Swiss Travel Pass Discounts: Is the Swiss Travel Pass Worth It?
If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland, then you may well have heard of the Swiss Travel Pass. Discounts are available to holders of this pass, making it worth considering if you’re planning to travel around the country.
But even if you’ve read all about it, you could still be wondering whether it’s really worth buying the Swiss Travel Pass.
How much money can you actually save by buying a pass? Is the Swiss Travel Pass worth it when it comes to your plans?
Clearly we cannot cost every single Swiss itinerary in this article – that would be impossible!
What we can do is use some typical itineraries to demonstrate how those Swiss Travel Pass savings could work in your favour.
To show you what savings you can make, we’ve detailed three popular Switzerland itineraries.
Spoiler alert – if you follow our 8 day Switzerland itinerary suggested below, for example, you could save up to CHF 827 in first class. Or you could save CHF 572 with a second class pass.
If you want to see how the Swiss Travel Pass could save you money, read on to discover three examples of how this can work in reality.
From train tickets to mountain excursions, cruises and entry to museums and attractions, the savings can soon stack up.
[This post may contain compensated links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.]
Note: Due to the amount of information contained in the comparison tables in this article, it is best viewed on a computer.
What's in this Article
8 day Switzerland itinerary
This 8 day itinerary for Switzerland takes you from Zurich to Lucerne, Interlaken, Montreux Zermatt, St Moritz and more. Along the way you’ll get Swiss Pass discounts on train fares, cruises, entry fees and so on.
Mostly your rides and tickets are free when using the travel pass in Switzerland with this itinerary.
The Swiss Transport Museum, Murren to Schilthorn return ticket and the Gornergrat excursion are chargeable, but all of these are discounted.
This trip includes four panoramic train trips, three mountain excursions, two lake cruises and entry to nine castles or museums.
The total savings for this itinerary are CHF 572 for a second class pass or CHF 827.40 with a first class pass.
Read more: Mountain Excursions in Switzerland Discounted with the Swiss Travel Pass
At the time of writing, the Swiss franc is worth almost exactly the same as the US dollar. All prices are subject to change without notice.
Savings to be made with the Swiss Travel Pass
| Trip/activity | Reg. price 1st class | Reg. price 2nd class | With Swiss Travel Pass | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Zurich to Lucerne | 44.00 | 25.00 | FOC | Train |
| Mt. Rigi excursion | 144.00 | 120.00 | FOC | Boat/cogwheel train | |
| Swiss Transport Museum | 56.00 | 56.00 | 28.00 | ||
| Day 2 | Luzern Interlaken Express | 58.00 | 33.00 | FOC | Luzern Interlaken Express train |
| Lake Brienz cruise | 106.00 | 64.00 | FOC | Interlaken to Brienz and return by boat | |
| Ballenberg Museum | 35.20 | 35.20 | FOC | Brienz to Ballenberg and return by bus | |
| Day 3 | Interlaken to Schilthorn return | 143.60 | 132.00 | 54.00 | Train/cable car |
| Interlaken to Grindelwald return | 19.60 | 11.20 | FOC | Train | |
| Day 4 | GoldenPass Interlaken to Montreux | 130.00 | 74.00 | FOC | GoldenPass Express train |
| Lake Geneva cruise | 30.00 | 30.00 | FOC | ||
| Chillon Castle visit | 13.50 | 13.50 | FOC | ||
| Day 5 | Montreux to Gruyeres and Broc and return | 82.00 | 51.60 | FOC | Train and bus |
| Visit Chateau Gruyeres, Maison Gruyeres, HR Giger Museum, Maison Cailler at Broc | 41.50 | 41.50 | FOC | ||
| Day 6 | Montreux to Zermatt | 130.00 | 74.00 | FOC | Train |
| Matterhorn Museum | 10.00 | 10.00 | FOC | ||
| Gornergrat excursion | 126.00^* | 126.00^* | 63.00 | Cogwheel train | |
| Day 7 | Zermatt to St. Moritz | 268.00 | 152.00 | FOC° | Glacier Express |
| Day 8 | St. Moritz to Chur | 56.00 | 32.00 | FOC° | Bernina Express |
| Chur to Zurich | 72.00 | 41.00 | FOC | Train | |
| FIFA Museum visit | 24.00 | 24.00 | FOC | ||
| TOTAL | 1589.40 | 1106.00 | |||
| Price with Swiss Travel Pass | |||||
| 8 day Swiss Travel Pass | 665.00 | 419.00 | |||
| Plus Swiss Transport Museum | 28.00 | 28.00 | |||
| Plus Schilthorn excursion | 54.00 | 54.00 | |||
| Plus Gornergrat excursion | 63.00 | 63.00 | |||
| Total cost with 8 day Swiss Travel Pass | 810.00 | 564.00 | |||
| Saving | 779.40 | 542.00 |
8 day Popular itinerary
Our 8 day popular Swiss itinerary gives another working example. This one includes five mountain excursions, three lake cruises, five museums and a panoramic train ride.
