Swiss Travel Pass or point-to-point tickets: the honest arithmetic
This is the one Swiss decision that reliably costs or saves a few hundred francs, and it is usually answered by vibes. It should be answered by arithmetic: what the pass costs, what it covers outright, what it only discounts, and how much moving your itinerary actually does.
Reviewed
The Swiss Travel Pass costs CHF 254 / 309 / 399 / 439 / 499 for 3 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 15 consecutive days in 2nd class, and CHF 405 / 492 / 634 / 697 / 787 in 1st class, for adults aged 25 and over (SBB, prices valid until 31 December 2026); the Flex version, for travel days chosen within one month, starts at CHF 289. It buys unlimited train, bus, and boat travel, public transport in over 90 towns and cities, and the Rigi, Stanserhorn, and Stoos mountains outright. Other mountain discounts vary: Jungfraujoch is 25%, while Pilatus and Titlis are 50%. It pays for itself when you move most days and your mountains are the covered ones; a single-base trip can favour the one-month Swiss Half Fare Card instead.
The 2026 price tables, the mountain rules, and one Jungfraujoch return priced three ways.
Every table repeats the operators' published figures cited on this page, laid out so the comparison is visible at a glance.
| Consecutive days | 2nd class | Per day, 2nd class | 1st class | Per day, 1st class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | CHF 254 | CHF 84.67 | CHF 405 | CHF 135 |
| 4 days | CHF 309 | CHF 77.25 | CHF 492 | CHF 123 |
| 6 days | CHF 399 | CHF 66.50 | CHF 634 | CHF 105.67 |
| 8 days | CHF 439 | CHF 54.88 | CHF 697 | CHF 87.13 |
| 15 days | CHF 499 | CHF 33.27 | CHF 787 | CHF 52.47 |
| Mountain | Swiss Travel Pass | Swiss Half Fare Card | Published by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigi | Included outright | Up to 50%, the card's general rate | SBB |
| Stanserhorn | Included outright | Up to 50%, the card's general rate | SBB |
| Stoos | Included outright | Up to 50%, the card's general rate | SBB |
| Pilatus | 50% off the mountain railway and cableway; scheduled boat and bus included | Up to 50%, the card's general rate | Pilatus |
| Titlis | 50% off | 50% | Travel Switzerland |
| Jungfraujoch | 25% off, priced from Grindelwald Terminal; the train there is included | 50% | Travel Switzerland |
| Return to Jungfraujoch from | No discount | Swiss Travel Pass | Swiss Half Fare Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grindelwald Terminal | CHF 249.20 | CHF 189.60 | CHF 129.60 |
| Interlaken Ost | CHF 271.20 | No pass fare shown: the train to Grindelwald is included, then CHF 189.60 | CHF 140.60 |
| Travel days | 2nd class | Over the consecutive pass, 2nd class | 1st class | Over the consecutive pass, 1st class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | CHF 289 | +CHF 35 | CHF 461 | +CHF 56 |
| 4 days | CHF 349 | +CHF 40 | CHF 555 | +CHF 63 |
| 6 days | CHF 424 | +CHF 25 | CHF 674 | +CHF 40 |
| 8 days | CHF 459 | +CHF 20 | CHF 729 | +CHF 32 |
| 15 days | CHF 519 | +CHF 20 | CHF 819 | +CHF 32 |
The real 2026 prices, and what they buy
SBB sells the adult Swiss Travel Pass at CHF 254 for 3 days, CHF 309 for 4, CHF 399 for 6, CHF 439 for 8, and CHF 499 for 15 consecutive days in 2nd class; first class runs CHF 405, 492, 634, 697, and 787 for the same durations. SBB states these prices are valid until 31 December 2026. Swiss Travel System, which publishes the same table for the travel trade, lists them as minimum selling prices, so a reseller should not sell the pass for less. Neither showed 2027 prices when checked on 2 October 2026; a trip that starts in 2027 has to be priced at purchase. What the fare buys is broader than most people assume: unlimited travel by train, bus, and boat, free public transport in over 90 Swiss towns and cities, and the panorama trains — with reservations and/or supplements charged separately when required. The jump from 6 days (CHF 399) to 8 days (CHF 439) is only CHF 40, which is the single most useful shape in the whole table: if you are considering six days, eight is almost always the better buy.
