Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast Episode 112 Transcript
Is the Swiss Travel Pass Worth It? 11 Reasons Travelers Love It
You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.
Intro
Are you dreaming of visiting Switzerland? Planning a trip to Switzerland is very exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. How do you choose which of the many scenic cities, towns and villages to visit, which mountain top excursions should you take? And what’s the best way to get around Switzerland and of course, how much of the country can you realistically see within your time frame? If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, this is the podcast for you. This is the Holidays to Switzerland travel podcast. And in each episode, your host Carolyn Schönafinger chats with Swiss travel experts to answer your most commonly asked questions, provide practical tips and take you on a virtual visit to the most popular destinations, and, of course, some hidden gems to help you plan your dream trip to Switzerland. And you’ll hear plenty of conversations about Swiss cheese and chocolate too. Are you ready to plan your trip to Switzerland? Well, let’s get started.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Hello and welcome back to the Holidays to Switzerland podcast. This is episode 112 and I’m your host, Carolyn Schönafinger. Today I’m really excited to be welcoming back our regular guest, Andy Nef. Andy has worked for various railway companies in Switzerland for over 20 years, and he’s really passionate about the country’s fabulous public transport network, as you’ll hear in his interview today. And just like Andy, I love traveling around Switzerland by train. It’s so convenient and so easy. And there are probably many of you that are listening to this episode that are keen to travel by train too, but perhaps you may be feeling slightly overwhelmed about buying tickets for every individual trip that you are going to take in Switzerland. Well, the good news is you don’t have to be worried about that because you don’t have to buy individual tickets. That’s because the Swiss Travel Pass is a single ticket that covers all public transport in Switzerland. Andy’s going to share all the key benefits of purchasing the Swiss travel pass with us today.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Hello, Andy, welcome back to the holidays to Switzerland podcast. It’s great to have you here again.
Andy Nef
Good morning, Carolyn, well, it’s great pleasure to be here again.
Carolyn Schönafinger
It’s been a while since you’ve been on the podcast, Andy. I think it was back in 100th episode you were part of that. So it has been a little while, but it’s great to have you back again with us today, for those folks who perhaps haven’t heard you on one of our previous episodes, would you like to introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you do.
Andy Nef
With pleasure. Well, my name is Andy Nef, and I’m market manager with Travel Switzerland. We do all the marketing for the Swiss public transport abroad, and I’m in charge of a few markets.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Very good. So we will talk about one of the key products shortly, which is the Swiss Travel Pass. But are there any updates regarding the public transport system in Switzerland for 2025 that we should be aware of?
Andy Nef
There is no very big update. I mean, keep in mind that we are changing timetable every year, whether there is a big update or small update or whatever, and it’s not only the Swiss Federal Railways changing timetables, but all transportation partners participating in our network, that has sometimes quite an impact. But most of the time, customers just wouldn’t realize there is a timetable. It’s usually happening on the first or second weekend of December. And for 2025 there is, as I said, no big thing. There are some connections, especially some cross border connections will be added to the whole network. But all in all, not really something huge.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Excellent. And I guess that means, if there’s nothing huge, that there’s no real major or no real price rises.
Andy Nef
Ah, that’s a very good point. Yes, there are no price rises for next year. Well, links and the prices are usually not linked to the timetables, more to the general price level in Switzerland, but yes, for next year, no price increase is expected.
Carolyn Schönafinger
That’s great news. All right, so let’s talk about the Swiss Travel Pass, because as you know, I’ve used that often myself, and I know that’s one of the major parts of your role marketing the Swiss Travel Pass. So we’ll talk a lot about that, actually, shortly. But for those listeners who perhaps haven’t heard about the Swiss Travel Pass, can you explain exactly what it is?
Andy Nef
Yeah, well, in one sentence, the Swiss Travel Pass is the all in one ticket for Swiss public transport that’s in one sentence. So with one single ticket, you can use all the transports, buses to the transportation of Switzerland.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Very, very easy.
Andy Nef
It’s indeed, very easy. I mean, that’s, I’d say, the most easy, the most relaxing, the most how to say flexible way to travel on the Swiss public transport. Basically, you hop on and hop off whenever and wherever you like.
Carolyn Schönafinger
You certainly do. Now, as a regular user of the Swiss Travel Pass, I know that there are many, many benefits to purchasing one, so I’d love for you to share some of those benefits with our listeners, and perhaps we could start with the benefit number one, the unlimited use of public transport in Switzerland. You just touched on it just a moment ago. But what does the term public transport relate to in Switzerland?
Andy Nef
Well, good point. Public transport relates to the trains, buses and boats operating on a very regular basis in Switzerland. They’re running like every 30 minutes on the main lines or every hour on all other lines, and are basically connecting all major cities and towns in Switzerland.