For this itinerary, the Swiss pass for rail and other travel saves you up to CHF 350.
The itinerary departs from Zurich, where most International travellers arrive in Switzerland. You then visit Lucerne, Mount Rigi, Stanserhorn, Harder Kulm, Grindelwald, Brienz, Interlaken, Bern and more.
As the boats, mountain transport and panoramic trains of the Travel Switzerland are included here, there are again considerable savings to be made.
Again, the vast majority of activities and tickets are free of charge. Only the Swiss Transport Museum and Jungfraujoch and Grindelwald First excursions are payable, and at discounted rates for pass holders.
Savings to be made with the Swiss Travel Pass
| Trip/activity | Reg. price 1st class | Reg. price 2nd class | With STP | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Zurich to Lucerne | 44.00 | 25.00 | FOC | Train |
| Mt. Rigi excursion | 144.00 | 120.00 | FOC | Boat/cogwheel train | |
| Swiss Transport Museum | 56.00 | 56.00 | 28.00 | ||
| Day 2 | Stanserhorn excursion | 100.40 | 89.60 | FOC | Train/cable car |
| Bourbaki & Glacier Garden | 34.00 | 34.00 | FOC | ||
| Day 3 | Lake Lucerne cruise | 64.00 | 41.00 | FOC | |
| Luzern to Interlaken | 58.00 | 33.00 | FOC | Luzern Interlaken Express | |
| Harder Kulm excursion | 34.00 | 34.00 | 17.00 | ||
| Day 4 | Jungfraujoch excursion | 235.80 | 235.80 | 158.40 | |
| Day 5 | Interlaken to Grindelwald and return | 19.60 | 11.20 | FOC | Train |
| Grindelwald First excursion | 88.00 | 88.00 | 32.00 | ||
| Day 6 | Lake Brienz cruise | 106.00 | 64.00 | FOC | Interlaken to Brienz and return by boat |
| Ballenberg museum | 35.20 | 35.20 | FOC | Brienz to Ballenberg and return by bus | |
| Day 7 | Interlaken to Bern | 48.00 | 28.00 | FOC | Regular train |
| Day 8 | Bern to Zurich | 90.00 | 51.00 | FOC | Regular train |
| FIFA Museum visit | 24.00 | 24.00 | FOC | ||
| Lake Zurich cruise | 8.80 | 4.40 | FOC | ||
| TOTAL | 1189.80 | 974.20 | |||
| Price with Swiss Travel Pass | |||||
| 8 day Swiss Travel Pass | 665.00 | 419.00 | |||
| Plus Swiss Transport Museum | 28.00 | 28.00 | |||
| Plus Jungfraujoch | 158.40 | 158.40 | |||
| Plus Harder Kulm | 17.00 | 17.00 | |||
| Plus Grindelwald First | 32.00 | 32.00 | |||
| Total cost with 8 day Swiss Travel Pass | 900.40 | 654.40 | |||
| Saving | 289.40 | 319.80 |
8 day Switzerland Grand Tour itinerary
The next example we’ve itemised to demonstrate the savings the Swiss rail pass can give you is the Grand Tour itinerary.
This trip takes you from Zurich to Interlaken, Montreux, Zermatt, St Moritz, Lugano, Lucerne and St Gallen before returning to Zurich.
With this itinerary we’ve costed train travel only, rather than including entry prices and mountain transport but the savings are still well worth it.
This itinerary includes travel via six panoramic trains including the famous Glacier Express, Bernina Express, the GoldenPass Line and more.
One cruise from Fluelen to Lucerne is also included as part of the Gotthard Panorama Express service.
The thing to note here, as compared with the type of rail passes often sold in other countries, is that both express and scenic services are covered by the pass.
Unlike with the two examples above, all expenses listed for this Grand Tour are completely free of charge and therefore completely covered.
