Which travelcard to select while booking for kids

Posted by heymohit.travel on 04/28/24 04:46 PM

We are a family of two adults and two children (aged 12 and 15) planning to travel from Paris to Interlaken by train. My wife and I have already purchased Swiss Half Fare Cards, and we've obtained Swiss Family Cards for our children.

While trying to book train tickets for the kids on the SBB website, I didn’t find an option to select the "Swiss Family Card." Instead, the options available are "Junior Travelcard" or "Children Co-travelcard." Could you advise which option I should choose for booking the tickets?

Thank you in advance!

Posted by Lola

Seattle, WA

04/28/24 05:04 PM

17427 posts

The “Junior Travelcard” is the equivalent of the Family Card, for Swiss residents. Select that one. You should also be able to select “Half Fare Card” for your own discounts.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/travelcards/travelcards-children/junior-travelcard.html

The difference is that the Swiss have to pay 30 CHF per year) for the Junior Travelcard; you get the Family Card for free with your Swiss Travel System product. But they function the same.

Posted by heymohit.travel OP

04/29/24 12:51 AM

3 posts

Thank you - so I will select the Half fare Card for myself and wife and Junior Travelcard for the kids

Posted by Lola

Seattle, WA

04/29/24 02:53 AM

17427 posts

Yes. But coming from Paris, you will only get the Swiss Travelcard discounts on the portion of the trip within Switzerland. In other words, from Basel to Interlaken.

But there are good discounts offered on international (cross-border) tickets between France and Switzerland, if you buy a month or two in advance. You are then committed to a particular train from Paris, but worth it as the discounts can be substantial.

Posted by mans_22

05/26/24 07:54 PM

18 posts

hey Mohit.travel,

I am booking tix from Paris to INterlaken too with halffare card for myself and have a swiss family card for my 13 year old. I am booking on SBB website as well. Does the above adding in Junior Travel card option work?

Posted by heymohit.travel OP

05/27/24 03:31 AM

3 posts

Yes, it worked but only on the segment of the trip that was within Switzerland. My travel from Paris to Interlaken has a change in Basel - so the Paris Basel ticket is standard while the Basel Interlaken ticket is free. I also booked from SBB site

Posted by WengenK

Wengen

05/27/24 03:05 PM

2494 posts

You actually do not need to "book" anything.

Within Switzerland kids travel for free with the Family card, as long as the adults have tickets. So you only need to buy tickets for the adults, and can ignore the children.

Only for International tickets you need to indeed add the kids, as those trains often have compulsory reservation, and your kids do not travel for free on the foreign segments.

So selecting Junior Card when booking Paris to Interlaken is indeed correct. But for trips within Switzerland you can ignore that. Just buy tickets for the adults.