I have created a swiss pass account. I plan on buying a Swiss Travel Pass but first I ma investigating how it will work for my 12-day trip. I have questions. 1. I tried booking a Lake Zurich short cruise. In the booking process, I had the option of logging in to my SwissPass account. I was given a price of 9.20 as guest and 7.00 if I logged in under my Swiss Pass. How do I indicate I will be using a Swiss Pass? If that happens automatically nice I buy the SwissTravelPass, how can I confirm what the price will be wit a Swiss Travel Pass? If no payment is required, can I just show up and walk on the boat? Can I reserve a spot on a particular cruise at a particular time? 2. Same types of question about the limmat river cruises. I have the impression that those are also free with the Swiss Travel Card but I have found nothing on the sbb.com website or the limmat cruise website that confirms that. Can I get a reservation? Do I need a ticket or is all I need is the sbb app on my phone showing I have a Swiss Travel Pass? 3. It appears only some trains take seat reservations. Do I need to buy a ticket for those trains or is just having the Swiss Travel Pass sufficient? 4. The instructions I saw for station-to-station luggage transfer said one was to show I have a ticket between the startig and ending stations to buy such a transfer. But if I have no tiekt because I am using the Swiss Travel Pass, how does that work? Thank you anyone who can clarify for me how this system works. I am finding it all very confusing and would appreciate any assistance.

A few queations about Swiss Travel Pass usage

azalea4va

I have created a swiss pass account. I plan on buying a Swiss Travel Pass but first I ma investigating how it will work for my 12-day trip. I have questions.

I tried booking a Lake Zurich short cruise. In the booking process, I had the option of logging in to my SwissPass account. I was given a price of 9.20 as guest and 7.00 if I logged in under my Swiss Pass. How do I indicate I will be using a Swiss Pass? If that happens automatically nice I buy the SwissTravelPass, how can I confirm what the price will be wit a Swiss Travel Pass? If no payment is required, can I just show up and walk on the boat? Can I reserve a spot on a particular cruise at a particular time?
Same types of question about the limmat river cruises. I have the impression that those are also free with the Swiss Travel Card but I have found nothing on the sbb.com website or the limmat cruise website that confirms that. Can I get a reservation? Do I need a ticket or is all I need is the sbb app on my phone showing I have a Swiss Travel Pass?
It appears only some trains take seat reservations. Do I need to buy a ticket for those trains or is just having the Swiss Travel Pass sufficient?
The instructions I saw for station-to-station luggage transfer said one was to show I have a ticket between the startig and ending stations to buy such a transfer. But if I have no tiekt because I am using the Swiss Travel Pass, how does that work?

Thank you anyone who can clarify for me how this system works. I am finding it all very confusing and would appreciate any assistance.

RolandP

Hello azalea4va

The Swiss Travel Pass is your ticket, and you do not need to purchase additional tickets unless you want to use it on routes where the Swiss Travel Pass is not or partially valid or if you would like to upgrade from 2nd to 1st class.

Where accepted, the Swiss Travel Pass is a hop on hop off ticket. You can walk on trains, buses, tramways, and boats at will and simply have a ride. The validity map is here:

https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/travelcards/area-validity-map.html?layers=ch.sbb.geltungsbereiche.mvp-sts

On routes where the Swiss Travel Pass is accepted, you simply show the Swiss Travel Pass paper ticket or the QR code of your e-ticket together with your physical passport (no photo copies, no images on smartphones of it).

Again, the Swiss Travel Pass is considered a valid ticket for the SBB luggage shipping service. It simply has to be valid on the day you want to ship your luggage.

Here is more information on the STP:
https://help.myswitzerland.com/hc/en-us

Here is our guide about seat reservations on Swiss trains:
https://community.sbb.ch/blog/23887-demystifying-seat-reservations-on-swiss-trains-a-comprehensive-guide

You will see that you will not find it confusing any further once you have been using it. There is no simpler ticket to use than the Swiss Travel Pass. And, you will be amazed by our public transit system and its simplicity of access/use.

Kind regards,
Roland

azalea4va

Super helpful reply. I had downloaded the PDF map but the online map is far more detailed. And the guide on seat reservations was the document I was looking for but had not found.

Thank you. 😃

RolandP

Hello azalea4va

Thanks for the feedback; I am happy I could help someone that early in the morning (5 AM here) 🙂

Let us know if you have got further queries.

Have a great day ahead.

Roland

RedBaron

azalea4va
Note that on the Lake Zurich boats, any 2nd class ticket or pass gives you access to the lower deck only. For the upper deck(s), a 1st class ticket is required. But the crew on board or the ticket booth at the Zurich Bürkliplatz jetty will happily sell you the necessary upgrade ticket.

With the exception of a few “panoramic” tourist trains (which are actually not really more “panoramic” than the other regular trains also operating on that same route), it is not possible to “reserve a spot”. Passenger numbers can not be limited by the amount of available specific tickets like with a flight, just because many passengers (especially residents) are using generic travel passes such as e.g. your STP.

Krist

Note also that the “Swiss Pass” is a product that has absolutely nothing to do with the “Swiss Travel Pass”. But someone at Alliance Swiss Pass didn’t realise how confusing that would be for most people…