The Swiss timetable website and app: this is how to use it in 2026 

SBB timetable

Use this timetable for an advanced search to all destinations by all modes of public transport. Be sure to read my instructions below before using it.

From
To
Via (optional)
Via (optional)
Departure date Example: 01.12.= 1 December
Departure time Example: 13:15=1:15 PM
	Search

Basic timetable

Use this basic Trainline timetable for a quick easy search for train schedules in Switzerland: https://www.thetrainline.com/en-us

Video 

Before you start: you can skip the ‘SwissPass’ account

You can be asked to log in with a SwissPass account on the SBB timetable website or in the SBB app. You don’t need this as a tourist. It’s not the same as the Swiss Travel Pass. Simply choose to proceed as a guest without a SwissPass login.

If you did set up a SwissPass account, you may be trying to add your digital rail pass (such as a Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare Card) to this account. This is often not possible, and it’s not necessary either.

I explain all about the SwissPass here.

How to find travel times and connections in the SBB timetable

Finding connections: the basics

Enter your

• departure location in the “From” field
• arrival location in the “To” field
• travel date (day.month.year)
• preferred arrival or departure time (24-hour format, so 5 PM is 17:00).

The location name can be a train station, but also the name of a bus stop, boat dock, or cable car station. You can even enter an address.

Nearly all trains, buses, boats, trams, and mountain transport can be found in the timetable. It doesn’t matter whether they’re operated by the SBB or another public transport company.

Not sure which locations to fill out? I’ll explain that further down.

Entering locations through the touch timetable and the map (only available in the app)

In the SBB app, you can also find locations through the “Touch timetable“. It consists of larger tiles in which your most recently searched locations are stored. You can swipe from one tile to another to find connections.

In addition, you can use the “Map” section in the app. This allows you to select a location from a detailed map of Switzerland. Zoom in to see all train, bus, boat, and cableway stops. Tap on a location and choose whether to use it as your departure location or as your destination.

Information in the list of connections

Once you’ve entered your journey details, you’ll see a list of travel options. For every single connection, this list shows:

• the departure time, duration of the trip, and arrival time
• the number of changes (indicated by an open circle on the black line that represents your journey)
• the type and number of the (first) train, bus, boat, et cetera
• the direction of the (first) train, bus, boat, cableway, et cetera
• the lowest possible from-price
• the expected occupancy in 1st and 2nd class
• the number or letter indicating the exact location from which the (first) train, bus or boat departs:
  • Train platforms are indicated by the abbreviation “Pl.”
  • Bus platforms are indicated by “Stop“.
  • Boat docks are indicated by “Pier“.

If there are construction works, this is displayed too.

Details per connection

Click on any connection for more details. The journey is now displayed vertically in detail. Each individual segment of the connection is listed.

The meaning of the symbols is explained under the header “Legends” below the connection information.

The connection details show:

• if and where you need to change
• how much time is available to change
• the departure times of each train, bus, boat, cableway et cetera on the route
• from which platform, bus stop, or shipping pier you’ll depart and at which you’ll arrive
• the name and type of trains, buses, boats, et cetera
• the main features of the trains and other means of transport, such as an on-board restaurant or a family zone
• whether you need reservations (which is rarely the case in Switzerland)
• if construction works or other disruptions are going on. If so, you can click the message for further details.

Details per segment of a connection

Click on a segment of a connection for even more details. You can do so for your departure location, for each train/bus/boat/cableway leg, for each change, and for your arrival location.

For each route, the intermediate stops are displayed. On the timetable website, you’ll also get to see a map of the location or route. Even walks between platforms when switching trains are indicated on this map.

At the bottom of this screen, you can use the arrows to scroll to previous or following segments of the connection. Click on the cross in the upper right corner of the map to close this screen and return to the overview of all connections.

