I'm about to order an 8-day swiss rail pass. Can you tell me if I need to designate a start date somewhere on my pass, or does the 8 day clock just begin when I take my 1st trip? I'm a little confused as I don't see a place to enter the start date on my order.

If it works like most rail passes, you are responsible for entering the first date of travel BEFORE you board your first train. Honor system really - but fines may be imposed if they catch you riding without the date entered....

You must take the pass up to a ticket window and then they will stamp its starting date for the date you tell them (can do in advance of the day you're traveling) then nothing else just board trains...but you do have to validate it first like above.
Once it's validated it's no longer refundable...ifnot validated can be refunded up to one year probably for 15% cancellation fee. If you have any questions on Swiss Passes and using them i'd call Budget Europe (800-441-2387) as they in my experience are Swiss rail experts. If you have an 8-day flexipass then you're activation for the one-month period it's good for and then you'd have eight boxes on it to fill in the date you want it to be used on for unlimited rides on trains and boats and buses covered for a midnight-midnight period.
You do NOT enter the start date - that is done at a train station ticket window only.

This is direct quote from my Eurail Pass "Conditions of Use" that is attached to the rail pass.... "The pass holder must enter the chosen date of each travel day on the pass before boarding the first train/ship of that day." This is a 3 country Eurail Select Pass Saver ticket.

1 - you must ACTIVATE the pass for its overall time period at a ticket window (or can be done by issuing travel agent)

2- once activated then you must fill in the dates you want the pass to be valid

but if you have an 8-straight day pass you need only to activate it at a train station - no entering dates because it's a consecutive pass. Only of flexi passes, good for a certain number of days of travel in a longer period (one month for Swiss passes) do you then have to enter the dates in the boxes as you go along, and prior to boarding the train.

PalQ is correct:

The first thing you do is have the pass validated and stamped by a railroad official. the official will ask you what date you want the pass to start and the offical will enter THAT date and the ending date.

If it is a flexi then you enter each date you wish to use the pass.

Now, do we need to talk about the "7 PM Rule"??????????

Oh no! Not the 7 pm rule! Let's not even go there. . . .

HonestAbe did not specify which kind of Swiss pass he is buying---a Swiss pass for 8 consecutive days, or a FlexiPass for 8 days chosen out of 30. His reference to the "8 day clock" suggests it is consecutive days. But either way, he needs to get it validated at a ticket window. The agent then can tell him how long the "clock" runs.

But to answer the original question---Abe doesn't need to designate a particular "start" date when he orders the pass.

The only requirement about when to start a pass is that the pass must be activated within six months of issue. Rarely do folks order passes that far in advance except for the chance to save money on specials like the current Eurail Select Pass sale where you get one extra day free on 6- day or longer Select passes and can activate the pass for its two-month overall validity period as late as 6 months after issue - meaning you could take advantage of the free day, about a $50 value, for up to 8 months after its last possible issue date - Mar 31, 2007.

PalenQ---is that sale just on Eurail passes, or would it includ a Swiss FlexiPass? Where would I look for information? Thanks!

No it's only on Eurail Select passes of six day duration or more. not on Swiss passes and i've never seen a promotion on Swiss Passes - this special is offered by RailEurope in US and perhaps the other four Eurailpass originators. For details on the Select Pass special: www.budgeteuropetravel.com or www.raileurope.com

Darn! But thanks for the info. Nice to see you back here, BTW.