I'm trying to figure out the SBB website..

For calculating the prices, what does

1/2 fare (CHF 43.50) or 1/1 fare (CHF 87.00) mean?

Would my roundtrip ticket cost CHF 87? Is that how it's read?

another question..

when i purchase my ticket valid for the day, can i pick what time i want to get on the train? I dont have to set a specific time that i want to return right?

Say I get to the city and had originally planned to leave on the train back home at 5 pm, but i want to stay till 7 and catch the 7pm train... can i do that? or when i purchase my ticket i have to keep the time i sign up for?

I think that means unless you have purchased the half-fare card, you pay the 1/1 fare. There is info on the SBB website about the half-fare card, see how much it is and it may be worth it to buy it.

To answer your questions:

1. The ? refers to a half-fare card. This card entitles you to pay approximately half the full price quoted for any train trip. The card costs about US$135, so it will only save you money if you are talking a lot of short trips or some longer more expensive trips. The card also entitles you to travel for half price on trams, buses and most ferries in Switzerland. Public transport is fairly expensive in Switzerland, i.e. a journey of more than 4 stops on the tram will cost you about US$2.80 on the tram in Zurich. I live in Switzerland and find it very useful. I am not sure that non-residents can purchase one. If you can, and you plan on using trains and other public transport, it would save you some money. (Add up the cost of all your potential trips and see if paying $135 will save you anything.)

2. The 1/1 means the regular full fare. I can't tell from your message whether you choose a one way or an "outward and return journey" (i.e., roundtrip) for your particular trip. If there were two arrows pointing in different directions when you used the fare calculator, then the quote is for a round trip.

3. Unless you are buying a reserved seat for a particular train, you can use your ticket for any train going to your destination and any train returning. Tickets for distances of over 115 kilometers are valid for one month, for shorter journeys the ticket is only valid for one day. If you are unsure if your ticket is valid for more than one day, ask at the ticket window. You can buy tickets from machines in the train station or from a person at the ticket window. The machines are fairly easy to use and have instructions in English; but you must have change, they do not take bills.

Some trains require reservations, these are always noted with a "R" on the website. This generally applies to longer journeys or to intercountry trains. Even for these trains, it is very easy to change your reservation mid-trip.

FYI, if you are only going for a day trip, it us often cheaper to buy a "Day Card" which must be used for outward and return travel on the same day. You can go anywhere in Switzerland on the Day Card, provided you complete the return journey within a day. (Can?t recall if SBB considers a day is more than 12 hours, it may be, check with the ticket window, or check the website.) The price of a Day Card is CHF 52, so in your case this would be cheaper than the roundtrip price of CHF87. You have to validate the Day Card ticket just before you board the train. You need to buy these tickets from a ticket office, and you can ask them how to validate it.

I would be traveling from Geneva to Gstaad in one day in late july.. Departing around 7 am and returning by 9pm... So would the one day pass be the best option then?

Actually it is also possible to buy a one-month half fare card for 99sfr (buy at any SBB ticket counter). And yes, non-residents can purchase this. The 150sfr. one that Cicerone refers to is for one-year. The one-day card costs 52sfr. 2nd class and is obviously cheaper than the 87sfr. full fare for the Geneva-Gstaad trip.

I can purchase the one-day card at the Geneva train station the day i travel correct?

I better make it clear that I believe the day card is only good in conjunction WITH a half-fare card. https://shop.sbb.ch/webapp/commerce/.../report?LANG=E
But you may want to inquire at the train station about this. Personally I have never used it as I have a half-fare card and usually never travel somewhere in a day that costs more than 52sfr with my 1/2 off.

If you plan on doing lots of travel it may pay for you to consider getting a one-month half-fare card upon arrival-you would recoup 43.50sfr. of the 99sfr. cost off this one trip.

I'm just going from Geneva to Gstaad and Gstaad to Geneva in one day..

If you really plan on doing no other travel in Switzerland and do not have any sort of rail pass than you will have to pay the 87sfr. full fare.

Maybe Cicerone can clarify if he or she has to show his or her half-fare card when buying/using the day card.

Unless the policy has changed, you are unable, and will not need to, make seat reservations for rail trips that occure wholly WITHIN Switzerland with the notable exceptions of trains such as the Glacier Express, Crystal Panorama/Golden Pass, Bernina Express, William Tell, etc.
There will be plenty of seats available on most routes since the trains are frequent.

You can always send an email to Swiss Rail's very helpful customer service department. They answer within a day or so and explain in detail everything. In case you need it, the email address is:

[email protected]

I contacted the customer service dept and got a response, but still dont' understand how much i have to pay for the ticket..

I want from Geneva to Gstaad
Then Gstaad to Geneva
that's a roundtrip

The customer service dept said its chf 87 for the return trip.

So do i pay 87 for 1 way of the trip and 87 for the other way?

or is it 87 for the entire one day train trip..


sorry to keep asking, i just want to make sure i understand it correctly...

The term "return" is the European way of saying "round trip". Otherwise, it's one-way.

Hi Ray,

A "return trip" is what we call a "round trip" in the US.

The total fare is 87 chf.

thanks so much!