For example, a journey Zurich-Zermatt via the Lötschberg Base Tunnel and Visp is broken down into 5 segments, which can all be viewed in detail:

1. the departure station: “Zürich HB”
2. the train from Zürich to Visp
3. the change of trains in Visp
4. the train from Visp to Zermatt
5. the arrival station: Zermatt

Later departures but earlier arrivals

If arriving at your destination as early as possible is important to you, check the arrival times and not only the departure times. In some cases, trains or buses that leave later in fact arrive earlier: they use a quicker route or include fewer changes than other connections.

How to select the right location names

You’ll encounter many similar-looking names in the timetable, often popping up in a drop-down list once you start typing. How to pick the right ones?

Handy tools to pick the right locations: our travel sections and the timetable map

Before explaining how location names work: use the travel sections on all of our town and activity pages. They list exactly which names to select for the main spots on your route.

You can also enter your approximate destination in the timetable, select a connection, and view the map as explained further down. Zooming in shows the locations and exact names of all nearby train stations, bus and tram stops, boat docks, and cableways stations. This helps you to find the right names.

The basics: correct spelling and names in the original language

If you know which locations you need, make sure to spell them correctly. Small typos can cause the timetable to pick an entirely different location than you want!

Town names are indicated by the spelling of their original language. That’s why

• Lucerne is called by its German name Luzern
• Zurich is referred to as “Zürich”
• Geneva is called by its French name “Genève”

For towns in bilingual areas, such as the German and French-speaking Three-Lake area around Neuchâtel, a combination of both names separated by a slash is used. Examples are “Murten/Morat” and “Biel/Bienne”.

The main naming rule: just the town name for main stations

The main station of a town is often indicated simply by the town name. For example, Lucerne’s main station is “Luzern.” Additional names usually refer to bus or tram stops, or to smaller train stations outside of the town center.

Sometimes, a bus stop or ship pier serves as the town’s main public transport destination. For instance, it’s the ship pier of the lakeside town Weggis that’s called “Weggis.” There’s no train station there. And though there are bus stops, those are considered less relevant than the boat dock.

Some main station names include extras, like “HB” in “Zürich HB” (for “Hauptbahnhof” or main station) or “SBB” in “Basel SBB.” Check our towns’ travel sections for the exact names.

Naming of bus, tram, ship, and cableway locations

This is how the naming system for other public transport stops works:

• Bus/tram stops: town name + comma + stop name. Example: “Weggis, Schiffstation” (“Schiffstation” = ship pier) is the bus stop near the boat dock in Weggis.
• Ship piers: town name + “(See)” (lake) or “Quai” (quay). Example: “Brunnen (See)” is the dock in Brunnen and “Luzern, Bahnhofquai” is the series of piers across from Lucerne’s train station.
• Cableway valley stations: town name + (cableway type or cableway name). Example: “Weggis (Luftseilbahn)” (“Luftseilbahn”= cable car).
• Cableway top stations: mountain name + (cableway or valley town name). Example: “Rigi Kaltbad (Luftseilbahn)” for the mountain top.

Naming of the Swiss airports

Use these names for airports:

• “Basel EuroAirport” for Basel Airport
• “Bern Flughafen” for Bern Airport
• “Genève-Aéroport” for Geneva Airport
• “Zürich Flughafen” for Zurich Airport

How to find a specific route in the timetable

Why you may need to find an alternative route

The SBB timetable presents the quickest routes from A to B by default. But you may need information about another route: that of a scenic train for example. You can add via-stations. This forces the timetable to provide details about your specific route.

How to add via-stations and specify your route

Enter your departure location and your destination. Then, click or tap the “Settings” button. This can be found in the lower right corner under the “From” and “To” fields. Select “Via“. You can now enter one or more via-locations.

An example: let’s say you want to travel from Interlaken to Geneva via the GoldenPass route and Montreux. If you just enter Interlaken as your departure station and Geneva as your destination, the timetable will present the quickest routes: via Bern, Fribourg, and Lausanne. But those are not the GoldenPass route.

You can check the exact route on our GoldenPass page. The section on operation dates and timetable info exactly lists which via-stations to add. So, add Gstaad as via-location. The timetable will now show you the longer GoldenPass route.

