Planning a day trip in Switzerland using public transport can be confusing, especially with multiple transfers and zones involved. You might even have a yearly commuter pass covering some of the journey too.
So how do you avoid overpaying for SBB tickets?
SBB came up with a solution: EasyRide!
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What is EasyRide?
EasyRide was developed by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) in 2019 with the aim of offering a convenient and flexible way of purchasing tickets. It is a ticketing feature integrated into the SBB App which calculates the cheapest ticket for your journey and gives you flexible travelling options within Switzerland.
Currently, around 1.8 million tickets per month are sold with EasyRide, so it’s time to have a close look at this new feature.
Good to know
- EasyRide only works in Switzerland
- You need to have the SBB App (Apple, Android) installed with Swiss Pass-login in order to use EasyRide
- Payment information needs to be set up in the app before you start your first ride (invoice, Twint, credit card, PostFinance or Reka)
- The Swiss Half Fare Card and regional passes can be used in combination with EasyRide. However, they need to be set up in your SBB App profile and shown during a ticket control
- EasyRide calculates the cheapest price for your journey. If that price exceeds the price of a day pass, the cost of a day pass will be charged instead
- EasyRide can be used for the complete Swiss rail route network, including trams, buses and boats
- Some tickets or offers are not available on EasyRide. For a full list, please check the answer to the question “Are there any offers or features I can’t use with EasyRide?” in the FAQ section on the SBB-website
How to Install EasyRide
- Install SBB App on your Smartphone
- Complete your profile with Swiss Pass-Login details, including your payment details
- Make sure your Half Fare Card or regional passes are set-up
- Finalise set-up EasyRide > in the SBB-App, at the bottom, click the third icon from the left (little slider)
- Enable “location”, so the App can collect information on your location and finalise your route at the end of your trip. This is very important. Without this, EasyRide will not work
- Enable “Motion & Fitness”
- Enable “Notifications”, so SBB can notify you if you have forgotten to check-out for example
How to Use EasyRide?
Using EasyRide is relatively easy once it’s set up. Just follow these steps:
- Before you get on the train, bus, tram, or boat: open EasyRide in the SBB App and swipe right to start
- Immediately a QR-code is generated which serves as your valid ticket
- After you finish your trip, open EasyRide and swipe left to end your trip
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The cost of your trip and the receipt will be available for you by 5 p.m. the following day. So be on the lookout for it.
I recommend you check the receipts regularly as it’s possible SBB overcharges you due to a bug in the system. I would especially watch this in the beginning and on longer journeys where this could mean a lot of money.
EasyRide Has Some Weaknesses
Advantages
There are quite a few advantages to EasyRide:
- Flexibility: you can travel around Switzerland, changing trains, buses, trams and boats as much as you want without having to buy a ticket in advance
- Payment: after your trip, SBB automatically calculates the best price for your trip taking into account all discounts and passes you already have
- Pricing: you will always get the cheapest price and you will save money compared to buying separate tickets and maybe paying double for certain zones
- Convenience: EasyRide is very convenient and fast. There is no time wasted searching for the best price and tickets. One swipe and SBB does the rest for you
Weaknesses
As EasyRide is quite a new feature, it still has some teething problems. I have read quite a few articles and reports, especially from Kassensturz, in which people complain about EasyRide. Some of the issues include:
- Easyride wasn’t activated even though the passengers swiped correctly. No QR-code was generated and the passenger got fined by the ticket controller
- Checking in while you are underground seems to cause quite a few problems, so does going through tunnels, which happens a lot in Switzerland. The GPS tracking system can’t register or keep up with the location
- People travelling together, checking in at the same time at the same location, got charged different prices for exactly the same journey
In most cases, SBB reimbursed the passengers after the complaint, but it was often a long and painful process to get the money back.
Should You Use EasyRide?
To be honest, I’m still a little cautious and haven’t been using it much. That said, it is used by over a million people every month, so it can’t be that bad. It sure is very easy to use and saves you a lot of hassle in finding the right ticket for your trip.
Maybe start using it on smaller trips, see how it works and keep on checking your bills. SBB is working hard on debugging the system, but it’s a complicated feature, so it might still take a while before it’s bug-free.
