Where to purchase 50%off Swiss Rail Card?
 

Do all train stations sell this 50% off rail card which can be used on Swiss trains? What is the cost if purchased in Switzerland? Thanks, Marcie

The following web site page will give you the details and the prices in English:<BR>http://www.sbb.ch:80/pv/sts_e.htm<BR><BR>You will need the Acrobat reader to see the prices. The Swiss Card, second class is currently 165 chf, or about<BR>$105 with the declining dollar.<BR><BR>The Swiss Card is not available everywhere in Switzerland. If you read the bottom part of the page, a paragraph will tell you that the card is available at airport train stations or border train stations.<BR>The Swiss Card is valid on many of the private rail lines and cable lifts.<BR>For example the train system that serves the Berner Oberland from Interlaken Ost is a private line as is the one that leads to Zermatt.<BR>

Marcie: I think you are talking about the Swiss 1/2 Price card which sells for about 90 SF (last year anyway) and gives you 50% off on bus/train, some mt. cablecars too. We usually got at least 25% off on any tram or cablecar. It's good for a month and you get it at a Swiss border town or airport. There's also the 1/2 price transfer ticket (card) which gets you one RT in and out of Switzerland plus 50% off as above (a little more money) Then there are the reg. Swiss cards. I always get the 1/2 price card because we don't travel around that much.

Thanks for the info. If the current price of the 1/2 price card is approximately 95 SF, does anyone know the current price of the Saver Pass (the one for 2 people traveling together) for 8 days, 2nd class IF PURCHASED IN SWITZERLAND. The price on the website quotes $192. per person if purchased in USA but I understand it is less expensive if you purchase it in Switzerland. Thanks, Marcie

oops...it looks like the price of the 1/2 price Swiss card is higher(165 chf) based on Bob's posting. Still would like the current price of the Swiss Saver, 2nd class for 8 days if purchased in Switzerland. Anyone know the savings if purchased there? Thanks!

Marcie, take a look at the web sites!!<BR>The Swiss Card includes a ride from where you arrive to your first destination and return. That alone should make up for the price difference between the cost of the Swiss Card and that half priced gizmo that MissSwiss is talking about. <BR><BR>After you arrive at your destination, you get 50% off all SBB trains and most of the private trains. Discounts on the cable lifts varies from 25% to 50% depending on which ones you take. I<BR>got the Swiss Card in 1998 because I spend two weeks in Switzerland going to many destinations.<BR>In 2000 I opted for the Berner Oberland Regional Pass because I was staying the whole week in Lauterbrunnen and arrived by car.<BR>We spend 3 whole days riding everything in sight and definitely saved money.<BR>Without the pass I would not have ridden so much, but once we had bought the pass, we took full advantage of it. <BR>If I get good weather this year, you can bet I will get another one!!<BR>But if I were riding the SBB trains all over Switzerland, I would get the other kind of pass. It would depend on where I was going and what I was going to do as to whether or not I got the Saver pass or the Swiss Card. My wife will be with me, and the deal for two people on that Saver Pass is hard to beat for general travel.<BR>

Thanks Bob, Ironically....we are being picked up by a friend and staying our first night and our last night with her in Zug so don't need the transportation to or from the Zurich airport. thanks for your help. Marcie

hello all,<BR><BR>there are two different types of "50% off Swiss Rail Cards".<BR><BR>One is available everywhere for everyone and costs 150 Sfr. for one year and 222 Sfr. for two years (prices 2001). It is called "Halbtax Abo".<BR><BR>The other is called Swiss Half Fare Card. It is only sold to Non-Swiss residents and available on the border stations, airports and a few other places. It costs 99 Sfr. and is valid for one month.<BR><BR>Both offer the same reduction of 50% on regular fares for trains, postbuses, boats and most cable cars. Please notice that some of the cable cars in canton Graubuenden do not accept both Rail Passes anymore.<BR><BR>The Swiss Pass for 8 days and 2 persons travelling together is 289 Sfr. for each.<BR><BR>Ingo<BR>

Bob: Whether the Swiss Card at 165SF with one RT in and out and 50% off thereafter is a better deal than the 1/2 Price with only the 50% off depends on where you go and what you do. A 1/2 price RT ticket from Geneva to Sion is 41.50SF. So if you only want to get to and from Sion and then hike and stay in the Valais you would pay 140.50Sf total. <BR>With the Swiss Card, you pay 165SF, so your RT ticket actually cost more.