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Ticket type: Public transport pass
Season:
all year
Valid for max. 15 days
Included area: Switzerland➤ Swiss Travel Pass prices 2025 and 2026
| Looking for youth discounts, or prices in EUR/GBP/USD? | Duration | Price 2nd class (2025) | Price 1st class (2025) | Price 2nd class (2026) | Price 1st class (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Check prices for 3 days (swissrailways.com) | 3 days | CHF 244 | CHF 389 | CHF 254 | CHF 405 |
| Check prices for 4 days (swissrailways.com) | 4 days | CHF 295 | CHF 469 | CHF 309 | CHF 492 |
| Check prices for 6 days (swissrailways.com) | 6 days | CHF 379 | CHF 602 | CHF 399 | CHF 634 |
| Check prices for 8 days (swissrailways.com) | 8 days | CHF 419 | CHF 665 | CHF 439 | CHF 697 |
| Check prices for 15 days (swissrailways.com) | 15 days | CHF 459 | CHF 723 | CHF 499 | CHF 787 |
Video
What’s covered by the Swiss Travel Pass?
| Scenic train | Discount |
|---|---|
| Bernina Express | Free:
Seat reservations: no discount. |
| Centovalli Railway | Free:
Seat reservations: no discount. |
| Chocolate Train | Discount 35%:
|
| Glacier Express | Free:
Seat reservations: no discount. |
| GoldenPass | Free:
Seat reservations and surcharge for Prestige class in GoldenPass Express: no discount. |
| Gotthard Panorama Express | Free:
Seat reservations: no discount. |
| Lötschberg Mountain Railway | Free:
Seat reservations: no discount. |
| Voralpen-Express | Free:
|
Go here to see which mountains, boats, and other train lines are included, and to download the map:
How does the Swiss Travel Pass work?
Keep the pass on your phone. You can travel as much as you like on trains, boats, buses and trams. You don’t need tickets. Just board and enjoy the ride. You do need to buy a discounted ticket for most cableways and other mountain transport.
How to start using your electronic Swiss Travel Pass
The Swiss Travel Pass is ready for traveling once you’ve received it. Simply keep it on your phone.
- You will receive a PDF file. This file has a QR code that train staff can scan from your smartphone.
- There is no need to use an e-wallet. Keep the PDF file on your phone like any other downloaded PDF. If you do prefer an e-wallet, you should use one that supports PDF files. Apple Wallet and some others do not support PDF files.
- Optionally, you can print backup copies of the pass on A4 or letter-sized paper. I usually do this, just in case my phone battery runs out while traveling.
- The pass is ready to use if it includes all information like the start date, passenger name, and birth date. Your passport number won’t be displayed on the pass. Your name may be truncated if it’s too long to fit on the pass, but that’s no problem.
- You don’t have to link your Swiss Travel Pass to the Swiss timetable app or to any account, such as a SwissPass account. In most cases, this isn’t even possible, and it doesn’t have any benefits either.
How Swiss Travel Pass travel days work
- The Swiss Travel Pass travel days are consecutive. If you don’t travel on such a day, it still counts as a travel day.
- The time at which you start using the pass on your first travel day doesn’t matter. There’s no difference between starting to use your Swiss Travel Pass on July 15 at 08:00, or July 15 at 19:00 PM. July 15 still counts as your first full day of traveling, and the pass is basically valid from 0:00 AM that day. In this example, an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass can be used for traveling on July 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22.
- Validity ends at 5:00 AM of the day following the last day. That allows you to complete late-night trips, even after midnight. In the above example, validity ends on July 23, 5:00 AM.
Seat reservations
You don’t need seat reservations for 99% of all trains and buses in Switzerland. You can simply board with your Swiss Travel Pass.
Exceptions are some international trains and some panoramic trains like the Glacier Express and Bernina Express. If you need or want seat reservations, you have to arrange for them separately. Seat reservations are not included in the pass.
What to present on board the train, bus, or boat
Once you’re on board, you will need to present your Swiss Travel Pass to ticket controllers upon request.
The controller may want to check your passport or ID as well, to make sure you’re the owner of the presented pass. I’m asked for my passport in about 10% of all ticket checks. You have to carry your official passport or ID card, with the data that match those on your Swiss Travel Pass. Passport or ID copies are officially not allowed. Some controllers are strict about this.