Of course, you may wish to include activities that do have a fee attached but every mode of transport shown in the table below is included for free.
In total, taking the Grand Tour with a Swiss train pass can save you CHF 253 in second class, or CHF 417 in first.
Savings to be made with the Swiss Travel Pass
| Reg. price 1st class | Reg. price 2nd class | With Swiss Travel Pass | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Zurich to Interlaken | 123.00 | 70.00 | FOC | Regular train to Lucerne, then Lucerne Interlaken Express |
| Day 2 | Interlaken to Montreux | 130.00 | 74.00 | FOC | GoldenPass Express train |
| Day 3 | Montreux to Zermatt | 130.00 | 74.00 | FOC | Regular train |
| Day 4 | Zermatt to St. Moritz* | 268.00 | 152.00 | FOC | Glacier Express |
| Day 5 | St. Moritz to Lugano* | 85.00 | 61.00 | FOC | Bernina Express |
| Day 6 | Lugano to Lucerne | 153.00 | 129.00 | FOC | Gotthard Panorama Express (incl. cruise from Fluelen to Lucerne) |
| Day 7 | Lucerne to St. Gallen | 90.00 | 51.00 | FOC | Voralpen-Express |
| Day 8 | St. Gallen to Zurich | 55.00 | 31.00 | FOC | Regular train |
| TOTAL | 1034.00 | 642.00 | |||
| Price with Swiss Travel Pass | |||||
| 8 day Swiss Travel Pass | 665.00 | 419.00 | |||
| Saving | 369.00 | 223.00 |
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How much will your Swiss Travel Pass discounts be worth?
There are several factors that surprise many people when it comes to Swiss Travel Pass travel and discounts.
The first is that even panoramic tourist routes are completely* covered by the pass, with no need to pay extra when travelling on these famous scenic Swiss trains. It’s the same with express services too.
*on the Glacier Express and Bernina Express a compulsory seat reservation fee applies for all ticket and pass holders.
Secondly, the number of other entitlements is impressive. For the 8 day Switzerland itinerary, for instance, you get all your train travel included with the pass.
Extras covered on that itinerary, for free, include a cruise on Lake Brienz, entry to Chillon Castle, a Lake Geneva cruise, a ticket for Chateau Gruyeres and a FIFA museum visit. Plus, trips on four panoramic trains and mountain transport are covered, too.
The key thing is to be aware of the savings you can make. If you cost your trip in the same way – and it works out cheaper with a Swiss Travel Pass – do ensure you always have your Pass with you so you can take advantage of the savings.
If you’re not sure whether free travel or discounted entry applies, just ask. Once you’ve paid for it, you really do want to make the most of it!
If you take a typical 8 day trip to Switzerland following a similar itinerary to those above, then it’s more than likely that you’ll make big savings when buying the Swiss Travel Pass.
The only way to be absolutely certain is to cost it yourself, and you can use the fares and fees listed in the above tables to help you work this out.
If your trip involves exploring a particular part of Switzerland – or a wider area within Europe – then it may be worth considering other passes, such as the Jungfrau Travel Pass, the Berner Oberland Regional Pass or even the Eurail Global Pass.
Find out all about those alternative options in this article.
Whichever you choose, a Swiss pass can really help you make the most of your funds when visiting Switzerland. We really recommend considering your options carefully to maximise the available savings.
With no reservations required on the vast majority of Swiss trains, having a travel pass is also a fuss-free way to explore this breathtaking country.
Final Thoughts: Is the Swiss Travel Pass Worth It?
To us, it’s a resounding YES! There are so many reasons to purchase a Swiss Travel Pass.
As well as the huge savings that you can make, there is the added advantage of the flexibility of having an all-in-one-ticket to travel around Switzerland.
There’s no need to queue to buy tickets for individual train trips as you have your hop on hop ticket ready to go.
Fancy a boat ride? No problem, your Swiss Travel Pass covers you for boat trips, too.
Too tired to walk back to your hotel after dinner? Just hop on a local bus or tram as public transport is included, too.
The Swiss Travel Pass is super easy to use, too.
We highly recommend the Swiss Travel Pass. We use it for our own travel around Switzerland.
Ready to buy yours? > Click here to get your Swiss Travel Pass.
Still not sure if the Swiss Travel Pass is the best rail pass for your trip? Grab a copy of our Switzerland Rail Pass Comparison Calculator here – it will help you to confidently choose the best Swiss train pass for your trip.
Top image courtesy Travel Switzerland