Carolyn Schönafinger
So there’s always a mode of transport that you can use to get around wherever you need to go.
Andy Nef
Actually, there is. You can live in Switzerland without a car. I was doing so when I was a bit younger. Now, my kids decided to play ice hockey a few years ago. That’s why we decided to buy a car. But you can survive without having a car in Switzerland, public transport is so good and welcome.
Carolyn Schönafinger
It’s definitely a pleasure to travel by public transport in Switzerland, that’s for sure. Now, you mentioned there that the Swiss Travel Pass covers city transport. Obviously, that’s part of the public transport network. So are there any particular modes of transport in the cities that travelers should get excited about.
Andy Nef
Don’t get too excited. It’s just a means of public transport. No, we don’t have a subway in Switzerland. Well, there is one city providing subway lines, and that’s Lausanne in the western part of Switzerland. And in all other cities, you would find tramways and buses connecting inner city parts well, but they are running very frequently. Makes it so easy. Well, I have to say that many things are within walking distance in Switzerland, but should anything not be within walking distance? That’s when we use the buses and tramways in the cities.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay, good to know. Now, I’m sure a highlight for many visitors to Switzerland is riding on one, or perhaps even more, of those beautiful, premium panoramic trains that the country is very well known for which panoramic train routes are included with the Swiss Travel Pass.
Andy Nef
That’s indeed, a thing you shouldn’t miss when coming to Switzerland, flying all the way from Australia or the US or wherever in the world you are whenever you come to Switzerland, make sure to include at least one of these beautiful panoramic trains. And we have categorized them a bit, and we have five, so called premium panoramic trains. I’m sure many of our listeners have heard of them already. Probably the most well known is the Glacier Express. Glacier Express is the world’s slowest express train connecting world famous St Moritz with Zermatt. That’s where you find Matterhorn. The whole trip takes about eight hours. But there is also Bernina Express. Bernina Express is connecting Saint Moritz around above snow peaked mountains going all the way down to Tirano, which is more than 1000 meters lower, where you find palm trees already and kind of a Mediterranean climate. Then there is, of course, the GoldenPass Express, connecting Montreux in the French speaking part of Switzerland with Interlaken in just about three hours. And the special thing about this train is it’s changing gauge on the way, which is kind of a very special experience. Then there is the Gotthard Panorama Express, connecting central Switzerland with the south of Switzerland, so the German speaking part with the Italian speaking part of Switzerland, and going across the mountains in spiraling tunnels, etc, very spectacular, including also a boat ride on Lake Lucerne. And last but not least, there is the Luzern Interlaken Express connecting, well, how would you know, Lucerne and Interlaken in just about two hours? But what I like about this trip is it’s going along five lakes, and each of them has a different color. So these are the five premium panoramic trains. Of course, there is so many more beautiful train lines in Switzerland, but we’ll try to use at least one of them.
Carolyn Schönafinger
And one thing we didn’t just mention is that all five of those premium panoramic trains are included with the Swiss Travel Pass.
Andy Nef
Yeah, they are all included, but there is one big but – those trains require seat reservations. As I mentioned in the very beginning of this episode, for regular trains, you just hop on and off whenever you like, but the premium panoramic trains need to be booked in advance, and they can be very, very busy, so be sure to book them as early as possible.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Very good advice. I think one of the key benefits of traveling with the Swiss Travel Pass is the flexibility. And you’ve already mentioned a couple of times here, the fact that you can hop on and hop off, but it also gives you the, well, the flexibility to change plans at the last minute, doesn’t it? Because the trains are so regular, and if you’re passing somewhere and you decide, oh, perhaps we might like to stop and hop off the train here, have a look around and get on a later train. You can do that with the Swiss travel pass.
Andy Nef
You can absolutely do that. And you should do that, because that’s how the Swiss do it. We enjoy our flexibility. And for the ones who have been traveling to Europe already in most of our neighboring countries, you have to book your train, and then you have to stick with your booking. Changing it at last minute is very difficult or even impossible, but enjoy the freedom you have in Switzerland. I mean, if shopping takes a little bit longer, you just take the next train. If you find a beautiful restaurant somewhere, sit down, enjoy your glass of Swiss wine and take the next train. If one train, especially in rush hour, is very full, well, well, you don’t have to follow a schedule, right? You’re on holiday. Take the next train and have a glass of beer somewhere in one of the restaurants at the railway stations, there are so many facilities in and around the railway stations that they can easily wait for 30 minutes without getting bored.
