One of the most common questions I get (or people on my Facebook group ask) is – which travel pass should I buy.
So, I thought I would write this quick post to help answer your question.
This Surprises A Lot Of People…
With Swiss train passes, the answer to your questions is almost always – it depends.
I know. It’s disappointing, right? Why can no one answer your question is one simple answer?
Well, there are so many factors that affect which train pass “you” should get.
- First, there are around 5-6 different train passes to choose from
- Then comes the question: should you choose convenience over price
- Another big one is: What is your exact itinerary and length of stay
- AND are you only traveling in Switzerland, or also heading into Europe?
All these things and a few more affect the answer to – the perfect train pass for your trip!
So, even if someone online does answer your question, chances are it might be wrong. I do this for people professionally, and most answers I see are wrong, or at least, don’t take everything into account.
So, what kinds of things should you consider?
Convenience vs Price
Many people jump in and buy the Swiss Travel Pass, because...it is so convenient.
It allows you to jump on/off any ground transport without thinking about tickets (Note: You have to pay extra for the mountain trains/gondolas – except for a few).
The problem with the Swiss Travel Pass is: it is quite expensive.
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There are cheaper options – the Half Fare Card, and Regional Passes are often a better bet, in the right circumstances. But knowing when that is the case is not always simple.
Are You Staying In One Region For A While?
Regional passes like the Berner Oberland Pass are great for people staying around Interlaken for three days or more.
It gives you free ground transport and free access to most mountains, too (not Jungfraujoch or Schilthorn)
There are various regional passes available, but determining whether they are worth it is complex and time-consuming.
You need to collect all the mountain excursion prices, add on the trains and boats and take into account the discounts with the Half Fare Card – then add on the price of the passes themselves. Then compare it to the standard fares without the passes. It is a lot of work.
So, What Is The Answer?
Because I get asked this question about five times a day I have come up with three different ways to answer it:
- My Free Train Pass Quiz (This is Fast, but not 100% correct)
- My Perfect Train Pass (DIY) Guide (Far more accurate, but you do the work)
- My Done For You Train Pass Selection Service (Very accurate, and I do the work)
So, know you have the tools to answer your question.
How Do You Decide On The Ideal Train Pass?
Once you know your exact itinerary (train trips, mountain trips, number of days) you can actually see
- what each journey costs
- find out what each mountain journey costs
- track down the cost of each train pass
- add them all up and then compare them all (if you have all the right passes to start with)
It is a time-consuming process, which is why I do it for people :> I have the data and the experience. And I am a qualified Swiss train professional.
