Public Transport
Public transport in Switzerland is the best in Europe, with almost flawless punctuality, clean carriages, and frequent, convenient connections.
There are two main options to get around Switzerland by public transport: SBB Passes or an Interrail Pass.
All you need to know about the SBB Passes
Public transport in Switzerland is expensive. A normal SBB day pass can cost up to CHF120. Not only that, single trip tickets within cities can cost up to CHF8 and city day passes up to CHF80. However, there are special deals for “youths” aged between 16 and up to their 25th birthday to take advantage of.
Special Passes for Youths
Friends Day Pass for Youth
If you’re travelling with friends (a group of up to four including you), there’s the Friends Day Pass for Youth. Everyone in the group must be under 25 and carry ID. With this pass, you and your three friends can travel all around Switzerland using all the trains, city buses, city trams and even some gondolas and mountain trains for just CHF80 a day altogether.
Youth Multi-Day Pass
The Youth Multi-Day Passes allow for multiple days of travel. There are two passes: the Swiss Travel Pass and the Swiss Travel Pass Flex. Both passes come in 3, 4, 6, 8 and 15 day options. The main difference is that the standard pass covers consecutive days, while the Flex pass lets you choose your travel days within one month (for a slightly higher price).
Like the Friends Day Pass For Youth, you can travel on all buses, trams, trains and even some gondola’s.
When making a purchase, make sure you set your age group to “young person 16-24.99”.
Prices for the Youth Multi-Day Passes:
Swiss Travel Pass Youth
Unlimited travel on Swiss trains, buses and boats. For ages 16-24.99.
| Pass | 2nd class | 1st class |
|---|---|---|
| 3 day | CHF 179 | CHF 285 |
| 4 day | CHF 218 | CHF 346 |
| 6 day | CHF 282 | CHF 447 |
| 8 day | CHF 311 | CHF 492 |
| 15 day | CHF 356 | CHF 557 |
Official prices are in CHF. Other currencies are a guide only, so check the SBB website before you book.
Swiss Travel Pass Youth FLEX
Unlimited travel on Swiss trains, buses and boats. For ages 16-24.99.
| Pass | 2nd class | 1st class |
|---|---|---|
| 3 day | CHF 204 | CHF 325 |
| 4 day | CHF 246 | CHF 390 |
| 6 day | CHF 300 | CHF 475 |
| 8 day | CHF 325 | CHF 514 |
| 15 day | CHF 370 | CHF 580 |
Official prices are in CHF. Other currencies are a guide only, so check the SBB website before you book.
Saver Day Pass
Another day pass option is the Saver Day Pass. You can buy these passes anywhere from the day before up to six months out. The earlier you buy, the cheaper they tend to be, so to really get value from one you need to book well in advance. The costs of the pass range from CHF52 to CHF119.
Also note that passes can cost more on weekends.
Area of Validity of the Passes
All of the passes above are valid in the “GA Travelcard area of validity” (the area covered by the annual pass Swiss residents use). That simply means unlimited travel on all SBB trains, virtually all other major and private railways, buses, trams, some ferries and even some gondolas. You can view the full GA area of validity map on the SBB website.
There are no ticket gates in Switzerland, so with these passes you can simply hop on and off as you please all day. However, inspectors check tickets regularly, and travelling without a valid ticket can CHF90+.
How to Buy These Passes
To buy these passes, all you have to do is go to the SBB website, add your passes to the cart, and then pay. You don’t even need a login, simply “continue as a guest” and off you go.
One thing I recommend is downloading the SBB Mobile app and creating an account. Everything is then linked, and your tickets are easy to access straight from the app.
Here are the direct links:
Getting Around with Interrail
Using an Interrail pass is another great way to get around Switzerland. If you are already travelling through multiple European countries, then an Interrail pass is a great option. An Interrail pass will take you to almost anywhere in Switzerland by train, including scenic routes like the Bernina Express (seat reservation required), but there are some differences to take note of — ESPECIALLY if you plan on spending a lot of time in Switzerland..
*Interrail does offer a Switzerland One-country pass but only to residents of Europe. Even-so, I still wouldn’t recommend buying a one-country Switzerland pass because SBB passes give you more value for your money.
Interrail Does Not Cover City Public Transport
A Swiss Travel Pass allows you to hop on all trains, city buses and city trams all across Switzerland. An Interrail pass only allows you to hop on the inter-city and regional train services, meaning you can’t board city buses or trams.
Smaller Discounts
An Interrail pass offers only a 25% on major high-altitude mountain trains (like Jungfraubahn), gondolas, and 50% off some boat services (free on BLS boat services on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz).
A Swiss Travel Pass on the other hand includes free travel on some mountain excursions (like Rigi, Stoos and Stanserhorn), 50% off on most others and free travel on boats. And on top of that, you can enjoy even more discounts and free admission on 500 museums and cultural sites.
You can see the difference in pass validity here:
Swiss Travel Pass Area of Validity
What Would I Do?
This all depends on how much time you are going to be spending in Switzerland.
If you really want to get the most out of the country and you plan on spending 7+ days here, then a Swiss Travel Pass will likely be your best option, unless you’re travelling in a group of four, where the Friends Day Pass for Youth can work out cheaper per person
If Switzerland is just one of many stops on your Euro trip, then an Interrail pass will be a great fit. It will still get you to most of Switzerland’s must-see places, though some mountain excursions will cost extra.
