Switzerland Rail Passes News
 

Hi folks,

I am just back home from the Dresden Travel Fair, where I got a good dose of virtual Switzerland travelling :-) (beside some cheese + wine)

What caught my eye is that with the Swiss Pass from this year on you get a reduction of 50% on the mountain railways/cable cars, not only 25%. This makes it even more a bargain. In addition, the Swiss Pass is also a "Swiss Museum Pass" - about 400 museums all over Switzerland give free entrance for the Swiss Pass travellers. See www.museumspass.ch for details.

By the way, we also had discussions here on sending luggage with Swiss Railways. The newest information is that you can send your luggage as "Schnelles Reisegepäck" (fast travel luggage?) between 45 destinations in Switzerland and they guarantee it will arrive the same day. Cost is 20 Sfr. per piece. www.sbb.ch/baggage (German, don't know the website of the English version)

Happy travels in Switzerland!

Ingo
(having another bite of the Swiss cheese ;-) )

Sounds good, Ingo! Topping for other folks who check in on Saturdays. J.

Hi Guys!

Wow, Ingo, great news! That change will make the decision to Pass or Half-Fare that much harder! Thanks for the update!

s

Hi. At another thread PalQ (I think) mentioned that the Swiss Pass is presently a good bit less expensive at raileurope. I took a look and it appears to be a big difference indeed. Am I missing something? (I purchased mine at the Zurich flughafen my last two trips.) J.

I have always been under the impression that ALL rail passes were sold at a set price (determined by the railroads) and that any additional costs were those involving S+H fees, etc.

In the past it seemed that the basic cost of Swiss Passes were no more or less expensive at RE than they would be buying them in Switzerland..so am I the one who is "missing something"?

I just compared Swiss Pass prices on RailEurope.com and RickSteves.com - they are the same.

1st cl/indiv
4-day........278
8-day........395
2nd cl/indiv
4-day........185
8-day........264

But they are not the same if you compare raileurope and the sbb.ch website.

Oh, good grief. I looked again and saw that the pdf file at sbb.ch is in swiss francs. Would you believe that my laptop screen is small? I have senior citizen eyes? Not enough coffee yet? So sorry gang. Mea culpa, etc. J.

one more cuppa coffee sounds good! I'll go get one, too..

Here are the prices in Sfr. from the swiss travel system brochure I got yesterday:

Swiss Pass 2nd class 1 Traveller (2+ Travellers)
4 days 250 (213)
8 days 362 (308)

Swiss Pass 1st class 1 Traveller (2+ Travellers)
4 days 378 (322)
8 days 543 (462)

You did know that you get a reduction if two or more persons travelling together, eh?

I.

I am not sure what those prices are listed by Travelnut.

I just printed out the PDF page from the Swiss web site that has the rates for 2006.

A 4 day 2nd class Swiss Pass, 1 adult, is 250 chf. For two adults together it is 213. The 8 day version is 362 for 1 adult while the 15 day version is 444.

The Swiss Flexi Pass 2nd class for 8 days is 450.

The 1st class prices, 4 days are 378 and 322 respectively for 1 adult and 2 together.

The Swiss Card is 178 per adult 2nd class.

Given the price differential and time differential, one must still look at the proposed travel plans when figuring the most cost effective discount instrument.

If, like me, most of the travel is in the mountain regions on various trains and cable lifts, the Swiss Card is still my better deal.

I cannot amortize the difference in cost between the two because I don't usually ride SBB trains other than to come in and go out of the country, the cost of which is included in the Swiss Card.

Ingo's prices from SBB site still show that passes are indeed cheaper from RailEurope than at the station in Switzerland, but not nearly as great a difference than they were in 2005 when i figured the differential to be about 18% cheaper for the exact same pass thru RailEurope in US.
Here prices from Ingo's post above and RailEurope prices - I used 1.30 Sfr to the $ as in today's NYTimes so multiplied by .77 $ to franc, the official and i think optimal rate - prices differentials will of course vary as to currency fluctuations - the disparity in 2005 was larger due to the higher value of the Swiss franc then - up to .90 $ to franc i believe at one time.
Swiss Pass 2nd class 1 Traveller (2+ Travellers)
4 days 250 (213) = $192.50 ($164)
8 days 362 (308) = $279 ($237)
RailEurope prices in $
4 days $185 ($158) - $7.50 and $8 cheaper respecitvely than in Switzerland
8 days - REurope: $264 ($225) - $15 and $12 cheaper than in Switzerland

Swiss Pass 1st class 1 Traveller (2+ Travellers)
4 days 378 (322)SF= $291 ($237)
8 days 543 (462)SF= $418 ($356)
RailEurope prices:
4 days 1st cl= $278 ($236 saver p.p.)
RE is $13 and $18 cheaper respectively
8 days 1st cl=$395 ($336) or $23 and $20 cheaper respectively.
So currently Swiss Passes still cheaper thru RE in US than at station in Switzerland - again this is as of 2/23/06 - currency fluctuations can cause difference to shrink or gain.
Now Reurope does charge $15 shipping fees on orders under $299 but some of the agents, like BETS (800-441-2387) who i deal with do not so the price differential is real.
Note that in 2006 for the first time RailEurope is not guaranteeing their prices for the whole year and reserve the right to change them - unlikely unless significant currency fluctuations in THEIR favor! (don't expect a decrease in price if dollar goes up!)




Swiss Pass 1st class 1 Traveller (2+ Travellers)
4 days 378 (322)
8 days 543 (462)

I have always been under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that pass prices were set and that there were no discounts.

What you seem to be saying, Pal, is that RailEurope, which is partially controlled by the SBB, is selling Swiss Passes for less than the SBB sells them for is that correct?

Correct.

All of this is caused by currency fluctuation. It was also cheaper in June of 2005 to buy the Swiss Pass in US$ via Rick Steves or Rail Europe than in Sfr. in Switzerland. One important perk with the Swiss Pass is to get the Swiss Family Card if you have qualifying kids--having them ride free is a fantastic bargain.

I wish I had seen this post earlier. Was there in mid Jan and from Basel to Geneve we paid CHF260.00 return for the 2 of us. and that was only 2nd class.

Re: Free Swiss Family Pass: kids under 16 get a free pass the same as their parents (only parents, not grandparents, etc.) - I believe these too cost more in Switzerland - I think i saw on the www.sbb.com Swiss Rail site that Family Cards there cost 20SF. I could be wrong but that's what i remember.

I paid SFr. 20.-- last year for my kids. Should still be in that range.

It does indeed perplex me why the Family Card costs SF20 in Suisse but is free in US? There's more than currency fluctuations to explain that!

Maybe because it's valid for a whole year? Also, there is no requirement to buy any other adult pass with it.