Additional tickets
There are two types of trips:
- Trips on routes that allow free traveling. You can just board any train, bus, boat, et cetera on such routes. You do not need a ticket.
- Trips on routes that allow discounted traveling. This mostly applies to transportation into the mountains. You need to arrange for a discounted ticket. You can do so online or at the ticket office of the cable car. Present your pass to make sure you’ll get the discount.
There are a few mountain routes that are free with the Swiss Travel Pass. If you can’t scan your Swiss Travel Pass to enter the cableway or funicular, ask the personnel upon showing your pass. They’ll get you a free ticket to open the turnstiles.
Why we use the Swiss Travel Pass ourselves
Annika and I choose the Swiss Travel Pass for about 70% of our trips to Switzerland. It pays for itself with our mix of long and short journeys, hikes, and attractions. Our travel expenses without a pass would massively exceed the costs of the Swiss Travel Pass.
Apart from the savings, we love the flexibility it brings. With the Swiss Travel Pass, we can change our plans on the spot and we often do so. Examples:
- We were on our way from Thun to the Schilthorn, but the weather in the mountains was disappointing. So instead we got off the train in Interlaken. We made a relaxing boat trip back to Thun, while it was still sunny on the lake.
- On a beautiful day, we planned to visit Stanserhorn and Bürgenstock. After these visits, the weather was still so brilliant that we added an unplanned 3rd excursion to Rigi Kaltbad.
We did all of this without wasting money on tickets we didn’t fully use, without having to buy anything extra, and without having to plan our excursions rigidly.
Why others choose the Swiss Travel Pass
Many other travelers prefer the Swiss Travel Pass over other options too. Please see the train pass buying statistics.
We took Swiss Travel Pass and Swiss Family Card all throughout our stay in Switzerland. Very convenient and saves money too.
We quickly learned that the STP is invaluable in making and changing travel plans on the fly, as the weather or our mood changes.
Now the STP may seem expensive, but it gives you free travel on all normal Swiss public transport, trains, buses and boats. It allows free travel to every town and village in Switzerland.
Alternatives to the Swiss Travel Pass
The Saver Day Pass is the easiest option if you need just one or two full days of travel before your Swiss Travel Pass starts or after it ends. Mind that most mountain trips are not discounted with a Saver Day Pass.
Alternatives if you don’t travel for exactly 3, 4, 6, 8, or 15 days
- If you only need to travel for one or two days, point-to-point tickets or the Saver Day Pass are worth looking into. Mind that the Saver Day Pass does not include free museum access and does not provide discounts on most mountain routes.
- If you plan to travel for 7 days, for example, an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass is often still the best option. You can do the math to be sure.
- If you’ll be traveling between 10 and 14 days, it can still be advantageous to get a 15-day Swiss Travel Pass. That’s because the price difference between an 8-day and 15-day pass is relatively very small.
- Do you need an extra day of travel, e.g. for day 9 on top of an 8-day pass? Then again point-to-point tickets or the Saver Day Pass may work for you.
Swiss Travel Pass for more than 15 days
The Swiss Travel Pass is valid for up to 15 days. Consider the below alternatives if you stay in Switzerland for longer than that.
- If you need a pass for 30 days, the most convenient option is to buy two 15-day Swiss Travel Passes of CHF 459 each. The cost per travel day is CHF 30.60. That’s good value.
- Likewise, if you need a pass for 23 days, you can buy a 15-day and an 8-day Swiss Travel Pass of CHF 459 and CHF 419 each. The cost per travel day is CHF 38.17.
- If you don’t need to travel every single day, the 15-day Swiss Travel Pass Flex of CHF 479 allows you to travel for 15 days within one month. The cost per travel day is CHF 31.93. You won’t get any discounts on the remaining days.
- The one-month Swiss Half Fare Card is an alternative if you are willing to give up on ticketless traveling. You’ll have to buy discounted tickets for all your trips.
- There is also a Swiss Half Fare Card for one year: the Half Fare Travelcard. Apart from this, there is the 1-month GA Travelcard for unlimited traveling by train and bus (not mountain transport). Find more information here.
- Eurail and Interrail passes allow unlimited traveling on train routes as well, but these passes are very different from the Swiss Travel Pass. Be sure to study the details before deciding.