Similarly, routes of other scenic trains can be found through this page.

How to select a specific mode of transport

The timetable shows the quickest connections. But in some cases, you may want to enjoy a longer alternative. For example: you want to travel from Thun to Interlaken by boat instead of by train.

Click or tap the “Settings” icon, which can be found in the lower right corner just under the “From’ and “To” fields. Select “Means of transport“. Then check the travel modes you want to use, and uncheck the travel modes you want to exclude.

How to find realistic prices in the timetable

You’ll see discounted fares by default

The prices in the SBB timetable are 50% discounted by default. This is because the SBB timetable is mainly geared toward Swiss residents. Many of them have a half-fare subscription that allows for 50% discounted trips. Even cheaper options, such as Supersaver tickets, can be displayed too.

The basic timetable linked to on this page may show discounted options too.

These are usually not the prices you’ll be paying as a tourist, though.

Reasons to look for other prices than the 50% discounted ones

1. You may travel with rail pass

The 50% reduced prices are probably not what you’ll be paying as a tourist. Only if you have the Swiss Half Fare Card, or another pass that happens to provide a 50% discount for the routes you’re searching, the 50% discounted fares apply to you.

But if don’t have a rail pass granting 50% discount, other prices apply:

• If you travel without a rail pass, you’ll have to pay regular full prices.
• If you have a pass that allows unlimited traveling, such as the Swiss Travel Pass, you don’t need tickets at all for most train, bus, tram, and boat routes. For such routes, you can simply ignore all the fares presented by the timetable.

2. You may want to compare rail pass savings with normal full fares

If you want to compare rail passes, you’ll need to find out how much money you’ll be saving. You’ll only get a realistic outcome if you compare the prices you’d pay with a rail pass to the full, non-discounted fares you’d pay without a pass.

That’s why you should also ignore special deals such as the Saver Day Pass and Supersaver tickets:

• Their prices and availability fluctuate, and they have restrictive conditions. Other than normal tickets, the displayed prices only count for the specific date and connection that are displayed.
• The displayed fares only count if you buy the tickets right now. Prices can be different the next week, day, or even hour. So these are not reliable prices if you want to calculate rail pass savings.

How to find non-discounted fares

How to find realistic prices on the SBB website

The advanced SBB timetable shows prices for nearly all routes in, from, and to Switzerland. This is how to find full-fare prices for your journey:

1. Enter a connection, your travel date, and departure time.
2. A list of connections appears. Between the from/to fields and the list of connections, you’ll see the box “Price display: Half Fare Travelcard“. Click the arrow down to switch to “Full fare”. This ensures you don’t see 50% discounted fares, but it’s not enough yet for realistic fares. Proceed with the steps below.
3. After entering the from and to fields, you’ll already see a list of connections with prices, but those are not necessarily standard prices.
4. Click on a connection for details.
5. Click on the red button “Select tickets“.
6. Choose a single or return journey, and 2nd or 1st class.
7. Under the ticket options that are listed, pick “Point-to-point Ticket”.
8. Ignore Supersaver tickets or Saver Day Passes. These have varying availability and prices, and are not a good basis if you want to calculate which passes or tickets are best for your holiday.

How to find realistic fares in the Swiss timetable app

In the SBB mobile app, you may have to tap the “Plan” section first. If there’s a “Tickets & Travelcards” section, you can ignore that. It’s hidden under a SwissPass account, and you don’t need that as a tourist.

1. Tap the icon “Timetable”.
2. Enter your journey. The app will then automatically show connections. You can change the date and departure time if you want.
3. Tap on a connection and click the red button “Tickets from…“.
4. Click the pencil icon in the “Passenger” box to adjust passenger details. You can enter your travel information there, without purchasing anything yet. Under “Travelcards for Switzerland”, select “No travelcard”. You don’t need an account for this. But if you do have one and if you’re logged in, make sure “No travelcard” is selected in your passenger information too.
5. You’ll now see full prices for your connection.
6. Use the buttons at the top to choose between a single and return journey, and between 2nd and 1st class.
7. Choose “Point-to point Ticket”.
8. As explained above, ignore alternatives such as Supersaver tickets or Saver Day Passes.

