Swiss Travel Pass 2026: Prices, What It Covers and Where to Buy

The Swiss Travel Pass is Switzerland's all-in-one ticket for visitors who live outside Switzerland and Liechtenstein. With one pass you get unlimited travel on the national network of trains, buses (including PostBuses) and lake boats, plus free public transport in more than 90 towns and cities. It also includes free entry to more than 500 museums and up to 50% off many mountain railways and cable cars.

SBB sells two versions. The Swiss Travel Pass itself is valid on consecutive days, for example four days in a row, and it is the one people call 'unlimited' or 'continuous'. The Swiss Travel Pass Flex gives you the same number of travel days to spread over one month, and you activate each day before you travel. The consecutive pass is cheaper (CHF 254 against CHF 289 for 3 days in 2nd class in 2026), so choose it if you'll travel most days of a focused trip.

The consecutive Swiss Travel Pass comes in 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 days. It is valid from midnight on the start date you choose until 05:00 on the morning after the last day, with no activation needed.

SBB's 2026 prices for the consecutive pass in 2nd class are CHF 254 for 3 days, CHF 309 for 4 days, CHF 399 for 6 days, CHF 439 for 8 days and CHF 499 for 15 days. First class costs CHF 405 for 3 days up to CHF 787 for 15 days. The Flex pass costs CHF 289 to CHF 519 in 2nd class. These prices are valid until 31 December 2026 (sbb.ch, checked October 2026).

CHF 309 in 2nd class and CHF 492 in 1st class for adults in 2026, or CHF 218 in 2nd class on the Youth pass for travellers under 25 (sbb.ch, checked October 2026). The 4-day Flex pass costs CHF 349 in 2nd class.

SBB charges in Swiss francs, from CHF 254 for 3 days in 2nd class. On GetYourGuide the pass is priced in your own currency and started at $310 a person when we checked on 23 October 2026. Your card provider's exchange rate decides the final dollar cost when you pay in francs.

Yes. You can buy it at any staffed ticket office in Switzerland, including the railway stations at Zurich and Geneva airports, online at sbb.ch up to 11 months before the start date, or through a reseller such as GetYourGuide. On GetYourGuide the seller, SWISStours, emails the digital pass after booking, so book a few days before you leave.

No. SBB sets one price for the year, valid until 31 December 2026, so buying early secures your dates rather than a discount. Advance discounts in Switzerland apply to Saver tickets for single journeys, not to the pass.

No. SBB prices the pass by age only: the adult fare from 25, the Youth fare under 25 at about 30% less, and half price for children under 16 travelling alone. Travellers over 65 pay the adult fare.

Both classes ride the same trains and reach the same destinations. 1st-class carriages have wider, less crowded seating and are quieter on busy routes. 2nd class is comfortable and the most popular choice; 1st class is worth it if you value space on long scenic journeys.

The pass covers unlimited travel on the Swiss Travel System network: national and regional trains, PostBuses, lake and river boats, and local trams and buses in more than 90 towns. The panorama trains (the Glacier Express, Bernina Express, GoldenPass and Gotthard Panorama Express) are included as far as the fare goes, but they need a separate seat reservation paid on top. The Glacier Express reservation is CHF 54 in 2026 (checked October 2026).

Some are, most are discounted. The Rigi, the Stanserhorn and the Stoos are covered in full, and so are the Beckenried-Klewenalp lift (summer 2026) and the Engelberg-Ristis cable car on the Brunni. Peaks like Mount Titlis, the Gornergrat and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise are about 50% off. For the Jungfraujoch, the train to Grindelwald or Wengen is included and the section up to the summit is 25% off. You buy the discounted ticket at the railway's counter or website by showing your pass.

Seat reservations and supplements on the panorama trains, the full fare on most cable cars and mountain railways (they are discounted, not free), the top section to the Jungfraujoch beyond the 25% discount, travel outside Switzerland, and meals or hotels. It is a transport pass with museum entry, not a city card.

Yes. The Swiss Travel Pass gives free admission to more than 500 museums across Switzerland, including the FIFA Museum in Zurich, the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, the Olympic Museum in Lausanne and Château de Chillon.

Choose the Swiss Travel Pass if you'll be sightseeing most days and covering a lot of ground. The Swiss Half Fare Card (CHF 150 at SBB for a month, 50% off most fares) suits slower trips, longer stays, or itineraries with only a few big journeys. Against a 4-day pass at CHF 309, the pass wins once the full fares for those days come to more than CHF 318.

Children aged 6 to 15 travel free with a parent who holds a Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card, provided you add each child as a free Swiss Family Card when you buy. Children under 6 travel free without a ticket. Travellers under 25 can buy the Swiss Travel Pass Youth, about 30% cheaper than the adult fare.

On the panorama routes, the Glacier Express and Bernina Express in particular, a seat reservation is mandatory even though your pass covers the fare, and it is paid separately. On ordinary Swiss trains no reservation is needed; you board with your pass.

You receive a digital pass with a QR code to show on your phone or print. The consecutive pass needs no activation; it is valid from the start date you chose. Carry the passport or ID card you booked with, and show both to the conductor on board. If you book on GetYourGuide, the booking confirmation is not the pass: the seller emails the digital ticket after booking.

It usually is for visitors who travel most days: a few intercity trips, a panorama train, a couple of mountain excursions and free museum entry can easily exceed the pass price, and you skip buying tickets each day. If you'll be based in one place and travel little, add up your likely fares first; the Half Fare Card or single tickets may cost less.