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Buying Swiss Pass upon arrival/ Saver price for two adults together?

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Hi, I checked websites and found that the prices of Swiss Passes seem to be quite standard, and there is no discount buying in advance and the price stays the same closer to the date of using it. Now I found that I do not have enough time to buy the passes before I travel into Switzerland. Can I confirm that I can buy Swiss Pass when I arrive at Zurich and the price is roughly the same? I am considering 8 day continuous pass which for adult is some CHF 363 or so.

I noted saver price for two adults or more. But when I clicked at website, there is simply no discount and the prices are just for the two added together. Is there really a discount for two or more?

I shall be staying 8 nights in Switzerland, and would travel to four cities only which are Zurich, Luzern, M....(the end city of the Golden Line) and Bern. I will do Golden Line, and plan to visit two mountains (Jaur and Pilatus). On very rough calculation, it seems that the Swiss Pass does not save much, if at all, it itself costs some CHF 363 for the 8 day continuous. I understand that I have to calculate more precisely but if anyone can give some rough idea on whether there is saving, I appreciate it. I am not considering to visit museum or have any boat trip. Two mountain cable car journey though. Thanks in advance for your guidance and advice.

Posted by
16893 posts

There is no saver pass discount in Switzerland this year. Also, the consecutive-day passes can be purchased as print-at home tickets. Be sure to specify the correct start date, since they are all pre-validated. Price is the same in stations, too. Even if the pass does not save money, it does save time buying tickets for anything that it fully covers; just hop on. You'd only have to buy discounted tickets for the highest lifts.

Posted by
3 posts

Thanks, Laura. Your guidance is helpful. Can I confirm that I can buy the Swiss Pass or Half Price card at Zurich airport/train station at same price, and the passes would not be out of stock. I shall be arriving Zurich on 23 Aug. If this is the case, I think I shall buy the passes at Zurich and save the trouble of printing the passes out before the trip. This is just in case I shall do something wrong in the process.

I shall be in Switzerland (four cities, two mountains and one scenic - golden line) from 23 Aug to 1 Sept. I shall leave by early flight on 1 Sept. If I validate the Swiss Pass for using it to commute from Zurich airport to downtown on 23 Aug, the 8 day passes shall expire on 29 Aug as the last day. I shall need to do pay-as-you-go on 30 Aug. Or I can validate on 24 Aug for using it up to 31 Aug for which day I should have an inter-city trip back to Zurich. The 8 days are counted correctly, right. The day counts are to mid-night of every day? Thanks.

Posted by
20090 posts

You can buy the Swiss Travel Pass at the Zurich Airport train station. The price is always the same 363 CHF. The Saver option was discontinued about 2 years ago, so it is 363 per person.

Use the website www.sbb.ch/en to get the price of each leg. Click on the red "Fare/Buy" button to get an exact price. The little price shown above the button that says "from xx CHF" assumes you have a Half Fare Card, so the real price will be double.

Speaking of the Half Fare Card, it costs 120 CHF, so If you have it and you have more than 240 CHF worth of full fare tickets, you will save money. It also gives half off most mountain lifts, same as the Travel Pass. The Half Fare Card often saves more than the Swiss Travel Pass, but you will need to stop in and buy a ticket before each journey instead of just hopping on the train. But the ticket cost will be half the full fare.

Posted by
16893 posts

If you purchase/activate the 8-day consecutive pass any time on August 23, it expires at midnight of August 30. Or all day 8/24-31.

Posted by
3 posts

Thanks. Understood.

Can I confirm that the Swiss Pass/ Half Price card would NOT be out of stock on ground at Zurich, and I do not need to worry to buy it online before I reach Zurich? Thanks.

Posted by
16893 posts

They don't go out of stock. Agents print them from the computer on the same special paper that they use for all tickets.

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