Swiss Travel Pass FAQ
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How do I know if the Swiss Travel Pass is my best option?
It likely is your best option if you have planned a lot of traveling. In that case, the pass is cheaper than point-to-point tickets, and ticketless traveling is more convenient. It allows you to be flexible.
The Swiss Travel Pass is best if you stay for 15 days or less. But for longer stays, multiple Swiss Travel Passes can be an economical choice too.
Our comparison guide helps you find out which pass best suits your plans.
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Is SwissPass the same as Swiss Travel Pass?
No, the Swiss Travel Pass is for tourists, while the SwissPass is a completely different product for Swiss residents.
The Swiss Travel Pass was called “Swiss Pass” until 2014. Nowadays, the SwissPass is a digital product mainly used by Swiss residents, and it has nothing to do with your Swiss Travel Pass. Find more details here.
I recommend keeping things simple: buy your Swiss Travel Pass from any of the websites listed on this page. These websites are geared toward tourists. The pass you’ll receive is ready to use from the first validity day. There is nothing else you need to do.
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Do I need a SwissPass account for my Swiss Travel Pass?
No, you don’t have to add your Swiss Travel Pass to a SwissPass account or any other account. Simply keep the pass on your phone. You don’t need anything else.
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Is the GA Travelcard the same as the Swiss Travel Pass?
No, the Swiss Travel Pass is for tourists, while the GA Travelcard is a similar product for Swiss residents. But there are more differences. The GA Travelcard doesn’t offer free entrance to museums like the Swiss Travel Pass, for example. And the Swiss Travel Pass is much easier to purchase.
Find more information about the GA Travelcard here.
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Who can buy the Swiss Travel Pass?
The Swiss Travel Pass can be purchased by anyone, except for residents of Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
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What if I want to travel 1st class with a 2nd class Swiss Travel Pass?
If you have a 2nd class pass, you can still choose to travel in 1st class on occasional trips. You can buy an upgrade ticket. It costs half of the difference between the 2nd and 1st class fare for the route you wish to travel.
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Is the Swiss Travel Pass Youth different from the Swiss Travel Pass for adults?
The Swiss Travel Pass Youth is exactly the same as the Swiss Travel Pass. There is no difference other than the price: the Swiss Travel Pass Youth is a discounted version for anyone up to and including 24 years.
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Does the Swiss Travel Pass offer discounts apart from travel?
Yes, you get free entrance to museums and discounts on day trips.
Your Swiss Travel Pass works as a Swiss Museum Pass too. Normally this is a separate product for which you’d have to pay. You can enjoy hundreds of museums for free.
There are tickets for events and other day trips that include both transportation and admission. You will get a discount because the transportation is already included in the Swiss Travel Pass. Essentially, the Swiss Travel Pass works much like the GA Travelcard for Swiss residents. That means that in most cases where the GA entitles to a discount, the Swiss Travel Pass will provide that same discount.
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Is there a Swiss Travel Pass for one day or for two days?
No, there isn’t. For one or two days of travel, a Saver Day Pass could be an alternative.
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Does everyone in my group get a Swiss Travel Pass, or is it a group ticket?
Everyone gets a Swiss Travel Pass and can travel individually if needed, even if you buy for a group. Organizing Swiss Travel Passes for a group is easy if you apply our tips.
Swiss Travel Pass promotions
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Get a group discount on the Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Travel Pass Flex.
More about the Swiss Travel Pass
Buy the Swiss Travel Pass
Swiss Travel Pass validity
Buy the Swiss Travel Pass for groups
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- www.swissrailways.com: official SBB tourist webshop
All tickets and passes
Find your cheapest ticket or pass
Scenic trains
The Swiss Travel Pass is the most popular travel option in Switzerland, but there are other passes and tickets too.
Swiss Half Fare Card
Jungfrau Travel Pass
Berner Oberland Pass
Itineraries for the Swiss Travel Pass 
Find suggested itineraries to use your Swiss Travel Pass to the fullest.
Glacier Express: 3-day classic tour from Zurich
Glacier Express: 4-day slow-paced tour from Zurich
Ultimate scenic trains
Free with the Swiss Travel Pass in the Bernese Oberland
Free with the Swiss Travel Pass in Lucerne
