Independent guide · Updated August 2026

The Swiss Travel Pass

Does it actually pay off?

Switzerland is expensive and the passes are confusing. Five durations, two classes, a Half Fare Card, and four regional passes that sometimes beat all of them. Tick your trip below and we will tell you which one wins.

Will the Swiss Travel Pass pay off on your trip?

How many days are you travelling?
Which journeys are you making?
Which mountains are you going up?
Buying tickets
CHF 0
Still to pay with a pass
CHF 0
The pass has to beat
CHF 0

Buy the Swiss Travel Pass →

Swiss fares in francs, because that is what you pay at the counter. Pass prices in dollars and euros, because that is what you pay at checkout. The verdict converts between the two at CHF 1 = $1.2483 / €1.0648, mid market on 23 August 2026. Every other figure here is exact.

Which pass should you actually buy?

There are six, and most people only need to look at the first two. The regional ones are worth checking if you are basing yourself in one part of the country.

Swiss Travel PassFrom $313 (€270) · 3 to 15 days
  • Your fares are covered outright, so you stop buying tickets
  • Three mountains free, twenty-four at half price
  • 500+ museums thrown in
  • Seat reservations are never covered

Best if you are moving around the country

See what it costs →

Half Fare Card$185 (€160) · 30 days
  • Half price on almost everything you board
  • Half price on Jungfraujoch, where the pass gives you 25%
  • A full month, not a handful of days
  • You still buy every ticket

Best if you are settling in one place

See the Half Fare Card →

From $295 · 3 to 10 days

Lucerne Travel Pass

Covers Pilatus, Titlis, Rigi, Stoos and Stanserhorn in full, and costs less than the national pass. If Lucerne is your base, this usually wins outright.

Compare the pass →

From $207 · 3 to 10 days

Berner Oberland Pass

Bought on top of a Swiss Travel Pass rather than instead of one. Adds 25 regional cable cars for a fraction of what they cost separately.

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From $259 · April to October

Jungfrau Travel Pass

Covers the Jungfrau region outright, but Jungfraujoch itself is still extra. That catches a lot of people out, so read the small print before you buy.

Compare the pass →

Montreux and Vaud

Lake Geneva-Alps Pass

Covers Rochers-de-Naye in full, where the Swiss Travel Pass only halves the top section. Worth a look if you are staying around Montreux.

Compare the pass →

Every pass compared, with the numbers →

The longer you go, the cheaper each day gets

A 3 day pass works out at $104 a day. Stretch to 15 days and you are paying $41 for the same freedom. Only worth it if you will actually use the days.

DurationPriceCost per day
3 days$313 (€270)$104
4 days$381 (€327)$95
6 days$492 (€418)$82
8 days$541 (€467)$68
15 days$615 (€507)$41

Find out which duration suits you →

Not every mountain treats your pass the same way

Three are free. Twenty-four are half price. One gives you a measly quarter off, and five ignore your pass entirely. Knowing which is which is worth a few hundred francs on a fortnight's trip.

FreeLake Lucerne · Allow 6 hoursMount RigiEvery route up is covered, boat included. One of only three mountains your pass pays for outright.Others pay CHF 76See Rigi →Half priceLucerne · Allow half a dayMount PilatusGetting to the bottom costs you nothing, and the climb is half price. The Lucerne pass covers the lot.You pay CHF 42See Pilatus →Only 25% offBernese Oberland · Full dayJungfraujochFree as far as Wengen, then your pass runs out of generosity. The Half Fare Card does better here.You pay CHF 176See Jungfraujoch →

Every mountain and what each costs →

From buying it to boarding, in four steps

No collection point, no ticket machine, no queue.

  1. Buy it wheneverThe price is identical everywhere, so nobody is getting a better deal than you. Buy up to 180 days ahead and pick your start date at checkout.
  2. It arrives by emailA PDF with a QR code, and that code is your ticket. Save it to your phone, and print one for the day your battery dies on a platform in Brig.
  3. Just get onNothing to validate, no barrier to scan. Show the code when an inspector asks, along with your passport, which they do check.
  4. Flash it at the mountain counterDiscounted mountain fares are bought in person, on the day. You generally cannot get them online, so do not go hunting and conclude something has gone wrong.
Your booking confirmation is not your pass. The pass turns up in a separate email with the QR code on it. Waving a booking confirmation at an inspector will not get you very far.

What people ask before buying

How many journeys before it pays off?

Zurich to Zermatt one way is CHF 125, so a return plus one mountain covers most of a three day pass. Two long journeys and you are usually ahead.

Is Jungfraujoch included?

No. Free as far as Wengen and Grindelwald, then only 25% off the final leg. The Half Fare Card halves the whole route and often works out cheaper.

Do my children need a pass?

Under 6s travel free. Children 6 to 15 travel free with the Swiss Family Card, which comes with your pass at no extra cost.

Are the scenic trains covered?

The fare is, on all of them. The seat reservation never is, and on the Glacier Express that is CHF 54. Which routes make a reservation compulsory is worth knowing before you plan around one, and a normal train runs the same Bernina line for a fraction.

Buy the Swiss Travel Pass

From $313 (€270). Free cancellation up to 48 hours before your start date, and the price is the same wherever you buy.

Buy your Swiss Travel Pass →See pass prices →