What is Swiss Rail Pass? How to apply and obtain? Cities / Attractions / Cable Car you can visit?

What is a Rail Pass?

Rail pass is nothing but a train pass (travel document) which entitles to travel on the European trains.

Is there any benefits of having a EU Rail | Interrail pass?

Yes, if you have any one of the rail pass, there will be a discounted rates on shopping, hotel stay and some museum / attraction has free entry / discounted entry rate

What is Swiss Rail Pass?

Swiss Rail pass is a train pass especially for non-Swiss residents. Using Swiss pass, passengers can travel unlimitedly to the Switzerland. You can travel through

  • Swiss trains,
  • buses,
  • boats
  • public transport in 90 towns & cities
  • Free admission / entry to 500 museums / discounted excursions to alpine summits

Rail Passes vs. Train Tickets

Rail Passes Train Tickets
Best for discovering more than 3 cities Yes No
Children usually travel free Yes No
Often includes travel bonuses Yes No
Seat reservations included for most trains No Yes

Can you use Eurail Pass in Switzerland?

  • Yes, you can travel with Eurail pass in Switzerland

Can you use public transport with Eurail Pass?

  • No, you cannot.

Where can you get more assistance regarding Eurail | Swiss Rail Pass?

Where can you go / access (Visit) using Swiss Rail (Travel) Pass?

Cities in Switzerland to visit using Swiss Travel Pass

  • Bern
  • Basel
  • Davos
  • Geneva
  • Innsbruck
  • Lausanne
  • Zurich

Scenic Trains in Switzerland

Bernina Express: A four-hour journey through Switzerland & Italy
Glacier Express:
Goldenpass: A choice of 3 scenic routes or the Chocolate Train
Gotthard Panorama Express: A scenic journey through the heart of Switzerland
Luzern-Interlaken Express: (seat reservations extra) Journey between two world-class tourist destinations

What are Mountain Excursions you can explore with Swiss Pass?

  • The Rigi: A cog railway or cable car to the summit of the Queen of Mountains
  • The Stoosbahn: The steepest funicular railway in the world
  •  The CabriO Stanserhorn: A double-decker aerial cable car to the summit

Is there any discounts / free for visiting Mountain Railways / Cable Cars with Swiss Rail (Travel) Pass?

  • Yes, there is 50% Discounts on mountain railways and cable cars and 25% discount on the train for Jungfraujoch
  • Discounts on high-speed Lyria trains between France and Switzerland
  •  Discounts on Nightjet trains that go through Switzerland

Is Museum free with Swiss Rail (Travel) Pass?

Yes there is free admission to more than 500 museums with Swiss Travel Pass.

Switzerland Train Network-Route Map

Red shows the routes of high speed trains where green shows the routes of regional trains and blue line shows the routes of scenic train

Swiss Train Network-Route Map

What are the trains operating in Switzerland and where it connects?

Regional trains in Switzerland

Train type Connects to
SBB RegioExpress smaller towns with larger Swiss cities
SBB Regio trains small towns with each other

 

SBB InterCity trains travel between major Swiss cities like Basel and Geneva
SBB InterRegio trains make more stops than InterCity trains and connect Zurich and Geneva with different cities across Switzerland
SBB S-Bahn network of suburban trains operating within the largest cities

High-speed SBB trains in Switzerland

International high-speed trains cover routes to and from Switzerland

Train type Connects to
ICE train Switzerland to Germany and the Netherland at 300km/h
Railjet trains Zurich with Vienna, Austria
Eurocity trains Zurich, Basel and Geneva to Milan/Venice
TGV Lyria trains Zurich, Basel and Geneva to Paris

Domestic high-speed trains

The Intercity Tilting Trains (ICN) are Switzerland’s domestic high-speed trains – they’re mainly used by commuters travelling from one major city to another.

What are the Night trains running in Switzerland?

The following night trains cover the routes between Switzerland and its neighbouring countries, including Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Croatia.

Train type Connects to
ÖBB Nightjet trains between Zurich, Basel, Berlin and Hamburg, as well as Zurich, Linz and Vienna

 

EuroNight trains Zurich to Graz (Austria), and Zurich to Vienna and Budapest

 

D-train between Zurich, Villach (Austria), Ljubljana (Slovenia), and Zagreb (Croatia)

What are the panoramic / Scenic trains in Switzerland?

Switzerland is well-known for its stunning scenery. The following scenic trains in Switzerland offer the most panoramic train routes:

Train type Connects to
Bernina Express Chur – Lugano via Tirano (Italy)
Chocolate train Montreux – Broc-Chocolat
Centovalli Railway Locarno (Switzerland) -Domodossola (italy)
Golden Pass Lucerne – Interlaken – Montreux
Glacier Express Davos/St. Moritz – Zermatt
Gotthard Panorama Express Lucerne – Domodossola (Italy)

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