How to find prices for the rail pass you’ll be using

Fares if you’re using a Swiss Travel Pass

You don’t have to create a SwissPass account or select a travelcard in the timetable. That’s mostly meant for Swiss residents. Things are very simple if you’re traveling with a Swiss Travel Pass:

• You can ignore most prices: you don’t need tickets for pretty much all trains, buses, and boats. Under “Settings“, you can even choose not to see prices at all.
• Mountain transport is mostly discounted. In many cases, the 50% discounted fares presented by default apply.

Check our Swiss Travel Pass guide for a full overview of discounts per route.

Fares if you’re using a Swiss Half Fare Card

If you’re traveling with a Swiss Half Fare Card, the 50% discounted fares in the timetable are mostly correct for you. So you don’t have to change any settings or select any travelcards.

Find all coverage details our Swiss Half Fare Card guide.

Fares if you’re using other rail passes

Discounts for other passes, such as regional passes or international passes, are not reflected in the timetable. Use our rail pass comparison tools to find out what you’ll be paying with such passes. Or check each individual rail pass page for validity details.

Fares if you’re using Supersaver tickets and Saver Day Passes

If you want to use Supersaver tickets or Saver Day Passes, you can check their availability and prices through the “Tickets from…” button. But:

• Decide if you’ll be using a rail pass first. With a rail pass, you often don’t need (additional) tickets or Saver Day Passes. Our free rail pass finder tools can be found here.
• Make sure you know about the restrictions of these products: consult our Supersaver ticket and Saver Day Pass information.

How to select a travelcard

Selecting a travelcard in the timetable doesn’t have any benefits. But if you do want to select a travelcard that more or less matches the discounts provided by the Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare Card, you can do so via the passenger info.

• On the Swiss timetable website, click “Add passenger” when checking prices for a route.
• In the Swiss timetable app, tap the pencil icon to the right of “Passenger 1” when checking a price.

This is what to select:

• If you’ll be having a Swiss Travel Pass, you can select “GA Travelcard” in 1st or 2nd class. This “General-Abonnement” for Swiss residents provides roughly the same discounts as the Swiss Travel Pass.
• If you’ll be traveling with a Swiss Half Fare Card, you can select “Half Fare Travelcard“. This subscription for Swiss residents mostly provides the same discounts as the Swiss Half Fare Card for tourists.

How to handle short train transfer times

Connection times of only a few minutes are a common part of the Swiss train system. The Swiss timetable only shows doable train changes.

How to choose your minimum transfer time

If you want to avoid such quick transfers, use the “Settings” button and switch on the “Longer interchange time” option. You can then choose between the recommended time (which is the quickest doable option presented by default), 50% more time, or twice as much time.

This can be helpful if you’ll be navigating a large station you’re not familiar with, carrying heavy luggage, or traveling in a large group.

How to prepare for tight connections

If you want to make a short transfer, here’s what to do:

1. Find the platform where your next train departs in advance.
2. Double-check this info during your journey, so you’ll be aware of platform changes or delays. Also, pay attention to intercom announcements on trains and at stations.
3. Go to the doors a few minutes before arrival at the transfer station. As the train enters the station, you can often already see where stairs, ramps, or elevators are located.
4. Get off the train and follow the blue pictograms with arrows and platform numbers. If you don’t know your platform yet, you’ll find it on the blue station displays showing all departing trains. You can even find maps of train stations in the timetable.

If you do miss a train: simply wait and board the next one!

Find more practical tips in our guide about train traveling in Switzerland.

In which cases to show up well in advance

I only advise being at the platform of your connecting train well in advance if you have:

1. a seat reservation, or
2. a restrictive ticket, such as the Supersaver ticket.

They’re valid for just that one train.

How to find details for your train: occupancy, reservation options, amenities

How to check how busy your train will be

The expected occupancy of your train may help you choose a not-too-busy travel time. And it may help you decide whether or not to reserve seats. This can be useful for long connections on which it may be very busy.

