15484 posts
Hi Jayleecab,
Both the Swiss Half Fare Card and Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland will be delivered to you digitally, as a PDF. You can store them directly on your phone. Printouts serve as a backup so you still have something to show if your phone is not working.
The website https://shop.switzerlandtravelcentre.com/#/en/home is the official SBB tourist web shop that offers both passes. They’ll be e-mailed to you within a few minutes.
More purchase options can be found here:
You can’t and don’t need to add tourist passes like these to the SBB app. The app allows you to tick the Half-Fare travelcard option for each traveler in order to buy discounted tickets. You don’t need to prove that you are entitled to that reduced fare. Checks will be done on board the trains, where you have to show both your ticket and pass upon request.
The SBB app is only one way to buy digital tickets. There are other websites and apps as well. Here’s a list: http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/switzerlandhalffare/price. Some offer to buy in your own currency, so they may turn out to be a little bit cheaper as you’ll avoid banking costs and exchange rates. Either way, you never have to link a tourist pass to an app. Just select the fare you’re in title to, and you’re good to go.
Note that the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland offers free traveling in most cases. So, you don’t need tickets and you don’t need an app at all. Other than finding train schedules perhaps.
8 posts
Thank you so much for the info!