Know Before You Go: Switzerland

Most hotels within Switzerland are a short walk from the train station or will have taxis available. However, Zermatt, Mürren, and Wengen are car-free towns, so there are no vehicle options for transportation.

In Zermatt and St. Moritz, if you would like complimentary pick-up from the station to your hotel by electric cart, you can arrange with your hotel directly or use the free phone at the station to call when you arrive.

If you have a Swiss Pass included, local transportation on trains, buses and ferries are covered on your Swiss Pass days. You can also use your pass for free or discounted entry to over 500 museums throughout Switzerland. You can find more details about your Swiss Pass below.

Jungfraujoch, Mt Pilatus, Mt Titlis, Matterhorn Glacier Summit, Gornergrat, Glacier 3000 & Schilthorn

If your itinerary includes one of the above-day trips, you should also have an additional voucher to present along with your Swiss Pass, which you will need to exchange for your tickets at the ticket desk prior to the journey. Your Swiss Pass will cover any journeys up to the actual mountain excursion, please reference the suggested timetable on your travel vouchers. Please note that there should be a voucher for each traveler for this excursion, and it is only valid on the date shown on the voucher.

Glacier Express, Bernina Express, Golden Pass & Gotthard Panorama Express

These 4 scenic trains require seat reservations, which you have already paid for in your itinerary. These train times are NOT flexible, and you must travel at the time indicated. You should have an additional voucher for your seat reservations to present along with your Swiss Pass or point-to-point ticket. Please note that there may only be one passenger’s name on the voucher, but it is valid for all travelers on the journey as noted by the “Quantity” shown on the voucher. These reservations are not valid for travel alone – you must also show the ticket inspector either your accompanying Swiss Pass or ticket for the journey, depending on your itinerary.

Many Switzerland itineraries include a Swiss Travel Pass. You should have a separate Swiss Pass voucher for each traveler. You will not, therefore, have an individual ticket for each train journey, simply the Swiss Pass plus any additional reservations or supplements that may be required. The Swiss Travel Pass is available for 3, 4, 6, 8, or 15 days, either consecutively or “flexi” depending on the type of pass confirmed in your itinerary. It entitles you to unlimited travel on railways, boats, and most bus routes. In addition, the Swiss Travel Pass allows free travel on local transport services in 90 Swiss towns and cities and offers a 50% reduction on most mountain railways and cable cars. Free entry to around 500 museums and exhibitions is also included.

If your voucher says “Swiss Travel Pass” that means it is for consecutive days, and the start and end date will be visible on your voucher. You will need to bring this with you on all train journeys.

If your voucher says “Flexi”, that means that it is not for consecutive days, and is only to be used on the dates when you are due to travel on the train on your itinerary. You will receive a voucher that looks like this:

Activate Your “Flexi” Pass

You need to visit the link at www.activateyourpass.com and select the days you will be using the pass. Once you have done this, you will receive an individual pass by email for each date you have selected, which will look like this:

If your itinerary does not include a Swiss Pass, you will have point-to-point tickets for each day’s train journeys. These are mostly flexible, meaning you can travel at any departure time for that routing, as well as get off at any stop along the way, before resuming to your final destination. For example, Zurich to Geneva stops in Bern along the way, where you could get off the train to enjoy lunch before continuing to Geneva. For this reason, tickets do not have a specific train time on them and can be used at any time that day. Your travel itinerary will contain a suggested train time for your journey.