The mountains are where the pass stops being simple
SBB names exactly three mountains as included in the pass: Rigi, Stanserhorn, and Stoos. Other mountain excursions are discounted rather than free, but the rate is not universal: the Jungfraujoch reduction is 25%, while Pilatus and Titlis are 50%. That distinction reshapes the decision. If your plan is Lucerne plus Rigi plus lake boats, the pass is doing real work and Rigi costs you nothing on top. If your plan is a Jungfrau base and two big excursions, the pass is buying you valley legs and only a 25% reduction on the expensive Jungfraujoch section — a much weaker case.
Be honest about Jungfraujoch: the pass does not cover it
The Jungfraujoch is one of the most expensive things many visitors will buy in Switzerland and the pass does not include it. Travel Switzerland lists 25% off with the Swiss Travel Pass or Flex and 50% with the Swiss Half Fare Card; this is not the blanket 50% reduction some mountain trips receive. Read those percentages on the same journey and date: on 2 October 2026, Jungfrau Railways' own price calculator returned a Grindelwald Terminal return at CHF 249.20 without a discount, CHF 189.60 with the Swiss Travel Pass, and CHF 129.60 with the Half Fare Card. From Interlaken Ost the same day it returned CHF 271.20 without a discount and CHF 140.60 with the card, and no pass fare: the pass covers the train to Grindelwald, so a pass holder travelling from Interlaken via Grindelwald and the Eiger Express pays the Grindelwald Terminal figure. On that date the advertised 'from CHF 129.60' matched the Half Fare Card price from Grindelwald Terminal, not the full fare. The calculator does not say whether the CHF 10 seat reservation, mandatory from 1 May to 31 October 2026, is inside those totals; the booking total settles it. The Good Morning Ticket takes 20% off eligible early departures: the first two, with departure from Jungfraujoch by 13:17. It cannot be combined with a Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare Card. Check the live operator quote before you commit.
How to actually run the numbers
The test is not 'is the pass good value' in the abstract; it is whether your specific trip beats the fare. Price every option for the same trip on the same dates: the same journeys, departure stations, and class, at the full fare. Write down every journey, price those exact legs on sbb.ch, and split them into the days a pass would cover and the trip's other days — the pass holder pays the other days in full, while the one-month Half Fare Card halves them too. Apply each mountain's published reduction — 25% at Jungfraujoch, 50% at Pilatus and Titlis, and full inclusion at Rigi, Stanserhorn, and Stoos — and price Jungfraujoch from Grindelwald Terminal, counting the train there as a journey. The pass runs on consecutive days, so static days can waste validity; SBB's Swiss Travel Pass Flex covers 3, 4, 6, 8, or 15 travel days chosen within one month for CHF 289 / 349 / 424 / 459 / 519 in 2nd class and CHF 461 / 555 / 674 / 729 / 819 in 1st, with its mountain discounts only on activated days. For visitors living outside Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the one-month Swiss Half Fare Card costs CHF 150 and can be the quieter single-base alternative, reducing most train, bus, boat, and mountain railway fares without daily-use pressure.
Pass, Half Fare Card, or tickets: which is cheapest for your route?
Enter the figures you looked up yourself, for one trip on the same dates: the same journeys, departure stations and class for every option. The calculator applies SBB's 2026 pass tables and each mountain's published reduction; it never guesses a fare.
Enter your ticket total or at least one mountain fare to compare.
Swiss Travel Pass
CHF 439Swiss Half Fare Card
CHF 150Point-to-point tickets
CHF 0Compare the pass on GetYourGuide below
Swiss Travel Pass and Flex prices for adults aged 25 and over, valid until 31 December 2026 per SBB. The Half Fare Card line applies the card's published up-to-50% reduction for a trip of up to one month; confirm each operator's rate. Reservations and supplements are not included.
The questions people actually ask.
Use the short answers below to settle the practical details before you book.
How much is the Swiss Travel Pass in 2026?
For adults aged 25 and over, the Swiss Travel Pass costs CHF 254 (3 days), CHF 309 (4 days), CHF 399 (6 days), CHF 439 (8 days), and CHF 499 (15 days) in 2nd class. In 1st class the same durations cost CHF 405, CHF 492, CHF 634, CHF 697, and CHF 787. SBB states these prices are valid until 31 December 2026. The Swiss Travel Pass Flex, for travel days chosen within one month, costs CHF 289, 349, 424, 459, and 519 in 2nd class and CHF 461, 555, 674, 729, and 819 in 1st class.
Does the Swiss Travel Pass cover Jungfraujoch?
