How the Swiss Travel Pass works
Facts checked in November 2026 against operator sources.
The consecutive pass needs no activation. You choose the first day when you buy, receive a PDF with a QR code and show it with your passport on board. The Flex pass works the same way except that each travel day must be activated online before your first journey that day. Ordinary trains need no seat reservation.
From booking to boarding
- Decide between consecutive and Flex
If your travel days fall within one block, buy the consecutive pass. Choose Flex only if you will have several rest days between journeys and the consecutive pass would need to be a size longer.
- Choose the first day carefully
The pass covers calendar days, not 24 hour periods. Landing at 9 pm and starting the pass that evening uses a whole day for one airport transfer. Start it the next morning instead.
- Book and add the children
Enter each traveller's name as it appears in the passport, date of birth and country of residence. Add children aged 6 to 15 now. Their Swiss Family Card cannot be added once you are on the train.
- Receive the e-ticket
The pass is issued as a PDF with a QR code. A booking confirmation from a reseller is not the pass itself, so wait for the document that carries the QR code and your name.
- Board and show it
There are no ticket gates in Swiss stations. Sit down, and when the conductor arrives show the QR code and, if asked, your passport.
- Use it everywhere else
Show the same pass to the bus driver, at the boat gangway, at the museum desk and at mountain railway ticket offices to claim the free ride or the reduced fare.
Activating a Flex pass
The Swiss Travel Pass Flex comes with a set of travel days to use within one month of the first day you set. Before the first journey on each travel day you activate that date on the activation website named on your ticket, activateyourpass.com, and receive a day ticket with its own QR code. Travelling on a Flex pass without having activated the day counts as travelling without a ticket.
A day runs from midnight until 5 am the following morning. Museum entry and mountain discounts are available only on activated days. A date entered by mistake can normally be changed until the evening before, not on the day itself.
Passport and ticket checks
The pass is personal and tied to your name. It is valid only together with the original passport or national identity card. A photocopy or a picture on a phone is not accepted, which matters if you usually leave your passport in the hotel safe. Carry it on travel days. Conductors do check, particularly on the tourist routes.
Keep a printed copy of the pass in your bag. If your phone battery dies you are still expected to produce a ticket. Pass holders who booked through Swiss Federal Railways with a customer login can also load the consecutive pass into the SBB Mobile app. That does not work for the Flex version.
Seat reservations
On ordinary Swiss trains you cannot be turned away for lack of a seat reservation, and most travellers never make one. You can reserve a seat on InterCity trains for a small fee if you are travelling with a group or on a busy holiday weekend, but it is optional.
On panoramic trains the seat is sold separately from the fare. Buy the reservation alone, selecting the option for travellers who already hold a pass, from the train operator or at any Swiss station.
- Glacier Express, about CHF 54 per seat in either class. Bookings open well ahead and summer departures fill up.
- Bernina Express, CHF 36 from early May to late October and CHF 32 in the low season.
- Jungfraujoch, CHF 10 per person from May to October, on top of the reduced ticket.
Children pay the full reservation fee even when their fare is free.
Upgrading for a single journey
With a 2nd class pass you can sit in 1st class on any one journey by buying a class upgrade for that route at a machine, in the app or at the ticket office. On boats you can pay the supplement on board. This is far cheaper than a 1st class pass if you want the extra comfort only on a long scenic leg.
Luggage
There are no luggage limits or fees on Swiss trains, and every InterCity has racks at the carriage ends. The railway also runs a station to station and door to door luggage service for a charge. A promotion gives pass holders up to 50% off selected luggage services for journeys between 1 October and 15 December 2026.
If your plans change
Before the first day of validity, a pass can be cancelled under the terms of whoever sold it to you. Read those terms before you buy, as they differ. From the first day onwards there is no refund for days you do not use, and a pass cannot be paused or extended because of illness, strikes or weather. If the name or date on the pass is wrong, contact the seller straight away, since a pass in the wrong name is not valid.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to print the pass?
No. The QR code on a phone screen is accepted. A paper copy is a sensible backup.
Do I need to validate the pass at the station?
No. The consecutive pass is valid automatically on the dates printed on it. Only the Flex pass needs each day activated online.
What happens if I forget my passport?
The pass is not valid without it. The conductor can treat you as travelling without a ticket and charge the fare plus a surcharge.
Can someone else use my pass on a day I do not travel?
No. The pass is personal and non transferable, and it is checked against your passport.
Does the pass day end at midnight?
A travel day runs until 5 am the following morning, so a late train home on your last day is still covered.
Can I change the start date after buying?
That depends on the seller. Some allow a free change or cancellation before the first day, others charge a fee. After the first day no change is possible.