two weeks with your parents, but also during your studies, a 1 year Half-fare travelcard may be a good option. There's a pass allowing free travel as well, but this is only cost effective if you plan to use public transportation very often.
It would be great if you could get back to us and tell us what you found out!
Last modified on Jun 16, 2021 - 1:08 PM by Arno
