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Swiss Pass

Help me if I got this wrong. On page 400 of the 2018 Switzerland book I ran the numbers for pay-as-you-go and find that my 15 days in Swiss train travel will cost about $770.00 for the two of us however, the Swiss Pass will cost $1374.00 How is this a deal ?
Thank you.

Posted by
54 posts

Well, it might not be a good value for your specific itinerary. Are you traveling by train on only a few days, or taking only shorter trips? If so, maybe the half fare card or a 3- or 4-day flex pass would be a better deal for you.

I'm not seeing how you get to $1374 in costs for the pass though. The website for the Swiss Travel Pass is here: https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/travel-in-switzerland/international-guests/swiss-travel-pass.html
and there aren't any options that price out to $1374/2=$687 per person. The prices on that page are in CHF, but CHF and USD are close to one-to-one right now. (I'm assuming you're using USD as that's what the rail chart in the book uses. If not, you need to convert everything to the same currency before comparing.)

Posted by
5506 posts

From what I hear, if you are lucky, you break even. I purchased a pass and would likely do it again. it does cover many museums and excursions (Rigi in Luzern and Schilthorn in Berner Oberland and Chateau Chillion in Lausanne) It is convenient to not be shelling out money constantly and I found that I do "poke" into museums I may not have and enjoyed them for a few hours or less. Also in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the main transportation besides the bus in the valley is the gondolas and the trains, and I found that I was riding those several times.

Posted by
19646 posts

The 15-day Swiss Travel Pass is 485 CHF 2nd class, 765 CHF 1st class, so I don't see where you get $1374 for 2. It should be either 970 or 1530 for 2. Going on the current nearly equivalent of CHF to USD, if you are going to spend 385 CHF pp in point to point tickets, each get a 30-day Half Fare Card for 120 CHF. Then your out-of-pocket cost would be 312.50 CHF (385/2+120), or 625 CHF for 2, saving you $145.

Posted by
16893 posts

If you have the May, 2018 edition of RS Switzerland, then the costs in the back of that book are the same as on our Swiss rail page online. They assume 1chf=$1 and are 2nd-class ticket prices.

Have you added up all the local transport (and museum) coverage and lift discounts you might use during your stays in each area? More of those are detailed in the relevant destination chapters.

It sounds like you're looking at a pass price for 15 consecutive days in 1st class. I would not recommend 1st class for most travelers, since it costs 50% more than 2nd class.

Posted by
104 posts

No, I don't want consecutive days. I will be in Switzerland for 25 days and visitng 9 cities.

Posted by
16893 posts

In that case, the Swiss Travel Pass for 15 days in one month is the most coverage you can buy in a single pass, about $560 per adult in 2nd class. You would have to choose your 15 days of heaviest use as you go, whether you'd be using it for full coverage or a discount. There are no benefits on the in-between days (10 days out of your 25-day stay).

Otherwise, the one-month visitor version of the Half-Fare Card is a smalerl investment that allows you to buy all transport tickets at half price in either 1st or 2nd class, whichever you choose for a particular route (no museum benefits).

Posted by
3057 posts

Earlier this month you asked about the Global Pass for your 2 months of travel, and said you had decided on that pass despite inconsistent answers.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/global-pass-379e2ac7-b9fa-4f96-8aa1-811212c56a09#bottom

Now you have priced a 15-day Swiss Pass in First Class for two travelers and find it too expensive. Of course it is: First Class is unnecessary on Swiss trains, and many do not even have it.

Then you say you will be in Switzerland for 25 days in all, visiting 9 cities (which?) So a pass for 15 consecutive days is useless and a waste of money as many of the 15 travel days you have paid for will go unused, and travel days outside the 15 will not be covered at all.

Maybe an 8-day Flex Pass, or maybe a Half Fare Card is the answer. People would be able to give you much better advice if you were more forthcoming (and consistent) about your plans.