Where can I buy Swiss Half Fare Card

Ciewhizoi14

Hi, I am a tourist from Singapore and plan to visit Switzerland for 6 days. I want to buy Swiss Half Fare Card for tourist that valid for 1 month. However, I can’t find it on SBB website. Anyone can help me 🇦 1. can we buy it online ? 2. where to buy this card online? 3. If we can’t buy it online, where can we buy it,

Thank you so much.

RolandP

Hello Ciewhizoi14

You can purchase the Swiss Half Fare Card from here: Swiss Half Fare Card

And this is the website from SBB for the Swiss Half Fare Card: Swiss Half Fare Card. | SBB

Kind regards,
Roland

Ciewhizoi14

I bought Swiss Half Fare Card for tourist that valid for 1 month.
I plan to go to Zermatt from Basel on 1st January 2024. I don’t know the timing yet, so I prefer to buy Day pass.
I downloaded SBB apps, and put that I have Half fare card manually into the apps. When I checked on SBB apps, there are few option that I can purchase the tickets. and I want to buy the Saver Day Pass. However, there are 2 types of Saver Day Pass:

Saver Day Pass : CHF 49
Valid for one person in the GA travel card area of validity. Valid for one calendar day until 5 am on the following day. Only available when booking in advance. Limited availability in terms of day of travel and price band. Discounted Saver Day Passes available for the Half Fare Travelcard as well as Saver Day Passes at full price for 1st and 2nd class. No refund or exchange.
Day Pass for the Half Fare Travelcard : CHF 78
One day’'s free travel on trains, boats and post buses as well as on trams and busses in most swiss cities and major urban areas (on valid GA travel card routes). Only with a valid half fare Travelcard. Validity period : one calendar day until 5 am on the following day.

Questions: Can I buy option 1 - Saver Day Pass CHF 49 with my tourist swiss half fare card? The price of CHF 49 is already a half price, correct?
If I buy option 1, I can travel to zermatt from Basel at any time during the day and I can also travel to other destination within the day (or until 5 am the following day). Is my understanding correct?

Option 2 - Day Pass for the Half Fare Travelcard at CHF 78. Is this price already a discounted price?

Thank you.
Best regards,
Fonita

RolandP

Hello Ciewhizoi14

You are already well informed and prepared. To use the SBB Mobile app with the settings made is a great idea, as by doing so, the app will suggest the best ticket options for your trip.

I gladly answer your remaining questions as follows:

Can I buy option 1 - Saver Day Pass CHF 49 with my tourist swiss half fare card?

YES

The price of CHF 49 is already a half price, correct?

YES

If I buy option 1, I can travel to zermatt from Basel at any time during the day and I can also travel to other destination within the day (or until 5 am the following day). Is my understanding correct?

YES

Option 2 - Day Pass for the Half Fare Travelcard at CHF 78. Is this price already a discounted price?

The Day Pass for the Half Fare Card is solely available for (Swiss) Half Fare Card holders. There isn’t a full fare day pass, besides the Saver Day Pass.

The only difference between a Saver Day Pass and a Day Pass for the Half Fare Card is price and the refund policy; the former is inexpensive yet cannot be refunded in case of personal circumstances that make a travel impossible.

Keep in mind, any use of electronic tronic tickets requires your physical passport or ID card, to be presented upon ticket check.

Kind regards,
Roland

Krist

You also have the option of just buying a ticket. Tickets in Switzerland are for travel, not for trains, so with a ticket, eg. Basel - Zermatt you can just travel on any train on the Basel - Zermatt route at your own discretion, until 5 AM the next day. So normal tickets also give you a lot of flexibility.
You can also always buy tickets up to the last moment.

So if you do not know your timings yet in advance, the solution is to just wait. Buying a ticket just moments before travel is the norm here in Switzerland.

However, on longer distances buying a saver day pass in advance is indeed often the cheapest option. However, you should not assume that you always will need a day pass.