Continuous is cheaper, and it wins for most trips
At every length and in both classes, Continuous costs less than Flexi. Three days in second class is $313 (€270) Continuous against $356 (€311) Flexi, and eight days is $541 (€467) against $566 (€494). Flexi charges you for the freedom to pick your travel days, and that freedom only pays for itself when you would otherwise watch a Continuous day expire without boarding anything.
| Days | Continuous 2nd | Flexi 2nd | Continuous 1st | Flexi 1st |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | $313 (€270) | $356 (€311) | $499 (€430) | $569 (€490) |
| 4 | $381 (€327) | $430 (€376) | $607 (€520) | $684 (€593) |
| 6 | $492 (€418) | $523 (€448) | $782 (€664) | $831 (€708) |
| 8 | $541 (€467) | $566 (€494) | $860 (€742) | $899 (€783) |
| 15 | $615 (€507) | $640 (€542) | $971 (€871) | $1,010 (€928) |
If you're 16 to 25 the shape is the same on smaller numbers: three days in second class is $221 (€191) Continuous against $252 (€219) Flexi, and eight days is $384 (€330) against $401 (€349). Every duration and class sits on the full price list.
The one thing that differs
Continuous Cheaper
Every day counts, first to last
- Runs as one block from the day you start
- No deciding in advance which days you'll move
Flexi Pricier
Only the days you choose to use
- Travel days spread across a longer stay
- Days in between cost you the normal fare
Coverage is identical. Both carry you on trains, buses and boats, both give you city transport in over 90 towns and entry to more than 500 museums, both take you up Rigi, Stanserhorn and Stoos in full, both halve 24 other mountains, both hand you 25% off the last leg to the Jungfraujoch and nothing at all on five mountains. So the choice is arithmetic, not features.
Where the break-even sits
One skipped day is roughly what it takes. Because Flexi at a shorter length costs less than Continuous at the next length up, the question is never Flexi against Continuous over the same number of days. It's Flexi over the days you'll actually move against Continuous over the days your trip lasts.
| Trip lasts | Continuous covering it | Days you move | Flexi covering it | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 days | $381 (€327) | 3 | $356 (€311) | Flexi |
| 6 days | $492 (€418) | 4 | $430 (€376) | Flexi |
| 8 days | $541 (€467) | 6 | $523 (€448) | Flexi |
| 15 days | $615 (€507) | 8 | $566 (€494) | Flexi |
Skip nothing and Continuous wins every row, because Flexi at the same count always costs more. The gap between the four day and six day passes is where Flexi looks best, since there's no five day option and a six day Continuous pass is what you'd otherwise be buying.
Three trips, three answers
A long weekend out of Zurich Continuous
$313 (€270) second class
- Zurich to Lucerne and back, CHF 27 each way without a pass
- Rigi covered in full on the middle day
- Museums and trams in Zurich on the third
You move on all three days, so the Flexi version at $356 (€311) buys you nothing you'd use.
Most of a week, two bases Flexi
$430 (€376) second class
- Zurich to Interlaken on arrival, CHF 76 without a pass
- Interlaken to Lucerne mid trip, CHF 40
- Two full days on foot in the valley, no transport at all
Four travel days across six calendar days beats the six day Continuous pass at $492 (€418). It only works if those two rest days are genuinely rest days, because a single bus ride into town on one of them costs you a fare or a travel day.
A fortnight, slow Flexi
$566 (€494) second class
- Zurich to Zermatt at the start, CHF 125 without a pass
- Mountain days clustered around the clear weather
- Six days of the fifteen spent within walking distance of the hotel
Eight travel days undercuts the fifteen day Continuous pass at $615 (€507). Move most days of that fortnight and the answer flips, since Flexi over fifteen days is $640 (€542).
When Flexi is the one to buy
Flexi wins when your trip is longer than your travelling. One base with day trips clustered into half the week, a fortnight built around hiking or skiing from a single village, or an itinerary where you want to hold the big mountain back until the forecast improves. In all three cases you're paying for days rather than dates, and the days you don't spend stay in your pocket.
It also wins on any trip where the pass durations don't line up with your calendar, most obviously a six day stay with four moving days, since there's no five day pass to split the difference.
When neither is cheap enough
Travel on only two or three days of a long stay and both versions start to look heavy for what you use.
Swiss Travel Pass Flexi Per day used
$356 (€311) for three days, second class
Free travel and free mountains on the days you use, full fare on the days you don't.
Swiss Half Fare Card 30 days
$185 (€160) flat
Halves almost every fare, mountain railways included, and comes with the Family Card.
FAQ
Is Flexi ever cheaper than Continuous over the same number of days?
No. At three, four, six, eight and fifteen days, in first class and second, adult and youth, Flexi costs more. The saving only appears when you buy fewer Flexi days than your trip has calendar days.
How many days do I need to skip before Flexi pays?
Usually one at the short end. A three day Flexi pass at $356 (€311) already undercuts a four day Continuous pass at $381 (€327), so a single stationary day covers the premium.
Does Flexi cover less than Continuous?
No. On a day you use, a Flexi pass does everything a Continuous pass does, including the city transport, the museums, and the free ascents of Rigi, Stanserhorn and Stoos.
What do I pay on a day I don't use my Flexi pass?
The ordinary fare, bought separately at the counter or the machine. Lucerne to Interlaken is CHF 40 and Zurich to Lucerne CHF 27, which is worth checking against the cost of spending a travel day.
Do my children need their own pass either way?
Under 6 travel free. Children 6 to 15 travel free with the Swiss Family Card, which comes with your pass at no extra cost, on either version.
Are seat reservations included on either one?
Never. The scenic train fare is covered by your pass, the reservation is not, and it runs from CHF 20 on the GoldenPass to CHF 54 on the Glacier Express.