Half-fare card?
Sep 25th, 2006, 01:46 PM
#21
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Thanks Altamiro, on reflection its probably not worth it for our very short stay. A day card sounds like it would be good value. One more question, when we arrive in Zurich we will be catching a train from the airport at about 6.30am and will spend the day 'wandering' the city. Can we purchase the day card at the airport station?
Thanks AD
Thanks AD
Sep 25th, 2006, 05:23 PM
#22
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Let's not make too many sweeping generalizations about showing and not showing the Swiss Card or the half fare card when you buy a transportation ticket.
It depends upon where you are and what you are buying for.
A half fare care could in some cases be interpreted as one way. In the case of some of the mountain cable systems, you go through turnstiles that open wieh you insert your ticket. If the ticket is not valid for the return trip, it will not coded to open the gate. You will not be sold automatically a half fare ticket for a round trip without showing the card.
I did not need to show my passport these past two years when riding the mountain trains, but on the train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen, the conductor checked my ticket, saw it was half price, and then asked if I had a Swiss Card. Had I not produced the Swiss Card, I am quite sure there would have been a directive to pay the other half of the fare.
If you are making an open jawed trip, such as taking the train plus the cable lift up to the crest of the Männlichen from Lauterbrunnen and returning from Kleine Scheidegg after hiking down the trail, you will need to specify your route when purchasing the ticket. You will not automatically get a half fare ticket on that ticket regardless of what you say.
You can also be quite sure that if you are purchasing a ticket to take the Jungfraubahn to the Jungfraujoch, the agent will not sell you a half fare round trip ticket just because you want one. Nor will the conductor likely fail to ask if you have a Swiss Card when he or she sees a half fare round trip ticket in your hand.
It depends upon where you are and what you are buying for.
A half fare care could in some cases be interpreted as one way. In the case of some of the mountain cable systems, you go through turnstiles that open wieh you insert your ticket. If the ticket is not valid for the return trip, it will not coded to open the gate. You will not be sold automatically a half fare ticket for a round trip without showing the card.
I did not need to show my passport these past two years when riding the mountain trains, but on the train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen, the conductor checked my ticket, saw it was half price, and then asked if I had a Swiss Card. Had I not produced the Swiss Card, I am quite sure there would have been a directive to pay the other half of the fare.
If you are making an open jawed trip, such as taking the train plus the cable lift up to the crest of the Männlichen from Lauterbrunnen and returning from Kleine Scheidegg after hiking down the trail, you will need to specify your route when purchasing the ticket. You will not automatically get a half fare ticket on that ticket regardless of what you say.
You can also be quite sure that if you are purchasing a ticket to take the Jungfraubahn to the Jungfraujoch, the agent will not sell you a half fare round trip ticket just because you want one. Nor will the conductor likely fail to ask if you have a Swiss Card when he or she sees a half fare round trip ticket in your hand.
