Explanation of "Swiss Travel Pass"

Saurabh007 · 2023-09-24T10:12:26+00:00

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Saurabh007

So I got fined CHF 10 today for the following reason and I want to understand a bit better to avoid this in future.
So often we see that funiculars, cable cars etc. give discounts with either Half Fare or GA or Swiss travel cards. Now this is what my understanding till now: “Swiss travel card” is same (or equivalent to) to a SBB Day pass or Saver day pass, basically any pass which has already entitled for a full day travel on GA route. This explanation was given to me a ticket reception a few years ago (at oeschinensee cable car station if i remember). Today a friend of me was visiting from Germany, and we were going to Wengen to Klein Scheidegg. I had taken Saver day pass for him for all other other routes, and from Wengen to Klein Scheidegg I took the ticket under “Swiss travel pass”. Now at the ticket checker told me, that this is not valid and Swiss travel pass is the ⅔/4 day special ticket from SBB. I know this, but isn’t that only valid for outsiders, and Saver Day pass should be equivalent to it, No?

RolandP

Hello Saurabh007

It is a bit tricky with Day Passes and Saver Day Passes. Both allow free travel on all routes where the GA Travel Card is granting free travel, too. As a general saying, free travel is possible to inhabited places where people live 365 days yet not beyond. It is different for routes where the GA travel card does not grant free travel yet a discount.

The Day Passes and Saver Day Passes do not grant any discounts on routes beyond inhabited places (e.g. Wengen), for example, on mountain railways or cable cars. There are a few exceptions though, being Mt. Rigi, Mt. Stanserhorn, Stoss, Klewenalp / Stockhütte, and Mt. Rochers-de-Naye. Elsewhere, a full fare Day Pass or a full fare Saver Day Pass is not valid and does not give any discount. What is decisive to receiving a discount with these tickets, is whether you hold, in addition, a (Swiss) Half Fare Card or not. If you hold a Half Fare Card, it is actually the (Swiss) Half Fare Card that grants the discount, not the (Saver) Day Pass.

The ticket checker was very friendly as the person only asked for a supplement of CHF 10, being well aware that you misunderstood the reduction rule. It is actually not a fine, which would have resulted in a CHF 90 surcharge plus a new ticket.

Kind regards,
Roland