What the Swiss Travel Pass includes

Facts checked in November 2026 against operator sources.

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Mountain excursions, full fare and price with the pass

Adult return fares for the 2026 season. The pass price is what you pay on top of the pass itself.

Pilatus, Stanserhorn, Rigi and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise from operator price lists. Titlis, Gornergrat, Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch from secondary sources, shown as approximate. Checked November 2026.

The three free mountains

Rigi is the one most visitors use. Two cogwheel railways climb to Rigi Kulm at 1,798 metres, one from Vitznau on Lake Lucerne and one from Arth-Goldau, and a cable car runs from Weggis. The usual day out is the boat from Lucerne to Vitznau, the train up, and down the other side to Arth-Goldau for a train back. All of it is covered. A day ticket for the Rigi railways alone costs CHF 84.

Stanserhorn is reached by a vintage funicular and then the CabriO, a cable car with an open upper deck. The return costs CHF 82 without a pass. It runs from mid April to late November and is closed in winter.

Stoos has the steepest funicular in the world, climbing from the valley near Schwyz to a car free village. The funicular is included. The chairlifts above the village to the Fronalpstock are a separate operation, so ask at the valley station what your pass covers on the day.

Together these three are worth well over CHF 160 at full fare, and all three are within an hour of Lucerne. That is why a short stay in central Switzerland is where the pass pays back fastest.

Half price, and the Jungfraujoch exception

The Swiss Travel System describes the benefit as up to 50% off other mountain excursions. In practice the big names are half price. On Pilatus the operator lists the pass at 50% between Kriens or Alpnachstad and the summit. The Zermatt cable car company lists 50% for pass holders. The same applies to the Gornergrat railway and to Titlis.

Jungfraujoch works differently. The pass is valid on the Bernese Oberland Railway from Interlaken to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, and on the rack railway up to Wengen. Beyond that you buy a ticket at 25% off. In summer the full fare from Grindelwald or Wengen is about CHF 239, so pass holders pay about CHF 179. A holder of the Swiss Half Fare Card pays about CHF 131 for the whole trip from Interlaken. If Jungfraujoch is the centrepiece of your holiday, read is it worth it before buying.

Museums and castles

The pass doubles as a Swiss Museum Pass. More than 500 museums admit holders free of charge. You show the pass and your passport at the desk and receive a ticket.

• Chillon Castle near Montreux, adult entry CHF 15 in 2026 and CHF 18 from 2027, free with the pass.
• Swiss National Museum beside Zurich main station.
• Olympic Museum in Lausanne.
• Ballenberg Open Air Museum near Brienz.
• Art museums in Basel, Bern, Zurich and Geneva.

A few popular attractions are not museums in this sense or give only a reduction, so check the desk price list if a visit matters to your budget. Be realistic too. Most visitors on an eight day trip use the museum benefit two or three times, worth perhaps CHF 40 to 50, not hundreds.

What you still pay for

• Seat reservations, about CHF 54 on the Glacier Express and CHF 32 to 36 on the Bernina Express.
• The undiscounted half of mountain railways outside the free network.
• Excellence Class on the Glacier Express, CHF 540 for the seat on top of a 1st class pass.
• Travel to and from Switzerland, including the Italian end of journeys beyond Tirano.
• Luggage transfer, bike transport and meals on board.

With the Flex version

On a Swiss Travel Pass Flex, free museum entry and the mountain discounts apply only on days you have activated. On a consecutive pass they apply every day. If you plan quiet days of museums between travel days, the consecutive pass gives more.

Frequently asked questions