Swiss Travel Pass Flex - First travel date

Hello,My husband and I will be buying a Swiss Travel Pass Flex for a trip in May 2016. We will purchase the 8 days within one month ticket option, first class. We will arrive in Zurich, Switzerland on May 13. The first day that we will use the travel pass will be May 18 or 19. When purchasing the travel pass on-line, it asks for the "First Travel Date". What date do I enter?

Can I enter May 13, but if we do not use first day until May 18, will May 18 count as the first of the 8 days in one month?Thank you.

Hi and welcome to MySwissAlps!

The procedure of ordering a Swiss Travel Pass Flex is a bit different for each retailer, but in general I can say that none of them forces you to pick a fixed first travel day. If they ask for a date that will either be the date you can use as a first travel date (but don't have to), or it's just their standard procedure to ask for a date but they don't use it at all. Sometimes they just use it to make sure you receive your pass in time. In your case it makes sense to pick May 13, unless you stay for longer than a month because the pass is valid for up to one month.

Again in general: if there's a date printed on the pass you receive that would be the first day you can use the pass, but it can be later as well as long as you complete all traveling within a month from that date. If there's no date on the pass you need to activate it at a Swiss rail station within 6 months of purchase. From that point in, it will be valid for a month. In any case you'll find 8 blank fields on your pass to fill out your desired travel dates.

The Swiss Travel Pass Flex will be physically shipped to you; it's not a print at home pass. Print at home passes do have fixed travel dates printed on them.

It's unfortunate that retailers don't explain this in detail, but this is the latest information I have. I hope it's useful!

Please see myswissalps.com/ swisstravelpassflex for further details, and myswissalps.com/ swisstravelpassflex/ price specifically for a list of the best retailers. Price wise, rail.statravel.com/87d 0-swiss-flexi-pass makes sense since you live in the US, but you can take a look at the list.