Which Train Pass Should I Buy?

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.

Let’s Start at the Beginning

Train passes in Switzerland are complex and confusing. So you are not alone. Everyone is confused.

If you don’t want to think about it – just buy the Swiss Travel Pass. But you could be overpaying.

So, instead you need to start breaking things down…

How To Start Thinking About The Right Train Pass

There are so many factors that affect which train pass “you” should get.

• Your Options: there are around 5-6 different train passes to choose from – so you need to know what your options are
• Convenience or Cost: Should you choose convenience over price (because this makes a huge difference—are you on a tight budget?)?
• How Long Is Your Trip: What is your exact itinerary and length of stay? Some passes only run for a maximum of 15 days, and some for an maximum of 8 days.
• Mountain Trips: Which mountains are you visiting? Mountains add significantly to the cost of your trip, but passes can save you anywhere from 30% to 100% of the price.
• Switzerland or Europe: Are you only traveling in Switzerland, or also heading into Europe? The Eurail is worth considering if you are heading out of Switzerland BUT it comes with some downsides.

All these things change the answer to – the perfect train pass for your trip!

Most People Don’t Understand It All

When someone quickly answers your question online “yes just get the …… pass, that is what I used” be very caustious of trusting the answer.

Not because they are a horrible person, because they are likely really trying to help you. But because they don’t understand all the passes, and even if they do, do they truly understand your situation? How long your trip is? Which exact mountains you will be doing? How long you will be in Interlaken?

All of these things influeance the final decision on which pass (or passes) you should get. Trust me, I have done it hundreds of times.

I do this for people professionally, and most answers I see are wrong or don’t consider everything.

A Big Factor: Convenience vs Price

Many people jump in and buy the Swiss Travel Pass, because...it is so convenient. And if money is no option, then 80% of the time it’s the perfect option.

It lets you jump on/off any ground transport without considering tickets. And it gives you 50% off most mountains you will do on your trip.

Note: You always pay extra for the mountain trains/gondolas – except for a few around Lucerne (Pilatus is NOT FREE).

The problem with the Swiss Travel Pass is: it is quite expensive. 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.

So, let’s talk about regional passes…

Are You Staying In One Region For A While?

Regional passes like the Jungfrau Travel Pass or 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)

Various regional passes are 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
• 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, How Do You Choose?

Because I get asked this question about five times a day I have come up with three different ways to help you find the right answer:

1. My Perfect Train Pass (DIY) Guide (Use my guide to figure out all the options – you do the work)
2. My Done For You Train Pass Selection Service (Very accurate, and I do the work)
3. You do all the work yourself with no guidance (or guide) from me

So, now you have the tools to answer your question.

How Do You Decide On The Ideal Train Pass?

If you decide to do the work yourself, here is how you do it.

Once you know your exact itinerary (train trips, mountain trips, number of days) you can actually see

• What each journey costs (via the SBB website)
• Find out what each mountain journey costs (there are lots of websites – for each mountain)
• Track down the cost of each train pass
• Add them all up and then compare them all

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.