Swiss Half Fare – buy a ticket for each connection

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    27 January 2018 at 15:29:15 #814171

    Hi Everyone!

    After all the helpful advices from everyone here, I did the math and conclusion is the Swiss half fare is more cost savings than Swiss travel pass. However we are concern about meeting the train connection with Swiss half fare, as we still need to queue and purchase individual train tickets.

    Would like to ask if it will be very challenging to meet the train connection if we stop to buy tickets at every station? This is our first time to Swiz.

    Thanks in advance!

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    27 January 2018 at 19:04:29 #875268

    Hi Faith1234,

    You don’t need to buy a ticket for every connection. You buy one ticket for the whole route: from say Zurich to Interlaken with a change in Lucerne. The ticket covers the entire route to Interlaken – you just need to follow the timetable and change trains in Lucerne (for example).

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    28 January 2018 at 2:40:00 #875269

    >> Would like to ask if it will be very challenging to meet the train connection if we stop to buy tickets at every station?

    Apart from not having to buy separate tickets every time you change trains within the same day, you don’t have to queue at a counter to buy tickets. You can also buy them at a ticket machine, or in the SBB App on your mobile device.

    To buy tickets in the SBB App, you’ll first need to register and provide credit card details, and will need internet access to buy the ticket. Once you have bought the ticket, it can be displayed on your mobile device without being connected to the internet, and you don’t need a paper copy to show the conductor. You must make sure your phone has enough charge to display the ticket though!

    Alpenrose

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    28 January 2018 at 9:29:07 #875270

    Good point on the cell charge Alpenrose!

    I spent a day in Basel with an old friend of mine and realized when leaving for Zurich that night my phone was at 8%! I turned it off until the conductor came for my ticket (though no one checked me in the end)!

    Faith, we have a list of good web pages and Apps listed on our “about Switzerland” page here.

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    31 January 2018 at 5:41:04 #875271

    Hi .. its my first time to switzerland. Need some advice. If we purchase the swiss travel pass .. do we still neef to buy anymore tickets . I undetstand that it covers train buses and boats. How diff is the swiss trsveland the half fare card . Appreciate yr help. Thx

    rockoyster
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    8889 posts
    31 January 2018 at 6:25:38 #875272

    Hi Faith,

    Lucas and Alpenrose have given you some sound advice but I don’t think anyone has mentioned that even if you buy your tickets at a station you don’t have to buy them on the day of travel. You could for example buy a couple of days worth of tickets at any time convenient to you if your plans were settled for those days.

    The SBB App is great though.

    rockoyster
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    31 January 2018 at 6:31:27 #875273

    Hi Clen and Welcome to MySwissAlps,

    You really should start a new thread for your question.

    But in the meantime have a look at http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/howtouse.

    The only tickets you would need to buy are for those trips, typically cable cars which only offer a 50% or 25% discount with the Swiss Travel Pass.

    The Swiss Half-fare Card is described here http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isshalffarecard. You still have to buy a ticket for every trip – it’s just that you get 50% discount on ticket price.

    You should also read “How to choose the best travel pass” (http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass).

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    4 February 2018 at 8:08:15 #875274

    Thanks all for the helpful advise!

    Few more questions.

    1. How do I select ‘Swiss Half Fare’ when I purchase the tickets online, via app or at the counters?
    2. If I purchase the Swiss Half Fare today via RailEurope, the 1 month validity is from today or from the day I validate the card? And where/how can I validate the card?

    Thanks!

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    4 February 2018 at 9:10:52 #875275

    Hi Faith,

    1. There will be an option to select your fare reduction on websites, the app or at a ticket machine at the train station. Look for Half Fare Travel card or Halbtax.
    2. You would be able to select the start date at purchase. There is no need to validate it at any station.
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    4 February 2018 at 11:52:08 #875276

    Thanks Lucas! That means I can purchase the Half Fare ticket today and date selected at point of purchase will be the date the 1st day of the 1 month begins (cuz the half fare is valid for 30 days).

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    4 February 2018 at 13:24:38 #875277

    I’m not sure I’m reading your sentence correctly….but you can buy the pass for whatever start date you want. It is then valid for 30 days. 🙂

    You can read about how to use the Swiss Half Fare Card here.

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    4 February 2018 at 13:54:43 #875278

    Sorry to confuse you =x

    Yeps you are reading my question correctly 🙂 On the RailEurope SG website, I have to input ‘First Travel Date’. This date will be the date the card will be ‘activated’?

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    4 February 2018 at 15:14:23 #875279

    Yes, exactly. It will be valid for 30 days starting on that date.

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    5 February 2018 at 1:25:03 #875280

    Thanks Lucas!

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