kbrennan

After reading many posts on the various Swiss Passes, I have decided that the 1/2 Fare Pass will work for us. I looked on the RailEurope website and did not find an offer for the 1/2 Fare Pass.
Where is the best place to purchase this? Thanks! KB

PalenqueBob

only sold in Switzerland at any train station - not marketed by Raileurope.

enzian

Are you sure you mean the Half Fare Card? That is good for a full year and costs CHF 150. As PalenqueBob says, you get that one in Switzerland, or on the rail website: www.sbb.ch

There are other passes that give 1/2 off for a one-month period, available to "international guests".

Budman

We got the 1/2 fare card when we were there, and it costs 99 SFr, good for one month, and can be purchased at any major train station in Switzerland. Make a copy of your passport photo/ID page and bring it with you to use it in the folding plastic carrying pouch with the pass on one side and the passport on the other.

kbrennan

Thanks for all the information.
Budman - thanks for the tip about making a copy of the passport page.

bob_brown

If you arrive by plane at Zürich or Geneva, you can buy the pass at the airport train station as indicated.
But, if you are arriving by train, then you have the problem of having to get off of the train to buy the pass and wait for the next train, or else lose some of the advantage of buying the card.

If arriving by car, then you buy it when you need it.

I usually arrive by train, so I purchase a Swiss Card in advance to take advantage of the free inward and outward journeys. The cost of 2 tickets from the border to our destination exceeds the cost of postage to have the passes shipped via DHL or whatever service is being used.

I buy a ticket to the first station in Switzerland, and let the Card take me the rest of the way.