Swiss Travel Pass procedure on free trips

I am going to do the Rigi and Pilatus trips in June and wonder if I can just get on cogwheel train up and then get a ticket for the cable car down at the top in each case or whether I need to obtain a ticket for the whole trip before I start? The timings I was looking at, do not allow much time to queue at Alpnachstad or Vitznau.

Thanks

Hi Tyland and welcome to MySwissAlps!

You can buy tickets online ahead of time certainly. Use the SBB timetable page to see the schedule and click here to buy tickets (if needed) for Mt. Rigi and Mt. Pilatus.

Also, take a look at our "how to get there" pages for Mt. Pilatus, and Mt. Rigi which could help.

Lucas

Sorry, but why would I buy tickets for a trip that is free with the pass. What i was asking is do i need any ticket for the cog railways and, if not, then can I get a cable car ticket (free) at the top?

Hi Tyland,

Sorry, I have misunderstood your question. You don't need to get any tickets for Mt. Rigi if you have the Swiss Travel Pass. You just show them your Swiss Travel Pass if asked.

from our page on Mt. Rigi:
Trains from Arth-Goldau or Vitznau to Mount Rigi: free
Cableway from Weggis to Rigi Kaltbad: free
Train to Arth-Goldau: free
Boat to Vitznau or Weggis: free

From our page on Mt. Pilatus:
Cableway/train from Kriens or Alpnachstad to Pilatus: free
Train to Lucerne or Alpnachstad: free
Bus from Lucerne to Kriens: free

If you are taking one of those routes and you have a Swiss Travel Pass then you don't need to a ticket at all, just have your Swiss Travel Pass with you.

Does that answer your question?

Lucas

Thank you.

That was exactly the answer I was hoping for re the cogwheel trains at the start of each trip to avoid having to queue,but I'm sure that I have read on another thread that you need a ticket for cableways in order to get through the barriers. But there will be more time at the top so no doubt I will be able to get one then if needed.

>> That was exactly the answer I was hoping for re the cogwheel trains at the start of each trip to avoid having to queue,but I'm sure that I have read on another thread that you need a ticket for cableways in order to get through the barriers. But there will be more time at the top so no doubt I will be able to get one then if needed.

When I went up to Pilatus on the cogwheel train in August last year, I had the Tell Pass, which provided a free trip, but I still had to present my pass at the ticket office in Alpnachstad in order to get a (free) ticket to get through the barriers.

There was a sign in the courtyard front of the Pilatus cogwheel station saying "Did you exchange your ticket?". So I assume anyone who already has a pass or ticket bought somewhere else has to present it at the Pilatus ticket office to get a ticket that can be read by the barriers.

Alpenrose

You can travel almost anywhere without tickets with a Swiss Travel Pass, but mountain transport may require everyone to pass through gates which require a specific ticket with a bar code, so in such a case they will provide a free ticket. I don't know exactly where this is the case (most cable cars have gates like that); you'll see when you get there. It is explained here: myswissalps.com/swisst ravelpass/howtouse.

Many thanks for setting the record straight. I will have to jiggle my timings to allow for queuing.

Just out of interest, I looked at Alpnachstad on Google Street View and there are, indeed, barriers which need a ticket.