Carolyn Schönafinger
In my own experience too, often, I’ve traveled to a destination and I might find something that, oh, okay, I didn’t realize that, or I didn’t think there would be time, for instance, for a boat cruise, or, you know, just to have a look around at some attraction that I didn’t realize were there. So as you mentioned, you’ve got that flexibility to change your plans and, yeah, take you wherever the mood takes you.
Andy Nef
Yeah, that’s a very good point. I mean, sometimes spend a little bit more time. Fastest connection is not always the most beautiful connection. For example, why not taking a boat instead of a train? It may take a little bit longer, but it’s absolutely worth the experience. And as you said, that’s what you can do with the Swiss Travel Pass. Use the full flexibility.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Definitely. Another great thing about this Swiss Travel Pass is that travelers have a choice of two different types of passes, as well as different durations. So what are the different options that they have when choosing between which Swiss Travel Pass they should buy?
Andy Nef
There are two types of Swiss travel passes. There is the consecutive pass. We call it Swiss Travel Pass, valid for 3, 4, 6, 8, or 15 days. Well, that’s probably the most comprehensive tickets. But then you have also the choice of the Swiss Travel Pass legs. This pass is valid for one month, and you have 3, 4, 6, 8, or 15 days, which you can use flexibly within this month. So you select day by day, or you decide day by day whether you want to travel or not.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay, so as long as you know how many days you’ve paid for, you can travel as much as you like on that particular number of days within a month.
Andy Nef
Exactly. That’s how it works. And for the Flex Pass, well, all our passes are e tickets by now, also the Flex Pass. So you decide the day before yet you want to use it the next day you’re not. And that all works online. You always get a PDF file which allows you to travel, which you can show, of course, on a paper, but very easy on your mobile phone.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay, great. Now the pass is also available in both first class and second class. So what are the main differences and who might benefit, sort of from the different options when it comes to classes?
Andy Nef
That’s a very good point. So there is no extra service in the first class. Well, in many neighboring countries you get like foods or drinks on first class. Not here in Switzerland. Well, there is anyway, only very limited time to enjoy, since train journeys in Switzerland are rather short, but the first class provides more space and more leg room. That’s probably the most main benefit. So for example, in second class, you usually have two compartments, four and four next to each other. In first class, it’s only two and four, so giving you a wider seat and usually more leg space, and usually the first class is more quiet than the second class, it’s less busy. Well, that’s the main difference.
Carolyn Schönafinger
So would that mean that then there was probably more room to store your luggage in first class because there’s less passengers trying to put luggage into the luggage storage areas?
Andy Nef
That might be also the case though there is luggage space on the trains, sometimes you have to look for it. For example, make sure to use the space under the seat and between the seat and at the entrances, etc, there is space in both classes, but yes, maybe in first class it might be easier to find that space.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay, good. Now, one other benefit of traveling with the Swiss Travel Pass is the fact that there are three mountain excursions included. Now we’ve already talked about the regular trains and buses and city trains and boats, but there’s actually a couple of other kinds of transport that you can use with the pass. So what are the mountains that you can reach for free with the Swiss Travel Pass, and why are they worth visiting?
Andy Nef
So there is Mount Rigi in central Switzerland. It’s not the highest peak of the Swiss mountains, but almost 2000 meters above sea level. You go up there with a cogwheel train, beautiful train journey. You can go up from one side, go down on the other. There is some easy hiking, restaurant, hotels, every thing is up there, and it’s free of charge with the Swiss Travel Pass, so make use of that. The other is Stanserhorn. Stanserhorn is also in the central Switzerland, in the Lucerne area, there are two sections. There is a historic cable car for the first part, and then there is an open air gondola for the second class. You can actually enjoy the trip up to the peak on the rooftop of the gondola, which is quite special. And the third excursion is Stoos, another superlative. It’s the world’s steepest cable car, also in central Switzerland. So these three mountain top excursions are included in the Swiss Travel Pass.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Fantastic. So what about if we want to go to one of the other mountains? Do Swiss Travel Pass holders get a discount off the ticket price for those excursions?
Andy Nef
They do indeed so on most other mountain excursions, you get up to 50% reduction with the Swiss Travel Pass. And believe me, that’s already quite a saving. Since some of these mountaintop excursions can cost quite a lot.
Carolyn Schönafinger
They definitely can. But it’s not only transport that’s included with the Swiss Travel Pass is there? There’s something else that we can benefit from as well.
Andy Nef
Yeah. Well, that’s one of the benefits I like very much. You have more than 500 museums included, and I think that’s quite unique. Where else in the world do you find a rail pass, which also includes public transport and multiple excursions and even museums. So there are 500 of them are included all over Switzerland that includes many historic buildings as well, like medieval castles, which are museums. So you don’t pay any entrance fee, well known art museums, etc. So that’s definitely worth a second look, because even if you have only limited time, it’s always worth to visit the museum just to have a glimpse.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Absolutely. Now, the Swiss Travel Pass is available all year round. What are some of the advantages of traveling with the pass? Saying, perhaps during the more off peak or the perhaps not high season times of year.
