Syv

Is it true that buying the Swiss rail pass once IN Switzerland, is cheaper than purchasing it online before leaving home (Canada)?

For example, Swiss Rail website lists non-consecutive days pass in Canadian dollars:

2nd class 1 adult
3 days in 1 month 193.00
4 days in 1 month 233.00
5 days in 1 month 273.00

The Canadian dollar is a little less than the CHF (approx. $1.05 - $1.10 for one CHF)

I will be using the discount for mountain cable cars, etc., is a good feature of a pass instead of purchasing one-way tickets step by step as I go. That is why I am considering a pass.

Thanks for any replies.

bob_brown

I don't know. What options have you considered?

Have you priced out your options, such as the Swiss Card, the half fare card, the regular Swiss Pass, and the Swiss Flexi Pass? It all depends on where you are going, how you are traveling, and what the costs of your anticipated trips are.

I think some break-even analysis is the task at hand.

I suggest you start by pricing each of your planned trips individually and then weigh the cost against the same trips with a pass of some description.

I personally have found the flexi pass to be less effective than other discount instruments. But that is my finding based on a projected break-even point calculation based on where I hoped to go.

The SBB website is a good place to start. It will now, however, give you ALL prices, but it is a start.

I use this site for prices in the Berner Oberland.

http://www.jungfraubahn.ch/en/Deskto...9/86_read-158/

bob_brown

OOPs make that will NOT give you all prices. Now is a typo.

Syv

Okay thanks. So I guess to re-phrase my question better...

Are the prices listed on the website the SAME as we will find in person at a rail station in Switzerland? And, if so, I can just buy the pass or tickets in person when I arrive?


A friend just returned from a trip and found that prices were inflated online, and were much cheaper in person. However, they were not using the "Swiss" rail pass; they were travelling country through country, and did not need discounts for any other type of travel service.

Edward2005

I dont' know if they are cheaper there than in the US or Canada. However, there are a lot of rail pass options in Switzerland. It's possible your friend may have been comparing two different passes.

PalenQ

Swiss Passes in the U.S. have been significantly cheaper than same pass in Switzerland for a few years now

And the Swiss Franc has risen from ,90 to over a $1 in the past month or so making the discrepency even more as Swiss Pass prices in $s have not gone up at all. Compare at sbb.ch - Swiss Rail site and www.budgeteuropetravel.com for $ prices or raileurope.com or ricksteves.com - the first and third sites also have lots of good info on Swiss trains and Swiss Passes - raileurope just has prices.

I do not know about Canadian pricing however.

lovisa

"Are the prices listed on the website the SAME as we will find in person at a rail station in Switzerland . . .

A friend just returned from a trip and found that prices were inflated online, and were much cheaper in person"

If you look online at a third party site like raileurope.com, yes the prices are inflated. If you look at the Swiss rail website, www.rail.ch , YES, those are the actual prices.

Also, while you can buy certain regional railpasses in Switzerland, and Half Fare passes, I'm not sure about the availability of other passes once you arrive in Switzerland.

bob_brown

I know for sure that you can buy the half fare card good for one month at most rail stations in Switzerland because I did so last year.

The Swiss Card, which is a half fare card with a trip into and out of the country built into the price, is said to be available at a few key entry points like the Zürich airport.

The situation for buying the tickets has changed and the information is hard to find.

I finally found some comparisons.
The Swiss Pass for 15 days is currently priced at 455 chf. In dollars, from Rail Europe, it is priced at $353. With 1 chf = $.98 US, the pass is cheaper over here.

Swiss card, which I am interested in, sells over here for $146 USD.
The price on the Swiss Rail web site is 99 chf BUT it is NOT listed in the US dollar price table.

So, I suggest you try this web page and see if it has helpful information. Once you have prices in hand, you can do your own break even anylisis and see which pass is the best deal for you.

http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/Tick....html?&L=2

bob_brown

opps bad mistake.

The Swiss half fare card is not listed in the dollar table. I made a serious blunder there.

The half fare card goes for 99 chf but as far as I know it is bought in Switzerland.

I am NOT able yet to verify that the Swiss Card can be bought in Switzerland like in years past.

Given the prices, I would buy it here because it is cheaper.

PalenQ

Swiss franc in paper this a.m. was $1.01 and then there are exchange charges of about 3% to also figure in usually if you pay with a credit card or even some for cash exchange i think

PalenQ

Syv

Perhaps Canadian prices are higher because the GST tax is included?

I know passes are subject to the GST tax or are under the impression they are

In the U.S. travel tickets and passes are rarely subject to state taxes it seems

PalenQ

And if the dollar is in a free fall as the nightly news tonight implies then to buy early may save even more

can buy up to six months before you activate or start the pass in Switzerland and be guaranteed the price

PalenQ

Though Swiss Passes are sold at a uniform price set apparently by RailEurope (part owned by Swiss Railways) in dollar prices mailing and handling fees can vary. On orders under $399 for example RailEurope charges $18 mailing fees and many Swiss Pass orders, even Saver Passes like two 3-day flexipasses would not cost $399. Other agents may not so shop around if under $399 even though passes themselves always cost the same anywhere - except in Switzerland where they currently are significantly more expensive last time i checked.