Hello helpful Fodorites,
We will be in Switzerland in September. I am trying to determine how much to budget for transportation. So, I plugged in the first train ride we’ll be taking; Zurich to Sils Maria and the price is CHF 41.80. The app seems to assume we will have a Half Fare Card, is that correct? TIA!!

Not an expert on SBB app, but I read this as the price for one of two passengers

So if we had a HFC, the price would be CHF 20.90 per person? Thanks.

Hi milaedg,

No, you were right the first time -- the app and the website is set to default at Half Fare Card.

See on the right-hand column, under the bold-faced Point-to-point ticket.... it says "Passenger 1 (1/2)" -- that means 1 passenger at half fare. A full-fare ticket would say Passenger 1 (1/1)."

Have fun as you plan!

s

Swandav is right: this is the half fare price.

Clicking on the "Passenger 1" Pen icon (right, up in your screenshot) you can adjust the passenger status (full fare, half fare, young, etc.) and maybe register you and the other members of the family/party to buy always the right ticket.

For that trip, consider to buy a Saver day pass, down to 29.- (with half fare card) or 52.- ("full fare"), 60 days in advance (by midnight, Swiss time, that results in 3pm 61 days in advance in California etc.)

Thank you for the confirmation Swandav!

finsteraarhorn, thank you. Regarding the Saver Day pass, do I have to purchase that exactly 60 days before date of travel? Can I purchase multiple Super Day passes for different travel days (Scuol to Zermatt on another day, for example) as long as it’s purchased 60 days before? Thanks!

You can also add a passenger to the app so you can buy more than one ticket. I use the app almost daily and it usually works like a charm. Unfortunately, as with all technology, it does have moments where it's down but those are rare. I buy all my tickets through the app and make sure I get an email as a confirmation as well.

Yes, you can buy for you and the others as many Saver day passes as you want. They are relead 60 days in advance, in limited quantity. As fast as they are purchased, their price goes up day by day. After they are all sold, you can buy regular day passes for the Half fare card for 75.- CHF. Saver Day Pass – book earlier, travel cheaper | SBB

Thanks for the clarification! In that case, I’ll have a reminder alert set up to get the cheapest possible fare for our long-haul train rides.

“For that trip, consider to buy a Saver day pass, down to 29.- (with half fare card) or 52.- ("full fare"), 60 days in advance (by midnight, Swiss time, that results in 3pm 61 days in advance in California etc.)”

I am a little confused. How can I purchase a discounted Saver Day pass 60 days in advance? We will not have a Half Fare Card until we arrive in Zurich. Our travel date for the example above (ZUR to SILS) is Sept 15 which means I need to buy the Super Day pass sometime in mid July to get the lowest price. We will not have the HFC yet in July. Since it’s only good for a month, we don’t intend to buy it until we arrive in Zurich. How does this work? What am I missing? Please help. TIA!

Hi again,

You do not need to have the HFC in hand when you buy your ticket or pass; you only need to have the HFC in hand when you show your ticket or pass to the train ticket-taker. Generally, you show the HFC, the ticket, and sometimes your i.d. to the person checking tickets.

Have fun!

s

Whew! The SBB app really is that easy to use and convenient! Thank you Swandav.