No. SBB names only Rigi, Stanserhorn, and Stoos as included mountains. Travel Switzerland lists 25% off Jungfraujoch with the pass and 50% with the Swiss Half Fare Card. On 2 October 2026 Jungfrau Railways' calculator priced the same Grindelwald Terminal return at CHF 249.20 without a discount, CHF 189.60 with the pass, and CHF 129.60 with the card. Configure the current fare for your origin, date, and entitlement before deciding.
Which mountains are included in the Swiss Travel Pass?
Rigi, Stanserhorn, and Stoos are included outright, per SBB. Other mountain excursions are discounted rather than free, and the rate varies: Jungfraujoch is 25%, while Pilatus and Titlis are 50%.
Is the Swiss Travel Pass worth it?
It is worth it when you move on most days and your mountain days include Rigi, Stanserhorn, or Stoos, because unlimited trains, buses, boats, and town transport stack up quickly. It is a weaker buy for a single-base trip centred on Jungfraujoch, where the reduction is 25%. Price the same trip for each option on sbb.ch, including the days a pass would not cover, and compare the CHF 150 Swiss Half Fare Card too.
The mistakes that cost money here.
Fares, opening, and mountain conditions can change. Check the current detail with the linked operator.
Budgeting as though the Swiss Travel Pass includes Jungfraujoch. It does not — SBB names only Rigi, Stanserhorn, and Stoos as included mountains.
Buying a longer pass to cover a trip with static days in the middle; the pass runs on consecutive days and pays nothing on the days you do not move. Price the Flex version for spread-out travel days.
Assuming the panorama trains are fully free with the pass — the journey is covered, but required reservations and/or supplements are extra.
Taking any pass price from a reseller or a blog. SBB publishes the table itself and states the date it is valid until; Swiss Travel System lists those prices as minimum selling prices, so compare any reseller's final price in francs against SBB.
Keep the plan coherent.
Move between guides by decision type: the pass, the region, the village, the big excursion, the mountain, and rail versus road.
Interlaken or Lucerne: which base is right for your Swiss trip
Choose Lucerne for a lake city and mountain day trips; choose Interlaken when the Jungfrau valleys are the trip and transport access matters most.
Where to stay in the Jungfrau region
Compare Interlaken, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, and Mürren by rail access, car access, luggage, scenery, and evening atmosphere.
Pilatus, Rigi, or Titlis: which Lake Lucerne mountain to actually do
Compare Pilatus, Rigi, and Titlis by journey, scenery, weather risk, and Swiss Travel Pass coverage before choosing a Lake Lucerne mountain day.
Every price here names the operator it came from.
Fares, opening, seasons, and mountain conditions change. This page gives planning advice and a dated reference; the sources below hold the current fare, opening, and conditions.
- SBB — buy the Swiss Travel PassThe operator's own Swiss Travel Pass price table by duration and class, and the date those prices are valid until. Every pass price on this site is read from here.
- Travel Switzerland — Swiss Travel Pass trade pricesSwiss Travel System's own 2026 pass table for the travel trade: the same prices as SBB, listed as minimum selling prices, with validity from 1 January to 31 December 2026.
- SBB — Swiss Travel Pass coverageWhat the Swiss Travel Pass actually includes: trains, buses and boats, public transport in over 90 towns and cities, panorama trains excluding required reservations and/or supplements, the named included mountains, and the discount rate on other mountain excursions.
- SBB — Swiss Half Fare CardThe one-month Swiss Half Fare Card for visitors living outside Switzerland and Liechtenstein: CHF 150 and up to 50% off most train, bus, boat, and mountain railway fares.
- Travel Switzerland — Jungfraujoch pass discountsThe excursion-specific distinction: 25% off Jungfraujoch with the Swiss Travel Pass or Flex, 50% with the Swiss Half Fare Card, and a seat reservation mandatory from May to October.
- SBB timetable and ticketsCurrent point-to-point fares, live timetables, and connection times — the numbers you need to test a pass against your actual route.
- Jungfrau Railways — prices and ticketsCurrent Jungfraujoch, Eiger Express, First, and Schynige Platte fares, the Good Morning Ticket, the seat reservation, and the operator's price calculator by departure station, date, and entitlement.
- Rigi — Queen of the MountainsThe Rigi cogwheel railways and cableway from Vitznau, Goldau, and Weggis: current fares and timetables for one of the three mountains the Swiss Travel Pass covers outright.
How we verify
Prices and operating details are checked against the responsible operator or public authority and dated. Cultural context, confirmed local information and editorial advice are retained even when an external page does not repeat them; conflicting facts are checked individually.