Travel pass for 2 weeks trip

Hi, below is my itinerary plan to spent in switzerland by Nov, appreciated much if can suggest me the most benefitial tourist card to buy, as well as total expenditure on travelling... FYI, most the time stay in Zug

Day 1 - Arrive Zurich airport. Travel to Zug. Walk around Zug
Day 2 - Travel to nearby Mountain
Day 3 - Travel around Zug & surroundings
Day 4 - From Zug To Zurich. Travel around Zurich. Stay overnight.
Day 5 - Travel around Zurich. Back to Zug.
Day 6 - From Zug To Milan. Travel around Milan. Stay overnight.
Day 7 - Travel around Milan. Back to Zug.
Day 8 - From Zug To Basel. Travel around Basel. Stay overnight.
Day 9 - Travel around Basel. Back to Zug.
Day 10 - From Zug To Luzern. Travel around Luzern. Stay overnight
Day 11 - Travel around Luzern. Back to Zug.
Day 12 - Travel around Zug & surroundings
Day 13 - Living Zug to Zurich airport

Hi yinfun! Your travel costs can be calculated with the online timetable. Please read our rail FAQ for more information. The costs for some of the trips you mention are as follows (per person and in 2nd class);

Zurich Airport - Zug: CHF 19.00
Zug - Zurich: CHF 13.80
Zug - Domodossola (this is the town at the Italian-Swiss border, up to which a Swiss rail pa is valid)- Zug: CHF 188
Zug - Basel - Zug: CHF 80.00
Zug - Lucerne - Zug: CHF 21.60
Zug - Zurich Airport: CHF 19.00

This makes a total of CHF 314.40, which means that you're porbably best off with a Swiss Half Fare Card. This costs CHF 99.00 and grants a 50% discount on nearly all trips in Switzerland, which means that you'd spend CHF 269.70 (including the purchase costs of CHF 99.00) and save about CHF 44.00.

A Swiss Pass, on the other hand, offers great ease of use. All train trips that you mention are for free with a Swiss Pass, so you wouldn't have to buy discounted tickets for each journey, but you could simply get on board showing your Swiss Pass. A 15 day Swiss Pass (which would be required to cover your entire stay in Switzerland) would be a lot more expensive though, and I can't calculate how much your other plans (such as travelling around the towns you've listed) will cost. If these trips would all together add up to a high amount, it may be cost effective to use a Swiss Pass instead of a Swiss Half Fare Card.

I hope this clears things up a bit. Good luck on deciding, and feel free to post further quesions here as well.

Thanks Annika,

Some more queries to clarify:-
1. Does Swiss Pass cover travelling by night time as well? Any time-table schedule for bus/tram available online?
2. Can pay with credit card at main station counter? Zurich Airport?
3. Can pay in Euro instead of CHF?
4. Can get Swiss Pass on the spot & use it immediately?

Thks. Have a nice day!

Hi yinfun,

As for your questions:

1. Yes, you can travel at all times. In the timetable, you can enter any address if you pick "City, Street nr." instead of "Station/Stop". It will suggest buses and trams if applicable.
2. - 4. Payment by credit card in in Euro's is possible at most manned rail stations. I would not expect it to be a problem at the rail station of Zurich Airport. Payment in Euro's is usually more expensive though, as they mostly use a fixed exchange rate. Your Swiss Pass can be used immediately. Please note that you can purchase it in advance as well. That might even be cheaper (that depends on where you live, so please check the prices).