question about half day pass for foreign tourists in Switzerland

You need to have a Half Fare Card for every adult in your travel group to get the 50% discounted price on train tix. The SBB website assumes customers have the Half Fare Card and the displayed train ticket prices already reflect the 50% discount. Much depends on your itinerary— as you’ll only be in Switzerland for one week, it may work out to buy a SaverDay Pass for days of heavy train travel ( likely the day you first arrive in Switzerland and the day you depart) rather than shelling out $140 ( CHF 120) for each adult in your group.

The fare i saw on the sbb site from Zurich airport to Interlaken OST for 5th Sept 2024 was 77 USD for a point to point ticket. Is that not the full fare for the trip, before any discounts?

Yes. It’s the full fare. So, buying a half-fare card brings the price down to CHF 22 after you’ve spent $140 to buy the half-fare card. Keep in mind you have to buy the half-fare card for each adult in your travel group.
What does your itinerary look like for Switzerland?

I'm confused. if the full fare is 77 CHF from Zurich airport to Interlaken ost, it would become 38.5 CHF with the 120 CHF half fare pass right?

It is confusing…. You might want to wait until you arrive at Zurich Airport to discuss your best ticketing options for train travel that works for your itinerary. You can buy the Half-Fare Card and point-to-point tix after you arrive. Train tix in Switzerland ( except for Saver Day Passes and SuperSaver fares) are priced the same whether you buy them in advance or the day of travel.
The SBB reps can help you find the best deal for your group itinerary.

Thanks a ton for your reply. According to you it would be best if we discuss our itinerary with a Swiss Rail rep at Zurich airport and then buy what works best. Would you happen to know if the SBB reps are available at all times at Zurich airport?

NO they are NOT. Not at all times.

Only from 6:30 am to 9 pm, every day.

https://www.sbb.ch/content/internet/sbb/en/reiseinformationen/bahnhoefe/bahnhof-finden/shopville-zuerich-hb/geschaefte/shop-detail.html/geo-billette-abonnemente-freizeitangebote-695b

Kenko, I think you are looking at the super saver price. The regular fare with the ½ card is 38.50.

taragsinha, the travel center at the airport is open 6:30 am – 9 pm.

https://www.flughafen-zuerich.ch/en/passengers/shopping-and-enjoy/services/all-services/sbb-reisezentrum

There’s no need to buy tickets ahead of time in Switzerland. So, you can just buy that tickets once you have arrived at the airport. You might want to purchase the ½ card ahead of time so you are all ready to go once you land.

I am confused when you quote prices in USD. It is Switzerland, and prices are in CHF, which these days is about 14% more valuable than a USD. So the point-to-point ticket with a half fare card is 38.50 CHF, or about 44 USD.

You do not want a SuperSaver Tickets on your arrival day because if your flight is delayed and you miss your specified train, your ticket is invalid and you have to buy a new ticket.

However, please know that in Sept 2022, we waited 90 minutes in the queue at the airport SBB office.
Hopefully, the wait has improved.

If your planned travel will amount to more than 240.00 CHF, then the 120.00 CHF Half Fare Card (HFC) will be worth it. If you can calculate this on your own, there is no need to visit the SBB office upon arrival.

I recommend using the SBB app while traveling in Switzerland. It provides live updates on train schedules, delays, and platform changes. You can see the composition of the train, the direction of travel, and which cars are less busy. You can look up and save any routes you plan to take, such as various options for your trip from Zürich to Interlaken, and then purchase the ticket for the one you end up taking.

It does not give me the option of buying using a half fare pass. What do i do?

When you add your personal information (name and birthdate) into the app, look for an option like "Travelcards" and select "Half Fare Card." The discount will then be applied to all tickets purchased for that traveler. You can add multiple travelers if you wish.

@SwissNomad

"When you add your personal information (name and birthdate) into the app, look for an option like "Travelcards" and select "Half Fare Card." The discount will then be applied to all tickets purchased for that traveler. You can add multiple travelers if you wish."

I have successfully added my Half Fare Travel card to the app, and it always gives the correct half fare when I am playing around and doing testing before our trip.

I have also added my husband as a co-passenger, and that he has the half fare travelcard too.

When I choose a ticket to purchase though, it only comes up with me travelling and I have to touch the Pen symbol and add my husband each time. Is this how it works, or is there a way to make every train come up automatically for the two of us?

thanks all.

@Swissnomad: we too figured that since our train travel is going to cost more then 240 CHF, the half fare card makes sense.

And after the advice from this group, and especially about the 90 minute wait at the SSB queue, we have decided to buy our half fare passes online before we reach Switzerland.

Another question: Does anyone know if one can buy a train tickets in Switzerland using a forex travel card. This is a prepaid debit card issued by our local bank to be used for foreign travel.

@DebH, the method you describe is the only one I know. I typically purchase tickets for a co-passenger only when we have company. Normally, everyone in my family buys their own tickets, so I haven't really looked into whether there is a more efficient way to do it.

When I choose a ticket to purchase though, it only comes up with me
travelling and I have to touch the Pen symbol and add my husband each
time. Is this how it works, or is there a way to make every train come
up automatically for the two of us?

Yes, that is how it works. If often buy tickets for both me and my wife, and I have to add her each time. This is probably to avoid people buying two tickets by accident, as it is assumed that most people will most of the time only buy tickets for themselves.