Andy Nef
Well, first of all, it’s off peak, so it might be easier to find seats on the premium panoramic trains, especially, but also the other trains are less crowded. Always keep in mind that the Swiss love to use public transport. Is it for commuting? Or for leisure traveling, we are world record holders in train traveling. So there is always somebody on the train, of course. So in autumn and spring, there might be a little less people on the trains. But then we have four seasons in Switzerland. So each season, the landscape is totally different. In spring, you have the very green meadows with all these flowers everywhere. You have the cows grazing. Then you have summer, well, of course, the warmest season in Switzerland, with temperatures around 30 degrees in the cities and with a little less in the mountains. Then you have autumn, when the leaves are changing colors, etc. And then, of course, Winter, where you still find snow in many parts of Switzerland, maybe a little less than in the past, but still the mountains are snow covered. And of course, skiing is still very big in Switzerland.
Carolyn Schönafinger
And I guess, given that it’s a public transport network, the services operate all year round, so people don’t need to feel that like they might have limited options if they’re traveling outside of the peak summer or winter seasons.
Andy Nef
There might be some limitations, for example, for the boat services, there are less frequent boats running in winter, for example. And some of the mountain peaks are not open in winter, but there is always some are open. So don’t worry, you wouldn’t be getting stranded somewhere. And, of course, the public transport. So all these trains, buses, and sorry, mainly the trains, buses and the city transportation, they are running 365 days a year, even Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. And they are running. They are running.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Excellent. Now we shouldn’t forget about families. So for those listeners who are planning to visit Switzerland with their children, is there a special kids price for the Swiss Travel Pass.
Andy Nef
Yes, we are very family friendly. So children up to 16 years of age travel free of charge with the Swiss Travel Pass. At least one parent has to obtain a Swiss Travel Pass. But then the kids travel with them free of charge.
Carolyn Schönafinger
And how do they go about organizing that? Do they need a special ticket?
Andy Nef
Very good point. Yes, they need a Swiss Family card that can be bought together with the Swiss Travel Pass already. Should that not have been possible, at any railway station in Switzerland is available as well.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay, so the parent can obtain that for free when they’re purchasing their own Swiss Travel Pass.
Andy Nef
Yes, there we are
Carolyn Schönafinger
Very good. So you’ve mentioned before that there’s no changes across the board for public transport. So does that mean that there are no price increases for the Swiss travel pass for 2025?
Andy Nef
There are no price increases for the Swiss Travel Pass. There might be some local price increases. Is it like some cable ways, which may be increased prices locally? But for the Swiss Travel Pass itself, there is no increase at all for 2025.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Wonderful news. Very good. Well. Thank you, Andy for sharing all that with us. Have you got any other comments or tips that you’d like to share with our listeners about traveling by public transport in Switzerland?
Andy Nef
Come to Switzerland, it’s always worth a trip. Well, I love traveling by public transport myself. I never get tired myself of using public transport. It’s really the easiest way to get around our country.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Absolutely, totally agree. Thank you again.
Carolyn Schönafinger
The Swiss Travel Pass makes traveling around Switzerland super easy. Once you’ve got your pass in hand, you can hop on and off all the trains, buses, boats and city transport that are part of the extensive Swiss public transport network. It’s the densest public transport network in the world. So wherever you want to go, there’s a mode of transport waiting to take you there. Another key benefit of the Swiss Travel Pass is that it can save you so much money. Sure, it is a significant investment to start with, I will agree. But when you add up the cost of each of the individual trips that you plan to take, it can be much cheaper to purchase a Swiss Travel Pass. A trip on the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St Moritz, for example, costs 159 Swiss franc in second class. So in many cases, you’ll recoup the cost of your pass by taking just a couple of longer train rides and a mountain excursion. There are numerous articles about the Swiss Travel Pass that I’ve written on holidaystoswitzerland.com, and you can also buy your pass from the Holidays to Switzerland web shop. Other helpful resources that I’ve created include my Switzerland Rail Pass Comparison Calculator, which is a digital online tool, and I’ve got a free Switzerland Rail Pass cheat sheet. You’ll find the links for all those resources, as well as links to previous episodes featuring Andy in the show notes, and they can be found at holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode 112. Thank you very much for listening in today, I hope you’ve enjoyed the podcast and found it helpful, and if you have, I would be really, really grateful if you could take just a minute or two to leave a five star rating or review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us to reach more listeners and help them to plan their dream trip to Switzerland too. Thanks again, and until next time, Tschüss.
You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.
