Seat reservations are never included, on any pass
This is the surcharge that catches you out most often, so let's get it out of the way first. No Swiss pass in existence covers a seat reservation. If a train requires one, you pay it on top, every time, no matter which class you hold or how far you're travelling.
| Train | Reservation fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Glacier Express | CHF 54 | Either class, any distance, all year. Excellence Class is CHF 540 and needs a first class pass. |
| Bernina Express (Chur–Tirano) | CHF 44 high season / CHF 40 low | High season is 2 May–25 Oct 2026. |
| Bernina Express (St Moritz–Tirano) | CHF 32 | Same price year round. |
| Bernina Express bus (Tirano–Lugano) | CHF 16 high / CHF 14 low | Train and bus together in high season: CHF 60. |
| Gotthard Panorama Express | CHF 24 | The train is all first class, so a second class pass also needs a class upgrade. |
| GoldenPass Express | CHF 20 | Same in first or second class. Prestige is CHF 35. |
| Centovalli, Voralpen-Express, Lötschberger | None | Just walk on with your pass. |
Worth knowing: the scenery on the Centovalli line and the Voralpen-Express is genuinely lovely and costs you nothing extra. If you're budget-conscious, those are your free panoramic rides. Full breakdown on the seat reservations page.
The five mountains with no Swiss Travel Pass discount at all
Most mountain railways give you either a free ride or half off. Five give you nothing. Not a franc. You'll pay the same as someone who walked up to the counter with no pass at all:
Here's the annoying bit: three of those sit directly above something your pass already covers. You'll ride up to Stoos for free, stand at the bottom of the Fronalpstock chairlift, and find out it's full price. Same story at Bürgenstock. Plan for it and it's fine, get surprised by it and it stings. There's more detail, including whether each one is worth paying for, on the no-discount mountains page.
Which mountains the Swiss Travel Pass covers in full, and which are half price
For contrast, here's what you do get. Buy your mountain ticket at the valley station, show the pass, and the discount comes off there and then.
| Mountain | Full price | With the pass |
|---|---|---|
| Rigi | — | Free |
| Stanserhorn | — | Free |
| Stoos (funicular) | — | Free |
| Pilatus | CHF 94.20 | CHF 42 |
| Titlis | CHF 96 | CHF 48 |
| Gornergrat | CHF 132 summer / CHF 96 winter | CHF 66 / CHF 48 |
| Schilthorn | CHF 115 | CHF 57.50 |
| Säntis | CHF 58 | CHF 29 |
| Monte Brè | CHF 30 | CHF 15 |
| Matterhorn Glacier Paradise | CHF 100 | CHF 50 |
| Glacier 3000 | — | 50% off |
Jungfraujoch: the pass only takes 25% off the expensive part
Jungfraujoch is the one that most people budget wrong. Your pass carries you free as far as Wengen and Grindelwald, which sounds generous until you see the price of the final leg. Above those villages you get 25% off, and that includes the Eiger Express.
Full price from Interlaken Ost is CHF 234.80 return. With the pass it's CHF 176. If you're starting from Kleine Scheidegg the final leg runs CHF 145–195 depending on how you go. So yes, the pass saves you around CHF 59, but you're still paying more for one morning than a whole day of travel anywhere else in the country. Read the Jungfraujoch breakdown before you commit.
Which boats and lake cruises the pass doesn't cover
Scheduled boats are one of the best parts of the pass, but two categories fall outside it.
| Covered in full | Not covered |
|---|---|
| Brienz, Geneva, Lucerne, Lugano, Thun, Zurich, and the Swiss part of Lake Maggiore | Basel Rhine boats, and every dinner cruise or themed evening sailing |
The dinner cruise rule trips people up because it's the same boat, the same lake, sometimes the same crew. The moment food is bundled in, it's a private event and your pass stays in your pocket.
Rhine Falls: free trains, paid viewing platform
Getting there is covered. Trains to Neuhausen and Schloss Laufen cost you nothing. What you pay for once you arrive:
- Schloss Laufen viewing platform: CHF 5 adult, CHF 3 child
- Boats to the rock and around the basin: CHF 6–22.50
You can see the falls perfectly well from the free paths on the Neuhausen side, so treat the platform and the boats as optional extras rather than a required entry fee.
How to budget for the extras before you travel
- List every named panoramic train you want to ride, and add its reservation fee to your trip budget straight away.
- Check each mountain on your list against the free / half price / no discount tables above.
- Book panoramic train reservations early, especially Glacier Express and Bernina Express in high season, since seats sell out long before the trains do.
- Buy mountain tickets at the valley station on the day, showing the pass, rather than online in advance.
- Keep about CHF 100–200 spare for summit legs, platform tickets and the odd chairlift you didn't plan for.
Once you've got the numbers straight, you can decide whether the pass adds up on the buying page, and see how to actually use it day to day in how to use your pass.