Trains, boats and automobiles – how to get around Switzerland
My preference for travelling in and around Switzerland is to use the masterpiece that is the public transport network. It’s an integral part of my Swiss holiday experience and a much more sustainable way to get around.
I’m a big fan of the Swiss Travel Pass, which allows me to travel freely around the country by train, boat and bus. Not to mention the many discounts offered for most mountain lifts, which works perfectly for my hiking adventures.
Driving around Switzerland
Driving in Switzerland is pretty easy if you choose to do so. Just remember to hire a car with snow tyres and snow chains if you’re driving in the winter, and check the up-to-date advice in advance here.
If you plan to drive on the motorway, you must display a green vignette (sticker) on the windscreen. This can be bought for CHF40 at petrol stations and border crossings.
But it seems wrong to drive in a country where trains are as intrinsic to its very being as the mountains that they tunnel through.
Swiss Trains
As a summer holiday rep with the perk of a First Class Swiss Travel Pass, I have many happy memories of speeding through the Swiss countryside. I loved to amuse myself on the swivelling seats of the GoldenPass train to Montreux or laze on the top floor sofa of the double-decker train to Zurich. Even better to find an empty private compartment on the Deutsche Bahn ICE train. But – best of all – I loved to simply flop down into the big bouncy brown upholstered seats to be rocked gently side to side on the creaky carriages to Grindelwald.
The best thing about travelling around Switzerland by train is that it’s so easy. You’ll find train stations linked to airports, announcements in English, ramps to pull your suitcase along and trains that link with connecting trains and even buses and boats.
Swiss Travel Highlights
While the Swiss Travel Pass covers the below panoramic routes, note that they are so popular that booking in advance is highly recommended, particularly during the main holiday periods.
The Glacier Express
Sit back and relax below the glass ceilings of the panoramic coaches on this bucket list 8-hour train journey from St. Moritz to Zermatt.
Gotthard Panoramic Express
Previously known as The William Tell Express, the Gotthard Panorama Express links Lucerne to Lugano. From Lucerne, you cruise across the lake on a nostalgic paddle steamer to Flüelen. Then, from Flüelen, you board the train to experience a rail-engineering masterpiece of spiralling tunnels and precipitous bridges.
GoldenPass Panoramic Train
The GoldenPass is a journey through two sides of Swiss culture, from German-speaking Zweisimmen to French-speaking Montreux. For a nostalgic twist, choose the Belle Epoque departures to travel in classic vintage carriages.
Luzern-Interlaken Express
The two-hour journey over the Brünig Pass connects two of Switzerland’s most popular tourist destinations. Along the way, you’ll pass no less than five lakes.
Jungfraujoch
The 9 km railway track tunnels right through the Eiger and Monch mountains. It’s a pioneering achievement from the early 1900s, taking hordes of tourists to 3454 metres. The highest railway station in Europe is Switzerland’s most famous (and most expensive) tourist attraction.
A special mention to the Swiss PostBus
The distinctive yellow PostBuses originally evolved to carry mail and passengers to the most rural corners of Switzerland. You definitely shouldn’t avoid using them just because they’re a ‘bus’. They’re scenic, fun, and very, very Swiss. A journey on a Swiss PostBus adds an extra dimension to any holiday, but especially for hikers looking to reach yet more outstanding trails.
Here are a couple of my favourite PostBus journeys:
Rosenlaui Valley
From the impressive mountain pass of Grosse Scheidegg above Grindelwald, the post bus drops down through the enchanting Rosenlaui valley to Meiringen. Most of the stops put you at the foot of beautiful walking routes. The Swiss Travel Pass gives you free travel from Meiringen to Schwarzwaldalp. Then, for the upper part of the route from Schwarzwaldalp to Grosse Scheidegg, you receive a 50% reduction.
Reichenbach to Griesalp
As the driver sounds the distinctive three-tone horn, gasps of delight accompany each swinging turn, revealing increasingly precipitous views. The steepest post-bus route in Europe ends in Griesalp, where I love to hike over the Hohtürli Pass to the Oeschinensee. The Swiss Travel Pass includes free travel on this route.
Swiss Travel Pass and more – a guide to tourist travel passes in Switzerland
It’s well worth considering investing in a travel pass for your holiday to Switzerland.
The Swiss Travel Pass tends to be a sensible choice if you’re planning a multicentre stay or want to see as much of the country as possible. Otherwise, a regional pass may be the better option. It really depends on how much you plan to travel and how far.
1. Swiss Travel Pass and other National travel passes
| Swiss Travel Pass | Unlimited travel in Switzerland by train, bus or boat for up to 15 consecutive days. Plus, there are reductions on most mountain lifts and free entrance to hundreds of museums. |
| Swiss Travel Pass Flex | The flex pass differs from the non-flex pass by allowing up to 15 days of non-consecutive travel within a month. It’s perfect if you’re lucky enough to be on holiday for more than two weeks. |
| Swiss Half Fare Card | This card is valid for a month of half-price travel by train, bus, boat, or mountain railway. |
| Swiss Family Card | Children up to 15 years old can travel free as long as they’re accompanied by at least one parent with a Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card. Note that the Swiss Family Card itself is free of charge. |
2. Regional Passes
If you plan to spend your entire holiday in the same area, a Regional Pass can be an excellent option to consider. Either instead of or in addition to the Swiss Travel Pass.
Interlaken and the Jungfrau region –
There are two regional passes to choose from: the Jungfrau Travel Pass and the Berner Oberland Pass. So it can be a little confusing to know which to go for. Holders of the Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card receive a reduced price for the regional pass, which narrows the price difference between the two and, in my opinion, makes the Berner Oberland Pass the better choice.
Jungfrau Travel Pass
Unlimited travel for up to 8 days with a special price to reach the Jungfraujoch.
Price guide (2024): CHF290 per adult (6 days full fare) CHF225 per adult (6 days reduced fare – with Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card)
- Includes reduced-price travel to the Jungfraujoch (CHF63pp / CHF75pp Jun-Aug)
- Includes boats on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.
- Includes trains to Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren and Lauterbrunnen.
https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/jungfrau-travel-pass/
Berner Oberland Pass
Unlimited travel by train, bus, boat and many mountain railways for up to 10 consecutive days and covering a wider regional area than the Jungfrau Travel Pass.
Price guide (2024): CHF350 per adult (6 days full fare) / CHF254 per adult (6 days reduced fare – with Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card)
- Includes reduced-price travel to the Jungfraujoch (CHF99pp)
- Includes reduced price travel to the Schilthorn (50% reduction from Mürren to Schilthorn).
- Includes boats on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.
- Includes trains to Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren and Lauterbrunnen.
- Includes train to Kandersteg and mountain lift to Oeschinensee.
- Includes travel to Lucerne, Bern and Gstaad, ideal for non-mountain day trips.
- The Berner Oberland Pass covers a wider regional area than the Jungfrau Travel Pass.
https://www.berneseoberlandpass.ch
Regional Pass for holidays in Lucerne and Central Switzerland –
Tell Pass
Unlimited train, bus and boat travel for up to 10 consecutive days. It also includes many of the main mountain excursions, such as Pilatus, Titlis, Rigi and the Stanserhorn, as well as the train to Interlaken and the Brienzer Rothorn railway. There are no reductions for holders of the Swiss Travel Pass.
Price guide (2024): CHF270 per adult (5 days) / CHF340 per adult (10 days)
Planning your journeys
The Swiss Federal Railways online portal is easy to use. Simply enter your start point and destination, and it will link trains with buses and boats to clearly display your options, including arrival and departure platforms. I always download the SBB Mobile app to have timetables at my fingertips.