The expected occupancy is available for many, but not all trains. You can find this information from about 3 to 4 weeks before your travel date. Enter your trip and check the 3-figure icon for each connection. There’s an indication for both 1st and 2nd class.

This is how to interpret the icons:

• 1 black figure means that the expected occupancy is low.
• 2 black figures mean that the expected occupancy is medium.
• 3 red figures mean that the expected occupancy is high. But this still doesn’t mean it will be overly full and that you can’t find a seat.

How to check if you need a reservation

You mostly don’t need reservations

For the vast majority of trains in Switzerland, you don’t need reservations. Traveling without reservations is the norm. Reservations are only necessary for some international trains and a few panoramic trains.

If you want, you can make reservations for most trains though.

Reservation icons in the timetable

Enter your route, click on a connection for details, and check the icons for each train:

• An R means that seat reservations are possible.
• An R with a seat pictogram means that seat reservations are mandatory.
• If you don’t see either of these icons, you can’t make reservations for that train.

How to find out which amenities your train will have

Click on a connection. If a connection consists of multiple legs, click once more on one of those legs. You’ll see icons providing information about the train, for example if a restaurant, quiet zone, or family zone is available. The header “Legends” explains each symbol in English.

On the day of your trip, you can often even check the train formation (see below). This shows exactly in which coaches specific features can be found, and where on the platform you should wait.

How to know where on the platform to wait

How platform sectors work

Long platforms at large Swiss train stations are divided into sectors, indicated by a letter (A, B, C, et cetera). The letters are clearly visible above the platforms.

The digital information screens above the platforms show at which sector your train will arrive. In case of longer trains, you’ll also see which coaches of the train arrive at which sectors.

When your waiting spot at the platform does not matter

You mostly don’t have to wait at a specific spot on the platform:

• You’ll usually travel without reservations. This means you can just board the train wherever you want, and find available seats in the appropriate class. You can also walk across the wagons once you’re on board, even if the train is already on the move.
• Smaller stations and shorter platforms don’t even have sector indications.

When your waiting spot at the platform does matter

For long trains, it can be helpful to study the train’s composition and the corresponding sector information:

• If you have seat reservations, it’s easy to board the coach in which your seats are located, or a coach close to it.
• If you have preferences that aren’t available in all wagons (such as 1st class seats, an on-board restaurant, bike storage, or a business zone), it’s handy to know where on the platform such coaches will arrive.

Checking the train composition and platform sectors at the rail station

The train’s composition is displayed on the information screens above the platforms. So if you’re on the platform in time, you can study the info on the spot and walk to the appropriate sector.

Checking the train composition and platform sectors through the timetable

On the day of your trip, the timetable shows which train wagons will stop at which sectors of the platforms. This information is not available for all trains.

This is how to find the train formation on your travel day:

1. Click on a connection. If it consists of multiple legs, click one of those legs.
2. Scroll down. If the train formation is available, you’ll find it under the vertical display of the route. The train formation is a simplified rendering of the train, with each of its coaches and features. You’ll see the corresponding platform sections as well.
3. The symbols and abbreviations are explained at the bottom, under “Legends”.

Why you sometimes can’t find connections

In rare cases, the timetable may not show connections for your journey. There can be several reasons:

1. Some trains, buses, boats, and cable cars operate on a seasonal basis. For example: they’re available from spring to fall only. All of these seasonal changes are integrated into the timetable. So if you enter a travel date outside of the operation season, there won’t be results. Operation dates for many seasonal routes can be found on our activity pages.
2. The Swiss timetable changes once per year in mid-December. The new schedules for after mid-December become available between mid-August and mid-October. Before that, you will not get results for trips after mid-December.
3. For international routes, the SBB timetable depends on input from German, French, Austrian, and Italian travel companies. Sometimes SBB doesn’t have this information and can’t display a connection.
4. You may have made a typo in your departure or arrival destination. It’s important to spell your locations correctly.

Swiss timetable FAQ