I need to buy train tickets for our upcoming trip in July 2026. I downloaded the SBB app to try to buy the tickets.
What is the GA Travel Card? I hadn't read anything about that in the travel tips. The app also mentions: Set up EasyRide. Is this new?
Terry
The GA travel card is primarily for Swiss residents.
You want to look at the passes available to tourists. Most get the Swiss travel pass or the half fare card. Sometimes combined with a regional pass.
If you’re just buying single ride tickets there is no need to buy ahead of time unless you are getting a super saver ticket which is for a specific train and time.
Regular tickets are good for any train and time. For example, if you buy a ticket for tomorrow for Zurich to Bern, you can take any train you want and sit anywhere you want in the appropriate class—first or second.
This link should take you to the forum discussion on the easy ride:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/swiss-rail-easy-ride-app
A GA Travel Card is an annual pass, mainly for Swiss residents. As an example, a 1st class annual GA Travel Card costs 6520 CHF, about $8150 US. Compared with the annual cost of owning a car (Fuel, Insurance, Parking, Maintenance, Depreciation), it is somewhat competitive. It is also available monthly.
whilst a GA is of little use to short term visitors there is a relevance. Certain other passes, notably Swiss Pass and the Saver Day Pass base their validity on that of the GA and use the same map. GA covers almost all public transport, not just trains. Some transport intended primarily for tourists (or as attraction in it's own right) are not covered by GA and usually have signs saying that, which means Swiss Pass etc is also not valid.
But the big trap on the SBB website is a different card, the Half Price Travelcard. This is used by many residents who wouldn't get value froma GA . This costs CHF190 per year and as the name suggests gives a 50% discount on tickets on GA routes. In this case visitor doing a doing a lot of travel might get benefit. The problem is that the SBB software usually defaults to you having one, so when you enter an enquiry it quotes prices with the discount - if you don't have one always check that the enquiry was set to Full Fare. And to confuse matters both Half Fare and Full Fare apply to the discounted Supersaver tickets!
Easyride is a "pay as you go" system. But in stead of installing expensive card readers like they did in the Netherlands or London it is all done in software.
You set if up first. You need to create an account on sbb.ch (select "no customer number" so you don't get sidetracked in getting a Swiss Pass). You will need to enter a credit card, and it will be tested by placing a temporary hold on it.
Then you just check in by moving a big slider to the left before you start a trip. Then you just travel, getting on busses, trains etc... and at the end you move the slider to the right and the system checks you out, figures out what you did and charges you for the trip.
Thank you for this great feedback. It really helps a novice like myself navigate the complexity! Terry
