The Swiss Travel System and other Switzerland Transportation Tips

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: With the excellent and expensive public transportation around Switzerland, consider purchasing a special pass or ticket to fit with your trip. Below, I'll cover the passes of most interest to tourists.

Swisspass: Valid for all Switzerland for a set number of consecutive days. It covers trains, buses and boats within Switzerland, to include all mass transit in 35 Swiss cities and towns. It also provides free entry to 400 museums, and 50% discounts on most mountain lifts. Comes in both first and second class -- 4, 8, 15 and 22-day varieties, as well as a 1-month pass.

Swiss Saver Pass: This pass is just like Swisspass, except it covers 2 or more people traveling together. It's about 15% cheaper per person than the Swisspass.

Swiss Youth Pass: Swisspass for lucky folks under 26 years old. Available in 2nd class only

Swiss Flexipass: Valid for a set number of days unlimited travel within a 1-month period. In addition, the pass allows for a 50% discount on all travel within the period of validity (NOTE: You cannot use the 50% discount benefit until you use your first flexi day). Museum entry requires use of a flexi day. Available in both 1st and 2nd class.

Swiss Saver Flexipass: is to the Swiss Flexipass as Swiss Saver Pass is to Swisspass.

Swiss Card: Gives you a 50% discount on rail, bus, and boat travel for 1 month, plus free travel from your point of entry and to your point of departure.

Swiss Transfer Ticket: Same as Swiss Card, only no discount.

Swiss Family Card: Allows children under 16 to travel for free when accompanied by their parents. Cost is CHF 20, or free when parent(s) purchase one of the travel passes above.

UPDATE: It appears it is once again allowed to validate your Swisspass in another country before you arrive in Switzerland. We were able to validate our passes in Innsbruck, Austria in 2008, and we were once again allowed to validate our passes in Salzburg in 2009. Of course, even if you're allowed to validate the pass, remember you must purchase separate tickets until you arrive in the area where the Swisspass is valid. Carefully review the "synoptic map" you receive with the pass (also available on the website).

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Website: http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/
Other Contact: http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Zürich Airport (Code: ZRH) is quite a transportation hub, serviced by 70 scheduled airlines from Adria Airways to U.S. Airways.

The airport, located in the village of Kloten, is only a short distance from Zürich's town center. Taxis are quick but expensive (around CHF 50). Regular trains depart for Zürich HB ("Hauptbahnhof," or main train station) very frequently (at least every 10 minutes between 5AM and Midnight) from the underground Zürich Flughafen train station. Travel time is 10-15 minutes. A ticket to Zürich only costs about CHF 6, so don't waste a railpass day if you're only going to Zürich. If you're making a longer train trip upon your arrival, it is easy for you to validate your railpass at the SBB (Swiss Rail) area on the 2nd Level. A good tip is to avoid the long lines at the ticket counters and proceed to the "Reisezentrum" (travel center) to get your railpass validated. Be sure everyone using the pass is present and have their passports ready for inspection (so the travel agent can write the number(s) on your railpass).

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Phone: +41 (0)43 816 22 11
Website: http://www.zurich-airport.com
Other Contact: 0900 300 313 (flight info)

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Geneva's Airport (Code: GVA) is serviced by 67 airlines from Aer Lingus to Varig. Service to Geneva is available from a number of countries, including the USA, Canada, India, Thailand, Brazil, and Australia.

The airport itself is located in the town of Cointrin, a very short distance from Geneva. Trains depart from the basement level Genève Aéroport station every 15 minutes for Genève Gare Cornavin (a.k.a. Genève Gare Central, or Geneva Central Station). Travel time is approximately 6 minutes. You also have the option of Buses 10, 23, and 28, departing for various destinations in Geneva. Fare is CHF 3 for train or bus; obviously it makes little sense to waste a railpass day if you're staying in Geneva.

If you plan to travel from the airport beyond Geneva, you can validate your railpass at the CFF (Swiss Rail) desk on the 2nd Level. Hourly Intercity or Eurocity trains depart from Genève Aéroport station for Bern and Brig. From Genève Gare Cornavin, you can make easy connections to many trains, including the high-speed Cisalpino to Milan and the TGV to Paris. Check the website for details on bus service to eastern France.

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Website: www.gva.ch
Other Contact: www.unireso.com (French)

'Mode': TO
Category: Ship/Boat
Getting TO/AROUND: Don't get me wrong: Austria is a lovely country. But let's say you want to get from Zürich to Munich, and you have a railpass that doesn't cover Austria. You're in luck if you know a scenic detour across Lake Constance. Instead of taking the route from Zürich to Lindau/Munich by rail, consider taking the train to Romanshorn. From the Romanshorn station, continue to the ferry dock (less than 100 meters from the station) and board a ferry to Friedrichshafen. After you clear passport control, continue up the dock and to the left until you see the train station. Board the waiting train to "Friedrichshafen Stadt." Once there, you can change for an IRE train to Ulm, where you can transfer for main-line trains to Munich (or anywhere else in Germany you want to go).

You really won't save a lot of money, but you'll get there at just about the same time, and you get to take a boat ride across Lake Constance! :-)

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Phone: +41 (0)71 466 78 88
Website: http://www.sbsag.ch/en/index.cfm?treeID=308