Most Americans don’t use public transportation often. In general, we drive our cars. So, it was hard to get my head around not having a car but instead relying on the trains.
The website had so much information it was overwhelming! First, you had to figure out which pass you needed, which required some math and planning. Then you buy the pass, but next, and most importantly, how does the Swiss Flex Pass work? That’s what I’m going to show you, very simply, with pictures!
Which Swiss Flex Pass is right for you?
This will be different for every trip so I will go through my process, and you can make changes to suit your trip. Grab a notepad, and let’s do this.
- How long is the trip? There are two different kinds of passes: the Swiss Pass is good for consecutive days, and the Swiss Flex Pass can be activated for any day within a month from activation. The passes are good for 3, 4, 6, 8, or 15 days. To further complicate matters, there is also a Half Fare Card which is available for 120 CHF and is good for a month. Our trip was 21 days, and we would travel by train frequently, so our decision for the 15-day flex pass was easy.
- How many days will you use the pass? The pass is good for all public transportation, trains, buses, boats, and museums, but not private concessions; they offer a 50% discount. Again, this was easy in our case; we had to figure out which days we wouldn’t use the pass. This caused me great anxiety because I thought I had to choose the days in advance – you don’t. You activate the pass on the day you want to use it.
- How do you know how many days? This is tricky because it depends! How long are the train rides? How many museums do you plan to visit? How much would you have to pay per day if you didn’t have the pass? Many of the hotels in the larger cities give you local transportation vouchers and museum discounts, so you might not need to use the pass.
Doing the Math
Below are the prices as of today, but they are subject to change, so I have linked the graphics to the website so you can verify the information before making a purchase. At this point, you need an itinerary so that you can price your most expensive travel days.
Compare the prices per day with the cost of a rental car, which is roughly 75 CHF per day, before you park (assuming you can even find parking) or buy gas. The trains are very convenient and we didn’t miss driving.
We flew in and out of Gevena and were in Switzerland for three weeks. We were touring smaller cities, Lausanne, Lugano, Bern, and Luzern, but there were five days in the middle to spend hiking in the Jungfrau Region of the Swiss Alps and one day in Zermatt.
Itinerary
Here we go! Make a list of all the travel plans that the pass would cover. Then, look up the fares on the SBB website or app (you will want to add the app to your phone!). You can also find a list of museums included in the pass, by location and add that information. Some experiences are only reduced by 50%; list those separately.
READ MORE: Using the SBB Transportation App
This worksheet shows what I planned before we left and most of what happened while we were gone. All of the numbers are in CHF and for one adult to keep the math easier.
Buying Your Pass
Hopefully, you are ready to pull the trigger and buy your pass! Here is a link to the SBB Rail Pass Website.
Now, how does the Swiss Flex Pass work? After completing the purchase, you will receive an email confirmation and proof of purchase with the reference number. Save this file with your travel documents. I keep digital copies of everything on my phone. Still, it was also helpful to keep a copy of the reference number on a piece of paper in my wallet because I needed to type the number into my phone every time I activated the pass for the day.
Activating the Pass
Every morning that we planned to use the pass, before boarding the train, I would activate our passes and add them to my wallet. Then, I sent Joe a screenshot so he also had a copy on his phone. It took less than 5 minutes. You log in to activateyourpass.com, fill out the retrieval information, and you will be on your account which shows how many days are remaining and has copies of all the activated passes.
When the conductor comes to check the ticket, he or she will scan the code and occasionally, they will ask to see your passport and gaze at your face pointedly, but usually, they scan the code and move on.
Museums and Privately-Owned Concessions
How does the Swiss Flex Pass work at the museums? Most things are free with the pass, so be sure to show it at every ticket desk. They won’t ask you; they will charge you full price. The worst that happens is that it isn’t accepted. Even the expensive, privately owned concessions, like Mt. Pilatus, Glacier Paradise, and Jungfraugoch will give a 50% reduction of the fare.
To sum up our experience, the Swiss Flex Pass was incredible easy to use and we loved the trains in Switzerland. We didn’t miss a car at all!
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